09:53
Israel says eight people were killed overnight by Iranian attacks on residential districts in Tel Aviv, Haifa and other cities. The total number of people killed since Friday stands at 24, according to the Israeli PM’s office and Israeli media.
Health officials say nearly 300 people have been admitted to hospital.
Iran says more than 200 people have been killed there since Israel started the conflict on Friday.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called on all Iranians to “stand together, persevere, and confront the criminal aggression to which Iran is subjected”.
Speaking at a meeting of Iran’s parliament on Monday, Pezeshkian said Iran has “given diplomacy a chance and opened the way for negotiations and dialogue”.
“The enemy cannot destroy Iran and its people through murder and terrorism. There are hundreds of other heroes who will carry the banner and continue the path after every targeted attack,” he said.
Pezeshkian also reiterated that his country “does not seek to possess nuclear weapons” but that it has “the right to benefit from nuclear energy and research that benefits its people”.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson has said that after the cancellation of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for yesterday, the US needs to “condemn” Israeli attacks on Iran for the negotiations to continue.
Esmail Baghai once again called negotiations “meaningless” in the current situation and said the US was “complicit” in the attacks.
He also said that if Iran’s parliament decides to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it will be “binding”.
Iran has always insisted that its nuclear programme is peaceful, a claim that Israel rejects.
Meanwhile, China has again urging Israel and Iran to take steps to de-escalate as strikes by both sides continue.
“We urge all parties to immediately take measures to cool down the tensions, prevent the region from falling into greater turmoil, and create conditions for returning to the right track of resolving issues through dialogue and negotiations,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday.
His comments come after another spokesman on Sunday said that “China is willing to play a constructive role in this process” of de-escalation.
The United States has closed its embassies in Israel.
The US ambassador to Israel has reported that its Tel Aviv embassy branch sustained “minor damage” during the overnight strikes from Iran.
Mike Huckabee posted on X that the consulate was affected by “concussions of Iranian missile hits” near the building in Tel Aviv. The main US Embassy in Jerusalem will also remain closed as there is still a shelter in place order in effect.
No US personnel were injured, he said.
