US-Iran War Highlights: Trump again warns Iran to open Strait of Hormuz - 'Will blow up oil wells, Kharg Island'

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Iran on Monday confirmed the death of Revolutionary Guards Navy ​Commander Alireza ​Tangsiri – in the latest of the killings of its leaders since the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday warned that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has significantly disrupted the economies of frontline nations and is weakening prospects for several countries that had only recently begun recovering from earlier crises, as per Reuters.

In a blog post by its top economists, the IMF said the war, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, is creating a global yet uneven shock and contributing to tighter financial conditions worldwide.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with his Netherlands counterpart, Rob Jetten, and exchanged views on the situation in West Asia, underscoring the need for an early restoration of peace and stability in the region

NATO on Monday said it would do whatever was “necessary” to defend its allies, after its air defences intercepted a ballistic missile heading towards Turkey.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran again of widespread destruction of the country's energy resources and other vital infrastructure, if a deal to end the war is not reached ‘shortly.’

G7 on Monday (local time) said that it is ready to take further measures to steady the energy market, and its central banks are committed to maintaining broader price stability.

The war in Iran is causing serious disruptions to the economies of the frontline countries, and is dimming the outlook for many economies that just began to recover from the previous crises, the International Monetary Fund warned on Monday.

In a blog published by the global lender's top economists, the IMF said the war launched by US and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28 was causing a global, but asymmetric shock and leading to tighter financial conditions.

US-Iran War LIVE: The Turkish Defence Ministry said in a statement today that it has neutralised ballistic ammunition from Iran. It said that the NATO air and missile defence assets that have been deployed in the Eastern Mediterrarian helped in neutralising the munition.

US-Iran War LIVE: As the strikes continue in West Asia, an Israeli airstrike hit a residential building near Beirut's southern suburbs and killed at least three Hezbollah members today, an AFP report mentioned.

The strikes had struck “an office used by Hezbollah, killing three members and seriously wounding three others”.

Bank of Israel Governor Yaron says new macro forecasts based on assumption that conflicts with Iran and Hezbollah will conclude toward the end of April.

US-Iran War LIVE: US President Donald Trump has threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure if ceasefire is not reached “shortly”.

Earlier, he had threatened to bomb oil wells and Kharg Island if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened.

US-Iran War LIVE: Casting a doubt on the aims of Iran war, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that effect of Iran war on Germany and Europe will be as serious as Covid pandemic if it continues.

United States President Donald Trump has issued another warning to Iran to open Strait of Hormuz or risk US attacks on oil wells and Kharg Island.

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump said, “Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately 'Open for Business,' we will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island.”

US-Iran War LIVE: Israeli media reported that an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa was hit on Monday, shortly after the military detected fresh incoming missiles from Iran. Television network Channel 12 showed thick black smoke rising from the site, while Israel's Fire and Rescue Services shared images of a cylindrical tank ablaze. It remained unclear whether the refinery was struck directly by a missile from Iran or Lebanon, or by debris from an interception.

According to Ap, Spain has said in a statement that it has closed its airspace to US planes involved in the Iran war.

Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson and former Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations Office at Geneva, also condemned the “very dangerous” attack on the Bushehr nuclear.

He also confirmed that the nuclear power plant was still active.

Iran's Baghaei has said in a statement that proposals so far conveyed to Tehran have mostly been “unrealistic, unreasonable and excessive”

Iran's Baghaei has said that Tehran respects nuclear non-proliferation treaty as long as it is a member, but its utility is under question as Iran is attacked and its rights not respected.

Despite declaring Lebanon ambassador a persona non grata, Iran said on Monday that the ambassador will stay on.

"Our ambassador ... will continue his work as Iran's ambassador in Beirut and remains present there," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, adding that the embassy in Beirut remains "operational".

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has raised questions on the objectives of the war in West Asia and demanded more certanity from Donald Trump.

"I want to see more certainty in what the objectives of the war are and I want to see a de-escalation," Albanese said, when asked about his views on the war.

United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran has agreed to let 20 ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz “out of a sigh of respect”. Asserting that a negotiation was being worked upon, Trump also claimed that Iran will also continue to let a number of ships pass for the next few days.

“I would only say that we’re doing extremely well in that negotiation but you never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up,” Trump said.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump told the Financial Times in an interview Monday. “It would also mean we had to be there (on Kharg Island) for a while.”

Iran has threatened to mine the Persian Gulf if its territory is invaded.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday said that it was carrying out fresh strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon's Beirut.

The IDF said that the organization's “infrastructure” was struck.

Iran on Monday said that its national electricity grid was stable, despite US-Israeli strikes against infrastructure that briefly disrupted power supply.

"Following last night's enemy attack, the power grid in the provinces of Alborz and Tehran sustained damage and was affected," the country's deputy energy minister Mostafa Rajabi-Mashhadi said in an interview with state television, as per AFP.

"The power network across Iran's national electricity grid is stable; in Tehran and Alborz the problems have also been resolved," he added.

The UN force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Monday that one of their peacekeepers was killed when a projectile hit one of their positions, where Israeli forces are fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah as part of efforts to establish a buffer zone.

"A peacekeeper was tragically killed last night when a projectile exploded in a UNIFIL position near Adchit al Qusayr," said a statement.

"Another was critically injured," UNIFIL added.

A strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday, news agency AFP reported, after Israel issued a warning for people in the Hezbollah stronghold to leave.

The strike is the first since Friday in the area, which is now largely deserted since Israel began frequent attacks against Hezbollah in early March.

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait on Monday expressed its condolences at the death of an Indian national during an attack at a water facility in Kuwait.

“Embassy of India in Kuwait expresses its deepest condolences at the tragic demise of an Indian national due to an attack on a desalination facility in Kuwait yesterday. The Embassy is closely coordinating with the Kuwaiti authorities to render all possible support and assistance,” said a statement.

Around 600 educational centers have been targeted thus far in the ongoing conflict between US-Israel and Iran, Iran’s Red Crescent Society said.

Razieh Alishvandi, the body’s deputy for international affairs and humanitarian law, announced the alarming figures on Sunday, warning that such assaults violated the international humanitarian law and constituted war crimes.

The targeted sites included schools, universities, and other educational and academic institutions,

“The Home Front Command will continue to examine possible adjustments in the coming days across all areas, with an emphasis on the education sector and restrictions on gatherings, in order to balance between saving lives and emergency routine,” the IDF said in a statement.

Iran executed two men convicted of links to opposition group People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran and plotting armed attacks in Tehran using improvised launcher devices, news agency AFP reported on Tuesday citing the nation's judiciary news outlet.

It wasn't immediately clear when they were arrested or whether they had any ties to foreign elements or the ongoing war.

Israel on Monday said that its air defences were engaging missiles launched from Iran.

"A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel," the IDF said in a statement, as per news agency AFP.

"Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," it added, urging people to take shelter until further notice.

Iran has released footage showing a strike by its air defences on a US-Israeli MQ-9 Reaper drone, which costs aroun $30 million a piece.

The footage from Iran's military was shared by the Fars news agency.

A fire resulting from a suspected US-Israeli strike on a unit of the Tabriz Petrochemical Company in northern Iran has been extinguished, Al Jazeera reported citing the Fars news agency.

“Engineers and technical experts are also busy closely examining the technical aspects and the extent of the damage,” the Iranian news agency added added.

The Israeli military said on Monday morning that it was carrying out strikes against Iranian military infrastructure across the capital city of Tehran.

Israeli forces are "currently striking Iranian terror regime military infrastructure across Tehran," the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said in a post on social media platform X.

Separately, Al Jazeera reported that “powerful explosions” were heard from the Islamic republic's capital city.

“Big day in Iran. Many long sought after targets have been taken out and destroyed by our GREAT MILITARY, the finest and most lethal in the World,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday, hours after he threatened to seize Iran's oil.

Japan's Nikkei share average fell about 5% on Monday, erasing its gains for the year in a broad selloff, while benchmark bond yields touched a 27-year high, Reuters reported.

The Nikkei was down 4.8% at 50,786.64 after falling as much as 5.3% earlier in the session, and was headed for its biggest monthly drop since the 2008 global financial crisis with a 13.6% plunge. The broader Topix slid 4.5% to 3,486.86.

Lebanon's Hezbollah carried out 70 operations against the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Israeli settlements in the past 24 hours, reported Iran's Press TV.

Details of the operations were not provided.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday local time hinted again that Iran's new Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei had been wounded in strikes by Washington and Tel Av.

Asked by reporters on Air Force One whether the new Ayatollah was alive, Trump said, “We think he may be," but added that he is likely “seriously wounded”.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday local time, US President Donald Trump also said that Iran had given the US oil, with shipments slated to start tomorrow to “prove they’re serious.”

Trump said when he talked last week about Iran giving the US a “present,” it was “10 massive boatloads of oil.”

“And today they gave us another present. They gave us 20 boatloads of oil that starts being shipped tomorrow,” the US President was quoted as saying by CNN.

Australia's cabinet on Monday adopted the National Fuel Security plan amid the global energy crisis, halving fuel excise for petrol and diesel for three months, and reducing heavy vehicle road user charge to zero for the same period.

The reduction in excise duty will cost the Australian government A$2.55 billion, reported Reuters.

Explosions were heard across Dubai early on Monday morning, with the city's media office confirming that the sounds heard were the result of successful interceptions of threats by UAE's air defence system.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday local time claimed that Iran had accepted most of conditions under the 15-point ceasefire deal sent by Washington last week.

“They gave us most of the points. Why wouldn’t they?” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday when quizzed about the truce.

“We’re going to be asking for a couple of other things,” the US President added, but declined to specify concessions the Iranians have offered.

Publicly, Tehran has rejected the the Trump's 15-point list of ceasefire terms sent via intermediaries in Pakistan, and has countered with five conditions of its own — including maintaining sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Sunday thanked the people of Iraq for their support in the war against the US and Israel, Iranian media said on Sunday.

In his message, Khamenei "expressed his appreciation to the supreme religious authority [in Iraq] and the people of Iraq for their clear stance against aggression against Iran and their support for our country", the ISNA news agency said.

US President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to seize Iran’s critical oil infrastructure, including the export hub of Kharg Island, as the Middle East conflict deepens and global energy markets reel from surging prices. In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump framed control over Iranian oil as a preferred strategic objective of the Iran war.

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An Iranian strike on a power station in Kuwait killed one Indian worker and damaged a building at the site, Reuters reported on Monday citing the Gulf state's electricity ministry.

"A service building at a power and water desalination plant was attacked as part of the Iranian aggression against the State of Kuwait, resulting in the death of an Indian worker and significant material damage to the building," Fatima Abbas Jawhar Hayat, a spokesperson for the ministry, was quoted as saying.