Israel hits Iran’s South Pars petrochemical plant<\/p>\n
Israel attacked a key petrochemical plant at Iran\u2019s massive South Pars natural gas field, according to several news agencies.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s defence minister Israel Katz confirmed what he called \u201ca powerful strike on the largest petrochemical facility in Iran\u201d that\u2019s responsible for half of the country\u2019s petrochemical production. Israel\u2019s military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, said there would be \u201cno immunity\u201d for Iran<\/a> as talks progress.<\/p>\n Katz\u2019s statement on an Israeli attack on a petrochemical facility follows an earlier report from the Fars news agency that \u201cseveral explosions\u201d had been heard from the South Pars petrochemical plant in Asaluyeh.<\/p>\n It puts into question the negotiations aimed at getting the US and Tehran to reach a ceasefire. The gas field shared with Qatar is the world\u2019s largest and sits under the waters of the Persian Gulf. The strikes come weeks after international outcry over Israel\u2019s attack on Iran\u2019s South Pars gas field on 18 March.<\/p>\n The White House did not immediately respond when asked about the strike. After Israel\u2019s attack in March on South Pars, Trump said Israel would not attack it again but warned that if Iran continued striking Qatar\u2019s energy infrastructure, the United States would retaliate and \u201cmassively blow up the entirety\u201d of the field.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz looms while mediators scramble to get the US and Iran to agree to a new ceasefire proposal.<\/p>\n Explosions rang out in Tehran and low-flying jets could be heard for hours as the capital was pounded. Thick black smoke rose near the city\u2019s Azadi Square after one airstrike hit the grounds of the Sharif University of Technology.<\/p>\n Among those killed in one of the attacks on Tehran was the head of intelligence for Iran\u2019s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards, Maj Gen Majid Khademi, according to Iranian state media and Israel\u2019s defense minister.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s military said it also killed the leader of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard\u2019s undercover unit in its expeditionary Quds Force, Asghar Bakeri.<\/p>\n Iranian missiles hit the northern Israeli city of Haifa, where four people were found dead in the rubble of a residential building.<\/p>\n Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia all activated their air defenses to intercept incoming Iranian missiles and drones, as Tehran kept up the pressure on its Gulf neighbors. Iran\u2019s regular attacks on regional energy infrastructure and its stranglehold on the strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world\u2019s oil is shipped in peacetime, has sent global energy prices soaring .<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.17 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that the strikes near Iran\u2019s Bushehr atomic power plant \u201cpose a very real danger to nuclear safety and must stop\u201d.<\/p>\n The nuclear plant, which is located in the south of the country and equipped with a 1,000-megawatt reactor, has been targeted four times since the US-Israeli war on Iran began.<\/p>\n Rafael Grossi, director of the IAEA, said<\/a> that any strikes around the area \u201ccould cause a severe radiological accident with harmful consequences for people and the environment in Iran and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that one strike hit just 75 metres (246 feet) from the plant perimeter. \u201cA nuclear facility and surrounding areas should never be struck,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Rafael Mariano Grossi, director of the IAEA. Photograph: Max Slovencik\/EPAShare<\/a>Israel hits Iran’s South Pars petrochemical plant<\/p>\n Israel attacked a key petrochemical plant at Iran\u2019s massive South Pars natural gas field, according to several news agencies.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s defence minister Israel Katz confirmed what he called \u201ca powerful strike on the largest petrochemical facility in Iran\u201d that\u2019s responsible for half of the country\u2019s petrochemical production. Israel\u2019s military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, said there would be \u201cno immunity\u201d for Iran<\/a> as talks progress.<\/p>\n Katz\u2019s statement on an Israeli attack on a petrochemical facility follows an earlier report from the Fars news agency that \u201cseveral explosions\u201d had been heard from the South Pars petrochemical plant in Asaluyeh.<\/p>\n It puts into question the negotiations aimed at getting the US and Tehran to reach a ceasefire. The gas field shared with Qatar is the world\u2019s largest and sits under the waters of the Persian Gulf. The strikes come weeks after international outcry over Israel\u2019s attack on Iran\u2019s South Pars gas field on 18 March.<\/p>\n The White House did not immediately respond when asked about the strike. After Israel\u2019s attack in March on South Pars, Trump said Israel would not attack it again but warned that if Iran continued striking Qatar\u2019s energy infrastructure, the United States would retaliate and \u201cmassively blow up the entirety\u201d of the field.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz looms while mediators scramble to get the US and Iran to agree to a new ceasefire proposal.<\/p>\n Explosions rang out in Tehran and low-flying jets could be heard for hours as the capital was pounded. Thick black smoke rose near the city\u2019s Azadi Square after one airstrike hit the grounds of the Sharif University of Technology.<\/p>\n Among those killed in one of the attacks on Tehran was the head of intelligence for Iran\u2019s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards, Maj Gen Majid Khademi, according to Iranian state media and Israel\u2019s defense minister.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s military said it also killed the leader of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard\u2019s undercover unit in its expeditionary Quds Force, Asghar Bakeri.<\/p>\n Iranian missiles hit the northern Israeli city of Haifa, where four people were found dead in the rubble of a residential building.<\/p>\n Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia all activated their air defenses to intercept incoming Iranian missiles and drones, as Tehran kept up the pressure on its Gulf neighbors. Iran\u2019s regular attacks on regional energy infrastructure and its stranglehold on the strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world\u2019s oil is shipped in peacetime, has sent global energy prices soaring .<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.17 EDT<\/p>\n US president Donald Trump<\/a> is going to be holding a press confernece today alongside military officials following the weekend rescue operation to retrieve an F-15 crew member from Iran after his aircraft was downed on Friday.<\/p>\n It is scheduled to for 1pm EDT (6pm BST) and we will cover the latest lines here in our live coverage.<\/p>\n The briefing also comes ahead of Tuesday\u2019s 8pm EDT deadline for Iran<\/a> to reopen the strait of Hormuz, after which Trump has threatened military action against nuclear and infrastructure targets.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.47 EDT<\/p>\n EU chief says targeting civilian infrastructure \u2019illegal\u2019<\/p>\n The EU council chief has said <\/a>that striking civilian infrastructure installations during war is illegal, which comes as president Donald Trump threatened to devastate civilian infrastructure in Iran if it did not reopen the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n EU chief Ant\u00f3nio Costa said in a social media post on Monday: \u201cAny targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable.<\/p>\n \u201cThis applies to Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine and it applies everywhere. The Iranian civilian population is the main victim of the Iranian regime. It would also be the main victim of a widening of the military campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cThe European Union urges 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.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter five weeks of war in the Middle East, it is clear that only a diplomatic solution will settle its root causes.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Israel\u2019s ambulance service Magen David Adom has confirmed that four people were killed after a residential building in Haifa was hit by an Iranian missile.<\/p>\n The service reports all four missing people have been recovered, including a 35-year-old woman, a man and a woman in their 80s and a man in his 40s.<\/p>\n Israeli emergency responders carry a dead body after recovering from a residential building after apparent Iranian ballistic missile strike in Haifa. Photograph: Amir Levy\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.59 EDT<\/p>\n Israeli ambulance services have confirmed that two people have been killed after a residential building in the northern city of Haifa was struck by an Iranian missile.<\/p>\n This comes as firefighters were searching for two other people who were believed to be missing. The emergency services \u201crescued two trapped individuals who were found under the rubble without signs of life\u201d after hours of efforts.<\/p>\n According to the military and fire and rescue service, the missile directly hit a seven-storey building and tore through sections of the structure, causing it to partially collapse. An Israeli air force probe found that the missile was not intercepted because it broke up in the air, Times of Israel<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n Residents in the area described a huge bang and a mushroom cloud followed ten minutes later by a gas explosion.<\/p>\n Aftermath of a projectile impact in Haifa. Photograph: Shir Torem\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Iran has formulated its positions and demands in response to recent ceasefire proposals conveyed via intermediaries, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, Reuters reports, adding that negotiations were \u201cincompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n Spokesperson 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 \u201cexcessive.\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cIran 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,\u201d Baghaei said in a press conference.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have formulated our own responses\u201d and will announce details in due time, he added in response to an Iranian journalist\u2019s question regarding ongoing efforts to bring about a ceasefire between Iran and the US.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.39 EDT<\/p>\n Iran confirms it has received ceasefire plan, but says US is not ready for peace<\/p>\n The US, Iran and a group of regional mediators discussed the terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, according to a report from Axios<\/a> that cites \u201cfour US, Israeli and regional sources with knowledge of the talks\u201d.<\/p>\n Now, a senior Iranian official has now confirmed to the Reuters news agency that Tehran has received the two-tier ceasefire plan from Pakistan, and is reviewing the proposal.<\/p>\n The Guardian could not independently verify the report but other news agencies such as AP and Reuters also now say the US and Iran have received the proposals.<\/p>\n However, Iran won\u2019t reopen the strait of Hormuz in exchange for a \u201ctemporary ceasefire\u201d, while the US lacks the readiness for a permanent ceasefire, the official was quoted as saying. Tehran will not be pressured into accepting deadlines and making a decision, the official added.<\/p>\n President Trump. Photograph: Nathan Howard\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Over the weekend, Donald Trump threatened to obliterate Iranian power plants and bridges<\/a> if it doesn\u2019t agree by 8pm Tuesday (US Eastern Time) to fully reopen the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n About a fifth of the world\u2019s oil supply usually passes through the Hormuz strait and its effective closure is having a crippling effect on the global economy.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s deputy foreign minister has claimed Donald Trump\u2019s threats to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges could amount to war crimes. \u201cThe American president, as the highest official of his country, has publicly threatened to commit war crimes,\u201d Kazem Gharibabadi said on X<\/a>, citing provisions of international law that could be breache.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s central military command has warned of \u201cmuch more devastating\u201d retaliation if the US hits civilian targets.<\/p>\n Earlier today US-Israeli strikes killed the intelligence chief of Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards on Monday, according to Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).<\/p>\n \u201cMajor General Majid Khademi, the powerful and educated head of the Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was martyred in the criminal terrorist attack by the American-Zionist enemy… at dawn today,\u201d said the Guards in a post on their Telegram channel.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.23 EDT<\/p>\n Here are some of the latest images from Tehran coming through our wires.<\/p>\n A woman holds Iran’s national flag while standing near a billboard with a sentence reading ‘The Strait of Hormuz remains closed’ at the Enqelab Square in Tehran, on 5 April 2026. Photograph: AFP\/Getty ImagesSmoke rises from residential areas in eastern and western parts of Tehran after airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel in Tehran, Iran, on 6 April 2026. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a>Iran’s Revolutionary Guards intelligence chief killed in US-Israeli strikes, say IRGC<\/p>\n AFP reports that US-Israeli strikes killed the intelligence chief of Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards on Monday, according to Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).<\/p>\n \u201cMajor General Majid Khademi, the powerful and educated head of the Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was martyred in the criminal terrorist attack by the American-Zionist enemy… at dawn today,\u201d said the Guards in a post on their Telegram channel.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.55 EDT<\/p>\n US congresswoman Yassamin Ansari criticised <\/a>the reported bombing of Sharif University of Technology in Tehran.<\/p>\n \u201cSharif University is Iran\u2019s MIT. They\u2019ve produced a huge number of engineers who\u2019ve gone on to Silicon Valley and founded some of the most successful American tech companies,\u201d the Arizona congresswoman said in a post on X.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are we bombing a university in a city of 10 million people?\u201d<\/p>\n Ansari is the daughter <\/a>of two Iranian parents who fled their homeland \u2013 her father as a student in the 1970s who couldn\u2019t return after the 1979 revolution, her mother as a 17-year-old in 1981 escaping the new regime\u2019s restrictions on women.<\/p>\n Speaking to the Guardian in 2025 about US and Iran policy, she said: \u201cWhen it comes to US-Iran policy \u2013 especially during the Trump administration<\/a> \u2013 I think there has been a significant lack of knowledge. And even within Congress, there\u2019s often limited information about the historical and political context \u2013 not just since 1979, but also what led up to that point and how we arrived at the current situation.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Interim summary<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a snapshot of the latest news from the US-Israel war on Iran<\/a> to bring you up to speed. It\u2019s 10.30am in Tehran, 10am in Tel Aviv and Beirut and 3am in Washington DC.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s deputy foreign minister has claimed Donald Trump\u2019s threats to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges could amount to war crimes. \u201cThe American president, as the highest official of his country, has publicly threatened to commit war crimes,\u201d Kazem Gharibabadi said on X<\/a>, citing provisions of international law that could be breached.<\/p>\n Trump used expletive-laden language to demand Iran agree \u2013 by Tuesday evening US time \u2013 to fully open the strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of Iranian energy sites and bridges. The US president posted on Truth Social: \u201cOpen the Fuckin\u2019 Strait, you crazy bastards, or you\u2019ll be living in Hell.\u201d He was sharply rebuked by US politicians<\/a>, with Republican former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene decrying \u201cTrump\u2019s madness\u201d, Bernie Sanders calling it \u201cdangerous and mentally unbalanced\u201d and top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer saying Trump was \u201cranting like an unhinged madman on social media\u201d.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s central military command has warned of \u201cmuch more devastating\u201d retaliation if the US hits civilian targets.<\/p>\n The US, Iran and a group of regional mediators are discussing the terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, according to a report from Axios that cites \u201cfour US, Israeli and regional sources with knowledge of the talks\u201d.<\/p>\n Benjamin Netanyahu suggested Israel assisted the US with its weekend rescue of a second downed air crew member in Iran. The Israeli PM said he had congratulated Trump on \u201ca perfectly executed American mission\u201d and that \u201cthe president expressed his appreciation for Israel\u2019s help\u201d.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes against \u201cregime targets\u201d in Tehran on Monday.<\/p>\n Smoke rises from residential areas in eastern and western parts of Tehran after US-Israeli airstrikes on Monday. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Israeli search-and-rescue teams were searching for two missing people in the rubble of a residential building in the northern Israeli city of Haifa after it was struck by an Iranian missile that killed two others, authorities said on Monday.<\/p>\n Iran has executed a man convicted over an attempt to storm a military facility and access an armoury during the unrest in January, state media said on Monday, after the supreme court upheld his sentence.<\/p>\n A Japanese shipping firm said an Indian-flagged tanker owned by its subsidiary had passed through the strait of Hormuz and was en route to India. Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi said her government was preparing to hold talks with Iran against the backdrop of the global energy crisis.<\/p>\n Falling debris from an intercepted attack injured a person in an industrial area of Abu Dhabi, UAE authorities said on Monday. Authorities in the UAE emirate of Fujairah said a drone launched from Iran targeted a du Telecom building.<\/p>\n Iran expanded attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure over the weekend, launching drone and missile strikes on petrochemical facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE. The Revolutionary Guards also said they hit an Israeli-linked vessel at Dubai\u2019s Jebel Ali port.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.32 EDT<\/p>\n Iranian minister claims Trump threats could amount to war crimes<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s deputy foreign minister has claimed Donald Trump\u2019s threats to destroy power plants and bridges in Iran could amount to war crimes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe American president, as the highest official of his country, has publicly threatened to commit war crimes,\u201d Kazem Gharibabadi said in a post on X<\/a>, citing provisions of international law that could be breached.<\/p>\n \u201cThe threat to attack power plants and bridges (civilian infrastructure) is a war crime under Article 8(2)(b) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,\u201d he said, cited by AFP.<\/p>\n Gharibabadi also warned that Iran<\/a> would \u201cdeliver a decisive, immediate and regret-inducing response to any aggression or imminent threat\u201d.<\/p>\n