Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is preparing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he expected their conversation to “be in the interests of both countries”. Araghchi said late on Sunday night that he would have “serious and important discussions” with Putin in Moscow.

The Pentagon already had begun taking measures to strengthen its firepower in the Middle East and protect U.S. bases there.

STORY: Video posted to social media on Monday purports to show plumes of smoke over Tehran following the latest Israeli strikes on the Iranian capital.Reuters has not verified the date of the footage.

Loud explosions rocked Tehran on Monday as Israel said it struck "regime targets" in the city, escalating tensions a day after US air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

U.S. forces struck Iran's three main nuclear sites late on Saturday, and President Donald Trump warned Tehran it would face more devastating attacks if it does not agree to peace. Tehran had previously warned if it was attacked by the United States,

"Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," Araqchi posted on X. After days of deliberation and long before his self-imposed two-week deadline, Tr

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel’s effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.