Thousands flee Tehran, source says Trump's options include joining Israel in strikes

Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other after Trump called for Tehran's "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"

Israel told residents in a southwestern area of Tehran to evacuate so its air force could strike Iranian military installations. Iranian media reported heavy traffic on roads heading from the capital towards northern provinces.

Authorities have placed limits on how much fuel can be purchased. Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad told state TV that restrictions were in place to prevent shortages but there would be no problem supplying fuel to the public.

In Israel, explosions were heard over Tel Aviv. The military said two barrages of Iranian missiles were launched toward Israel in the first two hours of Wednesday morning.

Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reported clashes early on Wednesday between security forces and unidentified gunmen in the city of Rey, south of Tehran, adding the assailants may be linked to Israel and intended to carry out "terrorist operations in densely populated areas of the capital".

Iranian news websites said Israel was also attacking a university linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the country's east, and the Khojir ballistic missile facility near Tehran, which was also targeted by Israeli airstrikes last October.

An Israeli military official said 50 fighter jets struck around 20 targets in Tehran overnight, including sites producing raw materials, components and manufacturing systems for missiles.

Iranian officials have reported at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, though that toll has not been updated for days. Since Friday, Iran has fired around 400 missiles at Israel, some 40 of which have pierced through air defences, killing 24 people, all of them civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel began flying home citizens stranded abroad on Wednesday, launching a phased airlift operation after the country's surprise military strike on Iran left tens of thousands of Israelis stuck overseas.

The prospect of the United States joining the war has jolted international markets. Israel says its main aim is to destroy Iran's nuclear programme, but Iran's nuclear enrichment plant at Fordow is buried under a mountain where only massive U.S. bombs could probably reach it.

A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team were considering a number of options, which included joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.

Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Tuesday and met for 90 minutes with his National Security Council on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the conflict.

In a flurry of statements on social media on Tuesday, he openly mused about killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding," he wrote on Truth Social. "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now ... Our patience is wearing thin."

Three minutes later Trump posted, "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"

Trump's sometimes contradictory and cryptic messaging about the conflict between close U.S. ally Israel and longtime foe Iran has deepened the uncertainty surrounding the crisis. His public comments have ranged from military threats to diplomatic overtures.

The U.S. is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, three U.S. officials told Reuters. The U.S. has so far taken only indirect actions in the conflict, including helping to shoot down missiles fired toward Israel.

Iran has said it would retaliate against U.S. bases if Washington joins the war. A source with access to U.S. intelligence reports said Iran had moved some ballistic missile launchers, but it was difficult to determine if they were targeting U.S. forces or Israel.

Britain's leader Keir Starmer, speaking at the Group of Seven nations summit in Canada that Trump left early, said there was no indication the U.S. was about to enter the conflict.

REGIONAL INFLUENCE WEAKENS

Khamenei's main military and security advisers have been killed by Israeli strikes, hollowing out his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process.

The strikes, which constitute the most dangerous security breach targeting Iranian leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, have prompted the country's cybersecurity command to ban officials from using communications devices and mobile phones, Fars news agency reported.

Ever since Iran-backed Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, and triggered the Gaza war, Khamenei's regional influence has waned as Israel has pounded Iran's proxies - from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq. Iran's close ally, Syria's autocratic leader Bashar al-Assad, has been ousted.

Israel launched its air war on Friday after saying it had concluded the Islamic Republic was on the verge of developing a weapon of mass destruction. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says its nuclear programme is peaceful.

Netanyahu has stressed that he will not back down until Iran's nuclear development is disabled. Trump has said the Israeli assault could end if Iran agrees to strict curbs on enrichment.