Iranian President Masoud Pezizian warned European leaders that any intervention in the war would have "dangerous consequences," an Iranian statement said after a phone call with European Council President Antonio Costa, CNN reported.
During the conversation, Pezeskian criticized what he described as the European Union's "negative and biased" stance toward US and Israeli military actions against Iran, stating that these attacks constitute a serious violation of international law and the principles that Europe claims to defend.
European countries have so far distanced themselves from the war, refusing to participate in offensive operations, although some are providing defensive support to the Gulf states. US President Donald Trump took to social media this morning to again criticize Europe for what he said was insufficient engagement.
Pezeshkian also said that Iran entered negotiations with the United States "in good faith," but that during those talks it was attacked again, which, according to him, shows that Washington has no real commitment to diplomacy.
He warned that "any further foreign intervention" in the conflict "under any pretext" would have dangerous consequences, according to an Iranian statement.
In a post on the X network, Costa stated that during his conversation with Pezeskian, he called for "de-escalation and restraint."
"There must be room for diplomacy," he said, adding that "broader security issues related to Iran" must be addressed at the same time.
The US State Department warned US citizens in Saudi Arabia to "monitor reports of threats to locations where US citizens gather," stating that "hotels and other gathering places, including US companies and educational institutions, may be potential targets," CNN reports.
A security alert issued today reiterated that US government employees have been ordered to remain in shelters, and the same is recommended for US citizens.
Previous warnings pointed to "threats to locations where US citizens gather," including hotels, but the latest warning is more specific, listing both businesses and educational institutions as possible targets.
Iran has retaliated against US and Israeli military actions by targeting US facilities. The US State Department earlier this month ordered non-essential personnel to leave Saudi Arabia.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said his country will stay out of a US-Israeli war against Iran unless Syria is subjected to aggression and there are no diplomatic solutions, the Guardian reports.
"Unless Syria is targeted by any side, it will remain outside any conflict," the Syrian president said at an event organized by the Chatham House think tank in London.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was receiving direct messages from US special envoy Steve Witkoff, but that they did not constitute negotiations, Qatari television Al Jazeera reported.
He added that the messages included threats or exchanged opinions delivered to him through "friends."
The United Kingdom said it was sending additional air defense systems to Gulf countries to support the "collective defense of allies."
"Vital air defence assets from the UK are being deployed to the Middle East to further support partners in the Gulf against Iran's aggressive missile and drone attacks that continue to plague the region," the UK Ministry of Defence said.
During a visit to the region, British Defense Secretary John Healy announced the decision to deploy the Sky Sabre air defense system in Saudi Arabia and extend the operations of British Typhoon aircraft in Qatar.
He added that a short-range air defense system has now been deployed in Bahrain, while a land-based air defense missile system has arrived in Kuwait.
"My message to our partners in the Gulf is: the best of Britain will help you defend your skies. We will stand with our long-term partners in the Middle East and continue to press for a swift resolution to this conflict," he concluded.
Qatar has warned that any escalation of war in the Middle East could further destabilize the region, including a possible US ground invasion of Iran.
Speaking in Doha today, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told CNN that he would not comment on the "operational strategies" of other countries, but that "any escalation beyond the current framework of the conflict threatens to further destabilize the region."
Al-Ansari added that the Gulf states have so far taken a united stance calling on all parties to de-escalate and end the conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin supported a peaceful resolution to the US and Israel's conflict with Iran during a telephone conversation with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Kremlin said today.
During the conversation, the Kremlin said both leaders "expressed serious concern over the continued deterioration of the military and political situation in the Middle East."
"They stressed the importance of ending hostilities as soon as possible and activating political and diplomatic efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict," the Kremlin said in a statement.
The Kremlin added that Russia "traditionally maintains friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all states in the region."
CNN reported earlier this month that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence on the locations and movements of US troops, ships and aircraft, citing multiple sources familiar with US intelligence reporting.
According to Iranian state media, recent US-Israeli strikes in Iran hit one of the largest cancer drug and anesthetic factories, as well as a newly built psychiatric hospital in Tehran.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) state television reported that the pharmaceutical factory was hit on Tuesday. Earlier in the week, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that a psychiatric hospital in Tehran suffered significant damage. At the time of the strike late Monday, the hospital's director told IRNA.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has condemned the deployment of Israeli troops in Lebanon as an "illegal invasion" that violates the integrity and sovereignty of that country, reports the Guardian.
"The government of Lebanon has banned Hezbollah, is taking action, is trying to take action against Hezbollah, their terrorist activities and threats to Israel, and that is the alleged reason for this invasion. That is why we condemn it," Carney told reporters at an event in Wakefield, Quebec.
China and Pakistan have agreed to promote a five-point proposal aimed at restoring peace in the Middle East after a month-long war.
A UN security source told AFP that Israeli fire killed an Indonesian peacekeeper over the weekend, after the UN mission said it was investigating the incident.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said a peacekeeper was killed on Sunday evening when a projectile of unknown origin “exploded at a UNIFIL position near Adchit al-Qusayr,” while two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in southern Lebanon the following day.
A source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity, that evidence had been identified that the source of Sunday's fire was an Israeli tank.
Pakistan is considering helping other countries' ships pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz, potentially by registering them under so-called "flags of convenience," two sources familiar with the situation told CNN.
“Flags of convenience” refers to the practice in the maritime industry of formally registering ships in a foreign country, often to avoid regulations or reduce taxes.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said last weekend that Iran was allowing the country to allow a total of 20 of its ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz "under the Pakistani flag."
However, one source said that Pakistan does not currently have that many ships blocked in the Persian Gulf, so it could provide safe passage for other ships, possibly those linked to China.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they would target US companies in the region starting April 1, in response to attacks on Iran, state media reported.
The list of 18 companies mentioned in the threat includes Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla and Boeing.
“These companies should expect the destruction of their individual units in response to any terrorist act in Iran, starting at 20pm Tehran time on Wednesday, April 1,” the statement, reported by the Guardian, said.
At least 125 children have been killed in Lebanon since the start of Israeli attacks on March 2, the country's health ministry said.
During the same period, 52 health workers were also killed, while at least 19 medical centers and 52 medical vehicles were attacked, the statement said.
They are among the thousands killed since the conflict in the Middle East began on February 28, according to a cumulative death toll released by regional authorities and reported by CNN.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health has announced that nine people have been killed and 137 injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon in the past 24 hours, reports the Guardian.
It is stated that according to this latest data, the total number of people killed in Israeli attacks since March 2 has risen to 1.247, while another 3.680 people have been injured.
Asked to respond to criticism from Americans who support President Donald Trump but do not want ground forces deployed to Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he did not understand why Trump's political base "would not have confidence in his ability to execute the plan."
"I don't understand why the base wouldn't have confidence in his ability to carry out what's needed," Hegseth said during a briefing at the Pentagon.
The White House continued to downplay the significance of rising oil prices, even though the average fuel price in the United States reached $4,02 per gallon for the first time since 2022, claiming that prices would fall sharply after the end of the war with Iran, CNN reports.
"When Operation Epic Fury is over, fuel prices will return to the multi-year lows that American drivers experienced before these short-term disruptions. President Trump remains committed to strengthening America's energy dominance, reducing costs, and increasing income for hardworking American families," White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said in a statement to CNN.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has admitted that the United States is aware that rival countries are providing intelligence to Iran about US military resources.
"There are adversary activities that are providing information that they shouldn't. We are aware of that and are repositioning assets accordingly," Hegseth said, responding to a question about security measures after Iran destroyed a US E-3 Sentry aircraft at a base in Saudi Arabia.
"One of the basic principles you learn in the military is that you don't create patterns, predictable patterns. That's why commanders work intensively on real-time adjustments to keep systems in the right places and less affected," he added.
CNN reported earlier this month that Russia is helping Iran by providing intelligence on the movements and locations of US troops, ships and aircraft. CNN sources also said that the United States has information that China is considering providing Iran with financial assistance, as well as spare parts and components for missiles.
Hegseth said the United States' primary focus is reaching an agreement to end the war with Iran.
"Our task is to convince Iran that this new regime has a better perspective if it reaches a deal. We are working together, but the key goal is an agreement," he said at a briefing at the Pentagon.
"We want that agreement to be reached, if possible, and if not, we are ready to move on," he added.
Hegseth later said that Trump alone would decide when the United States' objectives in Iran have been achieved and when it is in the interest of the American people to conclude an agreement.
The US Secretary of Defense also said that the US military is trying to be unpredictable when it comes to possibly sending ground forces to Iran.
"You can't fight and win a war if you tell your adversary in advance what you're prepared to do and what you're not, including sending ground forces. Our adversary now thinks there are 15 different ways we can operate with ground forces. And you know what? There are," Hegseth continued.
If necessary, the United States can "exercise those options," he said.
"Or maybe there will be no need to use them at all. Maybe the negotiations will succeed. Or a different approach will emerge. The point is to be unpredictable and not reveal to anyone what we are or are not willing to do," he pointed out.
The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kaine, told reporters that the range of military options that US forces can employ is wide, and that the additional deployment of troops to the region does not only mean the possibility of ground operations.
"I wouldn't want to limit the president's decision-making space, but there are many options. Iran needs to be aware of this and understand that this is a pressure point, so it should carefully consider the situation at the diplomatic level," he said.
Authorities in Italy have banned a US plane en route to the Middle East from landing at a military base in Sicily, Italian media report.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto rejected a request from the United States for its aircraft to use the Sigonella base, which was made while the aircraft were already in the air, state television RAI reported.
"No one asked for approval or consulted the Italian military leadership. The plan was announced while the planes were already in flight, and checks showed that these were not routine or logistical flights, and therefore not covered by the agreement with Italy," RAI said.
A spokesman for the Italian Ministry of Defense confirmed these allegations to CNN, but declined to comment further.
Later, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office announced that Italy was "acting in full compliance with applicable international agreements."
US forces have permission to use military bases in Italy for standard logistics flights, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
When the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran last month, Italy said that any use of its bases outside of normal operations would require parliamentary approval.
United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegsett said that there has been a regime change in Iran, CNN reports.
"This new regime, since there has been a regime change, should be wiser than the previous one. President Donald Trump will make a deal. He is ready, and the terms of the deal are known to them," Hegseth said.
But if Iran is not willing to comply with those conditions, Hegseth added, the US military "will continue to operate even more intensively."
Hegseth's remarks during a Pentagon briefing echoed the message Trump sent on Sunday. Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, took over the position his father held for nearly four decades after the elder Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes.
However, Khamenei has not appeared in public since the start of the war. While the US government claims to be holding talks with leaders in Iran, there remains uncertainty about who is actually speaking on behalf of the Iranian government.
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