70 fighter jets targeted 40 sites in Tehran overnight, Israeli military says

Iran has cancelled planned negotiations with the United States that were due to take place in Oman on Sunday, sources told Iran International.

According to people familiar with the matter, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed his Omani counterpart — who had been mediating the indirect talks — that Tehran would not proceed with the discussions under current circumstances.

Also on Saturday, Araghchi told European Union foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas that continuing negotiations with the United States is unjustifiable as long as Israeli attacks persist.

The cancellation follows Araghchi’s public criticism of Washington’s silence over Israel’s recent attacks on Iranian territory.

There was no immediate comment from US officials or Omani mediators.

Despite an official no-fly order issued amid heightened military tensions, passenger aircraft were seen taking off from Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport on Saturday, according to videos sent to Iran International.

Eyewitnesses said several planes were observed departing eastward, although Iranian authorities had earlier announced the closure of national airspace following the Israeli airstrikes.

Flight tracking websites including Flightradar24 showed limited visibility of the planes’ routes or destinations.

The continued departures have sparked speculation about the nature of the flights, with some observers suggesting they may be transporting government or military officials, or rerouting to undisclosed locations for safety.

Time-lapse images shared by Flightradar24 tracking website on Saturday showed aircraft taking off and heading toward unknown destinations. No flight paths or destinations were visible on tracking systems.

Social media users suggested the flights may have carried senior government or military officials to undisclosed locations for security reasons. There are others saying that the aircraft may have been rerouted to safe zones within Iran or the wider region to avoid potential strikes.

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The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a China-led regional bloc, strongly condemned Israel's military strikes on Iran on Saturday, warning that the escalation threatens regional and global stability.

In a statement, the 10-member Eurasian security and political group said Israel's attacks targeted civilian and nuclear facilities, resulting in civilian casualties.

"This seriously violated the principles of international law and the UN Charter, undermined Iran's sovereignty, and posed a grave threat to global peace and stability," the SCO said.

Two Iranian police officers were killed in a drone strike on Saturday during a reconnaissance and intelligence operation in western Iran, local authorities said.

Habibollah Akbaryan, a major and head of public security police in Asadabad, and Second Lieutenant Amirhossein Seifi were killed in the attack, which occurred in Hamadan province, according to the provincial police commander.

Senior Revolutionary Guard commander Esmail Kowsari said on Saturday that Iran is considering closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to ongoing hostilities and would make “the best and most decisive decision.”

“We have many options to retaliate against the enemy, and military responses are only part of our measures,” said Kowsari, who is also a member of the parliament.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global oil transit route.

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