US, Israel hit major bridge, steel plants in Iran

US and Israeli strikes destroyed a bridge connecting Tehran to the city of Karaj.

It comes after Trump said US forces would bring Iran "back to the Stone Ages." DW has the latest.

Here are the latest developments surrounding the US-Israel war with Iran on Thursday, April 2:
Pentagon ousts US Army Chief of Staff Randy George
Pentagon chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, said in a statement that the Army's chief of staff, General Randy George, was going to step down from the post and retire immediately.

"The Department of War is grateful for General George's decades of service to our nation.

We wish him well in his retirement," Parnell said.

George assumed his role in 2023 after being confirmed by the Senate.

He was nominated to the position by former US President Joe Biden.

The Army chief of staff typically serves a four-year term, meaning that George would have held the position until 2027.

He had previously served as the senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from 2021-2022, after decades of service.

A career infantry officer who graduated from West Point, George first served in the first Gulf War and the more recent conflicts of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Growing rift between Hegseth and Army senior officers
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired more than a dozen senior military officers since taking the helm at the Pentagon.

The removal of George comes after the Army launched an investigation into pilots who flew attack helicopters past the house of singer and vocal Trump supporter Kid Rock.

Hegseth reversed that decision.

The original report from CBS said that the removal was not linked to the investigation.

George's ouster reflects an ongoing clash between the Pentagon head and the Army's senior officers.

Hegseth has drawn criticism for the upheaval at the Pentagon that has seen many top officials pushed out.

The military is supposed to be apolitical and merit-based, but some see that principle as now at risk.

Iran says it will rebuild after major bridge hit near Tehran
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that striking civilian infrastructure "only conveys the defeat and moral collapse of an enemy in disarray."
"Every bridge and building will be built back stronger.

What will never recover: damage to America's standing," he wrote.

US-Israeli strikes bombarded Iranian civilian infrastructure on Thursday, a day after Trump signaled that the US was preparing to wrap up the conflict in the coming weeks because Washington was close to achieving its military objectives in its campaign against Iran.

Trump said in a rare primetime address to the nation on Wednesday that the US will still continue hitting Iran "extremely hard" in the next two to three weeks.

US-Israeli strikes over the course of Thursday halted services at two major Iranian steel plants as well , the state-affiliated Mizan agency reported.

Iranian officials said the country's oldest medical research institute was also struck earlier in the day.

The US and Israel say they're striking only military targets in Iran.

Trump says Iran must 'make a deal before it is too late'
US President Donald Trump has posted a video purportedly showing the partial collapse of "the biggest bridge in Iran," and urged Tehran to negotiate.

The footage, posted to his Truth Social platform on Thursday, showed dark smoke rising from the B1 bridge in Karaj, around 35 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Trump threatened there would be "much more to follow."
"IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY," the US president wrote.

Earlier Thursday, Iranian state media reported that the country’s B1 bridge had been targeted twice by US-Israeli airstrikes.

Two people were killed, according to the reports.

The B1 bridge, which is still under construction, is reportedly the Middle East's tallest.

It's also an important route connecting commuters from Karaj to Tehran.

'We cannot afford to lose another critical trade route,' says EU's top diplomat
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has called for the bloc to scale up its Aspides naval mission to protect key maritime routes from disruption caused by the Iran war.

She made the comments on Thursday after taking part in a UK-led meeting with representatives from more than 40 countries about options for reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz .

Iran has virtually blockaded the waterway since the start of the war with the US and Israel, sending oil prices soaring and sparking fears about energy security.

"This waterway ​is a global public good.

Iran cannot be allowed to charge countries a bounty to ⁠let ​ships pass.

International law ​doesn't recognise pay-to-pass schemes," Kallas wrote on X, referring to Iran's efforts to impose transit fees for safe passage.

She said the EU's Aspides naval mission had ⁠already assisted 1,700 ​ships in the Red Sea and "must be scaled up."
"We cannot afford to lose another critical trade route," Kallas added.

Kremlin aide says Strait of Hormuz is open for Russia: report
Kremlin ⁠aide Yuri ​Ushakov has told Russian state TV that the ‌ Strait of Hormuz ‌is open ‌for ​Russia, Interfax news agency reported.

"It is open for ​us," Ushakov said, according to Interfax.

The crucial waterway has been virtually closed since the start of the Iran war, with only a small number of ships allowed to pass through.

Tehran has threatened to attack any ships allied to the US or Israel, while granting passage to those from countries seen as friendly to Iran, including China, India and Russia.

Iran's blockade of the strait has choked off shipments of crucial commodities to world markets.

China urges ceasefire in calls with EU, German top diplomats
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Western counterparts on Thursday that a ceasefire in the Iran war was crucial to a return to safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz .

Wang held separate phone calls with EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas and Germany's foreign minister, Johann Wadephul .

During the calls, he appealed for joint diplomatic efforts to end the war swiftly and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The crucial oil and gas chokepoint has essentially been closed to ship traffic since the start of the conflict.

"All parties should ‌work ​to build a broader consensus to this end and create the necessary conditions," Wang was quoted as telling Kallas in a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.

He also referred to a resolution introduced to the UN Security Council by Bahrain, which calls on countries to use force to ensure passage through the strait.

Wang said to Kallas that the actions of the security council "should focus on easing the situation, not on giving unauthorized military actions the appearance of legitimacy, and certainly not on further intensifying conflict."
In the phone call with Wadephul, Wang was quoted as saying that major countries like China and Germany should play a constructive role in the process while maintaining an impartial stance.

Why China's support for Iran has clear limits
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US Embassy in Baghdad warns of imminent attacks
The US Embassy in Baghdad has warned citizens that pro-Iran militias in Iraq "may intend to conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours."
In a statement on X, the embassy said the attacks could target "US citizens, businesses, universities, diplomatic facilities, energy infrastructure, hotels, airports, and other locations perceived to be associated with the United States, as well as Iraqi institutions and civilian targets."
The embassy itself, located in downtown Baghdad, has also been repeatedly targeted.

Its statement reiterated earlier advice for US nationals still in Iraq to leave now.

The warning came after American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in the Iraqi capital on Tuesday.

No group has claimed responsibility for her abduction, but US officials believe the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia may be behind her disappearance.

Last month, Washington and Baghdad agreed to "intensify cooperation" to prevent attacks and ensure Iraqi territory is not used to launch assaults against US facilities.

But the US Embassy statement Thursday said "the Iraqi government has not prevented terrorist attacks in or from Iraqi territory."
It also warned that "Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups may claim to be associated with the Iraqi government.

Terrorists may carry identification denoting their status as Iraqi government employees."
UN chief warns Iran conflict could spiral into wider war
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate halt to the fighting in the Middle East , warning that the conflict risked spilling into a major war.

"We are on the edge of a wider war that would engulf the Middle East with dramatic impacts around the globe," he told reporters in New York on Thursday.

"The spiral of death and destruction must end," he added.

The plea came a day after US President Donald Trump said American forces would keep hitting Iran "extremely hard" over the next few weeks.

Tehran responded by saying it would carry out "crushing" attacks against the US and Israel.

Guterres also lamented the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has global ramifications for energy security and food supply.

"If the Strait of Hormuz is choked off, the world's poorest and most vulnerable will no longer be able to breathe," the UN chief said.

UK says Iran holding 'global economy hostage' with Strait of Hormuz
Diplomats from more than 40 countries are attending a virtual meeting to discuss options to reopen the Strait of Hormuz .

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who is hosting Thursday's talks, stressed the "urgent need to restore freedom of navigation for international shipping" in the crucial waterway.

Iran has essentially shut the strait since the start of the war on February 28.

The closure of the waterway, which before the conflict carried about a fifth of the world’s oil consumption, has had a global impact on energy prices and supplies .

"We have seen Iran hijack an international shipping route to hold the global economy hostage," Cooper said at the start of the meeting.

She said the discussions would focus on the "collective mobilization of our full range of diplomatic and economic tools and pressures" to "enable a safe and sustained opening of the strait."
The meeting comes after US President Donald Trump said countries that rely on the waterway should be the ones responsible for keeping it open.

"Just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves," he said in a televised address to the American people on Wednesday evening.

Countries attending the UK-hosted meeting include France, Germany, Canada, India, the United Arab Emirates and Japan.

The United States did not attend.

Czech government adopts measures to curb soaring fuel prices
The Czech government has approved measures to tackle rising fuel prices resulting from the US-Israel war with Iran .

Prime Minister Andrej Babis said price controls would kick in from April 8, with fuel ‌retailers' margins capped at 2.50 koruna ($0.12; €0.10).

The excise tax on diesel, currently 9.95 koruna, will also be lowered by 2.35 koruna per liter.

Babis said the government would also set maximum prices every day ‌under ​the system.

"We think this is a measure that should fundamentally help everyone, of course citizens, companies and the economy," he told a news conference.

He said there was "total chaos" created by an uncoordinated response to the energy crisis in Central Europe, with each country adopting their own measures.

Also on Thursday, Romania's government said in a statement that it planned to cut excise tax on on diesel by 0.30 lei ($0.0679; €0.06) per liter ​through an emergency decree.

The country has already capped fuel price markups and is partially offsetting diesel prices for farmers ⁠and transportation ​companies.

Putin, Saudi prince call for more efforts to end Iran war
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call on Thursday to discuss the war in the Middle East , the Kremlin said.

"Serious concern was expressed regarding the deteriorating military ​and political situation in the region, civilian casualties, ​and the destruction of strategically ​important infrastructure," ‌it said in a statement.

The Kremlin added that both sides "emphasized the need for a rapid cessation of hostilities" and greater political and diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

Putin and Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler also talked about how the fighting was hampering energy production and transportation, with negative consequences for global energy security , the statement said.

They stressed the importance of cooperation within OPEC+— made up of the 12 main OPEC members plus 10 other top crude oil producers — to "stabilize the global oil market."
Oil prices jumped on Thursday after US President Donald Trump threatened to keep carrying out heavy strikes on Iran.

Austria says it refused US use of its airspace
The Austrian military said it denied the US military access to its airspace for bombing missions in Iran.

"There have indeed been requests and they were refused from the outset," Colonel Michael Bauer said, adding that every time a similar request "involves a country at war, it is refused."
Austria joins other EU nations that have opposed participating, even passively, in the US and Israeli strikes.

Italy recently said that the US forces could not use Sigonella Air Base in Sicily for its war, banning any of Washington's military aircraft from landing.

France has closed its airspace to any aircraft suspected of flying military equipment to Israel, and Spain has taken similar measures.

Germany joins UK-led talks on Hormuz shipping
Germany is taking part in UK-led talks on securing the Strait of Hormuz after the US signaled others should handle the issue.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she would chair a virtual meeting on Thursday with about 35 countries.

Germany is joining partners including France, Italy, Canada and the United Arab Emirates to explore ways to restore freedom of navigation through the vital waterway.

The United States is not expected to attend.

The talks come after Donald Trump said the strait could reopen "naturally" and that countries relying on it should take responsibility for keeping it open.

ermany has a strong interest in the route as a key global energy corridor, with disruptions posing risks to supply stability and prices.

Macron: Trump 'contradicting' himself daily on Iran war
US President Donald Trump cannot keep "contradicting" himself every day on Iran, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron said during an official trip to South Korea.

The French president added that Trump's suggestion to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force was "unrealistic."
"Some people ​defend ‌the idea of freeing the Strait of Hormuz by force ‌via a military operation, ‌a ​position sometimes expressed by the United States, although it has varied," Macron told journalists.

"This was never ⁠the ​option we ​have supported because it is unrealistic," ​he added.

"It would ‌take forever, and would expose all those who ​go ⁠through the strait to risks from ⁠the ​guardians of the revolution but also ballistic missiles," he added.

Macron also cast doubt on Trump's purported goal of permanently curbing Tehran's nuclear program .

"A targeted military action, even for a few weeks, will not allow us to resolve the nuclear issue in the long term," he said, adding that "if there is no framework for diplomatic and technical negotiations, the situation can deteriorate again in a few months or a few years."
The French leader was also asked about comments Trump had recently made, accusing Macron's wife Brigitte of domestic violence.

The comments appeared to reference a 2025 video that showed Brigitte's hands, her body obscured by a door, shoving her husband's face .

Due to the position of the door, it is impossible to tell what preceded this moment, but Macron has insisted he and his wife were "playing around" and the moment was taken out of context.

Trump's claims that Macron was "still recovering from a right to the jaw," were neither "elegant nor up to standard," he said.

Kremlin: Moscow ready to act as mediator
Russian President Vladimir Putin 's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Kremlin remains in contact with regional leaders and ready to act as a go-between if necessary.

"The president is continuing these ​contacts, and if our services ​are ‌somehow required, we are, of course, ready to make our ‌contribution to ensuring that ‌the ​military situation transitions to a peaceful course as soon as possible," ​Peskov said.

His statement came as Putin was hosting Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr ​Abdelatty to discuss the conflict as well as issues across the wider Middle East.