{"id":14348,"date":"2026-04-06T15:04:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T15:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/14348\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T15:04:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T15:04:20","slug":"israel-attacks-key-iranian-petrochemical-plant-as-trumps-deadline-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/14348\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel attacks key Iranian petrochemical plant as Trump\u2019s deadline looms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that Israel attacked the South Pars petrochemical plant at Asaluyeh in Iran. He made the announcement after Iran said the facility had been attacked. An Israeli attack in March on South Pars facilities sparked major Iranian attacks targeting oil and gas infrastructure across the Gulf Arab states.<\/p>\n

Also, the head of intelligence for Iran\u2019s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi, was killed, according to Iranian state media. Israel claimed the killing Monday.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Israel and the United States carried out a wave of attacks<\/a> on Iran on Monday, killing more than 25 people. Iran responded with missile fire on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors.<\/p>\n

And U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> loomed. Trump<\/a> gave Tehran a deadline that expires Monday night Washington time, saying if no deal was reached to reopen the strait, the U.S. would hit Iran\u2019s power plants and other infrastructure targets and set the country \u201cback to the stone ages.\u201d Following Trump\u2019s expletive-laced threat on Easter Sunday, Iran\u2019s parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf called the threats of targeting Iran\u2019s infrastructure \u201creckless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here is the latest:<\/p>\n

Israel to ramp up production of air defense interceptors<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s ministry of defense said Monday that the country\u2019s defense industries would \u201csignificantly increase\u201d production and stockpiling of missile interceptors as the war with Iran stretches on.<\/p>\n

In a statement, the ministry said production of missile interceptors for the Arrow system, which defends against long-range ballistic missiles, would be sped up. Arrow has been critical in Israeli air defense during the current war, throughout which Israeli authorities have maintained there\u2019s no shortage of interceptor missiles.<\/p>\n

Lebanese Christian political leader criticizes government for not confronting Hezbollah<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cTaking responsibility from the outset would have been better for everyone,\u201d he said, talking about the Lebanese security agencies\u2019 sluggish disarmament process of Hezbollah.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s military says it struck three Tehran airports overnight<\/p>\n

The military says the strikes hit dozens of helicopters and aircraft it said belonged to the Iranian Air Force. It said the strikes targeted Bahram airport, Mehrabad airport and Azmayesh airport.<\/p>\n

US-Israeli assault brings \u2018destruction and bloodshed\u2019 to Iran\u2019s capital, resident says<\/p>\n

A resident of central Tehran has described living with \u201canxiety and fear\u201d as U.S.-Israeli strikes pummel the capital.<\/p>\n

\u201cConstantly, there is the sound of bombs, air defenses, drones,\u201d she said, speaking on condition of anonymity for her safety.<\/p>\n

At least one strike hit near her home, waking her on Wednesday, she said. Rushing into the neighboring street, she saw it \u201cfilled with people in pajamas, some of them wrapped in blankets, some of them crying with fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. \u201cSome people thought war might bring good things, but war doesn\u2019t bring anything but destruction and bloodshed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Amir-Hussein Radjy<\/p>\n

US stocks hold steady while crude oil prices waver ahead of Trump\u2019s Iran deadline<\/p>\n

The U.S. 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.<\/p>\n

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%.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Red Cross president says wartime destruction of essential civilian infrastructure must stop<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross the Middle East, our teams are seeing the destruction of infrastructure essential for civilian life,\u201d including hospitals, schools, power plants, water systems and more, Spoljaric wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost alarming are potential threats to nuclear facilities. Any miscalculation can cause irreversible consequences for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers discuss the war<\/p>\n

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, held a telephone conversation Monday, during which they discussed \u201cthe state of the war\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2011day ceasefire and for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Suzan Fraser<\/p>\n

Iran confirms communication with mediators<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, has told journalists in Tehran that messages are being exchanged, but \u201cnegotiations are entirely incompatible with ultimatums, crimes and threats of war crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loud booms and sounds of air defenses heard in Jerusalem<\/p>\n

It comes after Israel\u2019s military said Iran had launched missiles toward the country.<\/p>\n

Israeli military and Mossad helped rescue downed American airman in Iran, Huckabee says<\/p>\n

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote in a social media post on Monday that Israel\u2019s military and Mossad secret service had assisted in the U.S. effort to rescue an airman whose plane was downed by Iran.<\/p>\n

Huckabee thanked Israel for helping the U.S. military and intelligence agencies in the post to X.<\/p>\n

Israeli officials have said Israel provided support, including intelligence, in the rescue, but troops weren\u2019t actively involved on the ground.<\/p>\n

Iranian adviser warns the Mideast will go \u2018dark\u2019 if Iran\u2019s power plants are attacked<\/p>\n

A former Iranian foreign minister and adviser to the supreme leader called for Arab countries to discourage U.S. President Donald Trump from striking Iran\u2019s power plants.<\/p>\n

Ali Akbar Velayati warned the entire region would go \u201cdark\u201d if Trump fulfilled his threat and bombed Iran\u2019s power plants.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d he wrote on social media.<\/p>\n

UN watchdog confirms strikes close to Bushehr nuclear facility<\/p>\n

The United Nations nuclear watchdog on Monday confirmed recent strikes struck close to Iran\u2019s Bushehr nuclear power plant, with one hitting just 75 meters (82 yards) from the facility\u2019s perimeter.<\/p>\n

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a social media post that its own analysis showed the plant was not damaged as of Sunday.<\/p>\n

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called for ceasing such attacks, which cause \u201ca very real danger to nuclear safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Israeli military says 4 people killed in Haifa strike were members of same family<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s military confirmed four people found dead at the site of a missile strike in Haifa were members of the same family.<\/p>\n

Search and rescue teams found two bodies underneath the rubble Sunday. After 18 hours digging they found two more \u201cdeep under the debris\u201d Monday,\u201d Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said.<\/p>\n

He said the warhead that hit the building had not exploded on impact, complicating rescue efforts and posing a continued threat.<\/p>\n

They were found after hours of overnight rescue efforts, the military said.<\/p>\n

Israeli military says it killed leader of Quds Force undercover unit<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s military said Monday it killed the leader of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard\u2019s undercover unit in its expeditionary Quds Force.<\/p>\n

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesman, confirmed the killing of Asghar Bakeri in a briefing to reporters.<\/p>\n

He said Bakeri had planned attacks on Israeli and American targets as well as operations in Israel, Syria and Lebanon.<\/p>\n

Israeli strike kills anti-Hezbollah politician in Lebanon<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Israel said it targeted a Hezbollah militant, but the third-story apartment was empty.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first time something like this has happened here,\u201d family friend Nadine Naameh said. \u201cWe had always felt safe here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neighbors wept outside the collapsed apartments as crews swept away the rubble.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people who live here are against violence. They don\u2019t want this war,\u201d according to municipal official Pierre Said.<\/p>\n

Israel said it was investigating \u201creports that several uninvolved individuals were harmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israel says it attacked South Pars plant at Asaluyeh<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s defense minister said Monday that Israel attacked the South Pars petrochemical plant at Asaluyeh.<\/p>\n

Israel Katz made the announcement in a statement after Iran said the facility had been attacked.<\/p>\n

Katz said Israel had \u201cjust 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\u2019s petrochemical production.\u201d<\/p>\n

An Israeli attack in March on South Pars facilities sparked major Iranian attacks targeting oil and gas infrastructure across the Gulf Arab states.<\/p>\n

When asked about the South Pars strike, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, Israel\u2019s military spokesperson, said only that there would be \u201cno immunity\u201d for Iran as talks progress.<\/p>\n

The White House did not immediately respond when asked about the South Pars strike Monday morning.<\/p>\n

Iranian media says attacks target South Pars natural gas field<\/p>\n

Attacks targeted facilities Monday at Iran\u2019s South Pars natural gas field, Iranian media outlets reported.<\/p>\n

The semiofficial Fars news agency and the judicary\u2019s Mizan news agency both reported the attack, blaming the U.S. and Israel.<\/p>\n

Neither country immediately claimed any attack at Asaluyeh in Iran\u2019s southern Bushehr province.<\/p>\n

Iran condemned the first Israeli strike on South Pars<\/a> in March, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warning of \u201cuncontrollable consequences\u201d that \u201ccould engulf the entire world.\u201d The attack on South Pars saw Iran increasingly target Gulf Arab oil and natural gas sites.<\/p>\n

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned of possible attacks on power plants and bridges this week if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened.<\/p>\n

After Israel\u2019s earlier attack, Trump said Israel would not attack South Pars again, but warned on social media 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

Iran shares the South Pars field with Qatar, which refers to its part of the massive offshore field as the North Field.<\/p>\n

The field is the world\u2019s largest gas field and sits under the waters of the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n

Pakistan foreign minister calls for \u2018urgent de-escalation\u2019<\/p>\n

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi by phone and called for \u201curgent de-escalation.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Pakistan Foreign Ministry statement said Dar \u201creaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s commitment to supporting all initiatives aimed at de-escalation and the achievement of lasting peace and stability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Motegi appreciated and supported Pakistan\u2019s \u201cconstructive role\u201d in facilitating dialogue and diplomacy for regional peace and stability, the ministry said, adding that the leaders agreed to maintain contact.<\/p>\n

Israel warns public against new Iranian missile barrage<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s military warned the public Monday morning of another missile barrage coming from Iran, the fifth such alert of the day.<\/p>\n

4 victims found at site of Haifa strike<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s military said four people were found dead at the site of a missile strike in Haifa.<\/p>\n

They had been trapped under rubble and were found after hours of overnight rescue efforts, the military said.<\/p>\n

European Council president says escalation will not achieve ceasefire<\/p>\n

European Council President Ant\u00f3nio Costa said Monday that an \u201cescalation will not achieve a ceasefire and peace,\u201d which was likely a warning aimed at U.S. President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly negotiations will, namely the ongoing efforts led by regional partners,\u201d he added in the statement posted on X.<\/p>\n

Costa\u2019s call comes as Trump has threatened to begin bombing power plants and bridges this week if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

He wrote that \u201cany targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Iranian civilian population is the main victim of the Iranian regime,\u201d Costa wrote. \u201cIt would also be the main victim of a widening of the military campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n

Death toll rises in strike on Iranian residential building<\/p>\n

The death toll in an airstrike on an Iranian residential building has risen to at least 15 people, authorities said Monday<\/p>\n

The strike hit near Eslamshar, a city southwest of Iran\u2019s capital Tehran.<\/p>\n

Professor says airstrike hit Tehran\u2019s Sharif University of Technology<\/p>\n

An airstrike hit an information and communication technology building at Tehran\u2019s Sharif University of Technology on Monday morning, according to Mohammed Vesal, an economics professor at the university.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

All students have left the campus because of the war.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll web services of the university are down now because of this violent attack on our infrastructure,\u201d Vesal said. \u201cThis is a purely academic institution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sharif University of Technology is considered Iran\u2019s top engineering school.<\/p>\n

Multiple countries over the years have sanctioned the university for its work with the military, particularly on Iran\u2019s ballistic missile program, which is controlled by the country\u2019s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.<\/p>\n

Responding to the attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the university \u201cthe MIT of Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAggressors will see our might,\u201d Araghchi wrote on X.<\/p>\n

Israel claims killing of Revolutionary Guard intelligence head<\/p>\n

Israel claimed the killing of the intelligence chief of Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard on Monday.<\/p>\n

Defense Minister Israel Katz made the announcement.<\/p>\n

The Israeli military later confirmed the airstrike that killed Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi took place in Iran\u2019s capital Tehran.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Revolutionary Guard are shooting at civilians and we are eliminating the leaders of the terrorists,\u201d Katz said. \u201cIran\u2019s leaders live with a sense of being targeted. We will continue to hunt them down one by one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katz added Israel had \u201cseverely damaged\u201d Iran\u2019s steel and petrochemical industries, as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Iran Revolutionary Guard intelligence head killed<\/p>\n

The head of intelligence for Iran\u2019s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed Monday in an attack targeting him, Iranian state media said.<\/p>\n

Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi died in the attack, which the Guard blamed on the United States and Israel.<\/p>\n

It did not elaborate on where Khademi was killed. However, multiple airstrikes targeted residential areas around Iran\u2019s capital, Tehran, early Monday morning.<\/p>\n

Khademi took over for Gen. Mohammad Kazemi, who Israel killed in the 12-day war in June.<\/p>\n

The Guard\u2019s intelligence organization wields vast powers within Iran and answers only to the country\u2019s supreme leader. It often has been linked to the detention of Western nationals or those with ties abroad. It also has been accused of carrying out extraterritorial killings and attacks targeting opponents of the country\u2019s theocracy.<\/p>\n

Iran and US receive draft proposal for war ceasefire<\/p>\n

Iran and the United States have received a draft proposal that calls for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a possible way to end the war, two Mideast officials told The Associated Press.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

They hope the 45-day window would provide enough time for extensive talks between the countries to reach a permanent ceasefire.<\/p>\n

Iran and the U.S. have not responded to the proposal, which was sent late Sunday night to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, the officials said.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t be attacked again. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iranian bridges and power stations this week.<\/p>\n

The news website Axios first reported terms of the proposal.<\/p>\n

Iranian drone strikes UAE telecommunications building<\/p>\n

An Iranian drone attack damaged a telecommunications building in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, the state-run WAM news agency reported.<\/p>\n

The attack targeted a building of the state-funded du telecom company.<\/p>\n

No one was injured, WAM reported, quoting officials in Fujairah.<\/p>\n

South Korea spy agency sees no signs of North Korea supplying Iran<\/p>\n

South Korea\u2019s National Intelligence Service says there are no signs North Korea is providing Iran with weapons or other war-related supplies.<\/p>\n

The spy agency\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

North Korea\u2019s Foreign Ministry has condemned the U.S.-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\u2019s late supreme leader.<\/p>\n

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in recent years has embraced the idea of a \u201cnew Cold War\u201d and attempted to expand cooperation with countries confronting the U.S., including an economic delegation sent to Iran in April 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that Israel attacked the South Pars petrochemical plant at Asaluyeh in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14349,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[8,19,9553,9559,37,5448,9554,9558,9557,9,9556,9555,854,876,5450,7],"class_list":{"0":"post-14348","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-stories","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-iran","10":"tag-iranian-air-force","11":"tag-iranian-state-media","12":"tag-israel","13":"tag-israel-katz","14":"tag-israeli-defense-minister","15":"tag-lebanese-forces","16":"tag-majid-khademi","17":"tag-news","18":"tag-petrochemical-plant","19":"tag-power-plants","20":"tag-president-donald-trump","21":"tag-revolutionary-guard","22":"tag-south-pars","23":"tag-top-stories"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@news\/116358379106463231","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14348"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14348\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}