Major strike on Iran looming? Netanyahu tells Tehran citizens 'evacuate and we act'

Tel Aviv/Tehran: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday issued a stark warning to civilians in Tehran to evacuate, declaring that the Israeli Air Force “controls the skies over Tehran” as Israel escalated its aerial offensive deep into Iranian territory.

“The Israeli Air Force controls the skies over Tehran. We are striking regime targets, unlike Iran’s criminal regime, which targets civilians,” Netanyahu said during a high-profile address at the Tel Nof Airbase. “We say to the citizens of Tehran: ‘Evacuate’ – and we act,” he added, underscoring the intensifying conflict between the two long-time regional adversaries.

The warning comes as the death toll continues to climb on both sides. Israel’s deep strikes into Iran, launched Friday in a surprise aerial campaign, have reportedly killed at least 224 people, including senior military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, according to Iranian officials. The strikes targeted locations ranging from the Iraqi border to the capital Tehran and as far as Mashhad in the east, where the city’s airport was hit.

In retaliation, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards fired a salvo of missiles at Israeli cities including Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Petah Tikva, and Haifa. The attacks caused widespread destruction, with homes reduced to rubble and terrified residents sheltering underground.

The Iranian counterattack raised Israel’s death toll by 11 on Monday, bringing the total to 24 since the beginning of the latest conflict. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned of “effective, targeted and more devastating operations” in the coming days.

The conflict marks a dangerous escalation in the decades-long shadow war between the two nations. While some residents began fleeing Tehran amid fears of further strikes, others have vowed to stay, despite the growing threat.