A powerful explosion shook the premises of Iran's Foreign Ministry in central Tehran on Monday as Israel continued its strikes on Iranian targets, with Tehran holding Washington directly accountable for the escalating military exchange.
Iran also warned that negotiations with the US were now proceeding under conditions of extreme distrust.
Al Jazeera reported that the blast rattled the Foreign Ministry building in central Tehran, with local media including Fars News Agency saying "the exact location and source of this explosion are still unknown."
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Fars added that "simultaneously, air defence was also activated in some parts of Tehran," suggesting the blast may be linked to ongoing Israeli strikes or interception activity in the capital.
Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said the consequences of the escalation rested squarely with Washington, according to Tasnim News Agency, an Iranian state-affiliated outlet.
Baqaei stated that the US is "currently coordinating with the Zionist regime on both offensive and defensive operations," and added: "While it is often claimed that the Zionist regime does not heed US directives, the US bears clear responsibility as a party to the ceasefire."
He also rejected the notion that Israel acts independently of Washington, saying: "We must not overlook that the US initiated the war against Iran to support the Zionist regime."
Baqaei further warned that the overnight attacks had severely damaged the diplomatic channel, stating: "These events undoubtedly intensify suspicions. We are already exchanging messages with the US under conditions of extreme distrust."
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On the diplomatic front, Al Arabiya English reported that Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held discussions on the latest regional developments with his counterparts in Britain, France and Turkey, as well as with Qatar's leader and Pakistani mediators, the latter having brokered the original April ceasefire.
The Foreign Ministry explosion came as Israel continued striking targets across Iran through Monday afternoon, having already hit sites in western and central Iran, the IRGC's Mahshahr petrochemical complex, and missile launch infrastructure, in what has become the most sustained direct exchange between the two countries since the April ceasefire.
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