Israeli strike kills Iran’s top military commander: Key developments on Day 5 of conflict

The tensions between Israel and Iran escalated on June 13, when Tel Aviv launched airstrikes against Tehran, targeting military and nuclear facilities. After Israel’s attempts to halt the development of nuclear weapons in Iran, the latter retaliated with airstrikes, killing over a dozen across Israel.

Key developments in Israel-Iran conflict in 24 hours

Iran’s newly-appointed wartime chief of staff killed

The Israeli military said in a statement on Tuesday that Ali Shadmani, Iran’s newly-appointed wartime chief of staff, has been killed. Shadmani was the senior-most military commander in Iran, and was appointed to the post after the assassination of the predecessor Gholam Ali Rashid by Israel over the weekend.

Shadmani headed the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, also known as Iran’s military emergency command, for about four days before he was killed by the Israeli military. He was Iran’s most senior military commander, and considered the closest remaining military figure to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

The Israeli military killed Shadmani in overnight strikes against Iran, as it continued its offensive against its rival country in an attempt to halt its nuclear development.

Trump’s call for evacuation

US President Donald Trump Tuesday called for an immediate evacuation in Iran’s Tehran, which has fallen prey to Israel’s repeated offensive over the last five days. Trump, in a Truth Social post, also mocked Iran for not signing a deal to halt its nuclear development, showing the US’ support for Israel.

Trump said, “Iran should have signed the “deal” I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

Israel’s evacuation advisory, Indian embassy’s message

The Israeli military called for some 330,000 residents of a neighbourhood in Tehran to be evacuated as the country continues its airstrikes against Iran. Israel further reiterated that 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 building an atomic weapon.

Soon after Israel’s warning, the Indian embassy in Iran issued an advisory to all its citizens in Tehran to evacuate using their personal resources. Indian officials said that if the citizens are not able to evacuate, they should immediately get in touch with the embassy.

“All Indian nationals and PIOs who can move out of Tehran using their own resources, are advised to move to a safe location outside the City,” the embassy said in a post on X.

G7 leaders’ statement on ongoing Israel-Iran tensions

The G7 leaders on Tuesday issued a joint statement on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, expressing their support towards Tel Aviv’s right to defend itself and reiterating calls for stability in the Middle East.

The G7 statement reads, “We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East. 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. Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror. We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”

“We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza. We will remain vigilant to the implications for international energy markets and stand ready to coordinate, including with like-minded partners, to safeguard market stability,” the statement reads.

Trump’s hasty exit from G7 summit

US President Donald Trump left the G7 summit in Canada on Tuesday as the tensions between Iran and Israel escalated overnight. French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters shortly before Trump’s departure that the US President is leaving the summit to discuss a potential ceasefire between the two Middle Eastern countries.

However, Trump refuted Macron’s claim, calling it a “mistake”, saying that his trip back to Washington has “nothing to do with the ceasefire”.

“Publicity seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a “cease fire” between Israel and Iran. Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Exchange of fire continues between Israel and Iran

Israel continued strikes against Iran overnight with reports of multiple casualties emerging from different cities. Three people were killed and four injured in Iran’s central city of Kashan in an Israeli attack, with explosions and heavy air defence fire in Tehran, Iranian media reported on Tuesday.

Late on Monday, Israel said it hit Iran’s broadcasting authority, and footage showed a newsreader hurrying from her seat as a blast struck. Iranian state television said the strike killed three people.

Meanwhile in Israel, air raid warning sirens blared across Tel Aviv after midnight and again early in the morning, when several explosions were heard over the city. Some structural damage was reported in Israel, with no information of casualties overnight.

(With inputs from agencies)