Israel and Iran are exchanging attacks for a fifth day, with explosions heard in Tehran and over Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has cut short his G7 visit over the crisis. Follow the latest.
Tuesday 17 June 2025 10:42, UK
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The IDF has shared an update from operations overnight and into this morning.
It said Iran's wartime chief of staff, Ali Shadmani, was killed in a hit on "the Iranian regime's headquarters" in central Tehran.
"We will relentlessly pursue our enemies through advanced intelligence capabilities, exploiting emerging opportunities, air superiority, and complex operational planning," it added.
This echoes what our Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall said earlier, when he reported it is likely Israel will try to replicate its attacks on Lebanese militants Hezbollah last year, which decimated their leadership (see 7.09).
The IDF also said it struck missile launchers and drone facilities in Iran overnight.
Meanwhile, Iran launched around 30 missiles at Israel since last night, it added, most of which were intercepted.
Several of those did get through defences, though there was no comment on the attack in Herzilaya that Iran claims hit a Mossad centre - see our previous post.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it has hit Israel's military intelligence directorate and an operational centre of Mossad, the country's intelligence agency, in Herzliya.
Massive explosions were reported in the central Israeli city this morning, with pictures from the scene showing a large column of smoke rising from a building.
Our team was not allowed to close to the site, as the authorities there said it belongs to the military, without clarifying further.
An unspecified number of students have been evacuated from Tehran, India's foreign ministry has said, as other countries prepare to follow suit.
Some Indians have also left Iran through the northern border with Armenia, while those who can afford their own transport have been urged to leave as soon as they can.
Japan is also looking into "various options" to evacuate its citizens from affected areas, chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said today.
The Chinese embassy in Israel has urged citizens to leave the country via land border crossings as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, flights carrying evacuees from Israel have arrived in Slovakia and the Czech Republic today.
That makes these countries among the first to get their citizens out of the Middle East.
Czech defence minister Jana Cernochova said a flight with 66 people evacuated from Israel had landed near Prague, while Slovakian authorities said its flight carried 73 people.
Poland said yesterday it is organising the evacuation of around 200 citizens via Jordan.
As for the UK, Downing Street said its key message to Britons in Israel is to stay near shelter and follow the advice of local authorities.
The UK has no plans for evacuations, but support has been stepped up in Jordan and Egypt for people who make their own way overland.
This video shows the moment Israel hit the studios of an Iranian state news channel, interrupting a broadcast and sending the presenter fleeing.
The attack came yesterday afternoon as the IRIB anchor was presenting live on TV, causing debris to fall from the ceiling.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz posted on X at the time, saying: "The Iranian regime's propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority was attacked by the IDF after a widespread evacuation of the surrounding residents."
More now on the incident reported in the Strait of Hormuz overnight.
The incident, which happened 22 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the UAE, was not caused by a security issue, British maritime security firm Ambrey said.
Shipping company Frontline said oil tanker Front Eagle was involved in a collision there, with no injuries reported on board.
It was a "navigational incident", and not related to the conflict between Iran and Israel.
The UAE coast guard said it had evacuated 24 people from oil tanker Adalynn.
About a fifth of the world's total oil consumption passes through the strait, which Iran has previously threatened to close.
Donald Trump wants a "real end" to the problem posed by Iran's nuclear programme, according to a CBS reporter onboard Air Force One with the US president - who is flying back to the White House after cutting his G7 visit short.
Trump has requested that the National Security Council be prepared in the Situation Room when he returns, an administration official has told NBC News. US officials have insisted the country is not entering the conflict.
Speaking onboard the plane, Trump told the reporter: "I didn't say I was looking for a ceasefire", referring to reports that the White House has proposed talks with Iran on a nuclear deal and ceasefire.
He added he wanted a "real end", with Iran "giving up entirely" on nuclear weapons - and that Israel's attacks won't slow up over the next few days, warning: "You're going to find out. Nobody's slowed up so far."
According to the reporter, Trump was noncommittal on sending any of his senior officials to meet with Iran, but added he hoped the Iranian nuclear programme would be "wiped out long before" US involvement was required.
By James Sillars, business and economics reporter
There are signs global stock markets are starting to reflect greater risk due to the Israel-Iran conflict.
Hopes of a quick resolution appear to have faded since Donald Trump, while suggesting he was working towards a broad peace agenda, urged Iranian civilians to evacuate Tehran.
At the same time, Israel has vowed to maintain its attacks.
European stock markets, including the FTSE 100, were broadly lower by more than 0.5% at the open today.
The falls swiftly erased tentative gains seen in the previous session. Within the FTSE, only six stocks were in positive territory.
US futures also showed that gains made yesterday were to come under pressure.
Brent crude oil costs remain about 7% up since Israel's attacks began.
It's trading just shy of $74 a barrel and is up by almost 1% on yesterday's session.
The lower price, when compared with Friday's highs, reflects the fact that the tit-for-tat aerial attacks between Israel and Iran have yet to affect oil flows.
As Israel strikes Iran, it continues its operations against Hamas in Gaza.
Israeli tank fire has killed about at least 45 people in Khan Younis in the south of the besieged enclave, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Hundreds of others had been injured, it said, adding that emergency rooms and operating theatres at the Nasser Hospital in the city were severely overcrowded.
Iran has warned that a wave of drones will hit Israel in the coming hours.
A senior army commander has said that attacks will intensify this morning.
Israel and Iran are trading strikes for a fifth day, with explosions reported in Tel Aviv, in central Israel, and Herzliya, just north of the city.
In the western Iranian province of Lorestan, an MP reported at least 21 people had been killed in Israeli strikes overnight, while an attack in the central city of Kashan killed three people, according to local media.
Israel's fire and rescue service says a missile has hit a part of the Dan District, an area stretching from Tel Aviv to surrounding cities.
The service said it received "numerous calls" about a rocket strike and a fire in a bus car park but reported no casualties.
Separately, Israel's paramedic service Magen David Adom said 10 people were injured "on their way to a shelter" after sirens sounded a short time ago.
