Iran War Updates: Latest News & Conflict Analysis

Iran war endangers global fertilizer supply

ap | Farmers all over the world are already feeling the consequences of the war in the Persian Gulf in a very real way. For most people, the fact that they have to pay more money for fuel is a minor problem. But because Tehran is blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which is so important for shipping, in response to attacks by Israel and the USA, there is no longer enough fertilizer. That’s why harvests are likely to be lower in many places this year. This could put many people in existential distress, especially in developing countries.

The poorest farmers in the Northern Hemisphere depend on fertilizer imports from the Gulf region – and the shortage is coming just as planting season begins, says Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program. “In the worst case, this will lead to lower yields and crop failures in the upcoming season. In the best case, higher production costs will be reflected in food prices next year.”

Iran considers US negotiation proposals to be unrealistic

rtr | Iran says it has received messages through intermediaries that signal the US’s willingness to negotiate. However, the leadership in Tehran considers the US proposals to be “unrealistic, illogical and exaggerated,” explains Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.

Iran confirms death of Revolutionary Guards naval commander

afp | Iran confirmed on Monday the death of the Revolutionary Guards’ naval commander reported by Israel last week. Aliresa Tangsiri “succumbed to his serious injuries,” the Revolutionary Guards reported on their Sepah News website. On Thursday last week, the Israeli government said that Tangsiri had been killed in a “precise and deadly operation” by the Israeli armed forces.

The Revolutionary Guards are the ideological army of the Islamic Republic. Since the joint US-Israeli attacks began on February 28, several senior members of the Iranian leadership have been killed, most notably Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and influential security chief Ali Larijani.

Spain closes airspace for military flights in the Iran war

dpa | The Spanish government has closed the country’s airspace to all aircraft linked to the US and Israeli war against Iran. This measure “is part of the decision of the Spanish government not to participate and not to support this war that has begun unilaterally and which violates international law,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Carlos Cuerpo in an interview with the radio station “Cadena Ser”.

The newspaper had previously reported that the ban not only affects take-offs from Spanish soil, but also the overflight of military aircraft that operate from bases in Great Britain or France The Country and the Europa Press news agency reported, citing the left-leaning government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Madrid is one of the harshest critics of US and Israeli military operations in Europe. Sánchez keeps saying: “No to war!” Shortly after the start of the war, the socialist politician banned the USA from using the Rota and Morón military bases for operations against Iran almost a month ago. These bases in Andalusia in the south of the country have been operated jointly by Spain and the USA for decades.

Iran expels 1,200 Emirati citizens

dpa | Against the backdrop of the war, the Iranian government is expelling 1,200 citizens of the United Arab Emirates. Their residence permits have been revoked, the online portal Nurnews reported, citing the judiciary. They were instructed to leave Iran within a week. The Emirates had previously forced Iranians to leave the country. The already tense relations between Iran and the Emirates escalated after the start of the war. Since then, Iranian forces have fired almost daily at targets in the Gulf state as part of their retaliatory attacks.

Poland: Fuel price cut coming on Tuesday

dpa | Poland’s government expects new laws to reduce fuel prices from Tuesday to bring relief to consumers. The Ministry of Energy is currently still collecting data from wholesalers in order to set the currently permitted maximum price on this basis, said Deputy Energy Minister Wojciech Wrochna to the broadcaster Rmf.fm. “On Tuesday morning, the maximum price that all providers must adhere to should already be in force.” The government expects the price of petrol and diesel to fall by the equivalent of 28 cents per liter.

On Friday, President Karol Nawrocki signed a fuel price package from the center-left government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The laws provide for a reduction in VAT for fuel from 23 percent to 8 percent. The Energy Minister also has the opportunity to reduce the amount of energy tax on fuel by the end of June. The government has already announced a reduction to the minimum permitted under EU law of the equivalent of just under seven cents per liter of petrol and diesel.

In addition, there will be a maximum retail fuel price set daily by the Energy Minister based on the average wholesale prices and operating costs of the largest suppliers. Violations can be punished with fines of up to 230,000 euros.

In Poland, fuel is generally much cheaper than in Germany. Shortly after the start of the war in the Middle East, this led to significant tank tourism in the border regions. But prices in Germany’s neighboring country have also risen sharply in recent weeks. This emerges from data from the EU Commission, which publishes average prices for countries once a week.

Ifo: Companies want to increase prices because of the Iran war

dpa | According to the Ifo Institute, significantly more companies in Germany want to increase their prices because of the consequences of the Iran war. The corresponding indicator climbed five points to its highest value since March 2023, as the Ifo Institute in Munich announced. “Price pressure in Germany is increasing noticeably again,” said Ifo expert Klaus Wohlrabe. “High energy prices are likely to increase inflation in the coming months.”

The USA and Israel have been attacking Iran for weeks, and the leadership in Tehran is in turn attacking the energy infrastructure in the Gulf states where US soldiers are stationed. In addition, the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large part of the world’s raw material transports is shipped, is de facto closed. As a result, prices for crude oil, fuel, gas and electricity are rising.

“Companies are increasingly passing on rising costs,” said Wohlrabe. “Energy prices will also have an impact on goods and services through higher production and transport costs.”

According to Ifo, price expectations are rising particularly sharply in industry and the construction sector. Consumer-related service providers, such as catering, retail or health, also increased their price expectations significantly. “The results show that price pressure is increasing again across many industries,” emphasized the Ifo Institute.

Iran executes two opposition figures

rtr | According to a report by state media, two men close to the opposition have been executed in Iran. The judiciary news portal reports that they had connections to the People’s Mujahideen organization and were convicted of planning armed attacks in Tehran. The portal does not provide any details about the time of the arrest of the two men.

Sharp falls in prices in Tokyo and Seoul

dpa | The stock exchanges in East Asia began the trading week with significant price losses in the wake of the escalating Iran war. The Japanese leading index Nikkei 225 collapsed at the start of trading and was around 3.2 percent in the red in the afternoon (local time). The South Korean Kospi also fell by almost 3.2 percent. The losses were somewhat milder in Hong Kong, where the Hang Seng Index was down around 0.9 percent in the early afternoon.

The markets are reacting to the continued rise in oil prices. The price for a barrel (159 liters) of North Sea Brent for delivery in May is currently around $115 and is approaching its interim high of $119.50 reached three weeks ago. East Asian economies, particularly Japan and South Korea, rely heavily on oil supplies via the currently almost closed Strait of Hormuz off Iran.

Two drones intercepted from Yemen

ap | The Israeli military says it intercepted two drones from Yemen early Monday morning. The Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on Israel on Saturday for the first time since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Attacks on soldiers in West Bank foiled

ap | The Israeli military says it has foiled two attacks on soldiers in the occupied West Bank. The military said early Monday morning that Israeli soldiers opened fire on two men who were considered a threat. In the two separate incidents, one of the men was killed and one was “neutralized,” it said.

According to the statement, one of the men ran towards soldiers with a knife near Dura in the southern Palestinian territory and was killed. The other accelerated his car near a village north of Jerusalem and drove towards Israeli soldiers, who then opened fire.

Brent is approaching $120

dpa | Oil prices rose at the start of the fifth week of trading after the start of the Iran war. The price for a barrel (159 liters) of North Sea Brent for delivery in May rose by up to four percent to almost $117 on Monday night. This brought the oil price back closer to its interim high of $119.50, which was reached three weeks ago. Early in the morning the price was $115.55, 2.7 percent higher than at the end of last week.

Since the start of the Iran war, the Brent reference grade has risen in price by almost 60 percent. The prices of other types of oil have also risen sharply since Israel and the United States attacked Iran. A barrel of the US WTI variety costs a little more than $100 on Monday morning – just over 50 percent more than before the start of the Iran war. The price surge has consequences for the economy and consumers worldwide, including fuel costs that have skyrocketed.

UN peacekeeper killed by shell in southern Lebanon

afp | A blue helmet soldier was killed when a projectile exploded in a position belonging to the UN mission in Lebanon (Unifil). The UN soldier was killed on Sunday evening when “a shell exploded in a Unifil position near Ajit al-Kusair,” Unifil said on Monday morning. Another UN soldier was critically injured. According to the government in Jakarta, the fatality was an Indonesian soldier.

“We don’t know the origin of the bullet,” Unifil said. An investigation has been launched to clarify the circumstances of the explosion. The UN mission expressed shock at the death of the peacekeeper: “No one should ever lose their life while working for peace.”

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry later confirmed that an Indonesian peacekeeper had been killed near Ajit al-Kusair. In online services, the ministry in Jakarta spoke of three injured soldiers and called for an investigation into the incident. The security and protection of UN peacekeepers must be guaranteed “at all times”.

The Lebanese state news agency NNA had previously reported that the position hit belonged to an Indonesian Unifil battalion. The city of Ajit al-Kusair is located near the border with Israel.

Israel reports rocket fire and attacks on Tehran

ap | The Israeli military has carried out new air strikes on Iran. “Military infrastructure” in various parts of the capital Tehran was being attacked, the military announced on Monday morning. The army had previously reported the first Iranian rocket fire of the day on Israel. Sirens blared near Israel’s main nuclear research center. The area has been the target of repeated attacks in recent days. There were also two rocket alarms in Bahrain until the morning.

Australia cuts fuel taxes

ap | Australia wants to halve taxes on petrol and diesel and abolish a tax on heavy-duty vehicles to cushion the economic impact of the war in the Middle East. The government announced on Monday that the tax relief would probably cost the federal government 2.55 billion Australian dollars (around 1.52 billion euros) within three months. The fuel tax cut will come into effect on Wednesday, it said.

Israeli military attacks infrastructure in Tehran

rtr | According to its own statements, the Israeli military is currently attacking the Iranian leadership’s infrastructure throughout the city of Tehran.

Trump reports destruction of further targets in Iran

dpa | The US military has attacked and destroyed several key targets in Iran, according to President Donald Trump. “Great day in Iran,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Many long-standing targets have been eliminated and destroyed by the “great” US military, the best and deadliest in the world, he said. However, Trump did not provide any further details.

Indian worker killed in Kuwait

rtr | An Indian worker has died in an Iranian attack on a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait, authorities said. In addition, one of the plant’s operating buildings was damaged, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity and Water announced on the online platform X ‌.

Trump suggests Tehran’s widespread approval of the 15-point plan

ap | US President Donald Trump has suggested that Tehran would agree to a 15-point US plan to end the war. When asked whether Iran had responded to his proposal, Trump replied on board the government plane Air Force One: “You gave us the most points. Why not?” The Republican did not elaborate on the Islamic Republic’s alleged concessions.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced early talks between Iran and the US on the war in the Middle East on Sunday. Pakistan will be the host country for the talks. Dar initially did not provide any information as to whether the conversation format would be direct or indirect.

Trump sees progress in indirect talks with Iran

rtr | According to a newspaper report, the indirect talks between the USA and Iran through Pakistani mediators are progressing well, according to US President Donald Trump. A ceasefire agreement ‌could be reached fairly quickly, the newspaper reports Financial Times citing Trump’s statements. In addition, Iran is now allowing 20 oil tankers flying the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, twice as many as before. This was approved by the President of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Trump speculates about taking over Charg Island

ap | US President Donald Trump has speculated about US troops taking over the Iranian island of Kharg. “Maybe we’ll take Charg, maybe we won’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump said Financial Times in an interview published on Monday night. “That would also mean we would have to be there for a while.”

The island in the Persian Gulf is the Islamic Republic’s most important oil port. Before the war, almost all of Iran’s crude oil exports were handled through the tanker terminal there.

High diesel prices are a burden on local transport companies

dpa | In view of the sharp rise in fuel prices, the Association of German Transport Companies is warning of cuts in local public transport services in local authorities. “The sharp rise in diesel prices is hitting transport companies in Germany in an already economically tense situation,” said the public transport managing director at VDV, Alexander Möller, when asked by the German Press Agency. “The industry will no longer be able to absorb the additional burdens on its own.”

The companies are confronted with additional monthly costs amounting to six figures. The federal and state governments are now required to help companies and find quick solutions to the situation. “Only with political support can supply and ticket prices in public transport remain stable,” emphasized Möller.

The Association of Baden-Württemberg Bus Companies (WBO) is also calling for this – and is warning against the loss of bus routes, especially in rural regions. “We are facing a serious threat to mobility in the country,” said WBO managing director Yvonne Hüneburg. Companies would not be able to absorb costs of this magnitude on their own.

Iran allows 20 ships to sail through Strait of Hormuz

ap | According to US President Donald Trump, Iran has agreed to allow 20 ships loaded with oil to travel through the Strait of Hormuz. This will start on Monday morning and last for a few days, the Republican explained on Monday night on board the government plane Air Force One. It is a “sign of respect” from Tehran.

“All I can say is that we are making very good progress in this negotiation, but you never know what will happen with Iran. We negotiate with them, and in the end we have to blow them up again,” Trump said.

IAEA: Heavy water reactor hit in Iran

dpa | According to findings by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran’s Chondab research reactor was severely damaged by shelling. The heavy water reactor, formerly called Arak, was no longer operational, the authority based in Vienna explained on Platform X. It cited, among other things, satellite images and its own knowledge of the facility. The facility does not contain any declared nuclear material. Iran reported the attack on the reactor on March 27, it said. Israel and the USA have been at war against the country for a month.

Houthi militia drones intercepted

dpa | The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen has again attacked Israel with drones. The Israeli army announced last night that two drones from Yemen had been intercepted. The sirens had previously blared in the area of the port city of Eilat on the Red Sea in southern Israel.

The Islamist Houthi militia joined Tehran on Saturday in the war against Iran that was started a month ago by Israel and the USA. The Houthis fired rockets and drones at Israel at short intervals, but according to the Israeli army, all of them were intercepted.

Over 100,000 civilian facilities damaged in Iran

dpa | According to the latest figures from the Red Crescent, more than 100,000 civilian facilities were damaged or destroyed in the Israeli-American attacks in Iran. In the capital Tehran alone, almost 40,000 residential buildings and business units were hit. In addition, around 600 schools and almost 300 health centers have been attacked in the past four weeks, the Red Crescent announced on the X platform. The information cannot be independently verified.

There is no current information on the number of deaths. Iran’s Health Ministry said earlier this week that more than 1,900 people had been killed since the war began on February 28 this year, including 240 women and over 200 children. In the same period, more than 24,800 people were injured.

US oil association urges opening of Hormuz Strait

ap | The head of the US oil and gas industry’s most important lobbying association is urging rapid steps to open the Strait of Hormuz. This is the only solution in view of rising consumer prices and energy costs, said Mike Sommers, President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute (API), to the US broadcaster Fox News.

Sommers spoke out in favor of targeted measures against the Iranian leadership in order to achieve the goal. Otherwise the problem will get worse over time. The longer the trade route remains blocked, the higher prices will rise, Sommers warned. He is also concerned about the intervention of the Yemeni Houthi militia in the conflict.

Netanyahu orders expansion of buffer zone

afp | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered an expansion of the buffer zone in Lebanon to protect Israeli towns. Netanyahu said in a video message on Sunday that he had instructed the Israeli army to “further expand” the existing security zone in the northern neighboring country. This is intended to “finally neutralize the threat of an invasion” by the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia and prevent the shelling of the border with anti-tank missiles.

During a visit to soldiers, Netanyahu said Hezbollah still had “remaining capacity” to fire rockets at Israel. However, the militia was badly hit by the Israeli armed forces. “Iran is no longer the same Iran, Hezbollah is no longer the same Hezbollah and Hamas is no longer the same Hamas,” he said. “These are no longer terrorist armies threatening our existence – they are defeated enemies fighting for their survival.”

Pakistan’s foreign minister announces US-Iranian talks

ap | Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has announced early talks between Iran and the US on the war in the Middle East. Pakistan will be the host country for the talks, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday. He initially did not provide any information as to whether the conversation format would be direct or indirect. There were initially no comments from Tehran and Washington.

Pakistan is pleased that both Iran and the US have expressed confidence in Pakistan’s role in facilitating the talks that will take place in the “coming days”, Dar said in a televised address after several foreign ministers from the Middle East region met in Islamabad for talks on the conflict.

Dar said the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia supported Pakistan’s peace efforts. Observers expected another meeting on Monday.

Iran warns USA against deploying ground troops

dpa | Iran has warned the US against a ground offensive. “Don’t doubt for a moment the determination of our soldiers,” said Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, according to the state news agency Irna. Iran is sure that it can punish the USA and make it repent so that it will no longer dare to attack the country. We are in a “great world war,” said Ghalibaf.

He also expressed skepticism about attempts at mediation. The US signaled its willingness to negotiate, but was secretly planning a ground offensive, said Ghalibaf. According to the state broadcaster Irib, the spokesman for the Iranian armed forces said that a ground offensive or occupation of part of Iranian territory was a “pipe dream” and that such an action was just waiting for.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commented on a possible ground offensive in a much sharper tone. “With such an action, (US President Donald) Trump would throw American troops to the sharks in the Persian Gulf,” the IRGC said on state broadcaster Irib. Trump is a “lying person without psychological balance” and is directly responsible for the current misery and the resulting damage.

US media had previously reported that the US military had prepared plans for a possible deployment with ground troops in Iran. At the same time, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are trying to de-escalate the situation at a meeting of foreign ministers in Islamabad.