Former Iranian Foreign Minister Kharazi Injured In Air Strike
Iranian media are reporting that former Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi was seriously wounded in an air strike that also killed his wife. Kharazi had served as foreign minister from 1997-2005 under reformist ex-President Mohammad Khatami. He is still an adviser to the Iranian government. Iranian media reported that his home in Tehran was targeted on March 31 in a US-Israeli strike. He was badly injured and hospitalized following the attack, media reported.
Pezeshkian Claims Iranians 'Harbor No Enmity' Toward Ordinary Americans
Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian has addressed the American people, saying that Iranians "harbor no enmity" toward ordinary Americans.
In a letter published on April 1, he rejected portrayals of Iran as a threat, calling such claims “neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts.”
Pezeshkian also defended Tehran's actions in the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel, saying that they were a "measured response grounded in legitimate self-defense."
Washington has long maintained that Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional activities pose a serious security threat, and continues to press Tehran to curb both as a condition for any peace deal.
How Iran's Hormuz Blockade Chokes Global Trade Beyond Oil And Gas
- By Ray Furlong
When an Indian tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) passed through the Strait of Hormuz recently, its progress was followed by excited live TV news coverage .
“Its position was received eight minutes ago. It’s currently at 12.5 knots and is moving at 154 degrees. It’s reported ETA in India is at 9.30 p.m. tomorrow,” reported one journalist, providing running commentary while following a tracker app.
Later, videos showed the ship with a military escort from the Indian Navy in the Gulf of Oman.
The attention was not unwarranted. The war in Iran , and Tehran’s decision to largely close the Strait of Hormuz , have not only stopped supplies of crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Shipments of a whole range of other vital commodities have also almost completely ground to a halt.
Even if the war ends, markets may not return to normal quickly. Iranian attacks have caused untold damage to industrial infrastructure in the region. Iran is also insisting that it has a “sovereign right” over the strait, though Washington says reopening the waterway is a condition for a cease-fire.
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Houthis Launch Third Missile Attack On Israel As US Strikes Continue On Iran
The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen said they launched a missile attack on Israel on April 1, simultaneously with Iran. This is the third attack of this type by the Houthis since their entry into the Middle East war. Meanwhile, US-Israeli strikes on Iran continued as the conflict entered its fifth week. Iran also targeted neighboring Kuwait and Iraq with drones.
Iranian President To Release Letter To US Public 'In A Few Hours,' Spokesman Says
Mehdi Tabatabai, a spokesperson for the office of Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian, said in a post on X on April 1 that an important letter to the American people from Iran's president would be released "in a few hours."
He gave no further details in the post.
Vance Reportedly In Contact With Pakistani Mediators
US Vice President JD Vance has been communicating with Pakistani intermediaries in efforts to help broker an end to the Iran conflict, signaling an expanded diplomatic role, Reuters reports.
Acting on President Donald Trump’s direction, Vance reportedly conveyed openness to a cease-fire if certain US demands are met.
Vance also delivered what was described as a "stern message" that Washington’s patience is limited and there would be increasing pressure on Iranian infrastructure unless Tehran agreed to a deal
Pakistan has been serving as a go-between with Tehran, while Vance is part of a broader negotiating team, which also includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to a Reuters source.
Iran Fires Missiles at Israel; Explosions Rock Tehran
Iran launched fresh missile strikes on Israel on April 1 while explosions reportedly rocked Tehran as Israel said it had hit targets in the Iranian capital.
Iran fired around 10 ballistic missiles toward central Israel, including Tel Aviv, in what was described as its largest attack since the war began.
Air defenses intercepted most of the projectiles, though some landed in open areas, and multiple sirens sounded within an hour.
Israeli emergency services said 14 people were wounded, including an 11-year-old girl.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force said it had launched an “extensive” wave of strikes in Tehran, "targeting dozens of Iranian regime infrastructure sites."
AFP journalists reported huge explosions in the Iranian capital, including near the former US Embassy.
Iranian media said steel complexes in central and southwest Iran were also hit, causing “significant damage and destruction.”
Israel also said it air defenses had responded to a missile fired from Yemen -- the third attack by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels since the weekend.
With reporting by The Times Of Israel, dpa, and AFP
'Extensive Damage' Caused To Iranian Steel Facilities
An Israeli strike caused “extensive damage” to production units at the Mobarakeh Steel Company in Isfahan, according to the firm, with multiple areas hit late on March 31.
Assessments indicate heavy losses, though the full extent remains unclear.
A simultaneous attack also damaged facilities at the Sefid Dasht steel complex.
Injured workers were treated and released.
The strikes follow earlier Israeli attacks on Iranian steel plants, prompting Tehran to warn it would respond by targeting industrial sites across the region.
Subsequent reports have described retaliatory or related strikes on aluminum facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain
Award-Winning Iranian Filmmaker Returns Home
Acclaimed Iranian writer-director Jafar Panahi has returned to Iran via a land border.
According to information received by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, the award-winning filmmaker reentered Iran on March 29 through the Bazargan land border crossing.
Panahi, who has been living outside Iran for several months, is widely regarded as one of the country’s most acclaimed and outspoken moviemakers, whose work has repeatedly confronted social and political issues and brought him into conflict with the Iranian government.
His films have been banned or censored at home, although he has continued to make movies and receive major international recognition, including the Palme d’Or at last year's Cannes festival for his most recent film It Was Just An Accident, which also received two Academy Award nominations last month.
Last year, he was allowed to leave the country after 14 years under a travel ban.
Four months ago, he was also sentenced in absentia by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court to one year in prison for alleged “propaganda activities" against the state..
Trump Says Iran War May End Soon, Warns Of NATO Exit
- By RFE/RL
US President Donald Trump has said the United States could end its war with Iran soon while reserving the option for limited future strikes.
Speaking hours before he was scheduled to make a primetime address to the nation on April 1, Trump told Reuters that "we're going to be out pretty quickly" after being asked when the US would consider the conflict to be over.
While he said "I can't tell you exactly" when the war would end, he argued that a primary objectives had already been achieved as US military action had neutralized Iran’s nuclear capacity.
"They won't have a nuclear weapon because they are incapable of that now, and then I'll leave, and I'll take everybody with me," he said. "And if we have to we'll come back to do spot hits."
Trump said separately on social media that Iran had asked for a truce but that he would not consider it until Tehran ceased blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a major fuel shipment route.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said "Iran’s New Regime President" had "just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!"
"We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear," he added. "Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!"
Iran later denied Trump's claim, state television reported, citing the Foreign Ministry.
"Trump's statements about Iran's request for a cease-fire are false and baseless," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei was quoted as saying.
Trump also told Reuters that he would use his nationwide speech on April 1 to say he was "absolutely" considering withdrawing the United States from NATO for what he considers the alliance's lack of support for US objectives in Iran.
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