President Trump held a press conference Monday afternoon, his first since the US and Israel launched a war with Iran more than a month ago.
The president said he’s “not at all” concerned about committing possible war crimes as he continued to threaten the destruction of Iran’s bridges and power plants if they don’t meet his Tuesday night deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The conference came after Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said Monday that Tehran rejected the latest cease-fire proposal and wants a permanent end to the war.
See a recap.
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Major developments we’re following:
- Trump refused to say whether any civilian targets would be off-limits as he spoke to reporters at the White House during a press conference
- Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said Tehran rejected the latest ceasefire proposal and wants a permanent end to the war.
- The head of intelligence for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Major General Majid Khademi, was killed, according to Iranian state media. Israel claimed it was responsible for the killing Monday.
- Israel and the United States carried out a wave of attacks on Iran on Monday, killing more than 25 people. Iran responded with missile fire on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors.
Japan says a Japanese national who had been detained in Iran since January has been released — 10:57 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters Tuesday that his release was confirmed Monday.
The person released is believed to be a journalist at Japan’s NHK public television.
Kihara said the person is in good health but declined to give further details.
Another Japanese national, who was detained in Iran last June, was released and returned to Japan in March.
Iran official calls for youths to form human chains around power plants ahead of threatened Trump strikes — 10:37 p.m.
By the Associated Press
An Iranian official early Tuesday issued a video message calling on youths of the Islamic Republic to form “human chains” around power plants in the country ahead of threatened strikes by President Trump
Alireza Rahimi, identified by Iranian state television as the secretary of the Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, issued the video call in a newscast.
“I invite all young people, athletes, artists, students and university students and their professors,” he said.
Gather “Tuesday at 2 p.m. around the power plants that are our national assets and capital, regardless of any taste or political viewpoint, belong to the future of Iran and to the Iranian youth.”
Iran has formed human-chain demonstrations, also known as human shields, in the past around its nuclear sites at times of heightened tensions with the West.
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s had similar human-shield demonstrations during the 1991 Gulf War. He also dispersed foreign nationals held by his security services to possible targets of the US-led campaign during the war.
Israel claims recent wave of airstrikes targeting Tehran — 10:18 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Israel claimed the recent wave of airstrikes targeting Iran’s capital, Tehran, but offered no immediate details on what had been targeted.
Already, Israel had faced one missile barrage from Iran on Tuesday.
UN to vote Tuesday on watered-down resolution on Strait of Hormuz — 10:15 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The U.N. Security Council scheduled a vote Tuesday on a resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz that was watered down for a second time because of opposition from Russia and China.
The original Bahrain-sponsored resolution would have authorized countries to use “all necessary means” – U.N. language that can include military action – to ensure transit through the vital waterway, which Iran has largely blocked, and deter attempts to close it.
The sixth revision of the initial text that will be voted on only “strongly encourages” countries using the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate defensive efforts to contribute to safe navigation in the strait.
It says this should include escorting merchant and commercial vessels, and deterring attempts to close, obstruct or interfere with international navigation through the strait.
The vote is scheduled at 11a.m. EDT, hours before an 8 p.m. EDT deadline set by Trump for Iran to open the strategic waterway, where one-fifth of the world’s oil normally passes, or face attacks on its power plants and bridges.
US Central Command says it struck over 13,000 targets in the war — 10:13 p.m.
Filipino national killed in missile attack in Israel, Philippines says — 8:47 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Philippine government says a Filipino national was killed in a missile attack in the northern Israeli port city of Haifa over the weekend.
The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila did not immediately identify the Filipina but said she was killed with her Israeli husband and parents-in-law in a residential area in Haifa on Sunday.
On Feb. 28, a Filipina caregiver, Mary Ann de Vera, was killed in a missile strike in Tel Aviv while helping bring her charge to a bomb shelter in the first known Philippine casualty of the war in the Middle East.
About 30,000 Filipinos live and work — many as caregivers — in Israel.
Drone strike kills 2 in Iraq — 8:34 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Two people were killed in the Kurdish region of Iraq after a home was hit by a drone that authorities said had been launched from Iran.
The drone hit the home in the village of Zargazawi in Irbil province early Tuesday, the Counter Terrorism Directorate of the northern Kurdish region said in a statement. Officials condemned the attack, calling it a violation of international law.
The strike came as Iranian forces and allied militias targeted areas across northern Kurdistan with a wave of drones, rockets and missiles.
US special forces were on the ground in Iran as part of rescue mission — 5:42 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The special operators were part of the teams sent in to retrieve the pilot and weapon systems officer of a downed fighter jet, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military operation.
During a briefing Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, “Our special operators, pilots and support crews performed with near perfection under fire,” but he stopped short of confirming that U.S. troops set foot on Iranian soil.
Hegseth and Trump have said they haven’t ruled out boots on the ground but also repeatedly argued that the conflict was limited in scope.
Hegseth has lambasted previous presidents who oversaw the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, insisting that the Iran war “is different. It’s laser-focused.”
Shooting by Israel-backed group at a shelter in Gaza is followed by an Israeli strike, killing 8 — 5:01 p.m.
By the Associated Press
An Israel-backed armed group in Gaza kidnapped children from a school-turned-shelter on Monday, according to a witness, after which Israel launched an airstrike on the site, health authorities said.
The Israeli military had no response when reached for comment.
An anti-Hamas Palestinian group called Abu Nusseirah posted on social media that they killed five Hamas fighters at the shelter in Maghazi.
An elderly displaced woman sheltering at the school told the AP that dozens of men stormed the site, clashed with people there and forced kids — including girls — into vehicles. Speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals, she said her son was killed in the fighting.
Bodies were taken to al-Aqsa hospital, where health officials said some had been killed in an Israeli airstrike on the school after the clashes. AP footage showed dozens of mourners gathered at the morgue.
Many displaced Palestinians say they fear the Iran war has overshadowed Gaza’s dire humanitarian situation.
3 US troops injured during fighter jet shootdown and rescue — 4:57 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Those injured were the weapon systems officer from the U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter jet that was shot down in Iran late last week as well as two aircrewmen from a helicopter that took fire during the initial rescue for the pilot from the downed jet.
That’s according to a U.S. official, who spoke Monday on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military operation.
After rescuing the pilot, the HH-60 Jolly Green II helicopters were “engaged by every single person in Iran who had a small arms weapon, and one of the aircraft, the trailing aircraft, took several hits,” said Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
At the same White House briefing, Trump said the jet’s downed weapons officer was “bleeding profusely” but still able climb mountainous terrain and communicate his location.
A 12-hour drive through Iran offers glimpses of destruction, defiance and daily life — 4:55 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A black banner hangs over a border crossing and portraits of Iran’s slain supreme leader stare down, promising vengeance against the United States and Israel.
But on the 12-hour drive south to the capital, Tehran, daily life continues, with only occasional signs of the ongoing war, including a Shiite religious center that officials say was damaged by a recent airstrike.
Associated Press reporters made the journey on Saturday after crossing into Iran from Turkey. They gained a glimpse of the country at the center of a regional war that has jolted the world economy and shows no sign of ending.
US and Egypt push Israel not to strike the main Lebanon-Syria border crossing, official says — 4:45 p.m.
By the Associated Press
That’s according to Lebanon’s General Security chief, Hassan Choucair, who said those “ongoing contacts” by Washington and Cairo aim to protect and reopen the Masnaa border crossing.
It’s been closed since Saturday after Israel warned it could be targeted over alleged weapons smuggling by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Officials in Lebanon and Syria deny that claim, saying vehicles are thoroughly inspected.
The crossing’s closure has forced travelers to take a longer northern route. More than 200,000 people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria since the war escalated five weeks ago, many of them fleeing the conflict.
US stocks drift higher ahead of Trump’s deadline to bomb Iranian power plants — 4:12 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The S&P 500 rose 0.4% Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%.
Like stock indexes, oil prices seesawed through the day amid continued uncertainty about what will happen in the war with Iran and how long it will slow the global flow of crude oil.
Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market.
Trump details the rescue of US air crew shot down in Iran — 4:00 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The United States relied on dozens of aircraft, hundreds of personnel, secret CIA technology and a dose of subterfuge to rescue a two-man F-15E fighter jet crew downed deep inside Iran.
Trump and his top defense aides detailed the daring rescue operation in an unusual level of detail during a news conference at the White House on Monday.
The U.S. surged helicopters, midair refuelers and fighter jets deep into Iran to rescue the pilot within hours. But finding and picking up the jet’s weapon systems officer was a more complicated endeavor.
Israeli TV station counts down to Trump deadline — 3:16 p.m.
By the Associated Press
As reporters spoke on air, Channel 13 TV’s evening newscast showed a large digital clock marking down the hours and minutes until Tuesday night’s deadline.
Trump lashes out at Pacific allies for not assisting in Iran fight — 2:48 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president continued to grumble about NATO allies’ refusal to get involved in re-opening the Strait of Hormuz and their hesitance to assist U.S. offensive operations against Iran.
But as he wrapped up his lengthy news conference Monday, he also fumed about the lack of support from Pacific allies.
“You know who else didn’t help us? South Korea didn’t help us,” Trump said. “You know who else didn’t help us? Australia didn’t help us. You know who else didn’t help us? Japan. We’ve got 50,000 soldiers in Japan to protect them from North Korea. We have 45,000 soldiers in South Korea to protect us from Kim Jong Un, who I get along with very well.”
Trump says it would take 4 hours to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants — 2:35 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president described the consequences that Iran would face if it doesn’t reach a deal with the U.S. by Trump’s 8 p.m. Tuesday deadline.
“We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night,” Trump said during his Monday news conference.
Power plants in Iran, he continued would be “burning, exploding and never to be used again.”
Trump refused to say whether any civilian targets would be off limits in the U.S. response.
UN chief warns the US not to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure — 2:33 p.m.
By the Associated Press
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the U.S. that attacking civilian infrastructure is banned under international law, his spokesman said Monday.
“Even if specific civilian infrastructure were to qualify as a military objective,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, an attack would still be prohibited if it risks “excessive incidental civilian harm.”
A court would need to decide whether such attacks were war crimes, he said.
Trump dismisses that his threatened attacks on Iran’s infrastructure would be war crimes — 2:31 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump says he’s “not at all” concerned about committing war crimes as he continues to threaten destruction of Iran’s bridges and power plants if they don’t meet a Tuesday-evening deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“I hope I don’t have to do it,” Trump added.
Trump promises strikes on Iran’s civilian infrastructure if Tehran doesn’t capitulate by 8 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday. — 2:28 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Israeli military is preparing for weeks of battle against Iran — 2:20 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The military’s chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, says the army’s chief has approved battle plans for the next three weeks in the absence of a ceasefire.
“Every day that passes, we hit them more and more. Already we have very good achievements, and we want to reach excellent achievements,” he told a press conference Monday.
Israel’s defense industry to export a $750 million rocket system to Greece — 2:17 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Israeli and Greek defense ministries signed the four-year export agreement Monday in Athens, said a statement from Israel’s defense ministry.
The system, called PULS (Precise & Universal Launching System), is built to launch rockets of different ranges, the statement said.
Israeli defense giant Elbit Systems will supply the rocket launchers and the warheads to Greece. Greek defense industries are expected to produce some parts of the system.
US fighter jet was downed by shoulder-held missile launcher, Trump says — 2:15 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump said the F-15E fighter jet that set off a two-day search-and-rescue operation was downed by a shoulder-launched rocket.
Trump described the weapon as a “hand-held shoulder missile— heat-seeking missile.”
The president went on to suggest that the fighter jet was ultimately downed not by the explosion but because of related damage to the aircraft’s engines.
“They shot it and it got sucked in right by the engine,” Trump said.
Trump insists Iranian civilians want the US to keep bombing — 2:11 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Asked why Iranians would want him to follow up on his threat to blow up the country’s infrastructure, Trump says everyday citizens are “willing to suffer ... in order to have freedom.”
“‘Please keep bombing. Do it,’” Trump claimed U.S. officials have heard Iranians say via “intercepts.”
“And these are people that are living where the bombs are exploding,” he said.
He added, “And when we leave and we’re not hitting those areas, they’re saying, ‘Please come back, come back, come back.’”
Trump says some military personnel opposed rescue operation — 2:08 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president made the disclosure in response to a reporter’s question.
“Not everybody was on board,” Trump said. He continued: “There were military people that said, ‘you just don’t do this.’”
Referring to Hegseth and Caine, Trump made sure to clarify: “These two were totally on board.”
US warplane that crashed amid search for downed aviators was hit by enemy fire, general says — 2:05 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A U.S. aircraft that crashed amid the search for the downed airmen was hit by enemy fire while engaging Iranian forces, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday.
Caine, speaking at briefing at the White House, said that a U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft was “violently suppressing and engaging the enemy in a close-in gun fight to keep them away” from the pilot of a downed F-15 fighter jet while also being “primarily responsible for communicating with the downed pilot.”
Caine said that after being hit, “this pilot continued to fight, continued the mission, and then upon exit, flew his aircraft into another country and determined that the airplane was not landable.”
The pilot then made the decision to eject over friendly territory and, according to Caine, “was quickly and safely recovered, and is doing fine.”
Hegseth describes ‘unblinking’ mission in coordination call — 1:50 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The defense secretary said the coordination call held by national security officials during the daring mission to rescue the U.S. airmen lasted nearly two days straight.
“For 45 hours and 56 minutes, we held that call open for coordination,” Hegseth said, describing the call that was held in a secure facility. “Our mission was unblinking.”
Hegseth continued, “the meeting never stopped. The planning never ceased.”
CIA Director John Ratcliffe says top-secret technology led to rescue of downed airman — 1:48 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Speaking at a White House press conference, Ratcliffe said the agency used “exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service” possesses to locate the aviator after the F-15 was shot down in Iran.
At the same time, the CIA mounted a deception operation to mislead Iranians who were looking.
Ratcliffe said the search and rescue operation was “comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”
The CIA declined to respond to questions Monday about the kind of technology used to locate the airman.
Hegseth draws parallels between story of Easter and rescued airman — 1:43 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The defense secretary has frequently infused his leadership of the Pentagon with references to his Christianity and the language of his faith
Hegseth said the airman, who evaded capture for more than a day, was shot down on Good Friday, “hidden in a cave” on Saturday and on Easter Sunday was “a pilot reborn, all home and accounted for.”
He said that when the airman was finally able to active an emergency transponder, the first message he transmitted was: “God is good.”
Trump threatens to jail journalist who first reported on downed airman — 1:31 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump threatened to jail the journalist who first reported that U.S. forces were searching for an F-15 weapons officer shot down in Iran, if they don’t reveal their sources.
“The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say, and that doesn’t last long,” Trump said.
Trump didn’t name the journalist or news organization. He said the leak tipped off the Iranians, endangering the officer and his rescuers. He called the leaker “a sick person.”
Iran’s supreme leader issues a rare public statement — 1:28 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei expressed condolences over the killing of the Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence chief.
In a written social media post, Khamenei said Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi joined a “steadfast line of warriors and fighters” to sacrifice their lives. Israeli strikes have killed dozens of top Iranian leaders, including Khamenei’s father.
The younger Khamenei has not been seen or spoken in public since he succeeded his father as supreme leader.
Trump offers more details of dramatic airman rescue — 1:25 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president described the scale of the operation undertaken by the U.S. to rescue the second airman from the downed aircraft — which included 155 aircraft.
More specifically, it included four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling tankers, 13 rescue aircraft, among others, Trump said.
Much of it was an effort to throw off the Iranians who were also looking for the missing crew member, the president said.
“We were bringing them all over and a lot of it was subterfuge,” Trump said. “We wanted to have them think he was in a different location.”
Trump says downed officer rushed to get away from crash site — 1:22 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump says the downed weapons officer followed his training to get as far away from the crash site as possible.
When a plane crashes in hostile territory, “they all head right to that site, you want to be as far away as you can,” Trump said.
Trump says the officer was “bleeding profusely” but was able climb mountainous terrain and contact U.S. forces to communicate his location. Rescuers mobilized a massive response that included subterfuge to confuse the Iranians about where they were looking.
Trump says 21 aircraft came to help rescue airmen who crash in Iran — 1:18 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president began describing the rescue efforts from Friday and over the weekend after two airmen ejected and landed alive “deep in enemy territory” in Iran.
Trump said 21 aircraft were deployed to help with the search and rescue in the first wave, flying for hours under “very, very heavy enemy fire.” He said the U.S. has one helicopter with many bullets in it.
Trump news conference begins — 1:10 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The US president made his way to the briefing room lectern shortly before 1:10 p.m.
He is accompanied by his top national security advisers, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Also in attendance are his children Eric and Tiffany Trump, as well as their spouses.
Declaring that “this was one of our better Easters,” Trump started his news conference by speaking about the dramatic rescue of two U.S. airmen in Iran over the weekend.
Watch the news conference here:
Trump, with Easter bunny nearby, talks Iran war — 1:00 p.m.
By the Associated Press
In a surreal scene on the White House lawn decorated with flowers and Easter décor, Trump decided on Monday to give reporters an update on the Iran war as children waited nearby and someone in a bunny costume was steps away from him.
As soft, cheerful music played in the background, the president spoke about the rescue over the weekend of one of the missing airmen shot down in Iran, defended his expletive-laden threats on social media, and warned that Iran should capitulate or face threats to its bridges and power plants.
Turkey’s president says his country has intensified push to end the war — 12:47 p.m.
By the Associated Press
“We are striving to seize any chance, however small, for hostilities to cease and negotiations to open,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised address following a Cabinet meeting. He did not provide details.
Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel, again accused the country of undermining all attempts to stop the fighting.
Trump defends use of vulgar language in social media post — 12:39 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president used not-suitable-for-work language in a Sunday social media posting warning Iran he was serious about targeting the country’s infrastructure if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline. He ended the short post by saying, “Praise be to Allah.”
Asked by a reporter about his salty language, Trump responded he used it “only to make my point.”
Trump added about his use of an expletive, “I think you’ve heard it before.”
Trump suggests Kurdish groups have held onto guns meant for Iranian protesters — 12:22 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump appeared to confirm that the U.S. had intended to arm Iranian protesters after mass demonstrations against the government broke out throughout Iran in late 2025 and continued early into this year.
Thousands of anti-government protesters were killed during the crackdowns by government forces. Fox News reported on Sunday that Trump had told the network’s Trey Yingst in a telephone interview that Kurdish groups who were supposed to be delivering the U.S.-provided weapons held on to them.
“They were supposed to go to the people so they could fight back against these thugs,” Trump told reporters on Monday about the weapons intended for protesters. “You know what happened? The people that they sent them to kept them because they said, ‘What a beautiful gun. I think I’ll keep it.’ So, I’m very upset with a certain group of people and they’re going to pay a big price for that.”
Trump says he’d prefer to ‘take the oil’ — 12:05 p.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump said that he’d prefer to use U.S military power to take control of Iran’s vast oil reserves but acknowledged there’s not much appetite for such a move among the American electorate.
“Take the oil because it’s there for the taking,” Trump said. “There’s not a thing they can do about it. Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me, I’d take the oil. I’d keep the oil. I would make plenty of money.”
Trump warns Iran they’re making a mistake by not capitulating — 12:02 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Shortly after state media reported Iran had rejected a ceasefire proposal, Trump offered a new harsh warning to Iran.
“They just don’t want to say ‘uncle,’” Trump told reporters as he and first lady Melania Trump hosted the White House Easter Egg Roll. “They don’t want to cry as the expression goes ‘uncle,’ but they will. And if they don’t, They’ll have no bridges. They’ll have no power plants. They’ll have no anything.”
He added another ominous warning, “I won’t go further because there are other things that are worse than those two.”
A regional official involved in the ceasefire talks says the efforts haven’t collapsed — 11:55 a.m.
By the Associated Press
“We are still talking to both sides,” he says, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door diplomacy.
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu says petrochemical attack weakens Iran’s Revolutionary Guard — 11:34 a.m.
By the Associated Press
He said Monday’s strike on an Iranian petrochemical facility is part of a systematic campaign aimed at destroying the Guard’s “money machine.”
“We are destroying factories, we are eliminating activists and we continue to eliminate senior figures,” he said in a videotaped statement.
Netanyahu said he also spoke to President Trump about the US rescue of two downed crew members in Iran. He said the president thanked Israel for assisting in the mission.
An Iranian university student asks the world: ‘Stop this war’ — 11:32 a.m.
By the Associated Press
A resident of Tehran in his early twenties says US-Israeli strikes on civilian infrastructure and Trump’s intensifying threats have “terrified” people.
“Everyone is very anxious and scared that the water, power and gas will be cut,” he said, speaking anonymously for his security.
The student first spoke with The Associated Press on the eve of the war, when he participated in anti-government protests at his Tehran university’s campus. At the time, he described heated disagreements with friends who said they hoped a threatened Israeli-US attack would overthrow the Islamic Republic.
“Those who were supporting the war are no longer supporting it,” he said Monday.
Sunday, he heard the sound of “a lot of explosions” around the city from his home in the Sattar Khan area. He said he’d turned to taking sleeping pills to get through nightly bombardments.
Key Federal Reserve official open to possible rate hikes amid gas price spikes — 11:31 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press that if inflation remains persistently above the Fed’s 2% target, the central bank should consider lifting its benchmark interest rate.
While Hammack also said the Fed might have to cut its rate if higher gas prices caused the economy to slow and unemployment to rise, a potential rate hike is a noticeable shift for the Fed from before the Iran war, when officials forecast two rate cuts this year. A hike could lift longer-term interest rates for things like mortgages and auto loans.
“My baseline is that we’re on hold for quite some time,” Hammack said, “but I can foresee scenarios where we would need to reduce rates ... if the labor market deteriorates significantly. Or I could see where we might need to raise rates if inflation stays persistently above our target.”
Houthis claim they hit military sites in Israel — 11:30 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Iran-backed Houthis said they launched a barrage of cruise missiles and drones at several military sites in southern Israel, “successfully achieving its objectives,” according to the group’s military spokesperson.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthis, said in a statement Monday that the missiles were launched as part of a joint operation with the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon.
Iranian president lauds role of slain intelligence chief — 11:16 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The agency said it had has conveyed its response to the US through Pakistan, a key mediator.
“We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press on Monday. “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”
The response came ahead of a deadline by President Trump to begin bombing Iranian energy and infrastructure.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency says Tehran has rejected the latest ceasefire proposal — 11:14 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The agency said it had has conveyed its response to the US through Pakistan, a key mediator.
“We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press on Monday. “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”
The response came ahead of a deadline by President Trump to begin bombing Iranian energy and infrastructure.
Lebanese Christian political leader criticizes government for not confronting Hezbollah — 10:52 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Samir Geagea, who leads the Lebanese Forces political party, made the remarks in statement after an Israeli strike hit an apartment building in the town of Ain Saadeh late Sunday, killing a party official, his wife and a woman visiting them.
The strike heightened existing tensions between host communities and more than a million displaced Lebanese, largely Shia from southern Lebanon, deeply divided over Hezbollah and their position on the war.
“Taking responsibility from the outset would have been better for everyone,” he said, talking about the Lebanese security agencies’ sluggish disarmament process of Hezbollah.
US-Israeli assault brings ‘destruction and bloodshed’ to Iran’s capital, resident says — 10:26 a.m.
By the Associated Press
A resident of central Tehran has described living with “anxiety and fear” as US-Israeli strikes pummel the capital.
“Constantly, there is the sound of bombs, air defenses, drones,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity for her safety.
At least one strike hit near her home, waking her on Wednesday, she said. Rushing into the neighboring street, she saw it “filled with people in pajamas, some of them wrapped in blankets, some of them crying with fear.”
She also described her anger at the popular satellite channel, Iran International, which is based abroad. She said its coverage had amplified exiled Iranian voices supporting strikes on the Islamic Republic. “Some people thought war might bring good things, but war doesn’t bring anything but destruction and bloodshed.”
Iranian authorities have moved to ban any contact with several Persian-language satellite channels based abroad. Many viewers inside Iran say the frequencies are often disrupted.
US stocks hold steady while crude oil prices waver ahead of Trump’s Iran deadline — 9:50 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The US stock market is making only hesitant moves, while oil prices are unsettled as mediators try to forge a ceasefire agreement ahead of a deadline President Trump has set to bomb Iranian power plants.
The S&P 500 rose 0.1% in early trading Monday. The index is coming off its first winning week in the last six. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 107 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.4%.
Oil prices flipped between gains and losses as uncertainty continued about what will happen in the war with Iran and how long it will slow the flow of oil and natural gas.
Red Cross president says wartime destruction of essential civilian infrastructure must stop — 9:50 a.m.
By the Associated Press
In a statement released Monday, Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, raised alarm about destruction of civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities in the Iran war.
“Across the Middle East, our teams are seeing the destruction of infrastructure essential for civilian life,” including hospitals, schools, power plants, water systems and more, Spoljaric wrote.
“Most alarming are potential threats to nuclear facilities. Any miscalculation can cause irreversible consequences for generations to come.”
Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers discuss the war — 9:28 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, held a telephone conversation Monday, during which they discussed “the state of the war” and other developments, a Turkish official said. The official provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with government rules and did not elaborate.
The call came as two Middle East officials said mediators from Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey sent Washington and Tehran a proposal calling for a 45‑day ceasefire and for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel’s military told the public it was safe to leave shelters after the latest Iranian missile attack — 9:28 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iran confirms communication with mediators — 9:21 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, has told journalists in Tehran that messages are being exchanged, but “negotiations are entirely incompatible with ultimatums, crimes and threats of war crimes.”
Loud booms and sounds of air defenses heard in Jerusalem — 9:19 a.m.
By the Associated Press
It comes after Israel’s military said Iran had launched missiles toward the country.
Israel’s military warned of another missile barrage from Iran, the sixth such alert of the day — 9:17 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Israeli military and Mossad helped rescue downed American airman in Iran, Huckabee says — 9:13 a.m.
By the Associated Press
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote in a social media post on Monday that Israel’s military and Mossad secret service had assisted in the US effort to rescue an airman whose plane was downed by Iran.
Huckabee thanked Israel for helping the US military and intelligence agencies in the post to X.
Israeli officials have said Israel provided support, including intelligence, in the rescue, but troops weren’t actively involved on the ground.
Iranian adviser warns the Mideast will go ‘dark’ if Iran’s power plants are attacked — 9:05 a.m.
By the Associated Press
A former Iranian foreign minister and adviser to the supreme leader called for Arab countries to discourage US President Trump from striking Iran’s power plants.
Ali Akbar Velayati warned the entire region would go “dark” if Trump fulfilled his threat and bombed Iran’s power plants.
“The rulers of #Arab_countries should, in order to prevent the region from going dark, make Trump understand that the #Persian_Gulf is not a place for gambling,” he wrote on social media.
Israeli military says it killed leader of Quds Force undercover unit — 7:58 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Israel’s military said Monday it killed the leader of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s undercover unit in its expeditionary Quds Force.
Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesman, confirmed the killing of Asghar Bakeri in a briefing to reporters.
He said Bakeri had planned attacks on Israeli and American targets as well as operations in Israel, Syria and Lebanon.
Israeli strike kills anti-Hezbollah politician in Lebanon — 7:39 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The hilly Christian town of Ain Saadeh, east of Beirut, was in shock Monday after an Israeli missile crashed into an apartment building, killing an anti-Hezbollah politician, his wife and another woman.
Israel said it targeted a Hezbollah militant, but the third-story apartment was empty.
The strike blew out the walls and windows of the floor below, killing Pierre Mouawad, an official in the Lebanese Forces, a Christian political party opposed to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, and his wife, Flavia Mouawad.
“This is the first time something like this has happened here,” family friend Nadine Naameh said. “We had always felt safe here.”
Neighbors wept outside the collapsed apartments as crews swept away the rubble.
“The people who live here are against violence. They don’t want this war,” according to municipal official Pierre Said.
Israel said it was investigating “reports that several uninvolved individuals were harmed.”
UN watchdog confirms strikes close to Bushehr nuclear facility — 7:38 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The United Nations nuclear watchdog on Monday confirmed recent strikes struck close to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, with one hitting just 75 meters (82 yards) from the facility’s perimeter.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a social media post that its own analysis showed the plant was not damaged as of Sunday.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called for ceasing such attacks, which cause “a very real danger to nuclear safety.”
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization has reported four attacks close to the facility since the war started Feb. 28. The last strike Saturday killed a security guard and damaged a support building, the organization said.
The Bushehr nuclear power plant uses low-enriched uranium from Russia, along with Russian technicians, to supply about 1,000 megawatts of power for Iran.
Israel says it attacked South Pars plant at Asaluyeh — 7:35 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Israel’s defense minister said Monday that Israel attacked the South Pars petrochemical plant at Asaluyeh.
Israel Katz made the announcement in a statement after Iran said the facility had been attacked.
Katz said Israel had “just carried out a powerful strike on the largest petrochemical facility in Iran, located in Asaluyeh, a central target responsible for about 50% of the country’s petrochemical production.”
An Israeli attack in March on South Pars facilities sparked major Iranian attacks targeting oil and gas infrastructure across the Gulf Arab states.
Iranian media says attacks target South Pars natural gas field — 7:12 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Attacks targeted facilities Monday at Iran’s South Pars natural gas field, Iranian media outlets reported.
The semiofficial Fars news agency and the judicary’s Mizan news agency both reported the attack, blaming the US and Israel.
Neither country immediately claimed any attack at Asaluyeh in Iran’s southern Bushehr province.
Iran condemned the first Israeli strike on South Pars in March, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warning of “uncontrollable consequences” that “could engulf the entire world.” The attack on South Pars saw Iran increasingly target Gulf Arab oil and natural gas sites.
President Trump has warned of possible attacks on power plants and bridges this week if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened.
After Israel’s earlier attack, Trump said Israel would not attack South Pars again, but warned on social media that if Iran continued striking Qatar’s energy infrastructure, the United States would retaliate and “massively blow up the entirety” of the field.
Iran shares the South Pars field with Qatar, which refers to its part of the massive offshore field as the North Field.
The field is the world’s largest gas field and sits under the waters of the Persian Gulf.
Pakistan foreign minister calls for ‘urgent de-escalation’ — 7:11 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi by phone and called for “urgent de-escalation.”
A Pakistan Foreign Ministry statement said Dar “reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting all initiatives aimed at de-escalation and the achievement of lasting peace and stability.”
Motegi appreciated and supported Pakistan’s “constructive role” in facilitating dialogue and diplomacy for regional peace and stability, the ministry said, adding that the leaders agreed to maintain contact.
Israel warns public against new Iranian missile barrage — 7:10 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Israel’s military warned the public Monday morning of another missile barrage coming from Iran, the fifth such alert of the day.
People search the rubble after an Israeli strike on Southern Lebanon kills 5 — 6:33 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The morning after an Israeli strike on Southern Lebanon killed five people and wounded 50 others, residents in the neighborhood of Jnah watched as a bulldozer plowed through a giant tangle of rubble. Children’s shoes, prayer books and metal cutlery could be seen amid the jagged cinder blocks on Monday.
Among the dead were two Sudanese nationals and a 15-year-old girl, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The densely populated neighborhood hosts many Sudanese migrant workers who left their country’s brutal civil war.
“They fled Sudan because of the war, just to be killed in yet another war. Imagine that,” said Mohammed Awad, 29, who has lived for six years in the same building as the two young Sudanese men who were killed. “We really have nowhere else to go.”
The Israeli military said it was targeting a Hezbollah militant in the area, without elaborating.
4 victims found at site of Haifa strike — 6:32 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Israel’s military said four people were found dead at the site of a missile strike in Haifa.
They had been trapped under rubble and were found after hours of overnight rescue efforts, the mililtary said.
European Council president says escalation will not achieve ceasefire — 6:31 a.m.
By the Associated Press
European Council President António Costa said Monday that an “escalation will not achieve a ceasefire and peace,” which was likely a warning aimed at US President Trump.
“Only negotiations will, namely the ongoing efforts led by regional partners,” he added in the statement posted on X.
Costa’s call comes as Trump has threatened to begin bombing power plants and bridges this week if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz.
He wrote that “any targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable.”
“The Iranian civilian population is the main victim of the Iranian regime,” Costa wrote. “It would also be the main victim of a widening of the military campaign.”
Death toll rises to at least 15 in strike on Iranian residential building — 4:51 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The death toll in an airstrike on a Iranian residential building has risen to at least 15 people, authorities said Monday
The strike hit near Eslamshar, a city southwest of Iran’s capital Tehran.
Professor says airstrike hit Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology — 4:30 a.m.
By the Associated Press
An airstrike hit an information and communication technology building at Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology on Monday morning, according to Mohammed Vesal, an economics professor at the university.
Vesal, who spoke to a team from The Associated Press that had traveled to Iran from abroad to report there, said the attack disrupted online learning for the university.
All students have left the campus because of the war.
“All web services of the university are down now because of this violent attack on our infrastructure,” Vesal said. “This is a purely academic institution.”
Sharif University of Technology is considered Iran’s top engineering school.
Multiple countries over the years have sanctioned the university for its work with the military, particularly on Iran’s ballistic missile program, which is controlled by the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Israel claims killing of Revolutionary Guard intelligence head — 4:20 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Israel claimed the killing of the intelligence chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Monday.
Defense Minister Israel Katz made the announcement.
“The Revolutionary Guard are shooting at civilians and we are eliminating the leaders of the terrorists,” Katz said. “Iran’s leaders live with a sense of being targeted. We will continue to hunt them down one by one.”
Katz added Israel had “severely damaged” Iran’s steel and petrochemical industries, as well.
“We will continue to crush the Iranian national infrastructure and lead to the erosion and collapse of the terrorist regime, and its capabilities to promote terror and fire at the state of Israel,” he said.
Iran Revolutionary Guard intelligence head killed — 3:44 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The head of intelligence for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed Monday in an attack targeting him, Iranian state media said.
Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi died in the attack, which the Guard blamed on the United States and Israel.
It did not elaborate on where Khademi was killed. However, multiple airstrikes targeted residential areas around Iran’s capital, Tehran, early Monday morning.
Iran and US receive draft proposal for war cease-fire — 3:41 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iran and the United States have received a draft proposal that calls for a 45-day cease-fire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a possible way to end the war, two Mideast officials told The Associated Press.
The proposal comes from Egyptian, Pakistani, and Turkish mediators working to halt the fighting, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations.
They hope the 45-day window would provide enough time for extensive talks between the countries to reach a permanent cease-fire.
Iran and the US have not responded to the proposal, which was sent late Sunday night to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, the officials said.
It remains unclear whether the sides would agree to such terms. Iran has insisted it will keep fighting until it receives financial reparations and a promise it won’t be attacked again. President Trump has threatened to bomb Iranian bridges and power stations this week.
The news website Axios first reported terms of the proposal.
Iranian drone strikes UAE telecommunications building — 2:25 a.m.
By the Associated Press
An Iranian drone attack damaged a telecommunications building in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, the state-run WAM news agency reported.
The attack targeted a building of the state-funded du telecom company.
No one was injured, WAM reported, quoting officials in Fujairah.
South Korea spy agency sees no signs of North Korea supplying Iran — 1:57 a.m.
By the Associated Press
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service says there are no signs North Korea is providing Iran with weapons or other war-related supplies.
The spy agency’s officials told lawmakers Monday that North Korea may be taking a cautious approach to preserve the possibility of dialogue with the Trump administration, according to two lawmakers who attended the closed-door briefing.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the US-Israeli attacks on Iran as illegal, but the NIS said Pyongyang has not sent an official condolence message over the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s late supreme leader.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in recent years has embraced the idea of a “new Cold War” and attempted to expand cooperation with countries confronting the US, including an economic delegation sent to Iran in April 2024.
South Korea plans to send ships and special envoys to Saudi Arabia — 1:41 a.m.
By the Associated Press
South Korea plans to send at least five ships to Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port in the coming weeks to establish new oil transport routes in the Red Sea.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said Monday the ships will be deployed in phases beginning in mid-April and the number of vessels could increase depending on contracts with Saudi partners.
Officials did not disclose the companies involved but said some domestic refiners may use non-Korean shipping firms.
South Korea also plans to send special envoys to Saudi Arabia, Oman and Algeria to step up diplomatic efforts to secure alternative fuel supplies, ruling party lawmaker Ahn Do-geol said.
The foreign ministry did not immediately reveal when the envoys would be sent.
1 person wounded in UAE after missile interception — 1:13 a.m.
By the Associated Press
In the United Arab Emirates’ capital of Abu Dhabi, authorities said a Ghanaian man suffered wounds from shrapnel after the interception of an Iranian missile over the city’s Musaffah neighborhood.
That’s near Al Dhafra Air Base, which hosts US forces and has been repeatedly targeted by Iran in the war.
Iranian missiles hit central Israel — 1:10 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Israel rescue services reported Monday morning several sites were hit by missiles launched from Iran towards multiple cities in the center of Israel.
In Petach Tikvah, paramedics provided medical treatment to an injured woman in serious condition with a chest injury from shrapnel and evacuated her to the Beilinson Hospital.
Fire fighters in that city are handling cars on fire and continue searching to ensure there are no people trapped in the rubble.
In Tel Aviv, a man slightly injured by glass shrapnel was evacuated to the Ichilov Hospital.
Footage provided by rescue service Magen David Adom shows damage to residential buildings due to the attack.
Iranian missiles strike several locations in Haifa — 1:00 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Israel’s Magen David Adom and Fire and Rescue services said early Monday that there are several reported sites of Iranian missile hits in the northern city of Haifa.
In one site, four people were slightly injured, including two children.
The missile attacks hit residential areas and a factory in the city.
The factory was hit by shrapnel from an interception.
It is unclear if all the reported hits were caused by shrapnel from interception or direct hits.
Video footage provided by Magen David Adom of the affected sites show active fire and bombed cars in what appears to be a residential area.
The missile strikes come a day after another attack from Iran also hit a Haifa residential area, killing two people and injuring others.
Two other people remain missing under the rubble caused by Sunday’s strike and their fate is still unknown.