Israel launches new wave of strikes on Iran with no sign of diplomatic breakthrough

Israel launches new wave of strikes on Iran with no sign of diplomatic breakthrough 1 of 5 | Relatives grieve an Iraqi soldier killed in a strike Wednesday on a military clinic in western Iraq’s Anbar province, during a mass procession inside the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil) 2 of 5 | Pro-government supporters chant slogans and wave Iranian flags during a rally, in a square in western Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) 3 of 5 | A woman holds a picture of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during a pro-government gathering in a square in western Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) 4 of 5 | A girl holds a toy gun during a protest outside Iran’s embassy, where dozens of people gathered waving Hezbollah and Iranian flags in solidarity with the Islamic Republic, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) 5 of 5 | A woman holds a portrait of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a protest outside Iran’s embassy, where dozens of people gathered waving Hezbollah and Iranian flags in solidarity with the Islamic Republic, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) 1 of 5 Relatives grieve an Iraqi soldier killed in a strike Wednesday on a military clinic in western Iraq’s Anbar province, during a mass procession inside the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 2 of 5 Pro-government supporters chant slogans and wave Iranian flags during a rally, in a square in western Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 3 of 5 A woman holds a picture of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during a pro-government gathering in a square in western Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 4 of 5 A girl holds a toy gun during a protest outside Iran’s embassy, where dozens of people gathered waving Hezbollah and Iranian flags in solidarity with the Islamic Republic, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 5 of 5 A woman holds a portrait of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a protest outside Iran’s embassy, where dozens of people gathered waving Hezbollah and Iranian flags in solidarity with the Islamic Republic, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran early Friday ahead of a planned U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure, while Iran and the United States appeared at a diplomatic impasse, setting the stage for potential escalation as the first month of the Middle East war neared its end. The U.S. has been pushing Iran to start talks on a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire, but at the same time has ordered thousands more troops to the region, possibly in preparation for a military attempt to wrest the Strait of Hormuz from Iran’s tight grip. With time running out on a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran to open the strait, after which he had threatened to destroy Iran’s energy plants, he pushed his self-imposed deadline back to April 6 on Thursday. Israel’s attack Friday on targets “in the heart of Tehran” targeted sites used by Iran to produce ballistic missiles and other weapons, the Israeli military said. It also hit missile launchers and storage sites in western Iran.Smoke also rose over Beirut, although Israel did not immediately report hitting the Lebanese capital, while air raid sirens sounded in Israel as the military said it was working to intercept Iranian missiles. Iran kept firing missiles and drones at its Gulf Arab neighbors, with sirens warning of attacks in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait said its Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait City had sustained “material damage” in attack but that nobody was hurt. After Wall Street’s worst day since the war began, Asian shares mostly fell Friday over growing doubts about the chances of de-escalation. Oil prices rose again, the Brent crude, the international standard, at $107 a barrel in morning trading, up more than 45% since Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran on Feb. 28 to start the war. US pushing diplomatic solution but sending more troops to the regionIran’s stranglehold on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, has caused growing concerns of a global energy crisis, and appears part of a strategy to get the U.S. to back down by roiling the world economy. A Gulf Arab bloc said Thursday that Iran is now exacting tolls from ships to ensure their safe passage through the waterway.Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington has delivered a 15-point “action list” to Iran for a possible ceasefire, using Pakistan as an intermediary. The list includes restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and re-opening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has rejected the U.S. offer and put forth its own five-point proposal, which includes reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.As the diplomatic efforts went on, a group of U.S. ships drew closer to the region with some 2,500 Marines. Also, at least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne — trained to land in hostile territory to secure key territory and airfields — have been ordered to the region.As American and Israeli attacks on Iran continued, the U.N. Security Council scheduled closed consultation on Iran for Friday in New York, according to two U.N. diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting is not public. They added that Russia had asked for the meeting on U.S.-Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure in the country, that the United States, which holds the Security Council presidency, had scheduled it.Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said the humanitarian organization’s workers in Iran have reported to him that “countless homes, hospitals and schools have been damaged or destroyed,” and that nearly every neighborhood in Tehran has sustained damage.“Civilians are paying the highest price for this war — it must end” he said in a statement. “If this war continues, we risk a far wider humanitarian disaster,” he added. “Millions could be forced to flee across borders, placing immense pressure on an already overstretched region.” Deaths continue to climb, primarily in Iran and LebanonSince the war began, more than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran, according to the Health Ministry.Eighteen people have died in Israel, while at least three Israeli soldiers have also been killed in Lebanon. At least 13 American troops have been killed. Four people in the occupied West Bank and 20 in Gulf Arab states have also died.Authorities said more than 1,100 people have died in Lebanon. In Iraq, where Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have been killed.___Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. Rising covers regional Asia-Pacific stories for The Associated Press. He has worked around the world, including covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and was based for nearly 20 years in Berlin before moving to Bangkok.