President Donald Trump has called on residents to evacuate Tehran immediately, reiterating his long-standing warning that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon and suggesting Iran could be headed for a catastrophe by refusing to make a deal on nuclear disarmament.
“Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” the president wrote in a June 16 post on social media.
Shortly after Trump’s warning, Iranian state media reported explosions and heavy air defense fire over Tehran.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued an evacuation order to residents in parts of Tehran on Monday, warning of imminent airstrikes targeting military infrastructure in the area.
“Dear citizens, for your safety, please leave the described area in the 3rd district of Tehran immediately,” states the message posted in Farsi by IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee on X.
“In the coming hours, the Israeli army will attack the military infrastructure of the Iranian regime in this area, as it has done in recent days in Tehran,“ Adraee wrote. ”Your presence in this area endangers your life.”
Videos shared on social media show people leaving Tehran, a city of roughly 9 million people.
The warnings from Trump and the IDF follow a wave of escalating hostilities. Last week, Israeli forces launched a massive air campaign—code-named “Operation Rising Lion”—striking Iranian nuclear facilities and military targets. In retaliation, Iran has fired multiple volleys of missiles and drones toward Israeli cities, prompting widespread alerts and activation of Israel’s air defense systems.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the goal of the military operation is to eliminate the existential threat posed by Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.
“We’re geared to do whatever is necessary to achieve our dual aim, to remove … two existential threats—the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat,” Netanyahu told Fox News in an interview, adding that Israel is trying to “protect the world from this incendiary regime.”
Trump has repeatedly pressed Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions and return to the negotiating table, warning that further delay could mean the end of the regime.
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire,” Trump said in an earlier post on Truth Social. “No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!”
Amid the intensifying conflict, planned nuclear talks between Iran and the United States in Oman have been canceled. Iranian officials declared that dialogue was no longer meaningful following Israel’s military strikes.
In Washington, the Trump administration has taken steps to bolster the U.S. military presence in the region. Over the weekend, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced additional deployments to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, which includes the Middle East.
“Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region,” Hegseth wrote in a Monday statement on social media.
On Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that Israel’s strikes were unilateral, while warning Iran not to target any American interests or personnel.
The Iranian Ministry of Health has said that at least 224 people have been killed in the country since Friday, including several top military officials.
Israel has said that 24 of its citizens have been killed.
