U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran's "whole civilisation" on Tuesday in a post on social media. Meanwhile, the UN failed to reach an agreemement on a resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, after China and Russia used their vetoes.
The live blog is now closing. We'll be back tomorrow. Please find a round-up of today's main events below.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is "receiving treatment in Qom in an unconscious state" after being seriously wounded in the U.S.-Israeli attack that killed his father, Ali Khamenei, British newspaper The Times reported, citing diplomatic sources. Khamenei has not been seen since his election as Supreme Leader on 8 March.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has warned of "madness engulfing the world," in a statement published in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
"The development of increasingly sophisticated weapons, the pursuit of the atomic bomb to resolve international disputes, even the desire to destroy other nations; as Iran has repeatedly stated against Israel. These things have become commonplace. We, however, are acting in accordance with the path outlined by our Constitution, within the framework of our Constitution and laws," he said.
Italy has allowed the U.S. to use its airbases for non-bombardment operations since the beginning of the Iran conflict on 28 February. But Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had said anything beyond that would require parliamentary approval, adding that Italy didn't want to go to war.
Iran has “not conveyed any message” regarding the reported “closure” of indirect talks with the U.S. a senior Pakistani government official told Anadolu on Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had “cut off direct communications" with the U.S. over U.S. President Trump’s threat to destroy Iran’s civilisation.
Trump has warned Iran that it has until the end of Tuesday to reach a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, before the U.S. starts destroying power plants and bridges in the country.
Madagascar has declared a nationwide state of energy emergency for 15 days due to the fallout of the Iran war, its cabinet said on Tuesday.
The U.S. Ambassador to the UN has called on "responsible" countries to join the U.S. in a coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz, after China and Russia vetoed a Bahraini drafted resolution aimed at reopening the waterway on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has said it "deeply regrets" the UN Security Council's failure to endorse the resolution.
The draft resolution called for coordinated "defensive measures" to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait.
Speaking after Russia vetoed the resolution, Moscow's UN Ambassador said it contained "unbalanced, inaccurate and confrontational elements" and said Russia and China were going to propose an alternative resolution on the situation in the Middle East.
Ali Ghamsari, an Iranian tar player, has set up outside Tehran’s Damavand power plant, the country’s largest energy facility.
Ghamsari said he made the decision after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to bomb energy and transport infrastructure if Iran failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by the end of Tuesday (7 April).
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged Iranians to defend the country.
A UN Security Council resolution aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has failed after China and Russia vetoed the Bahraini drafted resolution.
The draft resolution called for coordinated "defensive measures" to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait.
The resolution received 11 votes in favour. Colombia and Pakistan abstained.
Speaking after the vote, Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani expressed his "regret" to the Council for failing to adopt the draft resolution.
"The Council failed to shoulder its responsibility in relation to an illegal conduct that requires decisive action with no delay," he said.
You can read more about the resolution below.
At least three people were killed and five others wounded on Tuesday when rockets fired from the direction of Kuwait hit a house in Khor al-Zubair near Basra, in Iraq, security and health officials told Reuters on Tuesday.
Police said the death toll could rise as some family members remained under the debris.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has urged those involved in the Iran war not to target civilians and civilian infrastructure, adding that international law must be respected.
His comments come as U.S. President Donald Trump's deadline approached for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has threatened to destroy Iran's power plants and bridges if it doesn't make a deal by the end of Tuesday.
Earlier, Iranian media reported that railway lines and power lines in several provinces had been hit in strikes by the U.S.
Iran and the United States continue to exchange messages through Pakistan, a senior Iranian source told Reuters on Tuesday, but Tehran will not show flexibility as long as Washington continues to demand its "surrender under pressure."
The senior Iranian source, who asked not to be named, said Qatar on Monday had conveyed Tehran's message to the United States and regional countries that if Washington attacks Iran's power plants, "the entire region and Saudi Arabia will fall into complete darkness with Iran's retaliatory strikes."
He also warned that "if the situation gets out of control, Iran’s allies will also close the Bab El-Mandeb Strait."
Iran has returned two French nationals who have been in detention for more than three years, French President Emmanuel Macron announced in a post on X on Tuesday.
"Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on their way to French territory, after three and a half years of detention in Iran. This is a relief for all of us and obviously for their families," he said.
Macron also thanked the Omani authorities for their mediation efforts.
Cecile Kohler, a literature teacher, and her companion Jacques Paris were arrested in May 2022 during a holiday in Iran. Tehran's authorities accused them of espionage.
They were released from custody in November 2025 but were not allowed to leave the country.
A memorial event was held in Tehran to remember those who died in a missile strike on a school in Minab, southern Iran.
At least 168 people, mainly children, perished when the school was hit on the first day of the Iran war.
The United States feels confident it can get a response from Iran about a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said.
He added that the U.S. had largely accomplished its military objectives in Iran.
Meanwhile, Pakisani sources told Reuters that efforts to facilitate talks between the U.S. and Iran were still ongoing.
U.S. Presidnet Donald Trump has given Iran a deadline to reopen the sea passage by the end of Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," on Tuesday in a post on social media website Truth Social
Trump added that "one of the most important moments" in world history will happen tonight, adding that "47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end."
The post also makes reference to "regime change" in Iran.
The electricity supply has been disrupted in parts of Iran's northern Karaj region after projectiles hit transmission lines, Iran's state-affiliated Nour News reported on Tuesday.
Iran's Red Crescent Society said that railway lines in the region were also targeted.
Railways in Iran's northwestern Qazvin province have also reportedly been targeted in a strike.
A railway bridge in Iran's Zanjan region was also hit in a strike, Iranian media reported citing a provincial official.
The U.S. military conducted strikes on military targets on Iran's Kharg Island, the Axios news outlet reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified senior U.S. official.
Earlier, Iranian media reported strikes and explosions on the island in the northern Persian Gulf.
All nations have the right to access the Strait of Hormuz for free, a Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said on Tuesday, adding that the waterway is a natural strait, not a canal.
The spokesperson added that it was too early to start talking about possible financial mechanisms related to the Strait of Hormuz's operation in the future, before the sea passage wasn't even open yet.
Earlier, a senior Iranian source told Reuters that under any pemenant peace deal, Tehran would demand money for ships passing through the waterway.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) warned on Tuesday that if the U.S. crosses red lines, the response will be beyond the Middle East region.
The IRGC went on to tell neighouring countries that "restraint is over," adding that it will attack U.S. and and partners' infrastructure and disrupt regional oil and gas supplies for years.
Separetely, a senior Iranian source told Reuters that under a permenant peace deal, Tehran would demand fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
A container vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile about 25 nautical miles south of Iran’s Kish Island, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday.
UKMTO said it received a delayed report of the incident, adding that all crew members were safe and accounted for.
Kish Island is situated to the west of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has partially blockaded since U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February.
Iran's Kharg Island has been targeted by several strikes, Iran's government sponsored Mehr News Agency has reported. Explosions have been reported.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is "receiving treatment in Qom in an unconscious state" after being seriously wounded in the U.S.-Israeli attack that killed his father, Ali Khamenei, British newspaper The Times has reported.
The article, citing diplomatic sources, and based on an assessment note from U.S. and Israeli intelligence says that Khamenei is not in a condition to govern the country.
Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Office in Geneva, Ambassador Ali Bahreini, stated in March that Khamenei had not appeared due to security concerns.
Iranian President Masoud Pazeshkian has said he's willing to sacrifice his life for Iran, adding that 14 million Iranians have registered to defend the country in its war with the U.S. and Israel.
"To date, more than 14 million brave Iranians have declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives to defend Iran. I, too, have sacrificed, am sacrificing, and will continue to sacrifice my life for Iran," he said in a post on X.
Execution verdicts against individuals assisting Iran's enemies should be sped up, Tehran's Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said on Tuesday, according to the judiciary run Mizan News.
Confiscation verdicts should also be expedited, he is reported as having said.
Since the beginning of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran last month, Tehran's security forces have arrested hundreds of individuals accused of helping adversaries.
Actions people have been arrested for include sharing sensitive footage to foreign-based opposition channels and expressing support for attacks on Iran.
The Israeli military on Tuesday morning warned people in Iran to avoid travelling by train nationwide for several hours.
In a post on social media platform X, military spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged residents not to use rail services until 9 pm local time, saying that being on trains or near railway lines would put lives at risk.
The statement did not give further details, though such warnings are typically issued ahead of potential strikes.
Saudi Arabia said it has intercepted and destroyed 18 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that were targeting the country.
A spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Defence said in a statement posted on the social media platform X that the drones were brought down within Saudi airspace over recent hours.
The announcement comes amid ongoing regional tensions, with Iran having launched missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases and key sites across several Arab countries since 28 February in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes.
U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, said that troops from Arkansas’ 142nd Field Artillery Brigade are deploying to the Middle East as part of a wider US military build‑up in the region.
Malaysia’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that a Malaysian‑owned vessel has safely transited the Strait of Hormuz and is now en route to its final destination in Malaysia, following diplomatic efforts amid the Iran war.
Shipping data from LSEG and Kpler showed that the oil tanker Ocean Thunder, chartered by Petronas unit Petco, passed through the strait close to the Iranian coast carrying about one million barrels of Iraqi Basrah Heavy crude. The tanker, loaded on 2 March, is expected to offload in Malaysia in mid‑April, according to Kpler.
Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a route carrying about 20% of global oil and LNG flows, after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes began on 28 February.
Spokesperson for Iran’s parliamentary Reconstruction Commission, Abdulcelal Iyri, said financial assistance will be provided for civilian buildings damaged in U.S.–Israeli attacks. Speaking to Fars News Agency, Iyri said the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development has finalised support measures as damage assessments continue nationwide.
Iyri said more than 91,000 residential and commercial units have been damaged since 28 February, with more than 70,000 requiring complete reconstruction and many others in need of repairs. He outlined two main aid programmes: housing deposit support of 2 billion rial ( Approx. $2000) in rural areas and 6 billion rial ( Approx. $4,650) in cities, and reconstruction grants of 223–250 million rial (Approx. $170 - $187) per square metre, depending on building height. Additional repair grants ranging from 90 to 180 million rial will be provided based on the severity of damage.
A residential area in Iran’s capital, Tehran, was hit by an attack, with rescuers searching through the rubble after a suspected U.S.–Israeli attack. Local media also reported that a projectile flattened a synagogue in the city centre.
Israel’s military has said its strikes are aimed at the Iranian regime and military infrastructure, arguing that such sites are often embedded within or near civilian areas, increasing the risk of damage to residential neighbourhoods.
Iran’s top joint military command says Trump’s threats are ‘delusional’ and will not erase the U.S. ‘humiliation and disgrace’ in the Middle East.
U.S. Representative Yassamin Ansari said Monday she plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of complicity in what she described as an illegal U.S.–Israeli war against Iran.
In a post on X, the Arizona Democrat said President Donald Trump was escalating the conflict and threatening actions that could amount to war crimes, adding that she had also previously called for the 25th Amendment.
Her remarks come amid mounting scrutiny of U.S. military actions in Iran, including reports of civilian deaths and potential violations of international law. Media reports have cited a preliminary U.S. military investigation finding that a February missile strike on an Iranian elementary school killed at least 175 people, most of them children.
Iran’s Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Alireza Rahimi, has called on the public to form a human chain around power plants across the country. Speaking on state television, Rahimi invited citizens to take part in an event titled “Human Chain of Iranian Youth for a Brighter Tomorrow.”
He said youth groups, university students, artists and athletes are expected to participate in the coordinated demonstrations, which will be held simultaneously nationwide at 2:00 pm local time. Rahimi said the initiative aims to highlight what Iran describes as U.S.–Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure, which he called war crimes. The call comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran’s power plants and other critical infrastructure could be targeted if Tehran rejects a ceasefire proposal.
The Israeli military said the air force has completed what it described as an “extensive” wave of airstrikes in Tehran and other parts of Iran.
The Israel Defense Forces wrote on their Telegram Channel - "A short while ago, the IDF completed an air strike wave with the aim of damaging Iranian terror regime infrastructure in Tehran and additional areas across Iran."
The post also added that further details would be released later.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week cease...
Israel launched its heaviest strikes on Lebanon since hostilities escalated last month, killing over 100 people, even as Hezbollah halted attacks u...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said Türkiye aims to rank among the world’s top ten exporters of defence technology within t...
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipp...
Greece will ban access to social media for children under 15 from 1 January 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, citing risi...
Israel launched its heaviest strikes on Lebanon since hostilities escalated last month, killing over 100 people, even as Hezbollah halted attacks under a disputed U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said Türkiye aims to rank among the world’s top ten exporters of defence technology within the next two years.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
As global attention centres on the conflict between Iran and the U.S., violence in Lebanon is intensifying, with Israeli strikes hitting residential areas, causing mounting civilian casualties and deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran's "whole civilisation" on Tuesday in a post on social media. Meanwhile, the UN failed to reach an agreemement on a resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, after China and Russia used their vetoes.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
The four astronauts aboard Artemis II briefly lost contact with Earth while flying behind the Moon, then regained it during a dramatic lunar far-side flyby.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Hungary days before the 12 April parliamentary election has underscored Washington’s open support for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at a critical point in his political career.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
International air travel remains severely disrupted despite the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran announced on Wednesday (8 April), leaving many passengers unable to reach their destinations after conflict-related cancellations at major Middle Eastern hubs including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.
Oil and gas tankers remained stranded in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday (8 April), as shipping firms sought clarity on vessel passage despite a ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
World leaders have welcomed a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. announced on Wednesday, following a tense day marked by threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to wipe out Iranian civilisation if a deal was not reached.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment