Head Of UN Nuclear Watchdog Says Strikes Near Bushehr Plant 'Must Stop'
The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, has warned that military strikes near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant pose a "very real danger to nuclear safety."
In an IAEA X post on April 6, Grossi was quoted as saying such actions “could cause a severe radiological accident with harmful consequences for people and the environment in Iran and beyond,” adding that they “must stop.”
Earlier, Iran’s atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami accused the UN nuclear watchdog of inaction that “emboldens aggression” against nuclear facilities, warning that repeated strikes near the Bushehr power plant risk serious consequences.
In a letter to Grossi, Eslami said Iran’s only operating nuclear power plant had been targeted four times, with the latest attack killing a security guard and injuring others.
Tehran has called on the IAEA to explicitly condemn the attacks, while criticizing what it describes as an insufficient response from the agency.
In the same IAEA X post on April 6, the UN nuclear watchdog said that its analysis of satellite imagery confirmed “recent impacts of military strikes” close to the Bushehr plant, including one just 75 meters from the site perimeter, while noting the facility itself had not been damaged.
Russia’s state-owned nuclear agency, Rosatom, has evacuated staff from Bushehr in recent days, continuing a withdrawal that began after the conflict escalated in the region in late February, according to Russian news agencies.
The Bushehr plant was built with Russian assistance and is jointly run by Iranian and Russian personnel.
With reporting by Reuters
Iran Executes Another Protester Detained In January Unrest
Iran has executed a protester detained during anti-government demonstrations in January, according to the judiciary’s media outlet Mizan, the HRANA human rights group reports.
Ali Fahim was put to death on April 6 after his sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court, authorities said.
He had been convicted by a Tehran Revolutionary Court of security-related charges, including involvement in an arson attack on a Basij militia base -- allegations rights groups dispute.
His execution brings to four the number of defendants in the same case put to death in recent days, raising concerns about others still at risk.
Among them is Abolfazl Salehi Siavashani, another defendant in the case, who has reportedly been transferred to solitary confinement, sparking fears he could face imminent execution.
Rights organizations have criticized Iran’s use of capital punishment, citing reports of forced confessions and unfair trials.
Iran, Israel Trade Attacks As Civilian Casualties Reported
At least 19 people were killed and 20 injured in US and Israeli air strikes near Tehran, Iranian state media reported on April 6.
The districts of Shahriar and Baharestan were hit, with two residential buildings destroyed, the official IRNA news agency said, citing local officials.
Several bodies were recovered from the rubble.
The Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), reported that six children under the age of 10 were among the dead.
The figures could not be independently verified.
Elsewhere, Israeli media reported on April 6 that Iran had used cluster munitions in a missile attack on the Tel Aviv area earlier that day, with around 20 impact sites recorded, according to the Ynet news agency.
Several people were injured, including one seriously, and a school was hit.
In Haifa, earlier strikes killed four people and set vehicles on fire.
With reporting by RFE/RL’s Radio Farda and dpa
Trump Threatens Massive Strikes As Iran Cease-Fire Push Goes To The Wire
- By RFE/RL
US President Donald Trump has threatened to "blow up everything" in Iran even as last-ditch cease-fire efforts entered their final hours on April 6, with a Pakistan-brokered peace framework on the table and Trump's April 7 deadline for massive strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure fast approaching.
"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 on his Truth Social platform.
Trump's time frame for his latest ultimatum has occasionally shifted in 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." Later, he posted a new deadline of Tuesday, April 7, at 8pm, US Eastern Time.
Meanwhile, at least 19 people were killed and 20 injured in US and Israeli airstrikes near Tehran, Iranian state media reported on April 6.
Read more here.
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.