Trump hints extending deadline after 'open the Strait' warning to Iran

Both crew members from a downed F-15E in Iran have been recovered after a "heavy firefight," U.S. officials told media on Sunday, with President Donald Trump confirming the development on his Truth Social platform, reported Xinhua.

The second rescued pilot is injured but remains "safe and sound," Trump said.

The aircraft had been downed earlier Friday in southern Iran. One crew member was recovered earlier, while both U.S. and Iranian forces had been searching for the second.

Trump added that no U.S. service members were killed or wounded during the two rescue operations.

Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said a U.S. aircraft involved in the search mission was also downed, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Meanwhile, Trump posted "Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time!" on social media on Sunday, a message that appeared to signal a possible extension of the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

On March 21, Trump threatened to "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants if the country fails to fully open the strait within 48 hours. Two days later, he postponed strikes on power plants for five days, claiming to have held "productive conversations" with Tehran.

On March 26, Trump again pushed the deadline back, saying that he will pause planned strikes on Iranian energy facilities for 10 days, to April 6, the upcoming Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. On Saturday, Trump reaffirmed that Iran has 48 hours to strike a deal on opening up the strait or face "Hell."

However, in the post on Sunday, Trump appeared to hint at extending the deadline for Iran to reopen the strait for another time.

In a post earlier Sunday, the U.S. president threatened that Tuesday would be "Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one" for Iran, and again urged Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Trump threatened to destroy all of Iran's power plants if the country's leaders don't agree to reopen the strait by Tuesday evening.

"If they don't come through, if they want to keep it closed, they're going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country," Trump said.

In a phone interview with Fox, Trump said that a deal to end the conflict in Iran could be reached by Monday.

However, Trump's optimism does not seem to be echoed by the other side. Iran has rejected a U.S. proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, which was recently sent through one of its "friendly countries," the semi-official Fars news agency reported Friday, citing a source.

Meanwhile, a missile attack from Iran sparked a fire at a key industrial chemical complex in southern Israel on Sunday, reported Xinhua, quoting Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported.

Video footage circulating on social media showed a large plume of smoke rising above Neot Hovav, a major industrial area in the Negev Desert used mainly for chemical production and hazardous waste treatment. Loud blasts were heard.

Kan TV News reported that it was the third time the complex had been hit by a missile, or missile fragments, from Iran since the start of the regional conflict in late February.

The Israeli military confirmed it had activated sirens in the region. It later said search and rescue forces were on their way to "a site in southern Israel where reports of impact have been received," without specifying the location.

Trump says US in "deep" negotiations with Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump told Israeli media Channel 12 on Sunday that the United States is engaged in "deep" negotiations with Iran to secure a ceasefire, while stressing that Washington will not "leave in the middle" of the conflict.

Trump said his administration is maintaining contacts with Iran through multiple channels, led by his advisors Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

According to sources briefed on the talks, communication is being conducted through two tracks: indirect contacts mediated by Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye, and direct exchanges between U.S. envoys and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.

The mediating countries are seeking to help both sides agree on measures that could allow an extension of the U.S.-imposed deadline, the sources said, adding that recent phone calls between the parties have not yielded significant progress.

Trump told Channel 12 that there is "a good chance" that a deal could be reached before Tuesday's "deadline", but warned that failure to do so would prompt the United States to take "strong" action in the region.

The U.S. president posted "Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time!" on social media later on Sunday, a message that appears to signal a possible extension of the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian-linked groups attack US diplomats, facilities in Iraq

Iranian-linked militias launched two overnight attacks against US diplomats and facilities in Iraq, CNN reported, citing a spokesperson for the US State Department, amid ongoing hostilities between Washington and Tehran, reported ANI.

In a statement, the State Department strongly condemned the "outrageous terrorist attacks" on US diplomatic missions and urged the Government of Iraq to act swiftly to halt such strikes.

"We have consistently urged the Iraqi government to immediately live up to its responsibility to stop attacks on U.S. facilities and to prevent terrorist militias from using Iraqi territory to launch attacks," the spokesperson said as reported by CNN.

The official emphasised that the United States "will not hesitate to defend our personnel and facilities should the Iraqi government be unable to fulfil its obligations."

The spokesperson did not provide specific details on the locations of the latest attacks, CNN reported.

According to previous CNN reports, the US Embassy in Baghdad, the US Consulate General in Erbil and the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Centre have been repeatedly targeted since the onset of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Last week, the US State Department announced a reward of up to USD 3 million for information related to attacks on its diplomatic facilities in Iraq.

Israeli airstrike kills 4, wounds 30 in S. Beirut

Four people were killed and about 39 others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on the Jnah area in Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, near Beirut's Rafic Hariri Hospital, according to the Lebanese health ministry, reported Xinhua.

Israeli warplanes launched five airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, including two on Jnah, as well as strikes on Ghobeiry, Haret Hreik, and Al-Jamous, according to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA).

One of them targeted a building opposite Al-Mayadeen TV channel, which had previously been hit by the Israeli army on March 2, Lebanon's al-Jadeed local TV channel reported.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes were flying at low altitude over Beirut and its suburbs, amid intensive aerial activity across the capital and Mount Lebanon.

Ambulances were dispatched to the targeted areas, which suffered heavy damage and large plumes of smoke, according to local reports.

Separately, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 14 people and wounded several others in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley between Saturday night and Sunday dawn, including a displaced family of six in Nabatieh district.

In western Bekaa, several people were injured when a drone strike targeted a cafe near Lake Qaraoun, according to NNA.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it responded with artillery, rockets, and drones, targeting Israeli troop gatherings and positions near the border, including the Zarit barracks.

The cross-border violence comes amid continued escalation and ongoing exchanges of fire along the Lebanon-Israel border.

4 injured in fire at UAE port after missile interception

Four people were injured after a fire broke out at Khorfakkan Port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday following falling debris from an air defense interception, authorities said.

Emergency response teams were immediately deployed and brought the fire under control, according to the government media bureau of Sharjah, one of the emirates.

One Nepalese national was seriously injured and hospitalized, while three Pakistanis sustained minor to moderate injuries, it added.

Located at the UAE's east coast, Khorfakkan Port is a strategically important transshipment hub for the Arabian Sea.

Israel kills senior Iranian IRGC oil official in airstrike: Army

Israel has killed Mohammad Reza Ashrafi Kahi, head of commerce at the oil headquarters of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Israeli military said on Sunday.

Kahi was killed in an airstrike in Tehran on Friday, the military said in a statement.

According to the statement, the oil headquarters supports the IRGC's activities and military buildup through profits from oil sales, bypassing international sanctions.

Drone strike hits Kuwaiti oil facilities, sparks fires

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) announced Sunday that a number of its operational facilities were struck by "hostile Iranian drones," sparking fires and causing significant material damage.

In a statement carried by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), KPC said that the attacked facilities are operated by its subsidiaries, Kuwait National Petroleum Company and Petrochemical Industries Company, both critical to the country's refining and petrochemical industries.

Emergency response teams were quickly deployed to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to adjacent installations.

No casualties were reported, the corporation confirmed, adding that precautionary measures had been implemented to safeguard personnel and secure the sites.

KPC said that it is coordinating with authorities to evaluate the scale of the damage, reiterating its commitment to upholding safety and security standards across all operations.

Earlier in the day, Kuwait reported that several critical sites, including power generation facilities, an oil complex, and a government building, were struck by "hostile drone attacks," causing material damage but no reported casualties.

Israel threatens broader strikes against Iran, Hezbollah

Israel was preparing to escalate its attacks on Iran if reported indirect talks between the United States and Iran fail, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported Sunday.

Israel believes U.S. President Donald Trump will give the green light to target energy facilities and national infrastructure in Iran and is awaiting the "final approval," Kan reported, citing Israeli officials.

Also on Sunday, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir visited southern Lebanon and said Israel plans to intensify its attacks against Hezbollah.

Zamir said more than 1,000 Hezbollah militants had been killed since the full-scale conflict resumed. "That number will continue to rise. The damage to Hezbollah will intensify," he said.

The developments come amid heightened regional tensions following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran starting Feb. 28, to which Iran and its regional allies responded with attacks on Israeli and U.S. interests across the Middle East.

Cross-border fighting has continued along the Lebanon-Israel border since March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, triggering intensified Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon.

Iran says 2 US C-130 Hercules planes, 2 Black Hawk helicopters destroyed

Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of the Iranian armed forces, said on Sunday that four U.S. military aircraft were shot down in Iran's central airspace during the U.S. mission to rescue a pilot in Iran.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the headquarters' spokesman, made the announcement, saying the aircraft included two C-130 Hercules military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters, according to the official news agency IRNA.

He added they were targeted during joint operations by the forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), army, voluntary Basij and law enforcement south of the central Isfahan province.

Zolfaghari said the U.S. so-called rescue operation, "which had been planned as a deception and escape operation under the pretext of rescuing the pilot of its downed plane at an abandoned airport south of Isfahan," ended in complete failure with the Iranian armed forces' timely presence.

He noted that U.S. President Donald Trump "is trying to justify his army's bitter defeat and failure by creating confusion for public opinion."

The IRGC said on Friday its air defense systems had shot down a U.S. F-35 fighter jet in central Iranian airspace, adding the fate of the pilot or pilots was unknown.

The U.S. later claimed it had rescued one of the downed fighter jet's pilots, adding that rescue operations were underway to find and recover the other one.

On Sunday, Trump, in a post on social media platform Truth Social, claimed that U.S. forces had carried out "one of the most daring search and rescue operations in U.S. history," adding the second pilot was rescued and is "safe and sound."

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East.