Iran-Israel latest: Trump says he knows where Tehran’s Khamenei is hiding and calls for ‘unconditional surrender’ – UK Times

Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other today as the air war between the two longtime enemies entered a sixth day.

The Israeli military said two barrages of Iranian missiles were launched toward Israel in the first two hours of this morning. Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv.

Israel told residents in a southwestern area of Tehran to evacuate so its air force could strike Iranian military installations. Iranian media said Israel was attacking a university linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the east of the capital.

A major explosion was heard in Tehran around 5am (local time), according to local reports.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 585 people across Iran and wounded 1,326 others, a human rights group has said.

Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said it had identified 239 of the dead as civilians and 126 as security personnel.

The group, which also provided detailed casualty figures during the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, cross-checks local reports in the Islamic Republic against a network of sources it has developed in the country.

Iran has not been publishing regular death tolls during the conflict and has minimized casualties in the past.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has vowed his country will give a “strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime”, referring to Israel.

“We will show the Zionists no mercy,” Mr Khamenei said in a post on X.

US president Donald Trump has claimed he knows where Iran’s supreme leader is hiding and called for his “unconditional surrender”.

Mr Trump said in a post on Truth Social that “our patience is wearing thin”, adding: “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding.

“He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”

The US Air Force deployed at least 30 aerial refueling aircraft to Europe this week after the exchange of airstrikes between Israel and Iran unleashed a fresh wave of turmoil in the Middle East.

The planes, mostly KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotankers, were spotted on the flight tracking website FlightRadar24 and others departing from airfields across the continental United States and heading east over the Atlantic towards Europe.

The craft have reportedly since arrived at a number of strategic locations, including Ramstein Air Base in Germany, Morón Air Base and NAS Rota in Spain, Aviano Air Base in Italy, Prestwick International Airport in the UK, and Souda Bay in Greece.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said he is “deeply concerned” about Israel’s “military action” in Iran while speaking at a summit in Kazakhstan, according to The New York Times.

This marks the first time Xi has publicly commented on the conflict.

Iran experienced a near-total internet blackout today, according to NBC News.

Internet access went dark around 5:30 p.m. local time. Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said authorities restricted internet access on account of cyberattacks from Israel.

The blackout makes it extremely difficult for Iranians to access and share information about the conflict, NBC News reports.

Senator Tim Kaine spoke on the Senate floor earlier today in favor of a resolution that would require Congressional approval before the U.S. could order troops to attack Iran.

Kaine said that “engaging in a war against Iran… would be a catastrophic blunder for this country.”

Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei has threatened a “strong response” to Israel in a recent X post.

“We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime,” Khamenei wrote. “We will show the Zionists no mercy.”

The Israeli military said it is “currently conducting” strikes around Tehran, Iran’s capital, according to The New York Times.

The U.S. embassy in Israel will be closed Wednesday through Friday, according to a security alert from officials.

“Given the security situation and in compliance with Israel Home Front Command guidance, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday, June 18) through Friday (June 20),” the embassy said in a statement. “This includes the Consular Sections in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. There will be no passport (emergency or regular) or Consular Report of Birth Abroad services.”