Iran rejects latest ceasefire proposal as Trump's deadline approaches
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran has rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and instead wants a permanent end to the war, even as President Donald Trump’s ultimatum looms. Trump appeared to widen his threat from civilian targets to the whole Islamic Republic while his Tuesday deadline ticked closer. Israel attacked a major petrochemical plant in Iran's South Pars natural gas field earlier Monday and killed a top Revolutionary Guard commander while vowing to hunt down more top officials. Mediators from Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey had proposed the pause and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has made its own proposal but says talks are incompatible with “war crimes.”
Russian attacks kill 4 as Ukraine drones target oil infrastructure
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials say a Russian drone attack on Odesa has killed two women and a toddler. The attack heavily damaged an apartment block, with rescuers pulling four people from the rubble. Eleven people were hospitalized, including a pregnant woman and two children. Russia has targeted civilian areas in Ukraine since its invasion over four years ago, killing more than 15,000 people, says the United Nations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for partner countries to provide more air defenses. Meanwhile, Ukrainian long-range drones have targeted Russian oil facilities. Russia's Defense Ministry claims air defenses downed 50 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The South Pars natural gas complex is an energy lifeline for Iran
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Israel has again attacked Iran’s South Pars natural gas and petrochemical complex - an energy lifeline for Iran that both helps keep the lights on for civilians and provides a key source of export earnings. Israel’s defense minister said Monday that Israel attacked the petrochemical plant at Asaluyeh, the onshore industrial aspect of the gas field, which lies under the Persian Gulf. South Pars is a source of gas to generate electricity, and chemicals based on gas that can contribute export earnings
The Latest: Iran rejects ceasefire proposal and insists on a permanent end to the war
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said Tehran rejected the latest ceasefire proposal and wants a permanent end to the war. The agency said it has conveyed its response to the U.S. through Pakistan, a key mediator. Also Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel attacked the South Pars petrochemical plant at Asaluyeh in Iran. Meanwhile, Israel and the United States carried out a wave of attacks on Iran on Monday, killing more than 25 people. Iran responded with missile fire on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors. And U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz loomed. Trump gave Tehran a deadline that expires Tuesday night Washington time.
Artemis II breaks Apollo 13’s distance record as humans travel farther from Earth than ever before
HOUSTON (AP) — It’s official. Artemis II has broken Apollo 13’s distance record. The three Americans and one Canadian on Monday journeyed farther from Earth than any other humans. The previous title was held by the Apollo 13 crew, who logged a maximum distance of 248,655 miles from Earth in 1970, days after their “Houston, we’ve had a problem” oxygen tank rupture. After surpassing Apollo 13, the Artemis II astronauts settled in for their lunar fly-around that promises never-before-seen views of the moon’s far side by eye. They’ll also be treated to a total solar eclipse.
Savannah Guthrie returns to 'Today' anchor desk for first time since mother's disappearance
NEW YORK (AP) — Savannah Guthrie has returned to NBC’s “Today” show anchor desk for the first time since her mother's disappearance more than two months ago. Guthrie said “it is good to be home.” Guthrie has acknowledged being a changed person a little over a week ago. She also says it’s hard to go forward not knowing what happened to her mother. There has been no sign of the 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie since she was reported missing from her Arizona home on Feb. 1. Authorities continue to believe she was abducted in the middle of the night. But they have not released any new evidence in weeks.
US stocks and oil prices flip-flop ahead of Trump's deadline to bomb Iranian power plants
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market is making only hesitant moves, while oil prices are flip-flopping. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Monday as mediators try to forge a ceasefire agreement ahead of a deadline President Donald Trump has set to bomb Iranian power plants. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 33 points, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.3%. Oil prices seesawed amid continued uncertainty about what will happen in the war with Iran and how long it will slow the global flow of oil and natural gas. Trump warned again he will bomb Iran’s power plants if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz.
Steve Bannon wins Supreme Court order likely to lead to dismissal of contempt of Congress conviction
WASHINGTON (AP) — Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon has won a Supreme Court order that’s expected to lead to the dismissal of his criminal conviction for refusing to testify to Congress. Prodded by President Donald Trump’s administration, the justices on Monday threw out an appellate ruling upholding Bannon’s conviction for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the U.S. Capitol attack. The move frees a trial judge to act on the Republican administration’s pending request to dismiss Bannon’s conviction and indictment “in the interests of justice.” The dismissal would be largely symbolic. Bannon served a four-month prison term after a jury convicted him of contempt of Congress in 2022.
A mountain hideout and aircraft under fire: US carries out daring rescue of service member in Iran
The United States has pulled off a daring rescue of two aviators whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran. After plucking the pilot from behind enemy lines, it launched a complicated extraction of the second service member hiding deep in the mountains as Tehran called for Iranians to help capture him. The CIA looked to throw off Iran’s government before the crew member was found, launching a deception campaign to spread word he had already been located. Rescuers also faced major obstacles, including two Black Hawk helicopters coming under fire and problems with two transport planes that forced the U.S. military to blow them up.
A 12-hour drive through Iran offers glimpses of destruction, defiance and daily life
ZANJAN, Iran (AP) — A black banner hangs over the border crossing and portraits of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stare down, promising vengeance against the United States and Israel. But on the 12-hour drive south to the capital, Tehran, daily life continues, with only occasional signs of the ongoing war, including a Shiite religious center that officials say was damaged by a recent airstrike. Associated Press reporters made the journey on Saturday after crossing into Iran from Turkey. They gained a glimpse of the country at the center of a regional war that has jolted the world economy and shows no sign of ending.
