Israel continued its air campaign on Tehran five days after its surprise attack on Iran's military and nuclear program, as its military claimed to have killed someone it described as a new top general in a strike.

Iran did not immediately comment on the reported killing of Gen. Ali Shadmani, who had just been named as the head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, part of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Israeli military officials also said fighter jets had struck 10 command centres in Tehran belonging to Iran's Quds Force, an elite arm of its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran.

Earlier, the Israeli military had called for some 330,000 residents of a neighbourhood in the city centre of Tehran to evacuate. Tehran is one of the largest cities in the Middle East, with around 10 million people, roughly equivalent to the entire population of Israel. People have been fleeing since the hostilities began.

WATCH l Some Iranians flee to Turkey: 

People try to flee Tehran as airstrikes continue

Panicked residents of Tehran tried to flee the city after warnings from Israel of more airstrikes and some Iranian missiles managed to get through Israel’s defence systems.

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 longtime adversary from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon.

The strikes have killed at least 224 people and wounded more than 1,200 since Friday, according to Iranian officials, though outside groups believe that may be an undercount.

Israel's military killed a handful of senior Iranian military leaders in its attack late last week and on Monday boasted that it has "achieved full aerial superiority over Tehran's skies."

Iran has retaliated by launching more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel and more than 500 wounded. The Israeli military said a new barrage of missiles was launched on Tuesday, and explosions could be heard in northern Israel. 

U.S. not 'in the mood to negotiate,' Trump says

The escalation of hostilities between the two rivals is among the pressing matters for leaders at the G7 summit currently taking place in Kananaskis, Alta. On Monday, the leaders released a statement on the conflict. 

"We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East," it read. "In this context, we affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel. We also affirm the importance of the protection of civilians."

U.S. President Donald Trump left the G7 summit earlier than expected, with the White House's press secretary citing "what's going on in the Middle East" as the reason.

French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that discussions were underway on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, but Trump appeared to shoot that down in an overnight social media post.

Trump said in a subsequent post that his departure "has nothing to do with a ceasefire."

"Much bigger than that," he wrote without elaborating.

When Israel began its strikes late last week, the Trump administration took pains to insist it had not participated, though it has admitted it has helped with defending Iran's counterattacks.

The U.S. was preparing for a sixth round of talks with Iran on a nuclear deal at the time. On his overnight flight back to Washington from Canada, Trump suggested he was now less interested in talking with them.

"They should have done the deal. I told them: do the deal," Trump said. "So I don't know. I'm not too much in the mood to negotiate."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli strikes have set Iran's nuclear program back a "very, very long time," and told reporters he is in touch with Trump daily.

Underground Iranian site out of reach

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared to make a veiled plea Monday for the U.S. to step in and negotiate an end to hostilities between Israel and Iran.

In a post on X, Araghchi wrote that if Trump is "genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential."

"It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu," Iran's top diplomat wrote. "That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy."

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Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, and the U.S. and others have assessed that Tehran has not had an organized effort to pursue a nuclear weapon since 2003. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that the country has enough enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs should it choose to do so.

So far, Israel has targeted multiple Iranian nuclear program sites but has not been able to destroy Iran's Fordo uranium enrichment facility.

The site is buried deep underground, and to eliminate it, Israel may need the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a U.S. bunker-busting bomb that uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets. Israel does not have the munition or the bomber needed to deliver it; it is currently delivered by the B-2 stealth bomber.

 

Meanwhile, downtown Tehran appeared to be starting to empty out early Tuesday, with many shops closed. The city's ancient Grand Bazaar was also closed — something that has only happened in the past during anti-government demonstrations or at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

On the roads out of Tehran to the west, traffic stood bumper to bumper. Many appeared to be heading to the Caspian Sea area, while long lines also could be seen at gas stations in Tehran.