Israel hits South Pars petrochemical plant in Iran, Israel's defence minister says

Israel's defence government minister said mon that the rural area has attacked the s Pars petrochemical set at Asaluyeh in southern Iran, amid a war that began with joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Feb. 28.

Israel Katz made the announcement after Iran said the facility had been attacked.

Katz said Israel had "just carried out a powerful strike on the largest petrochemical facility in Iran, located in Asaluyeh, a central target responsible for about 50 per cent of the country's petrochemical production."

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

Late Sunday, Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish mediators circulated a new 45-day ceasefire proposal, in hopes the window would provide enough time for talks to reach a permanent ceasefire amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran and the U.S. Have not responded to the proposal, which was sent to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, the officials said.

Also on Monday, Israel and the United States carried out a wave of attacks, leaving over 25 people dead, and Iran responded with missile fire on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbours.

Among those killed in one of the attacks on Tehran was the head of intelligence for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Maj.-Gen. Majid Khademi, according to Iranian state media and Katz.

Israel's military said Monday it also killed the leader of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard's undercover unit in its expeditionary Quds Force.

In a briefing to reporters, Lt.-Col. Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesperson, confirmed the killing of Asghar Bakeri. He said Bakeri had planned attacks on Israeli and U.S. Targets as well as operations in Israel, Syria and Lebanon.

"The Revolutionary Guard are shooting at civilians and we are eliminating the leaders of the terrorists," Katz said. "Iran's leaders live with a sense of being targeted. We will continue to hunt them down one by one."

Katz added Israel had "severely damaged" Iran's steel and petrochemical industries.

"We 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."

Four people were found dead at the site of a missile strike in Haifa, according to Israel's military. They had been trapped under rubble and were found after hours of overnight rescue efforts, the military said.

António Costa, president of the European Council, called for diplomacy to be given a chance, writing on X that “any targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable.”

“Escalation will not achieve a ceasefire and peace,” he said Monday. “Only negotiations will, namely the ongoing efforts led by regional partners.”

Trump on Sunday stepped up his threat to hit Iran's critical infrastructure hard if the country's government doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline.

Second U.S. Airman from downed fighter jet rescued, Trump escalates threats to Iran

The U.S. President punctuated his threat with profanity in a social media post, saying Tuesday will be "Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran."

The war has led to the death of thousands, shaken global markets, cut off key shipping routes and spiked fuel prices. Both sides have threatened and hit civilian targets, bringing warnings of possible war crimes from the United Nations and international law experts.

Also on Monday, an Iranian drone attack damaged a telecommunications building in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, the state-run WAM news agency reported.

The attack targeted a building of the state-funded du telecom company.

No one was injured, WAM reported, quoting officials in Fujairah.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said there are no signs North Korea is providing Iran with weapons or other war-related supplies.

The spy agency's 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.

Former NATO ambassador says 'damage has been done' as Trump renews threats to Iran

North Korea's 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's late supreme leader.

In recent years, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has embraced the idea of a "new Cold War" and attempted to expand cooperation with countries confronting the U.S., including an economic delegation sent to Iran in April 2024.

South Korea plans to send at least five ships to Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port in the coming weeks to establish new oil transport routes in the Red Sea.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said Monday the ships will be deployed in phases beginning in mid-April and the number of vessels could increase depending on contracts with Saudi partners.

Officials did not disclose the companies involved, but said some domestic refiners may use non-Korean shipping firms.

South Korea also plans to send special envoys to Saudi Arabia, Oman and Algeria to step up diplomatic efforts to secure alternative fuel supplies, ruling party lawmaker Ahn Do-geol said.

The Foreign Ministry did not immediately reveal when the envoys would be sent.

Iran has executed another man convicted over charges stemming from the nationwide protests that swept Iran in January.

In a report Monday, the judiciary's Mizan news agency identified the man hanged as Ali Fahim. It was unclear when he was executed.

Fahim had been convicted of allegedly storming a military base to seize weapons.

Trump escalates threats against Iran after daring pilot rescue

Amnesty International said Fahim and others convicted in the case "were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in detention, including beatings, floggings, prolonged solitary confinement, and death threats at gunpoint before being convicted in grossly unfair trials that relied on forced 'confessions' extracted under torture and lasted only a few hours."

The Human Rights Activist News Agency had said Fahim and others had entered a Tehran base of the all-volunteer Basij militia, an arm of the Revolutionary Guard, after it had been burned, then had been forced into confessions.

Israel rescue services reported Monday morning several sites were hit by missiles launched from Iran toward multiple cities in the centre of Israel.

In Petah Tikva, paramedics provided medical treatment to an injured woman in serious condition with a chest injury from shrapnel and evacuated her to the Beilinson Hospital.

Firefighters in that city are handling cars on fire and continue searching to ensure there are no people trapped in the rubble.

In Tel Aviv, a man slightly injured by glass shrapnel was evacuated to the Ichilov Hospital.

Footage provided by rescue service Magen David Adom shows damage to residential buildings due to the attack.

---

---