Air Strike Hits Sharif University Of Technology In Tehran
Sharif University of Technology in Tehran was targeted in an air strike early on April 6, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports.
Hours later, without providing details, the university’s president said that “a scientific institution” within the university had been hit and that parts of a building were damaged.
Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref claimed that bunker-busting bombs were deployed in the attack, which he said was a “symbol of [US President Donald] Trump's madness and ignorance.”
Iranian media had earlier reported that a gas facility on the university campus was struck by a projectile, cutting off gas to the area, but later said the supply had been restored.
Images published online indicate significant damage to parts of the university, its surrounding grounds, and its mosque.
Late on April 5 -- the 37th day of US-Israeli attacks on Iran -- reports emerged of explosions and air defense activity in several cities.
Reports said multiple explosions were heard in Tehran on the evening of April 5, along with the sound of fighter jets over the capital.
Head Of Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization Killed
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says that the head of its Intelligence Organization, Brigadier General Seyed Majid Khademi, has been killed.
In its April 6 announcement, the IRGC did not provide details about the location or circumstances of his death, but said Khademi had “nearly half a century of sincere and courageous service in defending the revolution, the system, and the Islamic homeland in intelligence and security fields.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had been informed by his military chief that Israeli forces had “eliminated” Khademi, describing him as responsible for attacks on Israeli civilians and “one of the direct perpetrators” of war crimes.
Khademi was appointed to his post last summer following the killing of Mohammad Kazemi in Israeli strikes during the 12-day war. Prior to that, he headed the Intelligence Protection Organization of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
The US Treasury sanctioned him on January 30, saying the IRGC Intelligence Organization “has underpinned the Iranian security forces’ national campaign of mass violence, arbitrary detentions, and intimidation aimed at crushing Iran’s protest movement.”
The IRGC Intelligence Organization is responsible for counterespionage within the Revolutionary Guards, preventing infiltration, protecting classified information, and overseeing the political-security monitoring of personnel.
With reporting by AFP and dpa
Report: Pakistan Mediates Urgent Cease-Fire Plan
Iran and the United States have received a Pakistan-mediated proposal to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a source familiar with the talks told Reuters, outlining a two-stage plan centered on an immediate cease-fire followed by a broader agreement.
“All elements need to be agreed today,” the source said on April 6, adding that the initial understanding would take the form of a memorandum of understanding finalized electronically through Pakistan, which is described as the sole communication channel.
The proposal, tentatively dubbed the “Islamabad Accord,” would see a cease-fire take effect quickly, with 15–20 days to negotiate a comprehensive settlement, the source said. It follows earlier reporting by Axios that US, Iranian and regional officials were discussing a possible 45-day truce.
Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, has been in contact “all night long” with senior US and Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, according to Reuters.
There was no immediate comment from US or Iranian officials.
We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
Amid Slew Of Threats, Trump Extends Deadline For Iran To Open Strait Of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump repeated his threat to strike Iranian infrastructure hard if Tehran does not open the Strait of Hormuz, using explosive language hours after announcing that US forces rescued the missing crew member from a downed F-15 fighter jet.
"Tuesday [April 7] will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****** Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!" he wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump's timeframe for his latest ultimatum has occasionally shifted during his social media posts and media interviews.
In an interview on April 5 with The Wall Street Journal , Trump said Iran must reopen the strait in two days or "they’re going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country.” He also indicated at one point a deadline of April 6.
Later, he posted a cryptic message : "Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!" without elaboration.
To read the full story, click here.
Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Qalibaf Calls For US To End 'Dangerous Game'
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf called on the United States to end its "dangerous game" by halting the war with Tehran.
Qalibaf, reportedly seen by at least some in the White House as a potential workable partner, accused Washington in a social media post on April 5 of making "reckless moves" in the conflict, which began on February 28.
Qalibaf is a conservative politician and former military commander who spent decades cultivating ties to Iran's supreme leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
With US and Israeli air strikes taking out many of Iran's senior leadership, Qalibaf is among the the most powerful figures left standing in the Islamic republic.
Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump repeated his threat to strike Iranian infrastructure hard if Tehran does not open the Strait of Hormuz by the evening of April 7.
Tehran has responded to air strikes on its territory by firing missiles and launching drones at targets in several countries around the Middle East.
UN In Lebanon Warns Israel, Hezbollah That It Could 'Return Fire'
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on April 5 warned that attacks by Israel and Hezbollah near its positions "could potentially draw return fire."
UNIFIL said it was "extremely concerned" about attacks from both sides "carried out from near our positions, which could potentially draw return fire."
It urged them to "put down their weapons and work seriously toward a cease-fire."
UNIFIL has said that three of its peacekeepers have been killed since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Israel has also struck Tehran-backed Hezbollah -- deemed a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States -- across its border inside Lebanon.
UNIFIL is a peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon, established by the Security Council in 1978. Its mandate is to monitor the cessation of hostilities, among other tasks. UNIFIL says it has some 8,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 troop-contributing countries.
Middle East War Casualty Lists Updated
The French AFP news agency has compiled a list of casualties reported in countries around the Middle East linked to the US-Israeli war with Iran.
AFP said it has not been able to independently verify all of the tolls, which are based on numbers released by governments, militaries, health authorities, and rescue organizations.
IRAN
Iran's government has not released an updated overall casualty toll in recent days.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) on April 4 said at least 3,540 people had been killed, including 1,616 civilians -- including at least 244 children -- 1,213 military personnel, and 711 people whose status had not been classified.
Due to reporting restrictions, it is not possible to independently verify tolls in Iran.
LEBANON
Lebanon's Health Ministry on April 5 said 1,461 people had been killed and 4,430 wounded since the start of the war -- 1,235 men, 97 women, and 129 children.
The UN force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has said three of its peacekeepers have been killed.
The Lebanese army said 10 of its soldiers had been killed.
Hezbollah has not announced its losses.
ISRAEL
Israeli emergency services and authorities say attacks have killed a total of 19 civilians since the start of the war.
The Israeli military has separately announced the deaths of 11 soldiers in combat in southern Lebanon.
WEST BANK
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah said four women were killed by Iranian missile fire in the occupied West Bank.
IRAQ
Armed groups and officials have said at least 108 people have been killed in Iraq since the start of the war.
France said an Iranian drone killed a French soldier in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.
The US military said a refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, killing all six crew members, in an incident not caused by hostile or friendly fire.
Pro-Iran armed factions and security sources claim 74 Iran-backed fighters have been killed in strikes they blame on Israel and the United States.
The Iraq government has said 10 members of the security services have been killed.
Authorities in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region said a missile attack killed six fighters and accused Iran of launching the strike.
GULF
Authorities in Gulf states and the US Central Command (CENTCOM) have reported a total of 41 people killed -- 22 of them civilians -- since the start of the Iranian attacks.
The rest were military or security personnel, including seven US service members.
The breakdown:
Kuwait's military and Health Ministry have reported seven deaths: two soldiers, two border guards and three civilians, one of them an 11-year-old girl.
The United Arab Emirates reported 12 deaths: nine civilians and two military personnel who died as a result of a helicopter crash blamed on a technical malfunction.
Saudi Arabia's civil defense agency has reported two civilian deaths.
Bahrain reported two civilian deaths. The UAE defense ministry separately said a Moroccan contractor for the Emirati military was killed during an Iranian attack in Bahrain.
Oman reported the death of a mariner at sea and two other people in a drone attack on an industrial area.
Qatar said four servicemen and three Turkish nationals -- including one serviceman and two civilians -- were killed in a helicopter crash in Qatar's territorial waters.
US Casualties
In addition to the deaths of seven military personnel in the Gulf and six in Iraq, the US military has recorded more than 300 wounded in its ranks, most of them slightly injured.
A US official told AFP that 10 remain seriously wounded in seven different countries.
Trump Says Deadline To Open Strait Is Evening Of April 7
US President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal that his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on critical infrastructure is the evening of April 7.
"If they don’t do something by Tuesday evening, they won’t have any power plants and they won’t have any bridges standing,” Trump told the WSJ in an interview conducted on April 5.
“If they don’t come through, if they want to keep [the strait] closed, they’re going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country,” Trump was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
In a cryptic social media post after the WSJ interview, Trump wrote only: "Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!"
In a social media post earlier on Sunday, Trump had said Iran would face infrastructure attacks if it did not open the strait by April 7.
"Tuesday [April 7] will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****** Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP," he wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump also said that he plans to hold a news conference on April 6 at 1 p.m.
He has set several deadlines in the past and often has extended the deadlines, saying that negotiations were making progress.
Asked when he believed the war would end, Trump told the WSJ: “I will let you know pretty soon.”
“But we are in a position that’s very strong, and that country will take 20 years to rebuild, if they’re lucky, if they have a country,” he said. “And if they don’t do something by Tuesday evening, they won’t have any power plants and they won’t have any bridges standing.”
Trump has been making multiple social media posts and media interviews following the rescue of the second crew member rescued after the two-seat F-15E jet fighter was shot down in Iran. The jet's pilot was rescued shortly after the plane went down on April 3.
Trump Ramps Up Threat To Iran After Announcing Rescue Of Missing F-15 Crew Member
- By RFE/RL
US President Donald Trump repeated his threat to strike Iranian infrastructure hard if Tehran it does not open the Strait of Hormuz by April 6, using explosive language hours after announcing that US forces rescued the second crew member of a downed F-15 fighter jet in a high-risk mission.
"Tuesday [April 7] will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****** Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP," he wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Shortly thereafter, though, Trump told Fox News that Tehran "is negotiating now" and that he believes there's a "good chance" of reaching a deal by April 6.
Trump also suggested that, along with further US air strikes, he could take Iran's oil if the regime is unwilling to make a deal.
"I think there is a good chance tomorrow [April 6]. They are negotiating now," Trump said.
"If they don't make a deal and fast, I'm considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil," he added.
Trump also said that the United States had provided weapons to Iranian protesters "through the Kurds. And I think the Kurds kept them.” Thousands of Iranians were killed or arrested during mass street demonstrations against the government earlier this year.
Read more here.