HAMILTON, Canada

US Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for triggering the latest escalation with Iran and warned against any American involvement in the conflict.

"Netanyahu started this war by attacking Iran," Sanders said on X, adding that "he (Netanyahu) assassinated Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s lead nuclear negotiator, deliberately sabotaging US-Iran nuclear negotiations."

Sanders, who has been a vocal critic of Netanyahu's military policies in the Gaza Strip, stressed that "the US must not be dragged into another illegal Netanyahu war – either militarily or financially."

Tensions have escalated since Friday when Israel launched coordinated airstrikes and drone attacks on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said that at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Iranian missile attacks since Friday.

Iran, for its part, said that at least 224 people have been killed and over 1,000 others wounded in the Israeli assault.