Iran and Israel trade blows as China urges its civilians to leave region

TOP HEADLINES:

• Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday that it had launched a "more powerful" new wave of missiles towards Israel. READ MORE BELOW

• Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran early on Tuesday, with smoke rising in the city's east after an explosion of suspected Israeli projectiles. READ MORE BELOW

• Naval sources report that electronic interference with commercial ship navigation systems has surged in recent days around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf, which is having an impact on vessels sailing through the region.

• Israel's military said on Tuesday that it killed Iran's wartime chief of staff. READ MORE BELOW

• World leaders meeting at the Group of Seven summit called for a de-escalation of the worst-ever conflict between the regional foes, saying Iran was a source of instability and must never have a nuclear weapon.

• U.S. President Donald Trump said he wanted a "real end" to the nuclear problem with Iran and indicated he may send senior American officials to meet with the Islamic Republic.

• Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the BBC that the Natanz plant sustained extensive damage, likely destroying 15,000 centrifuges, while Iran's Fordow plant remained largely intact.

• The Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv urged its citizens to leave the country, as other countries followed suit with calls to evacuate both Israel and Iran. READ MORE BELOW

• Three people were killed by an Israeli air strike on the headquarters of Iran's state television in Tehran, which occurred while the channel was live on air, the broadcaster has confirmed.

IN DETAIL

Iranian missiles strike Israeli cities

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it had launched a "more powerful" new wave of missiles towards Israel.

Tasnim news agency quoted Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as stating that an Israeli military intelligence center and a Mossad operations planning center had been hit.

"A new wave of fierce attacks by the armed forces, especially the army's ground forces, with new and advanced weapons has begun and will intensify in the coming hours," Tasnim quoted Kiomars Heidari, commander of the Army Ground Forces, as saying.

In addition, Israel's Ynet News reported that Iranian missiles struck an eight-story building in Herzliya and set an empty bus in the coastal city on fire.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Iran had launched 30 missiles at Israel on Tuesday morning but that most had been intercepted.

Iranian wartime chief reportedly killed 

Israel's military said on Tuesday it had killed Ali Shadmani, who it identified as Iran's wartime chief of staff and said was the most senior military commander.

The IDF said Shadmani is the second Iranian official in this position it had killed in the past five days.

Shadmani is a prominent figure in the Iranian chain of command and significant to the war effort.

Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran early on Tuesday, while air defenses were activated also in Natanz, home to key nuclear installations 320 kilometers away. 

In another attack three people were killed and four injured in Iran's central city of Kashan.

Iranian officials have reported 224 deaths, mostly civilians since last Friday, while Israel said 24 civilians had been killed. 

Chinese urged to leave Israel

With security concerns growing and Israeli airspace closed because of the war, the Chinese embassy in Israel urged its citizens to leave the country via land border crossings as soon as possible.

The Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv advised Chinese nationals in Israel to "leave the country as soon as possible via land border crossings, while ensuring their personal safety," according to state-run daily Global Times.

The embassy added that it "recommended using Jordan as a priority route."

Chinese authorities, meanwhile, were in communication with Iran, Israel and various parties to promote a ceasefire, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing on Tuesday.

"China calls on all relevant parties, especially those countries that have a special influence on Israel, to shoulder their due responsibilities, take immediate measures to cool down the tense situation and prevent the conflict from escalating and spreading," Guo said, without naming any countries.

Chinese embassies in Israel and Iran have issued multiple advisories in recent days for Chinese citizens to step up safety precautions and closely follow developments.

The Japanese government said it was looking into "various options" to evacuate Japanese citizens from Israel and Iran.

Meanwhile, India's Foreign Ministry said Indian students in Tehran are being moved out of the city.