Key Points

The Press Service of Israel has learned that the measure is intended to increase pressure on Tehran in addition to avoiding collateral damage to civilians.

"Defence Minister Yisrael Katz's directive to evacuate residents in Tehran is part of a pre-approved plan to exert pressure on the regime by evacuating the population - in response to the shooting on the Israeli home front," a security source told TPS-IL.

The IDF's Farsi account instructed Iranians, "All persons who are currently or in the near future present in or around military weapons production factories and their support institutions should immediately leave these areas and not return until further notice."

The tweet added, "Your presence next to this infrastructure puts your life at risk."

Katz said in a statement, "The IDF will attack the sites and continue to peel the skin of the Iranian snake in Tehran and everywhere else from nuclear capabilities and weapons systems. The Iranian dictator is turning Tehran into Beirut and the residents of Tehran into hostages for the survival of his regime."

Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on Friday, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached "a point of no return" in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to Israeli defence officials, Iran has developed the capacity to rapidly enrich uranium and assemble nuclear bombs, with sufficient fissile material for up to 15 weapons.

Israeli intelligence also exposed a covert program to complete all components of a nuclear device. The strikes mark a dramatic escalation in what officials describe as a broader Iranian strategy combining nuclear development, missile proliferation, and proxy warfare aimed at Israel's destruction. (ANI/TPS)

- ANI