Iranian missile hits residential building in Haifa: defense failed to detect it, Tehran speaks of "new order" in Hormuz

On Sunday, an Iranian ballistic missile struck a multi-story residential building in the Israeli city of Haifa directly. Rescuers pulled the bodies of two victims from the rubble, two more people remain missing, and four were injured. According to the Israeli military, the missile was not detected and no interceptors were launched — a preliminary investigation, according to the military, pointed to a technical error in identifying the warhead, which separated from the missile body during flight. Warning sirens sounded in time. The missile tore through three floors of the building, and according to Israeli police, part of it apparently failed to explode, leading to the evacuation of surrounding buildings. Times of Israel ↗

The strike on Haifa is part of Iran's ongoing retaliation for the US-Israeli attacks that began on February 28. On Sunday, Iran simultaneously struck oil and industrial infrastructure in the Persian Gulf. In Kuwait, Iranian drones, according to Al Jazeera, caused serious damage to oil and petrochemical facilities, including the Al-Ahmadi refinery and the Kuwait Petroleum headquarters. In Abu Dhabi, firefighters battled a blaze at the Borouge petrochemical plant caused by debris from an Iranian missile. Bapco Energies in Bahrain confirmed a fire at storage facilities following a drone strike. Al Jazeera ↗

The navy of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that the shipping regime in the Strait of Hormuz "will never return to its original state, especially for the US and Israel." According to the IRGC, they are in the final stages of preparing to introduce a "new order" for the Persian Gulf. Iran's parliament approved a bill that, according to NPR, introduces transit fees of approximately $2 million per ship, payable in Chinese yuan or cryptocurrency, and bans transit for ships linked to the US and Israel. According to shipping data, traffic through the strait is about 90 percent lower than before the conflict began — down from roughly 138 ships a day to just a handful daily. NPR ↗

Iran responded to Trump's statements with a sharp declaration. The Central Command of Iran's armed forces called his speech a "hopeless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid act" and warned that "the gates of hell will open" for the American president. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, according to Middle East Eye, classified threats to attack power plants and bridges as "incitement to war crimes and crimes against humanity." Iran stated that if further attacks on civilian infrastructure occur, its retaliation would be "more devastating and extensive." Middle East Eye ↗

Meanwhile, Trump pushed the ultimatum from Monday to Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. In an interview with Fox News, he said there was a "good chance" of a deal on Monday, while at the same time admitting he was considering "blowing everything up and taking the oil." Oil prices rose above $110 a barrel in Asian trading on Monday morning after Trump's post on Truth Social, in which he wrote: "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day, all in one, in Iran." BBC News ↗

According to The New York Times and the Associated Press, Saudi Arabia is playing a key role behind the scenes of the escalation. The NYT reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called the US-Israeli operation a "historic opportunity to reshape the Middle East" and called for it to be intensified. Trump indirectly confirmed this, saying: "Yes, he's a fighter. He's fighting with us." Riyadh officially emphasizes support for a peaceful resolution, but according to AP sources, US allies in the Gulf are demanding that the operation continue until Iran's behavior changes significantly. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan warned Iran on March 19 that Gulf countries have "very significant capabilities that they could deploy." Middle East Monitor, citing the NYT ↗

The conflict, which began on February 28, is entering its sixth week. On Saturday, Israel attacked a petrochemical plant in Iran, and according to Israeli defense officials, is awaiting US approval to strike further energy facilities. On Sunday, US-Israeli air forces struck Shahid Soleimani International Airport in Khuzestan province. Trump's Tuesday deadline is becoming the nearest point that could shape the conflict's further course. Middle East Eye ↗