Iranian missile attacks overnight killed thirteen Israelis since Friday, prompting Netanyahu's declaration that casualties had doubled from weekend strikes. Israel responded by hitting Iran's nuclear headquarters in Tehran, with the IDF confirming strikes on nuclear facilities as explosions echoed across the Iranian capital.
The escalation intensified through the afternoon as Israel eliminated Revolutionary Guards intelligence chiefs and struck Mashhad airport in the country's northeast, marking the deepest penetration into Iranian territory yet. Iran launched fresh missile barrages targeting Tel Aviv and Haifa, with explosions reported in both city centers.
By evening, Iranian television reported Khamenei had been transferred to a bunker with his family as Israeli strikes continued. Trump indicated openness to Putin serving as mediator while suggesting possible US involvement, but Macron directly contradicted this position, telling Trump that "Putin cannot mediate." The exchanges represented the conflict's most intense phase since Wednesday's initial nuclear facility strikes.