Live: Iran holds funeral for top military, nuclear figures killed in Israeli strikes

Donald Trump is "still interested" in pursuing diplomatic options with Iran, the White House spokeswoman said on Monday, following the US president's reference to "regime change" in Tehran on Sunday.

"If the Iranian regime refuses to engage in a diplomatic and peaceful solution, in which the president remains interested, why don't the Iranian people remove power from this incredibly violent regime that has repressed them for decades?" asked Karoline Leavitt, the US government's spokeswoman, on Fox News.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said there was "no reason to criticise" the US over its attacks on Iran

"There is no reason to criticise what America did at the weekend. Yes, it is not without risk. But leaving things as they were was not an option either," Merz said in a speech to the Federation of German Industries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday slammed attacks on Iran as "unprovoked" and "unjustified" in a meeting with Tehran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, but did not announce any concrete support to his key ally in the Middle East.

"This absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran is unjustified," Putin said in televised remarks to Araghchi at the start of their meeting.

Putin has pitched himself as a mediator between Iran and Israel, an idea rejected by US President Donald Trump last week.

Araghchi told Putin that Russia has been a "partner and companion" to Tehran and hailed ties between Tehran and Moscow "very close and longstanding".

"Iran is exercising legitimate defence against these aggressions," he added.

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Monday called for its inspectors to be able to return to Iran's nuclear sites in a bid to "account for" its highly enriched uranium stockpiles and called for a cessation of hostilities.

The request follows attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran's nuclear facilities.

"Iran, Israel and the Middle East need peace," Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told an emergency meeting of the organisation's board of governors in Vienna. 

"For that, we must take a number of steps," he said.

"First of all, we must return to the negotiating table and for that allow IAEA inspectors - the guardians on our behalf of the NPT (nuclear non-proliferation treaty) - to go back to Iran’s nuclear sites and account for the stockpiles of uranium, including, most importantly, the 400 kilogrammes enriched to 60 percent." 

Grossi said Tehran had sent him a letter on 13 June announcing the implementation of "special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials". 

"There needs to be a cessation of hostilities for the necessary safety and security conditions to prevail so that Iran can let IAEA teams into the sites to assess the situation," he said. 

An Israeli air strike hit Tehran’s Evin Prison a short while ago, the Times of Israel reported, citing Iran International.

The report said the strike hit the entrance gate to the large and heavily fortified prison complex, reportedly allowing prisoners to escape.

Sirens sounded in several areas of northern Israel on Monday, after the army reported a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles, at least the third salvo in less than two hours.

"A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas in northern Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel," a military statement said, adding in another statement about 10 minutes later that people were allowed to leave shelters.

Earlier on Monday, sirens wailed across Israel for over 30 minutes as the military warned of multiple missile barrages launched by Tehran.

"Search and rescue forces are operating in several locations across the country in which reports of fallen projectiles were received," the military added.

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi attended an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of governors after the United States said it carried out military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday.

US bombing probably caused "very significant" damage to the underground areas of Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment plant dug into a mountain, though no one can yet tell the extent, Grossi said on Monday.

"Given the explosive payload utilised and the extreme(ly) vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred," Grossi said in a statement.

Israel carried out a fresh strike on Iran's underground Fordow nuclear site south of Tehran, a media outlet in the country reported.

"The aggressor attacked the Fordow nuclear site again," Tasnim news agency reported, quoting a spokesperson for the crisis management authority in Qom province where the site is located. 

The UN nuclear watchdog says Iran had informed it about "special measures to protect nuclear material".

Haaretz reported the Israel Electric Corporation saying that some communities in southern Israel may experience temporary power outages due to a hit near an infrastructure facility.

"Following a strike near a strategic infrastructure facility of the Israel Electric Corporation in the south of the country, there are disruptions in the supply of electricity to several communities in the area," the company said.

"The Israel Electric Corporation teams are on their way to several points in the area with the aim of restoring the supply of electricity as soon as possible."

Iran's Red Crescent said an Israeli strike hit near its building in northern Tehran on Monday, as fighting between Iran and Israel raged for the 11th day.

"New attack around the Red Crescent... building," the emergency service said in a post on its Telegram channel accompanied by a video of smoke rising from the site of the attack.

An AFP journalist had earlier reported hearing loud explosions in the north of the Iranian capital.

The Times of Israel said the medics are responding to a report of a ballistic missile impact in the Ashdod area in southern Israel.

Ynet News reported that there have been reports of damage in the Lachish area, in the south of Jerusalem.

Israel's strikes against Iran have prompted international airlines to halt flights to some Middle East destinations due to air space closures and safety concerns.

As the conflict entered a new phase following the US attack on Iranian nuclear sites, some airlines moved to cancel flights to hubs like Dubai and Qatar's Doha.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Moscow on Monday, Russian Interfax agency said, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.

Moscow is a major backer of Tehran, but has not swung forcefully behind its ally since Israel launched a wave of attacks on 13 June, strikes that triggered Iran to respond with missiles and drones.

While Russia condemned the Israeli and US strikes, it has not offered military help and has downplayed its obligations under a sweeping strategic partnership agreement signed with Tehran just months ago.

"In this new dangerous situation ... our consultations with Russia can certainly be of great importance," Russian state media reported Araghchi as saying after landing in Moscow.

The official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday that Araghchi would "hold consultations with the president and other senior officials of Russia regarding regional and international developments following the military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran."

Recent hostile action by the United States expanded the scope of legitimate targets for Iran's armed forces, a spokesperson for its Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a video shared on Monday.

Ebrahim Zolfaqari said the US should expect heavy consequences for its actions.

"Mr Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it," Zolfaqari said in English at the end of his recorded statement.

Israel's army said it was striking military sites in western Iran's Kermanshah on Monday.

The Israeli air force "is currently striking military infrastructure sites in Kermanshah in Iran", a military statement said.