Residents in central Tehran have begun leaving their homes on Tuesday following a warning from the Israeli military ordering a partial evacuation of the Iranian capital.
The warning applies to a densely populated area of the city housing more than 300,000 people, including the country’s state broadcaster, police headquarters, and three major hospitals.
The evacuation order came shortly after a social media post by former US President Donald Trump warning Iranians to leave Tehran
"IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The post followed Trump's abrupt departure from a G7 summit in Canada, fuelling concerns that the Israel's aggression against Iran is rapidly escalating beyond diplomatic control.
With Trump denying claims by French President Emmanuel Macron that he left the G7 summit to work on a ceasefire with Iran, there are fears that the US could enter the war on Israel's behalf, fuelling panic among Iranians.
Even before the formal evacuation warning, many Tehran residents had already begun fleeing the city.
Long queues for petrol were reported on Monday night, with drivers reportedly waiting over five hours as fuel was rationed to 25 litres per car. Traffic jams are clogging major routes out of the capital, and panic grew after an Israeli airstrike hit near the state TV building.
During a live broadcast, a television presenter was forced to flee on-air as dust filled the studio following a nearby explosion. The screen cut to black before resuming with pre-recorded material. Iranian officials condemned the targeting of civilian infrastructure, with at least two media workers reportedly killed in the attack.
Governments around the world have begun responding to the deteriorating situation. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Tokyo is exploring "various options" to evacuate Japanese nationals. Meanwhile, India confirmed that it had already relocated students out of Tehran following the Israeli attacks.
On Monday, the Israeli military claimed it had killed Ali Shadmani, a senior Iranian commander described as the country's "Wartime Chief of Staff".
Shadmani, who had recently replaced Major General Gholam Ali Rashid after his death in a 13 June strike, reportedly commanded both the Revolutionary Guard and the regular army under Iran's emergency command structure. Iran has not yet confirmed Shadmani’s death.
The Israeli military also stated it had achieved aerial superiority over Tehran, destroying more than 120 missile launchers - allegedly a third of Iran’s stockpile - and downing two F-14 fighter jets. In response, Iran launched a limited volley of around 20 missiles overnight, most of which were intercepted by Israeli defences with no reported casualties or impacts in urban areas.
Though Iran’s retaliatory capacity appears reduced, the broader implications remain dangerous. Iranian state media reports that the country is preparing for the "largest and most intense missile attack" yet after Israel's unprecedented attacks on the country.
Israel continues to present its actions as necessary for self-defence. Still, the targeting of media and medical infrastructure - and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians - has drawn increasing criticism and concern.
With international evacuations underway and Tehran increasingly under threat, fears are mounting that the crisis may yet tip into full-scale war.