Tel Aviv: Israel claimed Tuesday to have killed a top Iranian general as it traded more strikes with its longtime foe, and U.S. President Donald Trump warned residents of Tehran to evacuate while suggesting that the United States could give up on negotiations. Trump left the Group of Seven summit in Canada a day early to deal with the conflict between Israel and Iran, telling reporters on Air Force One during the flight back to Washington: 'I'm not looking at a ceasefire. We're looking at better than a ceasefire.'
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, when asked to explain, Trump said the U.S. wanted to see 'a real end' to the conflict that could involve Iran 'giving up entirely.' He added: 'I'm not too much in the mood to negotiate.' Trump's hard line added to the uncertainty roiling the region on the fifth day of Israel's air campaign aimed at Iran's military and nuclear program.
Residents of Tehran fled their homes in droves, and the U.N. nuclear watchdog for the first time said Israeli strikes on Iran's main enrichment facility at Natanz had also damaged its main underground section, not just an above-ground facility, as previously acknowledged. Israel says its sweeping assault on Iran's top military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites, and ballistic missile program is necessary to prevent its adversary from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon. The strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran.