Iran, Under Siege, Reportedly Wants to Strike a Deal Fast

As Israel and Iran continue to exchange attacks, the Wall Street Journal reports that envoys from Tehran are "urgently signaling" they want to end the fighting quickly. Iranian officials have sent messages to Arab countries—as well as to Israel—to that effect, according to the newspaper. Some key points:

• Iran says it will return to the negotiating table over its nuclear program if it gets assurances the US will not join the Israeli attacks. Israel, for example, could do far more damage to Iran's underground nuclear sites if the US assisted with bunker-busting weaponry.
• The problem for Iran is that Israel has "little incentive" to ease up, per the Journal. On Monday, for example, Israel declared that it now controls the skies over Tehran. It also warned residents to leave the northeastern part of the capital ahead of expected assaults to military infrastructure there.

• Also on Monday, Israel struck the headquarters of Iran's elite Quds Force in the capital, reports the New York Times. Details about casualties and the extent of the damage were not immediately clear.
• Meanwhile, missiles launched by Iran struck multiple Israeli cities on Monday, killing at least eight people, say Israeli authorities.

(More Israel stories.)