Tehran has asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press US President Donald Trump to use his influence on Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire, two Iranian and three regional sources told Reuters on Monday (Jun 16).
In return, Iran will reportedly offer flexibility in nuclear negotiations with the US.
Gulf leaders and their top diplomats worked the phones all weekend, speaking to each other, to Tehran, Washington and beyond in an effort to avoid a widening of the conflict as longstanding enemies Israel and Iran intensified their attacks in their biggest ever confrontation.
Iran is willing to be flexible in the nuclear talks if a ceasefire is reached, one of the Iranian sources said.
The Gulf States are deeply concerned the conflict will spin out of control, a Gulf source close to government officials told Reuters.
Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia have all appealed to Washington to press Israel to agree to a ceasefire and to resume talks with Tehran towards a nuclear deal, the Gulf source said.
The White House and US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Separately, Group of Seven (G7) leaders have a draft joint statement calling for de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict, according to two sources and a draft seen by Reuters.
Trump has not signed off on the draft, however, the sources said. The draft commits to safeguarding market stability, including energy markets, and says Israel has the right to defend itself.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Israel’s military earlier urged residents of a northern district of Tehran to evacuate “immediately” on Monday, saying it intended to carry out air strikes there.
“In the coming hours, the (Israeli miliary) will operate in the area, as it has in recent days throughout Tehran, to strike military infrastructure of the Iranian regime”, the military said in a post on X in Persian, indicating a part of Tehran’s District 3 on a map and telling citizens to “evacuate the marked area” for safety.
IRAN STATE TV HIT
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) building was struck in an Israeli attack on Monday, cutting live coverage immediately.
The blast occurred as the presenter was live on TV lambasting Israel before she was seen leaving the live broadcast, Iranian media reported, sharing a video of the incident.
This came after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz later said Iran’s state television and radio were “about to disappear”.
“The Iranian propaganda and incitement megaphone is about to disappear,” he said in a statement. “Evacuation of nearby residents has begun.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also issued an evacuation warning for the residents of Tel Aviv, Iranian state media reported, shortly after Israel’s warning.
US WARSHIP
Meanwhile, the US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz was leaving Southeast Asia on Monday after cancelling plans to dock in Vietnam, amid reports it is headed to the Middle East to boost the US’ presence as Israel and Iran do battle.
At 1345 GMT (9.45pm Singapore time), the carrier was travelling through the Malacca Strait toward the Indian Ocean, according to Marine Traffic, a ship-tracking site.
A Vietnamese government official confirmed to AFP that a planned reception aboard the USS Nimitz on Jun 20, as part of the ship’s expected Jun 19 to Jun 23 visit to Danang, had been cancelled.
The official shared a letter from the US embassy announcing that the Defense Department was cancelling the event due to “an emergent operational requirement”.
The US Embassy in Hanoi declined to comment to AFP, as did a spokesman for the Nimitz.
The movement of one of the world’s largest warships came on day four of the escalating air war between Israel and Iran, with no end in sight despite international calls for de-escalation.
Israel’s strikes have so far killed at least 224 people, including top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians, according to Iranian authorities.
In retaliation, Iran said it had struck Israel with a salvo of missiles and warned of “effective, targeted and more devastating operations” to come.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Monday said that Iran’s missile barrage had lightly damaged a building used by the American embassy in Tel Aviv.
