Recovering Iran enriched uranium could require US ground forces - CNN

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was inflicting heavy pressure on Iran's Islamic Republic, saying actions taken so far were "breaking their bones."

"There is no doubt that through the actions taken so far we are breaking their bones - and our arm is still outstretched," Netanyahu said during a visit late on Monday to Israel's National Health Emergency Operations Center.

He added that the future of Iran's leadership ultimately depended on the Iranian people, saying Israel hoped they would "throw off the yoke of tyranny."

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran's parliament, said on Tuesday that Tehran was not seeking a ceasefire in the war.

"We are certainly not seeking a ceasefire. We believe the aggressor must be struck so it learns a lesson and never again thinks of attacking Iran," Ghalibaf wrote on X.

He added that Israel relied on a cycle of "war, negotiations and ceasefire and then war again" to maintain its dominance, and said Iran would break that cycle.

Iran's nationwide internet blackout has reached 240 hours, making it one of the most severe government-imposed shutdowns recorded globally, internet monitor NetBlocks said on Tuesday.

The group said the disruption is the second longest shutdown registered in Iran after the January protests and noted that the country has spent roughly a third of 2026 offline.

Internet connectivity in Iran has fallen to a fraction of normal levels during recent blackouts, severely limiting the flow of information from inside the country, according to monitoring data.

Iran's government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Tuesday that military officials should comment on any plans related to the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a strategic asset while the country remains at war.

She said the waterway was a geographic resource given to Iran and that the country would make full use of all available resources while in a state of war, according to comments carried by Iranian state media.

Mohajerani added that Iran did not start the conflict but would bring it to an end. "We did not start the war, but we will be the ones to end it," she said.

She said Iran hoped hostilities would stop but was prepared for all scenarios and added that talks could take place only after the fighting stops. "If the war fully stops, then we can talk," she said.

Mohajerani held Tuesday's news conference at Gandhi Hospital. Previously, Esmaeil Baghaei held a news conference at a school.

Turkey's defence ministry said on Tuesday a US Patriot air defence system was deployed to the southeastern province of Malatya as part of NATO steps to strengthen the country's air defences amid missile threats linked to the Iran war.

The ministry said the Kurecik NATO radar base in Malatya provides key data for the alliance and helped detect two Iranian ballistic missiles headed toward Turkey.

Turkey will continue to coordinate with NATO allies and assess regional developments, the ministry said.