Iran warned Monday that it will deliver a “crushing” response if President Donald Trump follows through on threats to strike Iranian power plants, bridges and other infrastructure.
The warning came unless Iran ends its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has signaled a possible deadline for such strikes on Tuesday night.
Iran continues to launch ballistic missiles across the region, which has snarled shipping lanes. The United States has carried out strikes on Iranian missile sites and command centers.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement Monday that Iranian military capabilities “continue to decline.”
Strikes Hit Petrochemical Sites, Kill Senior Intelligence Chief
An Israeli strike killed Majid Khademi, a senior intelligence chief in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran’s National Petrochemical Company said Monday that several facilities in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone in southern Iran were hit by U.S.-Israeli attacks, according to a statement carried by state media outlet IRNA.
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The company said emergency crews contained the fires and that operations at the affected units continued under controlled conditions. No casualties were reported. Israel’s defense minister claimed responsibility for a strike on a major petrochemical plant in nearby Asaluyeh.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of bombing one of Iran’s leading universities.
In a post on X, he described the institution as “the MIT of Iran” and said the strike marked a new escalation. He vowed retaliation.
The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that rescue teams recovered the bodies of four people killed when an Iranian missile struck a residential area in Haifa. Rescue crews worked for hours to reach victims trapped under debris.
Two rescued U.S. airmen are being treated in Germany after their aircraft was shot down over the region.
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Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani cautioned against strikes on vital infrastructure.
He made the remarks in a phone call Monday with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, according to the Qatari foreign ministry.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi held a discussion with Kuwait’s Foreign Minister on nuclear safety concerns in the Gulf after strikes near Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.
Why This Matters
Civilian death tolls continue to climb across Iran, Lebanon, Israel and Gulf states. Iran’s missile launches have disrupted shipping, while strikes on energy sites have affected operations in the region.
Mediators in Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey have reported little progress toward a proposed U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal. Indirect talks continue as both sides press forward with military actions.
