Oman and Qatar were leading efforts to begin ceasefire talks, while mediators said Iran was open to resuming nuclear negotiations if Israel’s attacks stop.

Israel unleashed airstrikes across Iran for a third day and threatened even greater force as some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defenses to strike buildings in the heart of the country.

Israel says it first bombed Iran to stop it from being able to produce nuclear weapons and the “existential threat” they would represent.

Iran and Israel continued on Sunday their aerial attacks, which began Friday with a series of Israeli strikes on Iran.

Iran has arrested dozens of people on suspicion of spying as fears grow in the Islamic Republic over the extent of its infiltration by Israel’s Mossad intelligence service.

President Trump rejected an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior U.S. official told USA TODAY.

Investors are regaining some appetite for risk amid rising optimism that the conflict won't spill over into a broader regional crisis.

Since Israel began its concerted attack on Iran on Friday, calls for regime change in Iran have grown louder – from hawks in the US Congress to Israeli officials and some Iranian activists abroad.