Iran vows to 'exact heavy price' after Israeli strikes on steel factories and nuclear sites

US President Donald Trump announced an emergency order in Washington DC to permit the sale of E-15 fuel, aiming to help lower gasoline prices amid global supply pressures caused by the West Asia crisis.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is investigating damage at Iran’s Shahid Rezayee Nejad Yellow Cake Production Facility in Yazd province following a reported strike. The agency said on X that no off-site radiation increase has been detected.

The incident comes after US and Israeli forces carried out multiple attacks on Iranian industrial and nuclear sites on Friday, hours after Israel warned it would “escalate and expand” operations against Tehran.

US and Israeli air strikes on Kermanshah Province in western Iran killed at least 20 people and injured dozens more on Friday, according to a provincial security official cited by state media.

Tasnim news agency reported that the strikes targeted residential areas in three separate locations, with victims including children, women, and a pregnant woman. An initial attack in the village of Karkhaneh killed at least seven, while two further strikes in the provincial capital, Kermanshah, claimed 13 lives. Rescue teams reportedly pulled at least four residents from the rubble in the aftermath.

The United Nations atomic watchdog repeated its call on Friday for “restraint” in the Middle East war after Israel struck two Iranian nuclear facilities, including a uranium processing plant.

“IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reiterates (his) call for military restraint to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said on X, reporting “no increase in off-site radiation levels” at the Shahid Rezayee Nejad Yellow Cake Production Facility.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday that if the energy crisis sparked by the Middle East war dragged on, Germany might have to keep running coal-fired power plants longer than planned.

Germany has committed as part of its climate plans to gradually shutting down plants fired by anthracite and lignite and complete the coal phase-out by 2038 at the latest.

“If the energy crisis continues and a shortage actually occurs, we may even have to keep existing coal-fired power plants online for longer,” Merz told a forum in Frankfurt organised by the FAZ newspaper.

“We have to supply this country with electricity. I am not prepared to jeopardise the core of our industry just because we have decided on phase-out plans that have become unrealistic.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday Tehran would exact a “HEAVY price for Israeli crimes”, after attacks on two of the country’s largest steel factories and nuclear sites.

“Israel has hit 2 of Iran’s largest steel factories, a power plant, and civilian nuclear sites among other infrastructure. Israel claims it acted in coordination with the US,” said Araghchi in a social media post.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also warned employees of the region’s industrial sites “that have American shareholders as well as heavy industries allied with the Zionist regime… to leave their workplaces immediately” as they vowed to carry out retaliatory attacks.

Here are key facts and figures about the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route virtually paralysed by the West Asia war.

Around a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the waterway in peacetime.

The war erupted on February 28 when the United States and Israel began bombing Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with strikes across the region and sharply restrict access to the strait.

– 34 ships approved by Iran –

Recent crossings appeared to have mainly used a route apparently approved by Iran around Larak Island just off the country’s coast, dubbed the “Tehran toll booth” by leading shipping journal Lloyd’s List.

The journal’s senior risk and compliance analyst Bridget Diakun told AFP Wednesday it had tracked 34 ships using the corridor overall.

Lloyd’s List had earlier identified them as mostly Greek- and Chinese-owned, plus others Indian-, Pakistani- and Syrian-owned.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Friday that they had turned back three ships trying to transit the strait, adding that the route was closed to vessels travelling to and from ports linked to its “enemies”.

– 95% shipping drop –

Seven vessels were detected crossing the strait heading west on Thursday, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.

Two of them were loaded liquid petroleum gas carriers. Two others were dry bulk carriers transporting corn and reported Iran’s Bandar Imam Khomeini port as their destination.

The channel typically sees around 120 daily transits, according to shipping industry intelligence site Lloyd’s List.

From March 1 to 26, commodities carriers made just 169 crossings, according to Kpler — a decrease of 95 percent.

Of these, 108 were by oil tankers and gas carriers and most were travelling east out of the strait.

– No reported incidents this week –

Since March 1, 2026, 24 commercial vessels, including 11 tankers, have been attacked or reported incidents in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz or the Gulf of Oman, according to the British naval maritime security agency UKMTO.

No incidents have been logged since March 22, when the bulk carrier Phoenix reported an explosion next to the ship in Emirati waters, according to the UKMTO.

Across all types of vessels, an additional four attacks claimed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have not been confirmed by international authorities.

– Eight sea workers killed –

Since the conflict began, at least eight seafarers or dock workers have died in incidents in the region, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

A further four remained missing and 10 were injured.

Around 20,000 seafarers are affected in the region, according to the IMO.

– Oil, gas ships signal –

Around 2,240 vessels have sent transponder signals in the Gulf west of the Strait of Hormuz in the past day, according to Bloomberg data.

Of those, 294 were tankers, including 83 crude oil and oil products tankers, 12 liquified natural gas tankers and 32 liquified petroleum gas tankers.

– 46% sanctioned ships –

Since the war started, 46 percent of the crossings have been by ships under US, EU or UK sanctions, according to an AFP analysis of passage data.

Of the crossings by oil and gas tankers, 60 percent were by vessels under sanctions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday he expected Washington’s war objectives in Iran to be completed in the next two weeks, regardless of whether the United States sends ground troops.

“When we are done with them here in the next couple weeks, they will be weaker than they’ve been in recent history,” Rubio told reporters in Paris after G7 talks.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday he expected Washington’s war objectives in Iran to be completed in the next two weeks, regardless of whether the United States sends ground troops.

“When we are done with them here in the next couple weeks, they will be weaker than they’ve been in recent history,” Rubio told reporters in Paris after G7 talks.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday he had made progress with allies in opposing Iranian threats to start “tolling” vessels that pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

“Not only is this illegal, it’s unacceptable, it’s dangerous to the world, and it’s important that the world have a plan to confront it,” Rubio told reporters in Paris after a G7 meeting, where he said he found “a lot of buy-in” to opposing the Iranian plan.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that Washington may reconsider its military commitments, raising the possibility of diverting weapons originally intended for Ukraine to support operations in the Iran war.

The comments come amid growing strain on US munitions stockpiles, with reports that the Pentagon is weighing whether to redirect key systems—such as air defence interceptors—from Ukraine to the Middle East.

The Israeli military confirmed on Friday it had struck a heavy water plant in Arak, central Iran, after Iranian media said US-Israeli strikes hit the Khondab complex.

“A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force… struck the heavy water plant in Arak, central Iran,” the military said in a statement, describing the site as a “key plutonium production site for nuclear weapons”.

The US-Israeli war against Iran is unlikely to lead to “regime change”, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday, as the month-long conflict showed no signs of abating.

“Is regime change really the goal?” he said at a forum in Frankfurt organised by the FAZ newspaper. “If that’s the goal, I don’t think you’ll achieve it. It’s mostly gone wrong” in past conflicts, he said, pointing to the Afghanistan war.

G7 foreign ministers on Friday stressed the “absolute necessity” of restoring safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran continues to restrict movement through the vital waterway.

In a statement issued after talks in France, the group also called for an “immediate cessation of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” while emphasising the need to limit the war’s impact on regional partners and critical systems.

US President Donald Trump has threatened strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure if the strait is not reopened, though he has extended his self-imposed deadline to April 6. Allies signalled willingness to support efforts to secure the route but maintained that de-escalation must come first. Iran has meanwhile reportedly considered legislation to impose tolls on vessels transiting the channel.

The ministers also highlighted the need for coordination to mitigate global economic shocks, including disruptions to energy, fertilizer and commercial supply chains, and stressed the importance of humanitarian efforts.

The World Food Programme said rising energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict are set to push global food insecurity higher, with low-income countries most at risk.

The agency said its latest estimate builds on a baseline of 318 million people across 68 countries forecast to face acute hunger in 2026, incorporating updated data from 53 countries. It warned that fuel-driven cost increases are having the biggest impact on food prices, while per capita incomes in poorer nations have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels.

Food prices have already risen by 15% in a dozen countries and by more than half in Venezuela, Iran and Sudan, the WFP said, adding that strained government finances are limiting the ability to respond.

EU energy ministers will hold video talks on the fallout from the Iran war early next week, as high oil prices remain a source of worry, officials said Friday.

“The topic of discussion is the security of energy supply due to the Middle East crisis,” said a spokesperson for Cyprus, which holds the EU rotating presidency, announcing the Tuesday talks.

The war — approaching the one-month mark Saturday and showing no sign of ending soon — has roiled markets and triggered a surge in energy prices.

The European Commission has repeatedly said supplies are not an issue at this stage for the 27-nation bloc, but high prices are a matter of concern.

US-Israeli strikes hit a heavy water reactor in central Iran, Iranian media reported on Friday.

“The Khondab Heavy Water Complex was targeted in two stages by aggression from the American and Zionist enemy,” said Fars news agency, citing Hassan Ghamari, an official in the central Markazi province.

Fars and other media said there were no casualties or radiation leak from the site.

Iranian officials said Friday that the Arak nuclear facility was targeted in an attack, according to state media reports.

An official in Markazi Province said the strike was carried out by US and Israeli forces, adding that no casualties were reported due to precautionary safety measures. The incident came shortly after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings in Farsi to civilians in areas near the facility, including zones northwest of Arak and the Khir Abad Industrial Zone, citing planned strikes on military infrastructure.

More than 300 US service members have been wounded since the start of combat operations targeting Iran, a defence official said, with the majority suffering traumatic brain injuries.

As of Friday, 303 troops have been injured—up from about 290 reported earlier in the week—with over 75% of cases linked to brain injuries. Of those wounded, 273 have since returned to duty, while 10 remain seriously injured.

Foreign ministers from the G7 nations on Friday called for an immediate end to attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure in the Iran war, warning of wider regional and global consequences.

In a joint statement issued after talks in France, the ministers stressed the need to minimise the conflict’s impact on civilian populations, regional partners and key infrastructure. They also highlighted the importance of coordination to mitigate global economic shocks, including disruptions to energy, fertilizer and commercial supply chains.

The group further reiterated the need to restore safe, toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global trade and energy supplies.

Iran-linked hackers have claimed responsibility for breaching the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel, publishing material they say was taken from his inbox.

The group, calling itself Handala Hack Team, said Patel had joined a list of “successfully hacked victims,” releasing images and what appeared to be documents including a résumé. A US Justice Department official confirmed that Patel’s emails were compromised, though details were not disclosed. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of all the leaked material, which appeared to include a mix of personal and work correspondence dating from 2010 to 2019.

Germany has called on Iran to engage in “serious negotiations” with the United States, its foreign minister said at a G7 meeting in France, as diplomatic prospects remain uncertain amid the escalating conflict.

The appeal comes as European allies push for a negotiated resolution to the war, even as divisions persist with Washington over strategy. German officials have stressed that a diplomatic solution is essential to prevent further escalation and stabilise the region.

US-Israeli air strikes on Thursday damaged two of Iran’s major steel facilities, according to Iranian state media.

The attacks targeted the Khuzestan Steel complex in the southwest and the Mobarakeh Steel plant in Isfahan in separate strikes, the Fars news agency reported, with state broadcaster IRIB also confirming the incidents. Rescue teams were dispatched to both sites, though the extent of the damage and any casualties were not immediately clear.

At least 18 people have been killed and 10 others wounded in a US-Israeli strike on a residential area in the Iranian city of Qom, according to a security adviser to the provincial governor.

The attack targeted three homes in the Pardisan neighbourhood overnight, with the death toll rising sharply from an earlier figure of six. The strike marks one of the deadliest reported incidents in the city during the ongoing conflict.

The Centre’s ₹10 per litre excise duty cut on petrol and diesel is helping stabilise retail fuel prices amid a sharp rise in global crude oil costs driven by geopolitical tensions.

While the move reduces government tax revenues, it has not translated into cheaper prices at the pump. Instead, it offsets higher base costs and mounting losses faced by oil marketing companies, keeping prices unchanged in Delhi at ₹94.77 per litre for petrol and ₹87.67 for diesel. The latest breakdown of fuel pricing shows how tax adjustments are being used to absorb global shocks rather than pass them on to consumers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a meeting with Chief Ministers through video conferencing on the West Asia conflict to review state preparedness and plans. Chief Ministers of poll-bound states are not attending the meeting. The Model Code of Conduct is in force in these states.

The government had convened an all-party meeting on the West Asia crisis earlier this week. PM Modi also made a statement on the West Asia crisis in the two Houses of Parliament. The conflict in West Asia between Israel-US and Iran started on February 28 and has caused energy supply disruptions.

Two Chinese container ships turned backed after trying to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, ship-tracking data showed, despite assurances from Iran that Chinese vessels could pass.

The operator, China’s COSCO, had said in a March 25 client advisory that it had resumed bookings for general cargo containers for shipments from Asia to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq.

The CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Arctic Ocean, both Hong Kong flagged, have been stuck in the Gulf since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28.

They attempted to pass through the strait at 0350 GMT on Friday but then turned back, analysis from the Kpler data platform showed.

While this was the first crossing attempted by a major shipping group since the start of the war, Friday’s incident showed “safe passage could not be guaranteed”, Kpler analyst Rebecca Gerdes said.

On Wednesday, Tehran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in a Tweet that Iran “permitted passage through the Strait of Hormuz for friendly nations including China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan”.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a veiled warning to the United States on Thursday, as Washington deploys amphibious warships and thousands of Marines and sailors to the region.

In a post on X, Ghalibaf questioned US capabilities, saying Washington “can’t even protect its own soldiers at its bases in the region,” as tensions rise over a potential escalation of the conflict.

The remarks came as the White House said President Donald Trump is not planning to send ground troops for now. However, reports citing US officials say the Pentagon has drawn up contingency plans for a possible next phase of the war, including scenarios involving the deployment of troops to seize targets in Iran.

The UN rights chief urged Washington to conclude its investigation into a fatal strike on a primary school in Iran at a UN Human Rights Council meeting on Friday, with some states voicing outrage over the incident.

The emergency debate at the Geneva council was called by Iran to discuss the attack on the Shajareh ​Tayyebeh School which Tehran says killed more than 175 children and teachers on the first day of the nearly month-long regional war which began with joint US-Israeli strikes.

Reuters ​was first to report on March 5 that U.S. military investigators believed it ​was likely that U.S. forces were responsible but have not yet reached a final conclusion or completed their investigation. The Pentagon ​has since elevated the probe. Israel has also said it was investigating the incident.

UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk called for Washington to conclude its probe as soon as possible and publish the results.

“There must be justice for the terrible harm done,” he said by video link after meetings with U.S. officials in Washington this week.

India is moving to rebuild energy ties with Russia as the ongoing US-Iran conflict disrupts global supplies and drives up prices. New Delhi, which had earlier reduced Russian oil imports to ease tensions with Washington, is now in talks to resume direct purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and potentially increase crude imports.

The shift comes as West Asia instability threatens India’s energy security, exposing the cost of earlier cuts in discounted Russian oil. Officials are also seeking a sanctions waiver from the US to facilitate renewed deals.

Beyond energy, Moscow is pushing for broader cooperation, including infrastructure and connectivity projects. Despite geopolitical pressures, India is prioritising national interest and reviving its long-standing partnership with Russia to secure stable energy supplies amid the crisis.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who spoke at G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting session in France, conveyed uncertainties arising from the conflict in West Asia and called for more resilient trade corridors and supply chains.

He highlighted the urgency of UNSC reforms, streamlining peacekeeping operations, and strengthening humanitarian supply chains.Interacting with media at the joint inter-ministerial meeting, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the External Affairs Minister had met his counterparts from France, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, the UK, Germany and Ukraine on the sidelines of G7 Summit.

Ukraine is close to clinching several security agreements — including with the UAE and Qatar — to counter Iranian attacks, its foreign minister said on Friday, adding that he saw scope to draw China into peace efforts to end the war with Russia.

“We have the situation in the Middle East so it is important not to lose the global attention on the Ukrainian case, because everything is interlinked,” Andrii Sybiha told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers meeting in France.

Kyiv is hoping to bolster support in its war against Russia, which is now in its fifth year, as the U.S. Israeli conflict with Iran raises uncertainty over whether Washington will restrict its military supplies.

India on Thursday said its energy sourcing decisions are guided by domestic needs, market dynamics and the global situation as it reiterated the need for safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Addressing a press conference, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi is “closely following” developments in the strategic waterway and stressed that transit should remain secure in line with international law.

He added that India’s approach—whether on sourcing from Russia or elsewhere—is shaped by the imperative to meet the needs of its 1.4 billion people, evolving market conditions and the broader global context, while directing specific procurement queries to the petroleum ministry.

India on Thursday voiced support for Bangladesh’s call for justice over the 1971 atrocities, while sharply criticising Pakistan for what it described as continued denial of its actions during Operation Searchlight.

Addressing a press conference, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the operation involved the “systematic and targeted killing of millions of innocent Bangladeshi people” and widespread sexual violence, forcing millions to flee to India. He added that the events “shook the conscience of the world,” and reiterated New Delhi’s support for Dhaka’s pursuit of accountability.

India said four LPG-laden ships have safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz and arrived in the country, even as tensions continue in the region.

Addressing a press conference, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi remains in close contact with all relevant countries to ensure secure maritime passage and safeguard its energy needs.

US, Iran talks in Pakistan? 

The United States and Iran are preparing for direct talks, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, adding it was “expected to take place in Pakistan very soon”, without revealing the source of the information.

G7 pressure 

G7 allies were pressing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for clarity on American plans for Iran at talks outside Paris.

The UK’s foreign minister Yvette Cooper urged a “swift resolution to this conflict that restores regional stability”.

Iran turns back ships 

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had turned back three ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, adding the route was closed to vessels travelling to and from ports linked to its “enemies”.

“The movement of any vessel ‘to and from’ ports of origin belonging to allies and supporters of the Zionist-American enemies, to any destination and through any corridor, is prohibited,” they said.

The Guards also urged civilians across the Middle East Friday to stay away from areas near US forces.

Ukraine-Saudi deal 

Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have signed an air defence agreement during President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the kingdom facing Iranian drone attacks, two senior officials told AFP.

“The point of the agreement is that Ukraine will support them in developing all the necessary components of air defence, which they currently lack,” one official said of the document which, according to another, was signed on Thursday.

Kuwait’s main port hit 

Kuwait’s main commercial port was damaged in a drone attack at dawn.

The Shuwaikh port was targeted “by enemy drones, preliminary reports revealed material damage but no human casualties”, the Kuwait port authority said in a statement on X.

Iran key sites damaged 

US and Israeli strikes on Iran have damaged at least 120 museums and cultural and historic sites across the country since the start of the war, the head of Tehran city council’s cultural heritage committee said.

“At least 120 museums, historical buildings and cultural sites across various provinces were directly targeted and sustained serious structural damage,” said Ahmad Alavi.

Iran warning to US soldiers 

Iran’s military has warned that hotels housing US soldiers across the region would be targets.

“When all the Americans (forces) go into a hotel, then from our perspective that hotel becomes American,” armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told state television.

School strike was ‘calculated’ 

Iran’s foreign minister branded a deadly strike on an Iranian school on the first day of the Middle East war as a “calculated” US assault.

The February 28 strike on an elementary school in Minab in which in which “more than 175 students and teachers were slaughtered in cold blood”, was a “calculated, phased assault,” Abbas Araghchi said.

UN Security Council meeting 

The UN Security Council will hold closed-door consultations on Friday to discuss attacks on Iran at Moscow’s request, Russian state media reported.

“The Russian Federation has requested closed-door consultations with the UN Security Council due to the ongoing strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran, including educational and healthcare facilities,” said Evgeny Uspensky, spokesman for Russia’s envoy to the United Nations, according to state news agency TASS.

Israeli strikes on Beirut

Lebanese media reported an Israeli strike hit Beirut’s southern suburbs early Friday, as AFP correspondents heard several explosions from the Hezbollah stronghold that Israel has repeatedly struck since war erupted this month.

Israel has previously issued sweeping evacuation warnings for the area, but provided no specific warning in advance of the strike on Tahouitet al-Ghadir.

Saudi Arabia intercepts drones

The Saudi defence ministry said it had “intercepted and destroyed” four drones over the kingdom’s east.