Israel, Iran trade missile fire as Trump warns Tehran to 'evacuate'

AFP | USA

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Israel and Iran traded missile fire for a fifth straight day Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump warned Tehran residents to "immediately evacuate" and left a G7 summit early.

Despite growing calls for the longtime foes to end hostilities, neither Israel nor Iran showed any signs of cutting short the missile blitz kicked off Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented series of aerial raids targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities.

After a new wave of Israeli strikes on Iran's capital -- including a dramatic attack on a state TV building -- both countries activated their missile defence systems overnight into Tuesday, with Israel's army briefly urging residents to seek shelter from incoming Iranian missiles.

The Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv warned its citizens to leave the country immediately, as the United States said it was deploying "additional capabilities" to the Middle East, according to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz departed Southeast Asia on Monday after cancelling plans to dock in Vietnam, amid reports it was headed to the Middle East to boost the US presence there.

But a White House spokesman stressed that US forces in the Middle East remained in a defensive posture, despite the flurry of activity.

Trump has repeatedly declined to say if the United States would participate in Israeli military action, although he says it was not involved in the initial strikes.

After calling on the two sides to make a deal, the US leader issued an extraordinary warning on his Truth Social platform.

"Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" Trump wrote without offering further details, before cutting short his attendance at the G7 in Canada to head back to the White House.