Iranian supreme leader's military advisor warns of escalation if conflict continues

Power outages hit parts of Tehran and nearby areas after infrastructure was damaged, Iran’s state media reported, citing the energy ministry.

“Shrapnel hit a part of the electricity grid in Alborz province, causing power to be cut in several areas of Tehran and the city of Karaj,” the ministry said, according to state media.

The report said electricity was cut in parts of the capital and in Alborz province following the damage.

Authorities were working to restore power, the report added.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt discussed possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the Middle East on Sunday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.

The four countries held joint talks in Islamabad aimed at de-escalation in the US-Iran war.

Dar said all sides had expressed confidence in Pakistan’s role in facilitating talks and that China fully supports the initiative to host potential US-Iran talks in Islamabad.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israeli actions are creating “visible cracks in the terror regime in Tehran.”

“Iran is not the same Iran,” he said. “Hezbollah is not the same Hezbollah, and Hamas is not the same Hamas.”

The three, he said, are “battered enemies fighting for their very existence.”

“Instead of them surprising us, we are surprising them,” he said. “We are the side that is acting, we are the side that is attacking, we are the side that is initiating, and we are deep in their territory.”

European Council President António Costa said on Sunday the European Union stood in solidarity with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries facing Iranian airstrikes and drone attacks.

“The EU stands in solidarity with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in the face of continued Iranian airstrikes and drone attacks targeting civilians and infrastructure in the region. These attacks must stop immediately,” he said in a post on X.

He said he had discussed the latest developments in a call with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and reiterated support for the United Arab Emirates.

“The EU continues to urge all parties to de-escalate and give diplomacy a chance, in the interest of security and stability in the Middle East,” he added.

Israel’s prime minister’s office said on Sunday that Iran had repeatedly targeted holy sites in Jerusalem with ballistic missiles in recent days, adding that access to sites in the Old City had been temporarily restricted for safety.

“Iran has repeatedly targeted the holy sites of all three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem with ballistic missiles,” the statement said, adding that in one strike, missile fragments landed meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

"As a result, Israel has temporarily asked worshippers from all faiths not to worship at the holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City to protect them," the statement added.

The statement said police had prevented Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from holding mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre earlier on Sunday, citing concerns for his safety.

It added that authorities were preparing a plan to allow church leaders to worship at the site in the coming days, particularly ahead of the week leading up to Easter.