Iran’s deputy minister of intelligence for Israel affairs killed, Israel army says

The only lasting solution to the crisis in Iran is a diplomatic one, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.

“This means a credible transition for Iran, the definite halt to both the nuclear and ballistic programs and an end to destabilizing activities in the region,” she told reporters in Brussels.

“We must work hard to de-escalate and stop the conflict from spreading,” she added.

Five Iranian army members were killed in a US attack on the western city of Khorramabad, the public relations office of the 84th Lorestan Infantry Division said.

The office said the deaths followed the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iranian territory and the city of Khorramabad.

It said the five were members of the 184th Brigade of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army.

The statement named the dead as Behzad Dalvand, Javad Khosravi, Abolfazl Habibi, Mehrdad Nazari and Hossein Asadipour.

Israel and the United States have set no timeline for their joint military campaign against Iran, Israel’s foreign minister said on Sunday, describing the strikes that began on Saturday as an effort to weaken the country’s leadership.

Speaking to Euronews, Gideon Sa'ar said the operation would continue without a fixed end date.

“So there is no time like the operation there. There is no timeline that you're looking at. There is no timeline of this operation. Now, we hadn't gave to ourselves timeline,” Sa’ar said.

“Naturally, we want it to be as short as possible. This is clear. But we didn't put to ourselves any timeline,” he added.

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“Regarding the status of the nuclear installations in Iran, up to now, we have no indication that any of the nuclear installations, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor or other nuclear fuel cycle facilities have been damaged or hit,” Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told an emergency meeting of the Board of Governors.

“Efforts to contact the Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities through the IEC continue, with no response so far. We hope this indispensable channel of communication can be reestablished as soon as possible,” he added.

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  IAEA says cannot assure Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful

The agency’s Incident and Emergency Centre, Grossi said, was fully operational and coordinating with regional safety networks. “So far, no elevation of radiation levels above the usual background levels has been detected in countries bordering Iran,” he said.

Warning against strikes on nuclear facilities

Armed attacks on nuclear sites, Grossi said, carry risks that extend beyond national borders.

“Let me again recall past General Conference resolutions that state that armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked,” he said.

He urged restraint by all sides. “Consistent with the objectives of the IAEA, as enshrined in its Statute, I reiterate my call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation,” Grossi added.

The IAEA chief also said negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program must start again. “To achieve the long-term assurance that Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons and for maintaining the continued effectiveness of the global non-proliferation regime, we must return to diplomacy and negotiations,” he said.

Iran envoy cites Natanz

Separately, Reuters reported that Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA said the United States and Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday. Asked which facility was struck, the ambassador replied “Natanz,” according to Reuters.

The Natanz nuclear facility is Iran’s main uranium enrichment site and has long been central to international concerns about Tehran’s nuclear activities.

Grossi added that while no radiological release has been detected, the situation remains serious. “Let me underline that the situation today is very concerning. We cannot rule out a possible radiological release with serious consequences,” he said.

Iran calls for IAEA condemnation

During the session, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, called on the agency to condemn the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

He rejected that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, calling them “completely false.”

Najafi said Iran’s response would continue, adding that such measures would remain in place as long as what he described as “aggression” continues.

Israel will begin reopening its airspace later on Monday in a “controlled, monitored, and coordinated manner,” the military’s Home Front Command said.

Air traffic will resume in line with a situational assessment, it said.

Israel’s airspace has been closed since the start of the conflict with Iran on Saturday morning.