UK sends jets to Middle East, says support for Israel possible

Steven Witkoff, Donald Trump’s special envoy, established direct contact with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday night, CNN reported citing an informed source.

While Iranian officials continue to hold the US responsible for Israel’s attacks and say they are not ready to resume talks, efforts to revive diplomacy are underway.

A new round of negotiations had been scheduled for Sunday but was canceled. Germany has now expressed readiness to begin urgent nuclear talks with Iran, in coordination with Britain and France, aiming to de-escalate the regional crisis.

Iran has asked Cyprus to deliver a message to Israel, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said Sunday, according to the Cyprus Mail.

“We will do so,” he told reporters, noting he has a phone call scheduled today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The role of the Republic of Cyprus in the region, I want to reiterate, as well as our characteristic, is that we will talk to everyone and to the best of our ability… we try to convey messages, to create the conditions so that this difficult state of affairs can be ended,” Christodoulides said.

Insurance companies do not cover losses caused by wartime attacks, Ahmad Sadeghi, a member of Tehran’s city council said Sunday.

His remarks come amid widespread damage from Israeli strikes and growing concerns over the government's emergency preparedness.

Mosques, schools, and subway stations will serve as public shelters, Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokesperson for President Pezeshkian's government said Sunday as Israeli strikes continue.

The move follows growing warnings from officials about the lack of safe shelters across Iranian cities.

Tehran's crisis management chief urged residents to seek refuge in underground parking lots and reinforced areas of residential or commercial buildings, saying that the city’s crisis shelters were designed only for earthquakes—not war.

Tehran City Council head Mehdi Chamran also named ministry parking lots and high-rise basements as safer alternatives.

Iran fired 70 ballistic missiles and dozens of drones in three waves overnight, the Israeli military said.

One missile hit a home in Tamra, killing four civilians; another struck Bat Yam, killing at least six and injuring nearly 200; a third landed in Rehovot, wounding 40.

Despite the scale, the IDF said the attack remains below its reference scenario for an Iran war, which anticipates higher casualties and damage.