The US state department has begun evacuating nonessential diplomats and their families from the US embassy in Israel.

A government plane evacuated a number of diplomats and their family members from Israel yesterday, two US officials told the Associated Press.

There was no indication of how many diplomats and family members departed on the flight or how many may have left by land routes to Jordan or Egypt.

The flight arrived shortly before US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on X that the embassy was making plans for evacuations by plane and ship for private American citizens.

The evacuation was necessitated after the hostilities between Israel and Iran intensified after president Donald Trump warned of the possibility of getting directly involved in the conflict.

Iran and Israel traded further air attacks this morning as the conflict between the two nations entered day seven.

A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival, which began last Friday, has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities, and killed about 640 people. Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed two dozen civilians in Israel.

The worst-ever conflict between the rivals has raised fears that it will draw in world powers and rock regional stability already undermined by the spillover effects of the Gaza war.

Tehran this morning said it activated air defences to intercept drones outside the capital, the semi-official SNN news agency reported. Iranian news agencies also reported it had arrested 18 "enemy agents" who were building drones for Israeli attacks in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video released by his office, said Israel was "progressing step by step" towards eliminating threats posed by Iran's nuclear sites and ballistic missile arsenal.

"We are hitting the nuclear sites, the missiles, the headquarters, the symbols of the regime," Mr Netanyahu said.

At least 639 Iranians have died in Israel's week-long attack on Iran, a Washington-based human rights group has said.

Of those killed, at least 263 were civilians, Human Rights Activists said, adding that about 1,329 people sustained injuries in Israeli strikes.

Human Rights Activists, which also provided detailed casualty figures during the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, cross-checks local reports in Iran against a network of sources it has developed in the country.

Israel's military warned people today to evacuate the area around Iran's Arak heavy water reactor.

In a post on X, the military shared a satellite image of the plant in a red circle like other warnings that preceded strikes.

Israel's seventh day of airstrikes on Iran came a day after Iran's supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause "irreparable damage to them".

Israel also lifted some restrictions on daily life, suggesting the missile threat from Iran on its territory was easing.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged de-escalation in the Iran-Israel conflict and issued a warning to any other countries looking to intervene.

“Any additional military interventions could have enormous consequences, not only for those involved but for the whole region and for international peace and security at large,” he said.

“Diplomacy remains the best and only way to address concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program and regional security issues,” he added.

A new poll by The Washington Post reveals 45 percent of Americans oppose potential U.S. airstrikes against Iran, while 25 percent support the idea and 30 percent are unsure.

The Post polled 1,000 Americans who also gave brief statements explaining their stances.

A 62-year-old Nevada Republican who supports a potential U.S. strike on Iran told the Post that the U.S. “cannot allow Iran to have nukes.”

“Israel is our friend, Iran is the main sponsor of terrorism,” the woman added.

A 74-year-old Washington Republican who is opposed to a potential strike said she hopes President Donald Trump’s administration will “continue negotiations and alternatives before the U.S. bombs Iran and starts a World War III.”

Israeli officials are ordering people to evacuate from the area around Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, located in the country’s northeast, according to the Associated Press.

The plant was built to produce heavy water, which is used in nuclear reactors.

The Israeli Air Force is currently conducting “a series of strikes” around Iran’s capital, Tehran, CNN reports.

This comes after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that air defense systems over Tehran have been activated.

Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639 people, the Associated Press reports.

The AP cited a report from the Washington-based nonprofit Human Rights Activists.

The strikes are estimated to have wounded an additional 1,329 people, the nonprofit said.