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Middle East crisis live: Iran warns of ‘devastating’ retaliation after Trump’s expletive-laden threats over strait of Hormuz

Iran has formulated its positions and demands in response to recent ceasefire proposals conveyed via intermediaries, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, Reuters reports, adding that negotiations were “incompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes.” Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had a set of requirements based on its national interests that had already been conveyed via intermediary channels, adding that earlier US demands such as the 15-point plan were rejected for being “excessive.“ “Iran does not hesitate to clearly express what it considers its legitimate demands and doing so should not be interpreted as a sign of compromise, but rather as a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions,” Baghaei said in a press conference. “We have formulated our own responses” and will announce details in due time, he added in response to an Iranian journalist’s question regarding ongoing efforts to bring about a ceasefire between Iran and the US.

Monday briefing: Can human-based space exploration still be meaningful?

Good morning. For a short period today, the four-person crew of the Artemis II mission will be alone in space, unable to contact anyone on Earth. Facing the far side of the moon, the astronauts will be further from our planet than anyone before them, divided from the rest of humanity by the enormous white rock we see in the sky at night. This is a crucial stage of their mission. All being well, the crew will spend most of their time documenting parts of the moon that no human has been able to see with their own eyes since the Apollo missions more than 50 years ago. Once done, the moon’s gravity will catapult their Orion spacecraft back to Earth. Today on First Edition, we are covering what to expect in the critical hours of the Nasa Artemis II mission, an indisputable marvel of human achievement and coordination. But first, the headlines. Five big stories Middle East | Donald Trump issued an expletive-laden warning for Tehran to reopen the strait of Hormuz or the US will obliterate Iran’s power plants and bridges. Iran’s parliament speaker responded that the US president’s “reckless moves” would mean “our whole region is going to burn”. UK politics | Keir Starmer has criticised the Green party, claiming that voting for Labour’s rivals jeopardises advances such as the new workers’ rights set to take effect today. Immigration | Government ministers are working with Labour backbenchers to modify proposed immigration changes by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, that would extend to 10 years the time required for individuals to achieve settled status in the UK. Aliens | Jared Isaacman, the top official at Nasa, has said that the possibility of alien life is a core consideration in mission planning, emphasising that exploring the universe’s secrets includes asking the question: “Are we alone?” Hungary | Serbia’s claim that it found “explosives of devastating power” near a pipeline that carries Russian gas to Hungary sparked claims by the country’s leading opposition candidate of a possible “false flag” operation aimed at influencing elections in favour of the incumbent prime minister, Viktor Orbán. In depth: It’s hard not to be moved by the enormity of this Ever since Artemis II launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on 1 April, the view of Earth has become smaller and smaller for its crew. Today, our planet will probably disappear entirely, replaced instead by the lunar landscape. The moon will appear the same size as a basketball held at arm’s length from Orion as it orbits. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will not land on the moon this time. The mission is about preparing for a lunar landing by 2028 – part of Nasa’s plan to build a base on the moon that could have a continuous human presence. Over the weekend, the astronauts have spent their time checking systems and spacesuits, and rehearsing their role in scientific experiments connected to the mission. *** Some very earthly problems Despite being so far from Earth, they have already had to contend with some familiar problems, including an out of order loo. With help from the crew back home, Koch had to fix the plumbing on the $30m toilet – the first ever with a private cubicle on a spacecraft of this type. On previous Apollo missions, solid waste was collected in bags and strapped to spacesuits. Liquid waste was collected in condom-like containers. Unfortunately, both methods were prone to leaks – to the disgust of the astronauts. Thankfully, for everyone on board, the new system is working as intended – although the flush is so loud that the crew need to wear ear protection. *** A science-gathering mission The mission has not been without controversy. The entire Artemis programme is expected to cost almost $100bn, which critics say is an affront to the millions of Americans suffering with a cost of living crisis. The launch is happening despite an attempt from President Donald Trump to make deep cuts to Nasa funding last year, which was rebuffed due to rare bipartisan support. And there is major scepticism that American astronauts will really be back on the moon in 2028 – with many cautioning it will probably happen when Trump’s second presidency is over. Still, it’s hard not to be enthralled by the achievements of the mission and its advances for our understanding of space travel. In Nasa’s quest to better understand the challenges of deep space exploration, the astronauts are also volunteers in scientific experiments, hoping to bolster knowledge for future missions. They will be collecting saliva samples to monitor how their immune systems respond to radiation exposure, isolation and distance from Earth during the 10-day mission, examining whether dormant viruses could be reactivated by space travel. The re-emergence of illnesses like chickenpox and shingles has been a problem for astronauts on the International Space Station. The crew are also wearing “organ-on-a-chip technology”, a device the size of a USB stick that contains some of their blood. It acts as a replica of their bone marrow, which is especially sensitive to radiation. Nasa scientists hope that the data will help them better predict the response of astronauts to the demands of space travel – enabling mission planners to provide individualised medical kits to each crew member in the future. For missions that go deeper into space, astronauts will have to contend with “space weather” from the Sun, which causes spikes in radiation that might poison them. The astronauts this time have a protection shelter on the craft with them that they will test against radiation spikes from solar flares and other high-radiation events. *** Humanity can work together Watching the livestream from Orion on YouTube, it is hard not to be moved by the enormity of the scientific and technological achievements of the mission. During their journey, the astronauts have slept in strange positions to ensure they would not drift around the cabin, which is about the size of a caravan. “The crew is feeling pretty good up here on our way to the moon,” said astronaut Jeremy Hansen as the mission was cleared to zoom away from Earth’s orbit on Friday. “Humanity has once again shown what we are capable of.” Within hours of swinging around the far side of the moon, they will begin their return journey to Earth. There are still major challenges ahead. When it re-enters our planet’s atmosphere on Friday , the spacecraft must withstand temperatures up to 1,650C before parachuting into the Pacific Ocean. But today, a period of solitude in space awaits the crew: 41 minutes of radio silence where it will be just them among the stars. It is an experience that had a profound experience on astronauts before them. “That’s when we will be closest to the moon, farthest from the Earth,” astronaut Victor Glover said in February in an interview with CBS’s 60 minutes. Glover, the first Black person to travel to the moon, added: “But it is also a human moment. I would love for us to have a moment of togetherness for humans to go ‘Hey, there’s a part of humanity that’s not in touch for the rest of us.’ I hope that it inspires folks to have a moment of togetherness.” For me, at least, it has. What else we’ve been reading I couldn’t agree more with Robin Craig who argues, passionately, that a home full of clutter beats a stripped back museum-style house every time. Poppy Noor, newsletters team Pamela Hutchinson has a moving interview with Sean Hepburn Ferrer, son of Audrey Hepburn. He has written an authorised biography about his mother’s extraordinary life. Patrick I loved Gaby Hinsliff’s roundup of the scandalous photos that changed the world in our Saturday paper this weekend, which did nothing to dampen my crush on Hugh Grant. Poppy I was blown away by this extraordinary story, about a father and son who made their fortune in Dubai and then became wanted men. Patrick I read, in awe, this new start after 60, about a man who decided to become a professional poker player, winning sums as big as £150,000. “You don’t tend to get those highs in a normal job” he says – you can say that again. Poppy Sport Football | Despite scoring twice in injury time to level the FA Cup quarter-final, West Ham still went out on penalties after their 2-2 draw against Leeds, who reached their first semi-final since 1987. Rugby union | Bordeaux Bégles delivered a dominant performance against Leicester, winning 64-14 in the Champions Cup to set up a quarter-final against Toulouse next weekend. Football | Arsenal made a surprise exit at the quarter-final stage of the Women’s FA Cup for the second successive season as Brighton stunned the record 14-time cup winners at Borehamwood. The front pages The Guardian’s page one lead is “Trump threatens to unleash ‘hell’ on Iran in expletive-laden tirade”. The Mail’s version is “Trump drops F-bomb on Iran” and the Mirror’s main headline is “Unhinged” under a strapline that says “President hits new low”. The Financial Times reports: “Trump renews Iran threat in bid to reopen Hormuz strait”. The Times has “New Trump deadline to open Strait or ‘face hell’”. Top story in the Telegraph is “‘We got him’ – US airman rescued in daring raid”. The Express stays local with “‘Vile’ betrayal of grooming gang victims”. Today in Focus Move over Murdochs, here come the Ellisons Margaret Sullivan on the billionaire father and son buying up the US media Cartoon of the day | Tom Gauld The Upside A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad France can be reached in a few short hours by train from the UK, and offers some striking experiences for all tastes this summer. In Calais, visitors can ride the fire‑breathing Dragon de Calais and its new companion, Le Varan, before exploring nearby beaches and chateaus. Normandy marks the centenary of Monet’s death, with Rouen providing a quieter place to admire his cathedral series. Cyclists can tackle the new Traversée Bretonne from Nantes to Mont‑Saint‑Michel. Brittany boasts tidal pools to cool off after long days of sightseeing, and the remote Aubrac plateau rewards travellers with rustic food and starry skies. Late summer in the Vallée du Gapeau brings fig festivals and scenic hikes, while the Jura mountains reveal the world of comté cheese. Start packing those suitcases. Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday Bored at work? And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply

When Suzuki met Suzuki: why a Tokyo dating agency is matching couples with the same name

At the very least, the three men and three women calming their nerves on a Friday evening at a venue in Tokyo know they have one thing in common. Spaced out across booths, they will soon be placed in pairs and given 15 minutes to get to know one another. “Let’s start with a nice ‘hello’ and a big smile,” the emcee says. When they meet they will only need to use their first names – because they all share the same surname. The event is the first in a series that – novelty value aside – aims to skirt Japan’s controversial ban on married couples having separate surnames by getting people with the same surname together. After the participants have confirmed their IDs on an app, the chatter begins and the beer begins to flow. Round one over, the men are asked to move to the next table. Laughter is heard from one of the tables – surely a good sign. At another, the couple get to their feet and help themselves to cakes and biscuits provided by sponsor companies that share their common surname: Suzuki. Similar events have been planned for other people with the same surnames: Ito, Tanaka and Sato, Japan’s most popular family name. “To be honest, I’m not too fussed about keeping my maiden name, but I thought it would be fun to meet another Suzuki,” says *Hana Suzuki, a 34-year-old nurse. What’s in a name? Japan’s civil code specifies that a husband and wife must have the same family name. Couples are free to choose which surname to take when they marry, but in just under 95% of cases, it is the woman who has to adapt – a reflection, critics, say of Japan’s male-dominated society. In practice, many women continue to use their birth name at work and their legal, married surname in official documents. Although the government allows birth names to appear alongside married ones on passports, driving licences and other documents, Japan remains the only country in the world that requires spouses to use the same name. The UN committee on the elimination of discrimination against women has also called on Japan’s government to revise the laws and introduce a selective dual-surname system. Businesses are among those urging change, saying the rule is proving an obstacle to Japanese firms that do business overseas if female employees use work ID that doesn’t match their surname. The powerful business lobby Keidanren has collected testimony from women who say the rule has negatively affected their careers, including academics whose work written under their birth name struggles to gain recognition, and managerial-level women whose “business name” has been rejected when signing contracts. According to an internal Keidanren survey, 82% of female executives said they supported allowing married couples to use separate surnames. “We launched the project to highlight a growing issue in Japan, as many people hesitate to marry because of the requirement to change their surname,” said Yuka Maruyama, a creative planner and project initiator at Asuniwa. “We wanted to present a simple and slightly humorous idea – matching people who already share the same surname – in order to make this issue more visible and easier to understand,” he said. Successive Liberal Democratic governments have refused to consider changing the law. Conservative members have led the resistance, arguing that amending the civil code, which was adopted in the late 1800s, would “undermine” the traditional family unit and cause confusion among children. ‘A safe option’ “Keeping my maiden name isn’t a deal breaker, but I can see why taking my husband’s name could be inconvenient in, say, the workplace,” says Hana, one of the participants in the matchmaking event. “I’m fine with the idea of separate surnames, but I think it could cause problems when you have children … which name would they take?” A recent survey of 2,500 people in their 20s and 30s who use the Japanese dating app Pairs found that 36.6% of women and 46.6% of men felt reluctant about changing their surname, while a smaller proportion of both sexes had misgiving about their partner changing their name. Just over 7% said they would break up if neither partner wanted to change their surname. Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has shown little interest in changing the law. Instead, she supports a bill that would expand legal recognition of birth names in official documents – a compromise critics say would do little to end the confusion for women who have to use one of two names depending on the circumstances. Takaichi took her husband’s surname, Yamamoto, during their first marriage, which ended in 2017. When they remarried in 2021, he officially took the name Takaichi. The conservative leader told MPs this month she opposed the introduction of selective separate surnames, preferring, as she had done, to use birth names in certain situations. It was important, she said, for “spouses and their children to share the same surname on the family register”. The matchmaking party’s organisers do not follow up with couples for privacy reasons, but some of this evening’s participants appear to have few regrets. “I’ve been to matchmaking parties before, but I thought this one would be more interesting,” says *Taisho Suzuki, a 33-year-old company employee. “I hadn’t given much thought to the idea of marrying another Suzuki, but I can see now why it’s a safe option. I don’t want to give up my surname when I marry, and I know a lot of women feel the same about their names.” He and his female counterpart have used their shared family name as an icebreaker, laughing as they recounted the times their name was called in government offices and waiting rooms – prompting responses from multiple people – before numbered tickets became the norm. “Now that I’m in my 30s my priorities have changed and I want to marry and have children,” he says. “If I met a woman with an unusual surname, I’d understand why she would want to keep it. I guess we’d have to sit down and work something out.” * First names have been changed at the interviewees’ request

Cruise ship caught on reef off tiny Fiji island where Cast Away filmed

Salvage crews in Fiji are working to prevent an oil spill after a cruise ship ran aground off the island on which the 2000 Tom Hanks film Cast Away was filmed. The Blue Lagoon Cruises vessel Fiji Princess grounded at a reef near the uninhabited Monuriki Island on Saturday, according to Fiji’s maritime rescue agency. All 30 passengers and 17 of its 31 crew were taken off the vessel the same day. There have been no injuries reported. The company has been contacted for comment. The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (Msaf) said its officers had arrived to assess the stricken ship on Saturday. “Initial checks confirmed that the vessel has suffered serious damage to its rear left side, including the area where the steering equipment is located. Part of the vessel underneath has also been damaged,” a spokesperson said. “The vessel also experienced engine failure and was reported to be taking in water following the grounding. Due to rough seas and strong waves, officers were unable to safely inspect the vessel underwater at the time.” An Msaf spokesperson said the main priority on Monday was to reduce the risk of pollution. The vessel was carrying about 20,000 litres of diesel fuel. The spokesperson said authorities had taken oil spill equipment to the area “as a precaution” but that the sea conditions were too rough for it to be used. “At the time of inspection, there were no signs that the fuel tanks had been damaged,” the spokesperson said. Salvage teams were working to remove the fuel and oil from the vessel, with the assistance of a salvage specialist from Australia. Once the weather improved, further work would begin to recover the vessel safely, the spokesperson said. “Msaf’s main concern at this time is the safety of all personnel, the protection of Fiji’s marine environment, and ensuring that response efforts continue safely,” they said. “Msaf will continue to work closely with the vessel operator and all response teams, and will provide further updates as necessary.” Monuriki Island, about 45km west of the city of Nadi, was the filming location for the 2000 film Cast Away. It is part of the Mamanuca Island chain, on which the US version of reality show Survivor has been filmed since 2016. Blue Lagoon Cruises advertises the Fiji Princess as being small enough to “get so close to shore that we can tie off to a coconut tree, and you can swim to the beach”. Evacuated passengers and crew were taken back to Port Denarau. The remaining crew were aiding salvage efforts, and were being berthed on Fiji Princess’s sister ship, Cougar, for safety reasons.

At least 15 killed in strikes on Lebanon – as it happened

This blog has now closed. Our live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran continues here.

Ukraine war briefing: Russian oil facilities burn as Zelenskyy tours Middle East

Ukrainian drones attacked the Sheskharis oil terminal at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in Russia’s Krasnodar region over Sunday night, according to online channels monitoring the war. Footage posted online claimed to show a large fire at the port. Strikes on oil facilities in other regions were also reported. Russia’s military said early on Monday that air defence units downed 148 Ukrainian drones over a three-hour period and nearly half a million households were blacked out by air attacks. On Sunday evening drones killed one person in Russia’s border region of Belgorod and hit an apartment building in Russia’s Novorossiysk, Russian authorities claimed. It came as the Institute for the Study of War assessed that Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure over the past two weeks, “focusing on the Russian Baltic Sea port and oil infrastructure in Leningrad oblast critical to Russian oil exports”. A claimed strike on Primorsk overnight on 4-5 April was the third against the port within the last two weeks, said the ISW. “The Ukrainian general staff reported on April 5 that Ukrainian forces also struck the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod oblast (roughly 1,000km from Primorsk) overnight, starting a fire.” Geolocated footage showed Russian air defences responding, while fires showed up on Nasa’s Firms global satellite fire monitoring system and the oblast governor acknowledged the attacks and damage to oil company facilities, said the ISW. Russian military bloggers noted the damage the strikes have inflicted on Russia’s oil export capacity will be “costly and time-consuming to repair”, while damaged or lost Russian ships would be difficult to replace, the ISW continued. “Russian milbloggers have previously complained about the Russian inability to repair damaged facilities due to parts sanctions and Russian air defence failures.” A Russian strike on Odesa city killed three people including a child, a Ukrainian military official said on Monday. Two people were hospitalised with serious injuries, he added. In Crimea, part of Ukraine occupied by Russia since 2014, the governor of the port of Sevastopol said his city had come under four drone attacks throughout Sunday. Seven drones were downed in the latest wave. In Russian-occupied Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, the head of the Russia-installed government, Andrei Chertkov, said repair crews had restored power to two major cities, Donetsk and Makiivka, after Ukrainian attacks. Power outages were also reported in Russian-held areas of the Zaporizhzhia region. A cargo ship carrying wheat sank in the Sea of Azov after coming under attack from Ukrainian drones, a Russia-installed official claimed on Sunday, adding that one person was dead and two missing. Vladimir Saldo, Moscow-installed leader of the Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine’s Kherson region, said the attack occurred on Friday and the crew who abandoned ship only reached the shore on Sunday. Ukraine denies going after such targets unless there is a valid military objective. Ukraine and Syria pledged greater security cooperation in talks on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian president was continuing his tour of Middle East countries and met with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus. Zelenskyy expressed concern that a prolonged US-Israeli war on Iran could further erode America’s support for Ukraine as Washington’s global priorities shift and Kyiv faces reduced deliveries of critically needed Patriot air defence missiles. Ukraine desperately needed more Patriots to help it counter Russia’s daily barrages, Zelenskyy said, speaking to the Associated Press in an exclusive interview in Istanbul. “We have to recognise that we are not the priority for today,” Zelenskyy said. “That’s why I am afraid a long [Iran] war will give us less support.” Zelenskyy said Russia draws economic benefits from the Iran war, citing the limited easing of American sanctions on Russian oil. “Russia gets additional money because of this, so yes, they have benefits,” he said. Surging oil prices driven by Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz are undermining that strategy by boosting the Kremlin’s oil revenues and strengthening Moscow’s capacity to sustain its war effort. Ukraine has countered by stepping up attacks against Russian oil production and export infrastructure. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to share with Gulf Arab countries targeted by Iran its experience and technology, including interceptor drones and sea drones, which Ukraine produces with funding from Americans and its European partners. In return, these countries could help Ukraine “with anti-ballistic missiles”, Zelenskyy said. Ukraine’s president has also positioned Ukraine as a potential partner in safeguarding global trade routes, offering assistance in reopening the strait of Hormuz by sharing Ukraine’s experiences securing maritime corridors in the Black Sea.

Trump warns Iran to reopen strait of Hormuz by Tuesday or face ‘hell’

Donald Trump issued an expletive-laden warning on Sunday that Tehran had until Tuesday night to reopen the strait of Hormuz or the US would obliterate Iran’s power plants and bridges. Iran’s parliament speaker responded with a warning that the US president’s “reckless moves” would mean “our whole region is going to burn”. The latest threat of escalation in the five-week war followed the rescue of a second crew member of a downed F-15E fighter by US commandos, ending a two-day search after the warplane crashed in south-west Iran. Iran distributed images showing the wreckage of several aircraft, but did not deny that US forces had rescued the officer who had taken cover in a mountainous area while American special forces and Iranian troops raced to find him. Trump has extended deadlines at least twice for Iran to reopen the strait of Hormuz, which has sent the price of oil shooting up, and shifted his deadline again from Monday to Tuesday in his expletive-laden post, before later making clear he meant Tuesday night. The US president posted on his Truth Social website: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” Crude oil prices opened higher on Monday, with the West Texas Intermediate – the US benchmark – rising 1.86% to more than $112 a barrel and Brent climbing above $110. Trump separately suggested that there is a “good chance” of an agreement with Iran on Monday, telling Fox News that negotiations were taking place. “If they don’t make a deal and fast, I’m considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil,” he said. Later on Sunday, he posted again, giving a more precise deadline of: “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” However, Trump has repeatedly said since the US-Israeli war started on 28 February that Iran wants to make a deal. Iran has acknowledged that messages have been passed between the two sides, including through Pakistan. But Tehran insists that it has not entered into peace talks. Iranian officials also fear that they will be targeted when they break cover to head to any negotiations, according to diplomatic intermediaries. Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iran parliament, responded to Trump’s latest threats in a social media post. “Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living HELL for every single family, and our whole region is going to burn because you insist on following Netanyahu’s commands,” he wrote. “Make no mistake: You won’t gain anything through war crimes. The only real solution is respecting the rights of the Iranian people and ending this dangerous game.” Trump’s expletive-laden post also drew criticism on Capitol Hill. “Happy Easter, America. As you head off to church and celebrate with friends and family, the President of the United States is ranting like an unhinged madman on social media,” the Democratic Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, said on X. “He’s threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies. This is who he is, but this is not who we are. Our country deserves so much better.” The destruction on Thursday of the region’s tallest bridge, hailed in Iran as an engineering marvel, pointed to a grim new phase of the war, in which the US president has threatened to throw Iran back to the “stone ages”. During war, international law protects civilians and what are known as civilian objects, such as infrastructure, rules that are enshrined in the Geneva conventions. Oona A Hathaway, a professor of international law at Yale University, said the US president had offered no explanation that would make the civilian objects he has threatened to target into lawful military objectives. She also said other nations had an obligation to ensure respect of the Geneva conventions, and not to aid and abet wrongful acts. “If these threatened attacks were to be carried out, they would constitute war crimes,” said Hathaway. “Immiserating the civilian population for bargaining leverage is not lawful.” Iranian steel manufacturing sites, petrochemicals plants, universities and medical facilities have all been bombed during the joint US-Israeli campaign. About 81,000 civilian sites have been damaged, including 61,000 homes, 19,000 commercial sites, 275 medical centres, and nearly 500 schools, according to Iranian authorities. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said Israel has destroyed 70% of Iran’s steel production, claiming it was used for making missiles. He has also confirmed attacks on petrochemical plants. Iran has been able to take control of the strait of Hormuz by threatening and attacking shipping passing through the waterway, providing a chokehold on the oil trade that is Tehran’s strongest pressure point in the conflict. Iran continued to hit economic infrastructure across the Gulf over the weekend in response to the attacks, in acts that legal experts have also said are unlawful. On Sunday, it struck a petrochemicals complex in Bahrain. Video footage showed thick black smoke rising from the site. The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said a number of its facilities had been targeted by Iranian drone attacks, resulting in fires and “significant material losses”. Kuwait also reported that two power and water desalination plants sustained “significant material damage” after being attacked by Iranian drones. In Lebanon, Israel again struck in southern Beirut, killing at least four people and injuring 39 others. Lebanon’s national news agency reported that an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon’s Kfar Hatta killed at least seven people, including a four-year-old girl. It was on Thursday that Iranians got a visceral demonstration of the kinds of attacks that may now be unleashed, with the destruction of the 136 metre-high $400m (£300m) B1 suspension bridge between Tehran and Karaj. The attack happened on the last day of the holidays to mark Iranian new year, and according to reports many families were picnicking nearby when missiles punched through the middle of the bridge, sending up a giant fireball. The day trippers, who had pitched tents to enjoy the holiday, ran screaming. Local authorities said that 13 people were killed and 95 injured in the attack. The bridge had not yet been opened. It was so far known only as B1, ahead of an inauguration due in the summer. Trump posted a video of the bridge’s demolition, warning Iran to cut a deal before there was nothing left. On Sunday, Trump told Axios that several days ago, the US and Iran were close to an agreement to hold direct negotiations. He said: “But then they said they will meet us in five days. So I said, ‘Why five days?’ I felt they were not being serious. So I attacked the bridge.” An engineer behind the bridge’s construction, interviewed on Iranian television, said: “We made everything with our own knowhow, workers and resources. I am ashamed of myself for not being able to have people use it.” A civil engineer in Iran who worked on other significant infrastructure projects said that recent strikes on civilian infrastructure, all built with indigenous knowledge, had already “made it impossible to conceal hostility toward the Iranian people behind the mask of mere opposition to the government”. But it was the strike on the bridge that was most painful for him, as he said it had no military, nuclear or government link. “The target of this attack was nothing other than Iran’s pride,” he said. “A nation that has achieved such a level of self-sufficiency and productivity cannot be returned to the stone age.” • This article was amended on 6 April 2026 to correct the picture caption. The photograph of Donald Trump arriving at the White House was taken on 5 April 2026, not 2025 as an earlier version said.

A timeline of the two US military jets shot down by Iran forces

In a significant escalation of the US-Israel war in Iran, Iranian forces shot down two US military jets in recent days. Three pilots involved in the loss of an F-15 Strike Eagle and an A-10 Warthog ground attack plane have been rescued, but the incidents put the US on notice that Iranian air defenses may not be as degraded as the Trump administration has broadly claimed. Here’s a timeline of what we know so far. 3-4 April 2026 Reports of US planes struck down Overnight on Friday, an F-15E Strike Eagle with two crew members and belonging to the 48th Fighter Wing of the US air force in Europe was shot down by Iranian forces, with photos of the wreckage circulating on social media. It is believed to be the first US plane brought down by enemy fire during the conflict. A second plane, an A-10 Warthog, was struck by Iranian fire. Before ejecting, the pilot was able to get the aircraft to Kuwaiti airspace and was also rescued, according to the Washington Post. 4 April 2026 A search and rescue mission unfolds One pilot on the F-15E Strike Eagle was rescued seven hours later with help from two US military helicopters, according to reports. The helicopter that rescued the pilot was reportedly hit by small arms fire, some wounding crew members on board. The helicopter landed safely and injured rescuers were reported to be receiving medical treatment. US officials then went quiet, offering no indication if the second airman had ejected safely and was in hiding, had been killed in the crash, or captured by Iranian forces. But US aircraft and helicopters were seen in the area where the fighter jet went down. 4 April 2026 Search for the second airman US and Iranian forces race to find the “seriously injured” second airman, the F-15’s weapons officer, outside Isfahan. The unnamed officer, armed only with a pistol, is later reported to have hidden out on a 7,000-ft ridge while US MQ-9 Reaper drones hit nearby Iranian forces if they came close to his position. Iranian forces got within 3km (1.8 miles) of the downed airman, a colonel, according Air & Space Forces Magazine. “This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour,” Trump said on Sunday. According to reports, the downed pilot made contact with US forces using an encrypted radio, while continuing to evade the pursuing Iranian forces. 4 April 2026 The CIA reportedly deploys a ruse The CIA pulled off a diversion, according to Axios, reportedly by planting fake information that the second airman had already been rescued and was being driven out of Iran. The agency used “unique capabilities” to search and locate them. “This was the ultimate needle in a haystack but in this case it was a brave American soul inside a mountain crevice, invisible but for CIA’s capabilities,” an official told the outlet. The Pentagon and White House then ordered an immediate rescue mission. Two MC-130J Air Force special operations transport planes landed at an landing airport near the downed airman. A regional intelligence official briefed on the mission told the Associated Press that the US military blew up two transport planes due to a technical malfunction. Reports suggest they make have got stuck in mud and were blown up on the ground by US forces to prevent them falling into Iranian hands. US forces then used three other transport planes to carry the airman and his rescuers out of Iran, according to the New York Times. 5 April 2026 Trump announces rescue “WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!” Trump said. He later posted: “The Iranian Military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close. He is a highly respected Colonel. This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to “man and equipment.” It just doesn’t happen!” Trump says the rescue of the missing F-15 weapons systems officer by US special operation forces was “an Easter miracle” in a text to NBC News on Sunday. “The enemy was large and violent. The rescuers were brilliant, strong, decisive, and as cool as anyone can be. The Iranians thought they had him, but it wasn’t even close,” he said, according to NBC. Trump said that after the fighter jet’s pilot was rescued on Friday, the US “couldn’t talk about” that mission “in that it would have highlighted that there was a second”. 5 April 2026 Iran acknowledges a “so-called US military rescue operation” Iran’s military said on Sunday the US operation to rescue the airman had used an abandoned airport in Isfahan province. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the Iranian military’s central command, said: “The so-called US military rescue operation, planned as a deception and escape mission at an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan under the pretext of recovering the pilot of a downed aircraft, was completely foiled.” Zolfaghari also said two US “C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed”.