Dubai | Iran and the United States received a draft proposal late Sunday calling for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, two Mideast officials speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press.
The proposal comes from Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish mediators, hoping the 45-day window would provide enough time for talks to reach a permanent ceasefire. Iran and the US have not responded to the proposal, which was sent to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, the officials said.
The head of intelligence for Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed Monday in an attack targeting him, Iranian state media said. The Israeli military later confirmed the airstrike that killed Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi took place in Iran's capital, Tehran.
Strikes on cities across Iran killed more people on Monday, while in Israel's Haifa, victims were found dead in rubble following an attack.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday stepped up his threat to hit Iran's critical infrastructure hard if the country's government doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline.
Trump punctuated his threat with profanity in a social media post, saying Tuesday will be “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.”
The war began with joint US-Israel strikes on Feb. 28 and has killed thousands, shaken global markets, cut off key shipping routes and spiked fuel prices. Both sides have threatened and hit civilian targets, bringing warnings of possible war crimes from the United Nations and international law experts.
UN watchdog confirms strikes close to Bushehr nuclear facility
The United Nations nuclear watchdog on Monday confirmed recent strikes struck close to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, with one hitting just 75 metres (82 yards) from the facility's perimetre.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a social media post that its own analysis showed the plant was not damaged as of Sunday.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called for ceasing such attacks, which cause “a very real danger to nuclear safety.”
Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation has reported four attacks close to the facility since the war started Feb. 28. The last strike, on Saturday, killed a security guard and damaged a support building, the organisation said.
The Bushehr nuclear power plant uses low-enriched uranium from Russia, along with Russian technicians, to supply about 1,000 megawatts of power for Iran.
Israeli military says 4 people killed in Haifa strike were members of the same family
Israel's military confirmed four people found dead at the site of a missile strike in Haifa were members of the same family.
Search and rescue teams found two bodies underneath the rubble on Sunday. After 18 hours of digging, they found two more “deep under the debris” on Monday, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said.
He said the warhead that hit the building had not exploded on impact, complicating rescue efforts and posing a continued threat.
They were found after hours of overnight rescue efforts, the military said.
Israeli strike kills anti-Hezbollah politician in Lebanon
The hilly Christian town of Ain Saadeh, east of Beirut, was in shock Monday after an Israeli missile crashed into an apartment building, killing an anti-Hezbollah politician, his wife and another woman.
Israel said it targeted a Hezbollah militant, but the third-story apartment was empty.
The strike blew out the walls and windows of the floor below, killing Pierre Mouawad, an official in the Lebanese Forces, a Christian political party opposed to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, and his wife, Flavia Mouawad.
“This is the first time something like this has happened here,” family friend Nadine Naameh said. “We had always felt safe here.”
Neighbours wept outside the collapsed apartments as crews swept away the rubble.
“The people who live here are against violence. They don't want this war,” according to municipal official Pierre Said.
Israel said it was investigating “reports that several uninvolved individuals were harmed.”
Israel warns public against new Iranian missile barrage
Israel's military warned the public Monday morning of another missile barrage coming from Iran, the fifth such alert of the day.
