Iranian strikes on Israel escalate, killing at least 24 and damaging US Embassy branch in Tel Aviv

Click here to follow the latest updates on the war between Israel and Iran.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga, on urged prayer for U.S. troops and the innocent people in Israel and Iran amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

"Pray for our troops," Greene wrote Tuesday on X. "Pray for the innocent people in Israel and Iran."

"War has bad consequences," she continued.

The Republican firebrand added: "We voted for America First."

The day before, she said people are now "finding out who are real America First/MAGA and who were fake and just said it bc it was popular."

"Anyone slobbering for the U.S. to become fully involved in the Israel/Iran war is not America First/MAGA," she said, adding that "wishing for murder of innocent people is disgusting" and "we are sick and tired of foreign wars."

"Real America First/MAGA wants world peace for all people and doesn't want our military killed and forever injured physically and mentally ... We have spent TRILLIONS in the Middle East and we have dealt with the aftermath of death, blown apart bodies, never ending suicides, and disabling PTSD," she continued.

President Donald Trump arrived in Washington, D.C., early Tuesday morning after abruptly leaving the G7 summit in Canada to address the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

Trump has reportedly requested that the National Security Council be prepared in the situation room.

"Because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.

Trump said Tuesday: "I have no desire to negotiate with Iran. I expect nothing less than their complete surrender."

Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said there will be some surprises amid the Jewish State's conflict with Iran that will make Israel's explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies used by members of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria last year look "simple."

"We've pulled off a number of surprises," Leiter said during a Tuesday appearance on the TV network Merit Street.

"When the dust settles, you're going to see some surprises on Thursday night and Friday that will make the beeper operation almost seem simple," he continued.

Leiter was referring to near-simultaneous detonations of pagers used by members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group that killed at least 12 people, including two children, and wounded nearly 3,000 on Sept. 17 in Lebanon and Syria. The following day, at least 25 people were killed and more than 600 were wounded when walkie-talkies were detonated in the region.

Israel was subsequently found to be behind the attacks, in which small amounts of explosives hidden in the devices were detonated.

The Israeli Defense Forces said it killed Iran's War-Time Chief of Staff, who was the government's top military commander, in a strike against Tehran.

Ali Shadmani, who was the closest figure to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was killed on Tuesday when the Israeli Air Force struck a staffed command center in the heart of Tehran, the IDF said.

Shadmani served as War-Time Chief of Staff and Commander of the Emergency Command of the Iranian Armed Forces, according to the IDF. He also commanded Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian army.

"At the start of the operation, he was appointed to command the Iranian Armed Forces after his predecessor, Alaa Ali Rashid, was eliminated in the opening strike of Operation 'Rising Lion,'" the IDF said.

Under Shadmani's command, the Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command center was responsible for managing combat operations and approving Iran's firepower plans, the IDF said.

The IDF added: "In his various roles, he directly influenced Iran’s operational plans targeting the State of Israel."

Before his predecessor's elimination, Shadmani served as deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya and as head of the operations directorate in the General Staff forum of the Iranian Armed Forces.

"Shadmani's elimination adds to a series of eliminations of Iran’s most senior military leadership and degrades the chain of command of the Iranian armed forces," the IDF said.

The IDF has announced they have identified missiles inbound from Iran.

They say that defensive systems are on track to intercept the threat, but once the public receives the notification they are to shelter in a protected space and not leave until directed.

Fox News' Trey Yingst tweeted shortly after the announcement that "loud explosions" could be heard over Tel Aviv.

IDF officials ask that the public continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command.

President Donald Trump early Tuesday blasted French President Emmanual Macron for saying that he had left the G7 Summit in Canada early to work out a “cease fire” between Iran and Israel, who have been trading missile strikes since Friday.

“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,” Trump wrote in a Truth Post. “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!”

The French president had said earlier that Trump had supposedly made an offer for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

"There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange. An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions," Macron told reporters at the G7 in Canada, according to reporting from Reuters. "We have to see now whether the sides will follow."

Trump abruptly cut his G7 short earlier Monday, shortly after writing on Truth Social that “everyone should evacuate Tehran!”

Group of Seven leaders released a statement on the conflict between Israel and Iran, saying Israel "has a right to defend itself" and Iran "can never have a nuclear weapon."

The show of support from the seven countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. — comes amid the new and escalating conflict in the Middle East sparked by Israel's offensive against Iran last week targeting Tehran's nuclear program.

"We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East," the statement said. "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," it continued. "We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon."

Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful, and U.S. intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency have said Iran was not pursuing 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," the G7 leaders said. "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."

Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said Israel wants to eliminate Iran's nuclear program and is "not in the business of regime change."

Leiter posted a video message on X that was recorded outside the Situation Room in the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C.

"Today we continue to peel back the surface-to-surface missile systems that are spread throughout Iran. We've reached the point where between a third and a half have been demolished," he said. "We hit today the broadcast center in the middle of Tehran after we informed the people living in the vicinity to leave. Hundreds of thousands of Tehranis have escaped Tehran to be out of the line of danger. And we took out the broadcast system. This is very important because this serves the mullahs and their information campaign, the propaganda campaign throughout."

"Iran, to incite the public and to warn the public against any kind of demonstrations against the government," the ambassador continued. "A lot of questions have been asked today about regime change. In many of the interviews that I gave, that was the key question. We're not in the business of regime change. We're interested in neutralizing the threat to our existence through a nuclear weaponization program in Iran and a ballistic missile program."

Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful, and U.S. intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency have said Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon.

"If the Iranian people rise up and change their regime, that's their choice," Leiter said. "And if we play a role in facilitating that eventuality, then history will judge us favorably, I believe. It's important also to emphasize that our economy remains strong and resilient despite the war, and the stock market in Israel once again, for the second day in a row, continued to rise."

"We are working very hard to assist those stranded both in Israel wanting to leave and those wanting to get back to Israel, to their families, to their positions in society and the army," he added. "And we're hoping to find solutions through our neighbors in the next couple of days. We continue to press on. We continue to press forward. And we thank you for your support and prayers."

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., announced he will introduce a bipartisan resolution to prohibit the U.S. government's involvement in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran, a proposal Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib, D-MI, said they were signing onto.

"This is not our war," Massie wrote on X. "But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution."

"I’m introducing a bipartisan War Powers Resolution tomorrow to prohibit our involvement," he continued. "I invite all members of Congress to cosponsor this resolution."

Ocasio-Cortez replied: "Signing on."

"I look forward to supporting this War Powers Resolution," Tlaib responded to Massie. "The American people aren't falling for it again. We were lied to about 'weapons of mass destruction' in Iraq that killed millions + forever changed lives."

Tlaib added that it is unconstitutional for President Donald Trump to go to war without a vote in Congress.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that President Donald Trump had made an offer for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

"There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange. An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions," Macron told reporters at the G7 in Canada, Reuters reported.

"We have to see now whether the sides will follow."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will leave the G7 Summit in Canada, Senior State Department official told Fox News.

President Donald Trump will also leave the event to head to Washington to speak with his advisors about the ongoing situation between Israel and Iran.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces in the Middle East are postured defensively as Israel and Iran continue to trade missile strikes.

“What you're watching in real time is peace through strength and America first," Hegseth told "Jesse Watters Primetime." "Our job is to be strong. We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal. And we certainly hope that's what happens here.”

“We're prepared, and we've messaged consistently from the beginning that we're in the region to defend our people and our assets,” he added.

Hegseth noted that President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

“That position hasn't changed. They can give it up peacefully," he said. "That position has not changed. And as a result, right now, we've got assets in the region, and were going to defend them. And we're gonna be strong in the process.”

A new wave of missiles was detected heading toward Israel from Iran, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

“A short time ago, alerts were activated in several areas of the country following the discovery of missiles launched from Iran into the territory of the State of Israel," the IDF said. "The public is asked to obey the Home Front Command's instructions. At this time, the Air Force is working to intercept and attack wherever necessary to eliminate the threat.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday introduced a bill that would prohibit the use of federal funds or any use of military force in or against Iran without specific Congressional authorization.

The No War Against Iran Act also has multiple Democratic co-sponsors in an effort to prevent President Donald Trump from getting the United States involved in a military conflict.

The bill contains an exception for self-defense as enshrined in the War Powers Act.

“Netanyahu’s reckless and illegal attacks violate international law and risk igniting a regional war. Congress must make it clear that the United States will not be dragged into Netanyahu’s war of choice,” Sanders said of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Our Founding Fathers entrusted the power of war and peace exclusively to the people’s elected representatives in Congress, and it is imperative that we make clear that the President has no authority to embark on another costly war without explicit authorization by Congress.”

Sanders has criticized the Israeli leader over Israel's war against Hamas and for the death toll in Gaza.

“The Constitution is clear: Congress decides when our country goes to war, not the President or the Netanyahu government,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. “The Trump administration must prioritize de-escalation to prevent this spiraling into a war that jeopardizes U.S. troops and destabilizes the Middle East.”

Sanders first introduced the bill in 2020. The U.S. is not striking Iran and remains in a defensive posture, a U.S. official told Fox News.

President Donald Trump will depart from the G7 Summit Monday night because of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will leave Alberta, Canada after a dinner with heads of state.

“President Trump had a great day at the G7, even signing a major trade deal with the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Much was accomplished, but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State.”

Trump has requested that the National Security Council be prepared in the situation room for his return, Fox News has learned.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited air force pilots on Monday to commend them on Israel's offensive against Iran.

Netanyahu was at Tel Nof Air Force Base, along with together with Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir.

“On behalf of the people of Israel and the State of Israel, you are doing amazing things,” Netanyahu said. “The Israeli Air Force controls the skies over Tehran. This changes the entire campaign.”

“We are on the way to achieving our two objectives: Eliminating the nuclear threat and eliminating the missile threat. When we control the skies over Tehran, we strike regime targets, as opposed to the criminal Iranian regime which targets our civilians and comes to kill women and children," he added. "We tell the people of Tehran to evacuate – and we act.”

Netanyahu said Israel was on its way to achieving victory against its regional foe thanks for the country's “heroic pilots.”

“I salute you,” he said. "All citizens of Israel salute you. I would like to tell you that many people around the world also salute you and are impressed by you."

Israel activated a new aerial defense system – dubbed "Barak Magen," meaning "lightning shield" – for the first time on Sunday night, saying it intercepted and destroyed multiple Iranian drones.

The Israeli Navy intercepted eight Iranian drones using the "Barak Magen" and its long-range air defense (LRAD) interceptor, which were launched from an Israeli navy Sa’ar 6 missile ship, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

John Hannah, senior fellow at The Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and the co-author of a report published earlier this month on Israel’s defense against two massive Iranian missile attacks in 2024, told Fox News Digital on Monday that the air defense system "significantly enhances" the air and missile defense architecture of Israel’s navy.

"The Barak Magen is simply another arrow in the expanding quiver of Israel’s highly sophisticated and increasingly diverse multi-tiered missile defense architecture – which was already, by leaps and bounds, the most advanced and experienced air defense system fielded by any country in the world," Hannah said.

The system can intercept a "wide range of threats," according to the IDF, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, high-trajectory threats and shore-to-sea missiles.

Hannah said the system not only provides force protection for the Israeli fleet but also gives long-distance protection to Israel’s expanding oil and gas infrastructure in the eastern Mediterranean, along with critical infrastructure and population centers located along Israel’s coastline.

This post is an excerpt from an article by Stephen Sorace.

President Donald Trump on Monday said that Iran should have signed a deal over its nuclear ambitions, which he said could have prevented the ongoing barrage of missile attacks with Israel, while urging everyone to evacuate the Iranian capital of Tehran.

“What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

Iran and Israel have traded strikes with one another since last week. Iran has reportedly pressed Trump to help deescalate the attacks in an effort to stop Israel from launching more strikes.