Main Points
- Iran and the US have received a plan to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a source aware of the proposals has told the Reuters news agency.
- Trump threatens to jail journalist who broke story of missing airman.
- Iran says peace talks incompatible with ‘threats to commit war crimes’
- Tehran says head of Iranian intelligence has been killed in a US-Israeli strike
- US president Donald Trump, in a profane social media post on Sunday, threatened to escalate strikes on Iran unless it opens the Strait of Hormuz.
- A US service member who was missing since Iran shot down a fighter jet was rescued on Sunday.
- The current energy crisis is the “worst the world has ever seen,” but “this is not 2008”, according to Tánaiste Simon Harris.
Key Reads
- Denis Staunton: A tale of two Easter messages from Donald Trump and Pope Leo. Sign up to receive the Global Briefing newsletter
- Analysis: Lebanese president defends diplomatic outreach to Israel
- How the rescue of downed US airman in Iran unfolded
Iranian leader issues written statement over death of IRGC intelligence chief
Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei earlier expressed his condolences over the killing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence chief, Majid Khademi.
In a written social media post, Khamenei said Major General Majid Khademi joined a “steadfast line of warriors and fighters” to sacrifice their lives.
He said the deaths of commanders would not cause any “disruption” to the ideology of Iranian forces because the “ranks are vast”. Israel has claimed responsibility for targeting Khademi, with the IDF saying he was “eliminated” in a strike in Tehran on Sunday.
There have been several written messages published with attribution to Khamenei, but he has not been seen or heard in public since succeeding his assassinated father as supreme leader last month.
IMF warns Iran war will lead to inflation and slower global growth
The war in the Middle East will lead to higher inflation and slower global growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) told Reuters on Monday.
Even if the conflict is swiftly resolved, the IMF is set to reduce its forecasts for economic growth and bump up its outlook for inflation, IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said.
“Instead, all roads now lead to higher prices and slower growth,” said Georgieva. The war has shrunk global oil supply by 13 per cent, she said, hitting oil and gas shipments and related supply chains such as helium and fertilisers.
Even a rapid end to hostilities and a fairly rapid recovery will result in a “relatively small” downward revision of the growth forecast and an upward revision of its inflation forecast, she said. If the war is protracted, the effect on inflation and growth will be greater.
The IMF is expected to release a range of scenarios in its upcoming World Economic Outlook due on April 14. - Reuters
Iran halts two Qatar LNG tankers it previously cleared to transit Strait of Hormuz, source says
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards halted two Qatar liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers that had been heading towards the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning and instructed them to hold position without explanation, a source told Reuters on Monday.
Iran had permitted the vessels to transit the strait under an agreement reached with the US last week via Pakistani mediation, said the source who had been briefed on the agreement and spoke on condition of anonymity.
“This was part of an arrangement negotiated as part of talks spearheaded by Pakistan last week,” the source said.
Both ships were positioned off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on Monday evening and had not transited Hormuz, ship-tracking data showed.
Had the vessels successfully crossed the strait, they would have been the first transit of LNG cargoes through the waterway since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28. - Reuters
US strikes damage top Iranian university, prompting condemnation from academics
Iranian nationals and academics have expressed outrage Monday at overnight strikes that hit Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, one of the country’s most prestigious academic institutions. It is the latest in a string of attacks that have battered Iran’s higher education centres.
The university, founded in 1966, is the top destination for science and engineering students in Iran and has been called the country’s equivalent of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Its alumni include Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to win the Fields Medal, the most prestigious prize in mathematics.
Intentional attacks on educational institutions could be a war crime under international law. According to state media reports, the school’s information technology centre and mosque were targeted.
“Iran’s knowledge is not embedded in concrete to be destroyed by bombs,” Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s first vice president, wrote on social media. “Knowledge is rooted in our being, and this stronghold cannot be brought down.”
The university has been subjected to sanctions by the United States, the European Union and Britain, over accusations that it co-operated with entities involved in Iranian military and nuclear activities. - Reuters
President Trump on Monday escalated his threats to devastate Iran if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even as he again floated the possibility that diplomacy may yet avert steps to prolong and deepen the war.
“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, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again,” Trump said at a White House news conference. If the attacks take place, he said, “It will take them 100 years to rebuild.” - New York Times
Iranians left only with state-run television in longest internet blackout since Arab Spring
Iran’s internet shutdown, which began shortly after the first US-Israel strikes in late February, is now the longest national-scale blackout since the Arab Spring, monitors have said.
Iranian authorities cut all access to the internet on 28 February, the day the war began, after an earlier shutdown in January during nationwide protests. This current blackout has lasted more than 38 days.
Its severity means many in Iran, beyond their own experiences, are receiving limited information about the war compared with others in the region. “When I speak with people inside Iran, they often are not aware of the full scale of the destruction and other developments,” said Amir Rashidi, director of Miaan Group, an Iran-focused human rights organisation.
“Their only sources are Iranian state television and one satellite channel. They do not have access to major news sources, and both of these outlets report the news said their own agendas. As a result, Iranians are unaware of many details, or even of the news itself.” – The Guardian
Iran deal must include free traffic of oil through Strait of Hormuz
The final lines from President Trump’s lengthy press conference on Iran on Monday, as he told reporters that Iran had to agree to a deal including free traffic of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. He reiterated that an acceptable deal must be reached by his latest deadline, on Tuesday.
US Central Command counters Iranian claims it struck USS Tripoli
🚫 CLAIM: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claim they attacked and struck the amphibious assault ship, USS Tripoli, with missiles, forcing it to withdraw from the region to the southern Indian Ocean.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 6, 2026
✅ FACT: USS Tripoli has not been attacked and continues to sail… pic.twitter.com/oHo70yIj71
Gold edges lower as Iran deadline nears
Gold prices edged lower on Monday as investors await further signals on the evolving US-Iran situation in the lead up to the deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Spot gold was down 0.4 per cent at $4,654.99 (€4,031) per ounce when markets closed in Europe. US gold futures settled 0.1 per cent higher at $4,684.70.
Iran has said it seeks a lasting end to the war with the U.S. and Israel, resisting pressure to swiftly reopen the Strait of Hormuz under a temporary ceasefire as both nations weigh a framework to end their five-week conflict.
“Focus is likely to remain on the war and interest rates. If the conflict drags on, oil will grind higher amid tightening supply conditions, adding to inflationary pressures,” said Bart Melek, global head of commodity strategy at TD Securities.
“That leaves central banks, particularly the Federal Reserve, with less room to ease policy and could even revive discussions about higher rates if energy prices rise further, which is negative for gold.”
Oil prices inched up in choppy trading on Monday, and they have risen sharply since the conflict began. – Reuters
UAE intercepts 12 more ballistic missiles on Monday
Air defence systems in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) intercepted 12 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 19 drones on Monday, said the United Arab Emirates’ ministry of defence.
In a statement, the UAE defence ministry said the interceptions on Monday bring the total number of drones engaged by its air defences to 2,210. This comes in addition to 519 ballistic missiles and 26 cruise missiles.
UAE Air Defenses engaged 12 Ballistic Missiles and 2 Cruise Missiles and 19 UAV's.
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) April 6, 2026
The Ministry of Defense announced that on April 6, 2026, UAE air defense engaged 12 ballistic missiles, 2 cruise missiles, and 19 UAV's launched from Iran.
Since the onset of the blatant Iranian… pic.twitter.com/AAq18qnjtM
Trump threatens to jail journalist who broke story of missing airman
US president Trump said he would demand that the reporter who first leaked that an airman in Iran had been rescued reveal their source, and threatened them with jail if they refused.
US authorities are trying to identify the journalist who “leaked” information that a second airman was stranded in Iran after the first one was rescued. Trump said Iran was not aware of the status of the second pilot prior to the report, which made the US rescue operation “much more difficult”.
He claimed US authorities would demand the media company that published the story to provide the identity of the “leaker” or face prosecution.
“We’re looking very hard to find that leaker. We think we’ll be able to find it out because we’re going to go to the media company that released it and we’re going to say: ‘National security – give it up or go to jail’.” - Reuters & The Guardian
Oil prices have begun to rise since Trump began his address. US crude oil leapt from $112 to about $114 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, which had been roughly flat for the day, rose too. – The Guardian
Iran could be taken out in a single night, US claims
The “entire country” of Iran “can be taken out in one night” US president Donald Trump has claimed during a press conference on the war on Iran.
Trump told reporters ” that night might be tomorrow night”, referencing his latest deadline for Tehran to open the strait of Hormuz.
He said that as part of the weekend’s rescue mission, the military deployed 155 aircraft, four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refuelling tankers and 13 rescue aircraft. He says they exited the territory with the airman, who had been stranded for almost 48 hours, without taking any casualties. – Additional reporting from The Guardian.
Israeli air strike kills Christian party official in Lebanon as death toll continues to rise
An Israeli strike on an apartment east of Beirut late on Sunday killed a local official from a Christian political party, sharpening internal divides over Hizbullah as Israel’s strikes expand to new parts of the country.
Israel’s air and ground attacks in Lebanon over the past month has deepened fractures between supporters of Hizbullah and those who blame the Iran-backed group for igniting a new conflict with Israel just 15 months after the last one.
On Sunday, an Israeli strike hit an apartment in Ain Saadeh, a predominantly Christian town in the hills east of Beirut, killing a man and two women, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
The Lebanese Forces Party, a fiercely anti-Hizbullah Christian party, identified two of the dead as Pierre Moawad, a local party official, and his wife Flavia.
“We are paying a heavy price for a war into which we have been dragged by the lawless organisation Hizbullah,” Lebanese Forces parliamentarian Razi El Hage told Lebanese broadcaster MTV.
Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed nearly 1,500 people, said Lebanese authorities. – Reuters
States must respect the rules of war, Red Cross president urges amid Iran War
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday urged governments to respect the rules of war in word and deed after US President Donald Trump ratcheted up his rhetoric against Iran by threatening to rain down “hell” on Tehran.
“States must respect and ensure respect for the rules of war in both what they say and what they do,” Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement. “The world cannot succumb to a political culture that prioritises death over life.”
She also said deliberate threats, in rhetoric or action, against essential civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities must not become the new norm in warfare.
The ICRC statement referred to hostilities in the Middle East but did not name any governments.
Power plants, water systems, hospitals, roads, bridges, homes, schools and universities have all come under fire in a conflict that began with U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February and has led Iran to hit targets across the region. – Reuters
Oil prices swing on Iran ceasefire rejection, renewed US threats
Oil swung after Iran rejected a proposed ceasefire and US President Donald Trump again threatened to bomb the country’s infrastructure if Tehran doesn’t cede to demands and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Dated Brent – the world’s most important price for real-world barrels – surged above $140 to the highest since 2008.
West Texas Intermediate traded near $112 a barrel (€97), after earlier rising close to $115. Iran rejected a ceasefire proposal floated by regional mediators saying it wanted a permanent end to the war, a lifting of sanctions, and reconstruction efforts, in addition to protocol for safe passage through Hormuz, said Iranian state TV.
The oil market is racing against time, with the chokepoint for about a fifth of global shipments largely blocked since the US-Israel war on Iran began in late February. Prices of some barrels, from crude to jet fuel, have soared across the world since the war began, in what the International Energy Agency is calling the biggest supply disruption ever. The longer the war continues, the higher prices are likely to go, likely triggering a ripple inflationary effect. – Bloomberg
Iranians ‘want to hear bombs because they want to be free’, Trump claims
Continuing his comments at the White House Easter Egg Roll, Trump claimed that the people of Iran ‘want to hear bombs because they want to be free’ while speaking to reporters before a scheduled press conference.
He said the only reason that Iranians are not protesting in the street is due to the threats of being “shot immediately” by the regime, as opposed to the continual strikes by the US and Israel across the country.
“The Iranian people will fight back as soon as they know they’re not going to be shot, and as soon as they can get weapons,” Trump said. “If they had weapons ... Iran would give up in two seconds because they wouldn’t be able to take it.”
US would take Iran’s oil if it was up to him, Trump tells reporters
Speaking to reporters at the White House during the Easter egg roll, Donald Trump said he would take Iran’s oil if he had the choice, “it is there for the taking.”
He continued, saying “If it was up to me, I’d take the oil, keep the oil and make plenty of money” but said that the US public would not understand, merely wanting to see the end of the war.
Trump explained that he only used profanities in a social media post threatening to strike bridges and energy facilities in Iran “to make my point”.
He reiterated that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon, but the bombing campaign will continue because [the regime] “they just don’t want to say ‘uncle’,” and surrender. “If they don’t, they’ll have no bridges, they’ll have no power plants, no anything,” he said. – Additional reporting, The Guardian
Tehran rejects latest ceasefire proposal, Iranian state news agency reports
Iran rejected the latest ceasefire proposal and instead said it wants a permanent end to the war, as US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum loomed within hours.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said Tehran had conveyed its response through Pakistan, a key mediator.
“We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told Associated Press. “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”
Trump wants Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz or see its power plants and bridges attacked. Ferdousi Pour said Iranian and Omani officials were working on a mechanism for administrating the shipping chokepoint. – Associated Press
Tuesday deadline for Iran to make a deal is final, Trump says
US president Donald Trump said on Monday that the deadline he has set for Iran to make a deal by Tuesday is final, adding that Iran’s proposal was significant but not good enough.
“They made a proposal, and it’s a significant proposal. It’s a significant step. It’s not good enough,” Trump said of Iran.
“It could end very quickly, the war, if they do what they have to do. They have to do certain things. They know that, they’ve been negotiating I think in good faith,” he said while at an annual White House Easter event. – Reuters
On Irish soil, the impact of the war is being felt most acutely in relation to the cost of fuel.
Sarah Slater reports:
Motorists have been warned that a national fuel protest may bring major commuting routes into Dublin to a standstill on Tuesday.
The protest is being organised by local activists across the country over spiralling diesel, petrol and home heating oil prices caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East.
National fuel protest assembly points involve the M1 Convoy meeting at Castlebellingham Services, the N2 Convoy at the Ardee – Carrickmacross link, N3 Convoy at Virginia Service Area/ Clonee Side, N4 Convoy at the Enfield Services, M7 Convoy at Junction 14 and N11 Convoy at Ashfield Services North. All the convoy protests are to assemble at 7am.
Protests are also leaving locations in Cork at the same time.
The full details on the protest can be read here
The Iranian Embassy in the UK has taken issue with a social media post by António Costa, president of the European Council.
In his post, Costa called on Iran to “immediately put an end to its attacks against countries in the region and to allow for the reestablishment of full freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz”.
He also warned against targeting of energy facilities, which US President has threatened to do in Iran.
The Iranian embassy in the UK said his comment “isn’t diplomacy”.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that military activity near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) could “cause a severe radiological accident with harmful consequences for people and the environment in Iran and beyond“.
In a post on social media site X, the IAEA said its independent analysis of satellite imagery as well detailed knowledge of the site shows there has been military strikes close to BNPP, one just 75 metres from the site perimeter.
Its director general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said a nuclear facility and surrounding areas “should never be struck”.
Israel struck Iran’s largest petrochemical complex at Asaluyeh on Monday, defence minister Israel Katz said, in what he described as a severe economic blow to Tehran.
Several explosions were heard at Iran’s South Pars Petrochemical complex in Asaluyeh, Fars news agency reported on Monday.
Companies that provide electricity, water and oxygen to Asaluyeh were attacked, but the Pars petrochemical company has not been damaged, Tasnim news agency reported, adding that the electricity supply to all Asaluyeh petrochemicals units had been cut.
In March, Israel attacked Iran’s main energy source, the South Pars gas field and its infrastructure at the nearby Asaluyeh processing hub, prompting Iranian attacks on energy targets across the Middle East.
- Reuters
Message from the Editor
President of the European Council, António Costa, has said targeting of civilian infrastructure - namely energy facilities - is “illegal and unacceptable”.
“This applies to Russia’s war in Ukraine and it applies everywhere,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.
Bloomberg reports on the Strait of Hormuz.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has climbed to its highest levels since the early days of the war, as more countries secure apparent safe-passage agreements with Iran.
The waterway saw 21 ships transit over the weekend as more energy-starved governments negotiate to extract vessels, cargoes and crews from the Persian Gulf, strengthening Tehran’s grip on the waterway. That’s the highest two-day total since the first days of March, when traffic was winding down.
Of those vessels, 13 headed out into the Arabian Sea.
Iranian vessels continue to dominate traffic, but on Sunday a tanker carrying Iraqi crude made its way through the strait, after Iran said it would grant an exemption to “brotherly Iraq”. India — which has negotiated the exit of some ships, and even taken Iranian liquefied petroleum gas for the first time in years — has now seen eight of its LPG tankers come through.
Though the number of vessels is still a fraction of what it was before the war, when about 135 vessels were passing regularly each day, more countries are securing transits. Last week, two China-linked container ships made the crossing on a second attempt. Two Japan-linked vessels have also passed.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow corridor connecting the Persian Gulf with the rest of the world, has become a focal point as the war enters its sixth week, with US President Donald Trump threatening to hit civilian infrastructure and bring “Hell” to Iran if it does not reopen the passage. Tehran has said it will only do so after the tolls that it’s charging vessels for transit can cover war damages.
“Iran is responding to requests from its partners while reinforcing its grip on Hormuz,” said Muyu Xu, a senior crude oil analyst at Kpler Ltd. in Singapore. “Passage is still at Iran’s mercy and the situation could change at any time if the conflict escalates.”
Iran is also advancing a law governing its control of the strait and fees for passage, a move that formalizes an idiosyncratic payment system that has been in place for weeks, according to shipowners.
While Tehran is negotiating with friendly nations, the terms of these deals remain opaque. This is true even when the agreements are publicly recognized, as with Iraq over the weekend. It is even more so in cases where it is unclear which counterparties secured safe-passage, as with ships linked to France and Japan.
Last week Pakistan was offered 20 slots to pull ships from the Gulf — more than it currently has stuck behind the Strait of Hormuz. The country has been considering options including taking on other tankers and potentially re-flagging them to secure fertilizer, oil and other supplies.
Ships with Chinese, Turkish, Greek and Thai associations have also transited.
To date, the majority of green-lit ships have taken what appears to be a route indicated by Tehran, hewing close to Iran’s coast. More, however, have begun taking a path along the opposite coastline. Oman, which shares the waters of the strait, confirmed on Sunday that it has held talks to smooth the flow.
Four people were killed in the Israeli port city of Haifa after what Israeli media said was an Iranian missile strike that hit a residential building late on Sunday.
The bodies of the four people were recovered from beneath the rubble following hours of intensive search-and-rescue operations, the Israeli military said on Monday.
- Reuters
The Middle East is ‘on fire’, Russia says, due to the escalating conflict
The Kremlin on Monday said that the Iran war was escalating in both geography and economic impact, and that the whole Middle East region was “on fire” due to the US and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic.
US President Donald Trump, in an expletive-laden Easter Sunday social media post, threatened to target Iran’s power plants and bridges on Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.
When asked by Reuters about Trump’s remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia had seen them but that the Kremlin preferred not to comment directly.
“We note that the level of tension in the region is growing and continues to grow,” Peskov said. “In fact, the entire region is on fire. These are all very dangerous and negative consequences of the aggression that was unleashed against Iran.”
“The geography of this conflict has expanded, and now we are all aware of the consequences that we have, including very, very negative consequences for the global economy.”
- Reuters
Negotiations are ‘incompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes’, Iran’s foreign ministry says
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said Tehran has formulated its diplomatic response to the US and will announce it in due time, according to SNN, an Iranian official news agency.
Reuters reports that Iran has formulated its positions and demands in response to recent ceasefire proposals conveyed via intermediaries.
A foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday that negotiations were “incompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes.”
Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had a set of requirements based on its national interests that had already been conveyed via intermediary channels, adding that earlier US demands such as the 15-point plan were rejected for being “excessive”.
“Iran does not hesitate to clearly express what it considers its legitimate demands and doing so should not be interpreted as a sign of compromise, but rather as a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions,” Baghaei said in a press conference.
“We have formulated our own responses” and will announce details in due time, he added in response to an Iranian journalist’s question regarding ongoing efforts to bring about a ceasefire between Iran and the US.
Two vessels loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Ras Laffan, Qatar, turned back after they moved eastward towards the Strait of Hormuz, ship-tracking data showed on Monday.
Had the vessels successfully crossed the strait, it would have been the first transit of LNG cargoes through the waterway since the US-Israel war with Iran began on February 28.
Data from analytics firms Kpler and LSEG showed the vessels, Al Daayen and Rasheeda, loaded their cargoes in late February. The data also indicated that the Al Daayen tanker was signalling for China at the moment.
Additionally, Kpler data showed both tankers as controlled by QatarEnergy.
QatarEnergy did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Previously, a Japanese LNG tanker, the Sohar LNG, managed to cross the strait, its joint owner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said on Friday. The tanker, however, was empty, and a company spokesperson declined to disclose when the passage took place or whether any negotiations were involved.
It has been more than five weeks since the US and Israel began striking Iran in a war that has killed thousands and damaged economies by driving up oil prices, with tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz choked by the fighting and retaliatory attacks on a route that carries about a fifth of global oil and LNG flows.
Qatar is the world’s second-largest exporter of LNG, with shipments mostly going to buyers in Asia. Iranian attacks, however, knocked out 17 per cent of Qatar’s LNG export capacity.
- Reuters
Iran says intelligence chief killed by US-Israeli strike
Reuters has further detail on the death of Majid Khademi.
The head of the intelligence organisation of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed on Monday in a “terrorist attack by the American-Zionist (Israeli) enemy”, Iranian media said, citing a statement by the IRGC.
Khademi, who becomes the latest key figure killed in US-Israeli air strikes, took over in 2025 after Israeli air strikes killed his predecessor.
He spent decades in intelligence and counter-espionage roles while rising through Iran’s security apparatus.
Before his appointment, Khademi headed the IRGC’s Intelligence Protection Organisation, charged with internal surveillance and counter-intelligence, and held senior roles in Iran’s defence ministry.
The IRGC intelligence arm is one of Iran’s most powerful security bodies, with a central role in domestic surveillance to counter foreign influence, and often operating in parallel with the civilian intelligence ministry.
US forces on Kuwait’s Bubiyan island were targeted by Iran, the spokesperson of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a video statement shared by state media on Monday.
Reuters news agency reports that spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari said Iran targeted satellite equipment and munitions on the island with drones.
He added that US forces had relocated there from Arifjan camp after that base was repeatedly struck by Iran.
Bubiyan island is the largest of Kuwait’s coastal islands chain, in the northwest of the Gulf.
Six people were injured from debris falling in a residential area in northern Kuwait after an Iranian attack, Kuwait’s health ministry said earlier.
The death of Majid Khademi, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence organisation, was announced on Monday by Iranian state media, without additional detail.
- Reuters
Iran accuses Trump of threatening ‘war crimes’
Iran’s deputy foreign minister has claimed Donald Trump’s threats to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges could amount to war crimes.
“The American president, as the highest official of his country, has publicly threatened to commit war crimes,” Kazem Gharibabadi said on X, citing provisions of international law that could be breached.
Trump used expletive-laden language to demand Iran agree – by Tuesday evening US time – to fully open the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of Iranian energy sites and bridges.
The US president posted on Truth Social: “Open the F**kin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell.”
He was sharply rebuked by US politicians, with Republican former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene decrying “Trump’s madness”, Bernie Sanders calling it “dangerous and mentally unbalanced” and top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer saying Trump was “ranting like an unhinged madman on social media”.
Iran, US receive plan for immediate ceasefire, source says
Iran and the United States have received a plan to end hostilities that could come into effect on Monday and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a source has told the Reuters news agency.
A framework to end hostilities has been put together by Pakistan and exchanged with Iran and the US overnight, the source said, outlining a two-tier approach with an immediate ceasefire followed by a comprehensive agreement.
“All elements need to be agreed today,” the source said, adding the initial understanding would be structured as a memorandum of understanding finalised electronically through Pakistan, the sole communication channel in the talks.
Axios first reported on Sunday that the United States, Iran and regional mediators were discussing a potential 45-day ceasefire as part of a two-phase deal that could lead to a permanent end to the war, citing US, Israeli and regional sources.
Reuters reports the source said Pakistan’s army chief, field marshall Asim Munir, has been in contact “all night long” with US vice-president JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi.
Under the proposal, a ceasefire would take effect immediately, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with 15 to 20 days to finalise a broader settlement. The deal, tentatively dubbed the Islamabad Accord, would include a regional framework for the strait, with final in-person talks in Islamabad.
There was no immediate response from US and Iranian officials. Pakistan’s foreign office declined comment.
Iranian officials have previously told Reuters that Tehran was seeking a permanent ceasefire with guarantees they will not be attacked again by the US and Israel. They have said Iran has received messages from mediators including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt.
The final agreement is expected to include Iranian commitments not to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets, the source said.
Two Pakistani sources said Iran has yet to commit despite intensified civilian and military outreach.
“Iran has not responded yet,” one source said, adding proposals backed by Pakistan, China and the United States for a temporary ceasefire have drawn no commitment so far.
There was no immediate response from Chinese officials to requests for comment. - Reuters
Iran threatens ‘much more devastating’ response if civilian targets hit
Iran’s central military command has warned of far more “devastating and widespread” retaliation if its adversaries hit Iranian civilian targets.
“If attacks on civilian targets are repeated, the next stages of our offensive and retaliatory operations will be much more devastating and widespread,” a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a statement posted by state broadcaster Irib on Telegram.
The warning, cited by AFP, came after Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s power plants and bridges if Tehran didn’t make a deal by Tuesday to fully reopen the strait of Hormuz.
In a message on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F*****’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.” – Agencies
Late on Sunday, Binyamin Netanyahu suggested Israel assisted the US with its rescue of the downed airman in Iran. The Israeli prime minister said he had spoken to Trump and “congratulated him on his bold decision and a perfectly executed American mission”. “The president expressed his appreciation for Israel’s help,” Netanyahu said.
A US Air Force officer whose fighter jet had been shot down in Iran was rescued by US Special Operations forces in a risky mission Saturday night, president Donald Trump said on social media.
The rescue followed a life-or-death race between US and Iranian forces to reach the airman, a weapons system officer, that stretched over two days, officials said. There were no US casualties among the rescue team, Trump said. The rescued officer had “sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,” Trump added.
The two crew members on the plane, an F-15E Strike Eagle, were able to eject from it, US military officials said. The pilot was rescued soon afterward, and officials launched an urgent search for the other airman.
How the rescue unfolded
Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos rescued the weapons systems officer in an operation that involved hundreds of Special Operations troops and other military personnel working deep in enemy territory, current and former US officials said.
After ejecting from the F-15E, the officer hid in a mountain crevice. He evaded Iranian forces for more than 24 hours, at one point hiking up a 7,000ft ridgeline, a senior US military official said. His location was initially unknown to the US but officials found his hiding place via a beacon he was carrying.
The CIA also initiated a deception campaign to try to confuse Iranian forces and convince them the airman had already been rescued and was moving out of the country in a ground convoy.
After confirming the airman’s identity and that he was alone, senior military officials waited until dark to launch a rescue mission, which included Special Operations helicopters loaded with commandos.
US aircraft dropped bombs and opened fire on Iranian convoys to keep them away from where the airman was hiding. US commandos also opened fire to keep Iranian forces away from the rescue site as they converged on the airman.
The airman was taken by helicopter to a sandy, austere airstrip inside Iran that Special Operations forces had previously developed for possible rescues or other contingencies and where two C-130 aircraft waited to bring the crew and the airman to Kuwait. – New York Times
Air strikes on Iran kill more than 25
Israel and the US carried out a wave of attacks early on Monday which killed more than 25 people in Iran.
Tehran responded with missile fire on Israel and its Gulf neighbours as US president Donald Trump’s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz loomed.
Explosions rang out into the night in Tehran and low-flying jets could be heard for hours as the capital was pounded. Thick black smoke rose near the city’s Azadi Square after one airstrike hit the Sharif University of Technology grounds.
Two people were found dead in the rubble of a residential building in Haifa, according to Israeli authorities. The search was ongoing for two more even as new Iranian missile attacks hit the northern Israeli city early on Monday.
Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates both activated their air defence systems to intercept incoming Iranian missiles and drones, as Tehran kept up the pressure on its Gulf neighbours. – AP
