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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday the Israeli Air Force has established control over the skies above Tehran.
He said Israel is moving toward achieving its two primary goals: neutralizing Iran’s nuclear capabilities and dismantling its missile arsenal.
Netanyahu also said that citizens in Tehran have been urged to evacuate, as Israel continues its military operations.
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights said Monday that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had turned buildings near Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah into storage sites for munitions, effectively making the area a military target.
Hengaw said at least seven such sites in the Dizelabad and Dolatabad districts were struck by Israeli forces. The group warned against what it described as the IRGC’s organized use of civilians as “human shields,” calling it a war crime.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett posted a video message on social media Monday addressing the Iranian people, calling on them to oppose the clerical establishment amid Israeli strikes.
“This is your chance to get rid of this terrible regime,” Bennett said. “The people of Iran are not Israel’s enemy. Your only enemy is this corrupt, brutal, and oppressive regime.”
Mohammad Pakpour, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces, said Monday that Iran will continue its military operations regardless of whether Israel halts its attacks.
“Even if Israeli attacks stop, we will carry on until the end,” Pakpour said, according to state media.
He added that key areas had been hit and that operations would continue.
Panic-stricken residents began fleeing Tehran on Sunday as Israeli strikes and air defense fire rocked the city, sending thick plumes of smoke into the skyline of a capital unprepared for war.
The latest wave of Israeli airstrikes, which began at midday, followed hours after a warning from Israel’s Ministry of Defense urging civilians to avoid areas near military and weapons facilities.
The attacks have sparked deep anxiety across Tehran, a city already struggling under energy shortages and economic malaise before the conflict.
“I can’t think straight. I’m packing as we speak. The whole city is under attack and the roads out are jam-packed with cars,” said Neda, a 37-year-old mother of two, struggling to hold back tears.
“My elderly parents are reliving the traumas of the Iran-Iraq war every time a missile lands,” she added. “I have very little hope that the Islamic Republic and Israel will stop anytime soon. I just hope our home is still standing when and if we return.”
Reported targets included the Justice, Intelligence, and Oil ministries located in densely populated residential and commercial districts.
Multiple residential buildings were also struck during the ongoing daytime raids.
“The first two days were incredibly terrifying because there are so many military facilities near my home. A missile could land on us with no warning any minute. I’m praying for all this to end soon,” said Ladan, a 46-year-old housewife who lives in northeast Tehran, after reaching Mazandaran in the Caspian region.
Bazaar shuttered
Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and many other businesses shuttered quickly as queues outside petrol stations grew longer. Authorities have now capped fuel purchases at 15 liters per private vehicle per day.
While Iran’s government has not released overall casualty figures, state media reported that ten children were killed overnight in a residential building in northeast Tehran.
Arash, a 48-year-old engineer, said his entire family is preparing to flee.
“Israel struck several places near our neighborhood this morning. One explosion blew the windows open. We’re heading to my parents’ home in the Caspian region—but I’m not sure it’s safe there either.”
Ali, a 38-year-old teacher, said he was still looking for somewhere safe to take shelter. “People with money have already left. For people like us, it’s hard to survive more than a few days away from home.”
Online, confusion and fear are spreading.
“Every [Telegram] channel that I check says to leave Tehran -- but where exactly should we go when we don’t have anyone [to stay with] or know any places [that are safe]?” @stillwjm97 posted on X.
Shelters, human toll
Outspoken former lawmaker Mahmoud Sadeghi echoed the urgency in a post on X.
“The war has truly begun. Declare a state of war. Prioritize protecting people's lives. Let’s minimize human casualties by preparing shelters and issuing warnings,” he addressed the authorities.
“So many missiles are landing in Tel Aviv and Haifa, but the human toll is not comparable to Iran.”
Tehran has no dedicated, fully stocked public bomb shelters like those in Israel. Some neighborhood bunkers built during the Iran-Iraq War remain unused and unprepared, and no sirens have been sounded ahead of the recent attacks.
The government on Sunday announced metro stations, mosques and schools would stay open overnight for shelter. But residents say that metro stations are not equipped as bomb shelters and lack basic amenities such as toilers.
Some social media users are expressing concern that most mosques and schools may be as vulnerable to bombs and missiles as their homes.
