Iran War: Iran Guards intelligence chief Majid Khademi killed in US-Israeli strike

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei expressed condolences over the killing of the Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence chief. In a written social media post, Khamenei said Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi joined a “steadfast line of warriors and fighters” to sacrifice their lives. Israeli strikes have killed dozens of top Iranian leaders, including Khamenei’s father. The younger Khamenei has not been seen or spoken in public since he succeeded his father as supreme leader.

President Trump said that he’d prefer to use US military power to take control of Iran’s vast oil reserves but acknowledged there’s not much appetite for such a move among the American electorate. "Take the oil because it’s there for the taking," Trump said. "There's not a thing they can do about it. Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me, I’d take the oil. I' keep the oil. I would make plenty of money."

The head of intelligence for Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed Monday in an attack targeting him, Iranian state media reported. The Guard blamed the attack on the United States and Israel. It did not elaborate on where Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi was killed. However, multiple airstrikes targeted residential areas around Iran's capital, Tehran, early Monday morning. 

The agency said it had has conveyed its response to the US through Pakistan, a key mediator. “We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press on Monday. “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.” The response came ahead of a deadline by President Trump to begin bombing Iranian energy and infrastructure.

US Central Command releases footage of strikes on Iranian targets.

In its latest update, Israel's military says it recently waged a new series of broad strikes in Tehran and across the country. In a separate update, the Israeli military identified three airports in Iran as targets of its overnight aerial attacks, which it claimed targeted military infrastructure. It identified the airports as “Bahram Airport, Mehrabad Airport and Azmayesh Airport”.

Explosions have been heard in Jerusalem, the greater Tel Aviv area and Eilat in southern Israel. This comes after alerts went off in parts of central and southern Israel, as well as to the south of Jerusalem, after Israel’s military detected new incoming missiles from Iran, according to Israeli media reports. The Times of Israel, citing the Israeli military, said Eilat was targeted by drones coming from Yemen. Israel’s Arutz Sheva media reports a "coordinated attack from three fronts: Iran, Lebanon and Yemen"

According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acted in "cooperation" with the US military, launching a series of strikes against Iranian targets. Quoting sources, the Israeli media outlet reported that the strikes were conducted to act as a "diversion" to keep the Iranians away from the crash site and other areas. Click here to read more.

Israel's army said Monday it had completed a wave of strikes against "regime targets" in Tehran. "A short while ago the IDF completed a wave of strikes on Iranian terror regime targets in Tehran," the Israeli military posted on Telegram.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Monday that US President Donald Trump's threats to strike power plants and bridges in Iran could amount to war crimes.

"The American president, as the highest official of his country, has publicly threatened to commit war crimes," Gharibabadi said in a post on X. "The 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."

An Iranian attack on a residential area in northern Kuwait injured six people on Monday, the Gulf country's health ministry said.

"Falling projectiles and debris in a residential area in the north of the country after an Iranian aggression," the ministry said. "The total number of injuries rose to six, with varying degrees of wounds."

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that a US operation to rescue a downed airman may have been a cover to "steal enriched uranium" from the Islamic republic.

"The area where the American pilot was claimed to be present in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province is a long way from the area where they attempted to land or wanted to land their forces in central Iran," Baqaei said. "The possibility that this was a deception operation to steal enriched uranium should not be ignored at all."

Pakistan has neither confirmed nor denied reports suggesting it has proposed a framework to end the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said there have been multiple claims about a possible 45-day ceasefire or a broader proposal, but avoided commenting on specific details.

Iran has made it clear it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a “temporary ceasefire,” according to a senior official who said Tehran does not see Washington as serious about a lasting peace. The official added that Iran has received Pakistan’s proposal for an immediate ceasefire and is currently reviewing it. However, Tehran has stressed it will not accept pressure tactics, including deadlines, while making any decision on the matter.

Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has accused the United States of using a “bunker-buster” bomb to target Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology, calling the strike a sign of “madness and ignorance.” In a post on X, Aref said such attacks cannot destroy Iran’s scientific strength, stressing that knowledge lies in the determination of its scholars, not in buildings. He added that no act of violence in history has been able to take science away from the Iranian people.

Iran’s Ambassador to India, Dr Mohammad Fathali, has said that the country’s immediate focus is on defending itself amid ongoing tensions, even as it remains open to negotiations if they serve national interests. In an interview with ANI, Fathali stated that any decision on talks would be taken carefully within Iran’s broader policy framework and by its top leadership. He added that while diplomacy remains an option, Iran is cautious due to its past experience of repeated cycles of conflict, temporary ceasefires, negotiations, and renewed fighting.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has urged that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East be resolved through peaceful means, warning that further military escalation could have serious consequences. According to Qatar’s foreign ministry, Al Thani made these remarks during a phone call with Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares. Both leaders stressed the need to stop Iran’s actions in the region and called for an immediate return to dialogue.

Iran’s Health Ministry has said that eight hospitals in the capital have been evacuated since US–Israeli air strikes began at the end of February. The evacuations come as continued attacks raise serious concerns over the safety of medical infrastructure. According to the ministry, the damage has been widespread, with 54 emergency centres, 46 medical units, 216 health centres, and 41 ambulances affected in the strikes so far.

Nearly 48 hours after Iran was able to shoot down an American F-15E Strike Eagle over its territory, the US military on Sunday was able to rescue second crew member of the downed jet, but only after a meticulous planning that even involved a "deception campaign" by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Now, fresh details have emerged about the "daring" rescue operation, with reports claiming that even Israel supported the American military in its campaign. Read the full story here. 

Despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Indian-flagged vessels are continuing to cross the Strait of Hormuz successfully, offering some relief to shipping and energy supply concerns. The latest vessel, Green Asha, has completed its transit, becoming the eighth Indian-flagged ship to pass through the strategic waterway since February 28, when the conflict in the region escalated. Read the full story here. 

A spokesperson for Kuwait’s health ministry said that six people were injured after falling projectiles and shrapnel struck a residential area in the northern part of the country following an Iranian attack. According to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), emergency medical teams and ambulance services responded immediately, providing treatment and shifting the injured to nearby hospitals.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said their intelligence chief, Major General Majid Khademi, was killed in a strike carried out by US and Israeli forces early Monday. In a statement, the Guards described him as a key figure in their intelligence wing and said he was killed in what they called a “criminal terrorist attack” by the “American-Zionist enemy” at dawn.

The Israeli military has said that Iran launched several missiles towards Israel, prompting urgent warnings for civilians in affected areas to take shelter. Air raid sirens were activated as defence systems moved to intercept the incoming threat. The attack triggered alarms across northern Israel, including the city of Haifa, according to media reports. Similar incidents in recent weeks have seen sirens sounding across the region as missiles were detected and intercepted mid-air. 

According to reports, mediators are working to broker a two-phase deal. The first phase proposes a 45-day ceasefire, during which both sides would negotiate a permanent end to the war. If talks show progress, the ceasefire could be extended to allow more time for a final agreement.

Trump described the rescue of a downed F-15 crew member inside Iran, revealing how initial fears arose after the pilot sent a brief radio message following ejection. Trump recalled the officer saying, “Power be to God,” though a US defence official later clarified the exact words were “God is good.” The phrase raised suspicions, with concerns the pilot might already be in Iranian custody and sending “false signals,” but those fears were later ruled out.

Spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei has strongly condemned the latest threats by US President Donald Trump, calling them “an indication of a criminal mindset” and warning they amount to “incitement to war crimes and crimes against humanity.” He said targeting critical infrastructure would endanger civilians and escalate the conflict further. 

US President Donald Trump has once again extended his deadline for Iran this time by just 24 hours keeping global tensions on edge and leaving the fate of a potential conflict hanging in the balance. Posting a brief message on his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” without offering further details. This latest extension continues a pattern. The original deadline was set for five days, later extended by ten, and then pushed again just hours before it was due to expire. Read the full story here. 

Iran has issued a strong warning following remarks by US President Donald Trump to blow up Tehran’s power plants and bridges. The statement came from Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, who said Tehran would respond firmly to any attack on its infrastructure. Read the full story here. 

Stock markets in Japan and South Korea opened higher despite renewed threats from Donald Trump over potential strikes on Iranian infrastructure. As of 0:45 GMT, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.45%, while South Korea’s KOSPI gained around 1.8%. In contrast, Chinese markets slipped, with the SSE Composite Index down 1% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index falling 0.7%.