A day of intensified strikes, diplomacy and market turbulence unfolded as the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran moved into its second month. President Trump issued fresh threats and oil prices spiked while combat, claims and counterclaims continued across the region.
Strikes and casualties
Iranian state media said a strike hit the B1 bridge in Karaj, west of Tehran, killing at least eight people and wounding 95. Many of the victims had been gathered under the still-under-construction bridge and along the riverbank for Nature Day; Iranian agencies reported a second hit while emergency teams were still responding. Iranian officials also reported damage to the Pasteur Institute medical research center in Tehran; Iran’s health authorities condemned the attack and appealed for international help to rebuild. A U.S. official told reporters the strike on Pasteur was not carried out by U.S. forces, and the Israeli Defense Forces said it was not aware of striking the site.
Trump’s warnings and social posts
On social media, President Trump warned that ‘our military … hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran,’ and suggested bridges would be next, followed by electric power plants. He posted video he said showed a major Iranian bridge damaged and urged Tehran to negotiate. In a prime-time address the prior night, he said U.S. forces would sustain ‘extremely hard’ strikes for another two to three weeks and reiterated threats to target Iran’s energy infrastructure unless Tehran reached a deal.
Iranian responses
Iranian leaders denounced threats to civilian infrastructure. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said attacks on unfinished bridges and other civilian structures would not force Iranians to surrender and would harm America’s global standing. Iran’s combined military command called U.S. assessments of Iran’s capabilities ‘incomplete’ and promised ‘more crushing, broader and more destructive’ responses. The commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force dismissed threats to reduce Iran to the ‘stone ages’ as a ‘Hollywood illusion’ and warned such attacks would cost American lives. Iran’s parliamentary speaker urged citizens to defend the country and said some 7 million people had declared readiness to take up arms.
Military developments and claims
CENTCOM denied Iranian claims that Tehran shot down a U.S. fighter jet, saying all U.S. fighter aircraft were accounted for and noting Iran has made similar false claims before. Iran’s army said it intercepted and destroyed two U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones near Shiraz; U.S. officials have said 16 MQ-9s have been lost during the war. Iran also claimed it has downed 154 U.S. and Israeli drones since the conflict began. The UAE and Jordan reported intercepting Iranian missiles and drones; Saudi Arabia said it intercepted four Iranian drones. Israel reported striking dozens of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon as Lebanon’s death toll from Israeli operations topped 1,300.
Regional and international diplomacy
More than 40 countries joined a virtual meeting on the Strait of Hormuz, with Britain and many partners urging the immediate and unconditional reopening of the vital shipping lane. Britain accused Iran of holding the global economy hostage by disrupting transit through the strait. The U.N. Security Council prepared to vote on a Bahraini resolution aimed at securing the waterway; the draft was significantly watered down after objections by Russia and China, and the final text authorized defensive—but not offensive—measures to ensure safe passage. The Gulf Cooperation Council secretary-general called on the Security Council to authorize force to protect the strait, while China blamed U.S. and Israeli strikes as the ‘root cause’ of the blockade. Pakistan said it is engaged in diplomacy to halt hostilities and is pursuing possible direct U.S.-Iran talks with regional backing. Austria said it refused U.S. requests to use its airspace, citing neutrality laws.
U.N. and global warnings
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned the conflict risks spiraling into a wider war that could engulf the Middle East and have severe global consequences, and he called for an immediate halt to strikes and counterstrikes.
Security alerts and on-the-ground incidents
The U.S. embassy in Baghdad warned that Iranian-aligned militias might attack central Baghdad within 24–48 hours and urged U.S. citizens to leave Iraq. The alert followed the abduction of American journalist Shelly Kittleson in Baghdad; Iraqi authorities said they had detained a suspect with alleged ties to Kata’ib Hezbollah. Iranian state TV reported repeated strikes on the B1 bridge and urged the public to avoid the site after emergency teams were targeted by a subsequent hit.
Economic effects: oil and markets
Oil futures jumped on the prospect of extended strikes and continued uncertainty over the conflict’s course. U.S. crude briefly rose nearly 12% to just over $112 per barrel for May delivery, while Brent climbed toward $109–$113 per barrel depending on the report. Global markets reacted sharply: stocks fell on renewed risk aversion, with the Dow plunging more than 600 points at one point before recovering some losses. Asian markets were particularly hard hit and U.S. futures traded lower ahead of the next session. Pakistan raised domestic fuel prices sharply—gas by 42.7% and diesel by 54.9%—citing soaring global energy costs.
Other developments
The U.S. Rewards for Justice program offered up to $3 million for information about attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq. Delegations in the virtual Hormuz talks emphasized political and diplomatic means to reopen the route; the U.S. did not attend that specific meeting. Reports continued of missile salvos at Israel, with at least two people wounded by shrapnel in northern Israel.
Political reactions and public appeals
Some U.S. lawmakers criticized the administration’s approach; Sen. Chris Murphy warned the U.S. was ‘losing this war’ and predicted rising regional influence for Iran and destabilizing global costs. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian published an open letter in English appealing to Americans, arguing that strikes on Iran’s infrastructure hurt ordinary people, risk public health, and carry wider consequences.
Outlook
The situation remained fluid, with ongoing strikes, claims and diplomatic moves keeping global markets on edge. U.N. and regional actors pressed for measures to secure maritime routes and prevent broader escalation even as both sides traded threats and reported battlefield developments.