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Middle East crisis live: Iran rejects Trump’s 48 hour deadline to ‘make a deal’; US races to find missing pilot | US-Israel war on Iran
Key events
Bahrain’s interior ministry has said civil defence officials are working to contain a fire after an Iranian attack.
It comes as the government in Kuwait says energy infrastructure and water desalination plants were damaged in Sunday morning drone attacks by Iran.
The attacks resulted in “significant material damage and the shutdown of two electricity generating units”, Kuwait electricity and water ministry said in a post on X, adding there were no deaths or injuries.
Iran rejects Trump’s demand to make a deal within 48 hours
Iran has rejected Donald Trump’s demand that the regime cut a deal in 48 hours or face “all hell”.
On Saturday, the US president posted on social media: “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” referring to an ultimatum issued on 26 March.
“Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.”
Iran’s central military command rejected the ultimatum, with Gen Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi saying Trump’s threat was a “helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid action”.
Echoing Trump’s language, he warned that “the gates of hell will open for you”.
Trump later posted a video showing explosions lighting up a night sky along with text that said: “Many of Iran’s Military Leaders … are terminated, along with much else, with this massive strike in Tehran,” without specifying when it took place.
Summary
Welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel and Kuwait early on Sunday, a day after Donald Trump said the Islamic republic had 48 hours to cut a deal or face “all Hell”.
Kuwait and Israel said their air defences were responding to the latest attacks from Iran, part of the war that erupted more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes that triggered retaliation by Tehran.
The war has spread conflict throughout the Middle East and convulsed the global economy. Iran’s forces maintain a tight grip on the strait of Hormuz shipping lane – a vital conduit for oil and gas – and strike economic targets in Gulf neighbours they see as linked to the US-Israeli war effort.
Elsewhere today:
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The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed that Israel attacked Iran’s petrochemical plants after reports from Iranian media saying at least five people were killed in an attack on the Mahshahr petrochemical zone.
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US search and rescue efforts for the missing second crew member of the downed F-15E fighter jet continued into a second day as Iran came under heavy bombing. A pilot had been rescued on Friday after the F-15E Strike Eagle became the first US plane to be downed over Iran during the five-week-long war.
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American and Israeli fighter jets targeted multiple strategic and civilian sites inside Iran’s capital on Friday afternoon, including Shahid Beheshti University, one of the country’s leading academic institutions, Iranian state media reported.
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The death toll in Lebanon has reached 1,422 since the conflict with Israel began on 2 March, according to data from the Lebanese health ministry and reported by the Associated Press. In just the past 24 hours, Israeli strikes have killed 54 people and wounded 156.
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The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense said on Saturday that its air defense forces successfully intercepted eight ballistic missiles and 19 drones over the last 24 hours. However, on Sunday a fire has erupted in the Shuwaikh oil sector complex that houses the oil ministry and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation headquarters, after a drone attack, and Kuwaiti state media reported that two power and water desalination plants sustained “significant material damage” after being attacked by Iranian drones.
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A Lebanese security source at the main crossing between Syria and Lebanon, said they were evacuating the crossing after Israel threatened to attack it. The Israeli military said on Saturday it would strike an area near the Masnaa crossing urging residents to evacuate immediately as it continued its attacks across Lebanon.
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Residents of southern Lebanon’s Kfar Hatta were told on social media by Israel to immediately leave the area, and warned that the Israeli military would soon act “with force” in the area.
Sir Keir Starmer says it is “deeply concerning” the rapper is set to headline a festival after recent antisemitic comments.
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County cricket day three: Durham report storm damage, Essex v Hants and more – live | County Championship
Key events
A wicket for Rishi Patel in the sudden sunshine at Grace Road, no hundred for Jack Carson (85). Leicestershire’s fielders, hands thrust deep in their pockets, every one, look lost in contemplation.
Lancashire 67-5, another tasty morsel for six foot seven Harry Conway. Luke Wells providing the only stability.
Gloucestershire follow on against Middlesex…
…and it isn’t a dream start. Cameron Bancroft bowled in the fourth over by Seb Morgan for 0. Gloucestershire 4-1, trail by 225. They were dismissed for 216 in the first innings, done by TRJ (5-37) and old boy Zafar Gohar (3-47)
Hampshire follow against Essex
A recovery of sorts by Hampshire, but still way under the follow on target – 156 all out, trail by 305. Cook 3-33, Porter 2-19, Snater 2-37.
Killing time now at Grace Road, with Rishi Patel’s dibbly dobblies. Sussex 292-6, the lead 408. Tom Price has 60 to cement the good impression he’s given today.
Inspection at Durham at 3.40pm
And the stadium is now open.
A fourth wicket for Crane!
Make that 137 for 6. Scurrying run up, towel in his back pocket, and turns the ball past George Hill and into his stumps. Hill stays in immaculate defense for a good few seconds while Glamorgan leap about.
Much nervous peeling of silver foil in Yorkshire, who are in a bit of a pickle at Sophia Gardens Mason Crane picked up a third wicket before lunch and Adam Lyth wiffled a short ball from Hadley and to first slip afterwards. Yorkshire 136-5.
A trying morning has segued into a trying afternoon for Lancashire: now 28 for four. Michael Jones is Harry Conway’s third wicket, whose current figures are 5-0-7-3
Jack Carlson (53) and Ollie Price(39) have played beautifully at Grace Road, pulling Sussex from a position of fairly comfortable, to very comfortable – the lead 363. Says Paul Edwards, Leics will have to make the highest score of the match to win.
A round of the ground at lunchtime: the groundstaff were having a game of cricket outside their hut, as were a mother and son outside the pavilion. It is bloody freezing on the open east side of the ground, no wonder the players are rubbing their fingers and there is not a single spectator to be found. But if you can find a seat on the west side, and the sun is out, and you hunker down, it is actually quite nice.
BTL is open! Apologies all for the delay.
“Afternoon from a decidedly blustery Bolton Abbey.” Hello Sean Clayton!
“Bad luck for Bairstow although I would have started Luxton myself (not over YJB, obvs).
“Is his absence for the next match a Yorkshire call (due to severity of injury) or part of the new injury substitute rules?”
It’s part of the new substitute rules. I assume that’s why they just rested him yesterday as they wanted to have the chance for him to play in the next game. They’ve obviously taken a call that he probably won’t be fit so have made a full replacement.
Not sure what happened to Lancs while I wasn’t looking, but they’re 18-3 as they chew over their sandwiches.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 302 v Yorkshire 120-4
Southampton: Hampshire 139-9 v Essex 461-7dec
Grace Road: Leicestershire 245 v Sussex 361 and 235-6
Taunton: Somerset 347 v Nottinghamshire 274-6
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 330-2 v Surrey 328
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire 625-8dec v Worcestershire 155-3
Chester le Street: Durham 335 and 83-2 v Kent 197 no play yet today, storm damage
Lord’s: Middlesex 445-9dec v Gloucestershire 214-9
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 258 v Lancashire 384 and 18-3
Rain watch
An early lunch has been taken at Somerset and Derby.
Rehan Ahmed replaces Yadvinder Singh from the pavilion end, his first ball is a creme egg of a long hop which nearly brings a wicket. Everyone finds it very funny.
In Division One:
Kiran Carlson said pre-season that he was a big believer in playing two spinners, and he is rewarded, as Mason Crane takes two wickets in his first over of the season. Sam Whiteman (48) and James Wharton the men out. Yorks 90-3, trail by 212.
Rain at Taunton, where Notts are 274-6, Clarke out just short of his hundred, Haynes for 55 and Verreynne for 25. Notts trail by 73.
Kyle Abbott is doing his best to keep Hampshire afloat, 22 not out in Hampshire 116-8, still 345 behind Essex.
And Warwicks continue to plunder Surrey, now 409-4, Mousley out for 144 and Hain for 94. The lead 85 on a flat pitch at Edgbaston. You’d think Surrey will be able to bat it out….
Ian Holland grits his teeth, crosses his fingers, and brings on Yadvinder Singh from the pavilion end. Poor kid has not had a great first match, with a golden duck, and nine overs in the first innings for 59, with nine no balls. A bit better from this end but no threat.
“Decidedly Northants first hour,” writes Mark Gretton at Northants, “as Sir Jim has run through half a dozen bowlers to no avail as the last pair have eased them past the follow on figure. Mystifyingly McManus is still routinely protecting Conway from the bulk of the bowling even though the giant number 11 is out scoring him.
”On the Lancs plus side the sun is shining and fielders -and spectators – are not currently perishing.”
You are very hardy, I am too much of a wimp to sit through a whole day outside in the freezing cold. I hope you have a good collection of chocolate bunnies to see you through the day.
Five wickets for Toby Roland-Jones
With an hour gone, time to skip around the grounds.
Division Two
No play yet today at Durham because of damage caused by Storm Dave; and a delay at Derby, where Worcestershire moved to 141-2 – Lategan 88 not out – before rain settled over the ground.
Five wickets for Toby Roland-Jones at Lord’s, who has added Bracey (21) and Hammond (77) to his tally this morning. Gloucestershire 159 for six, 286 runs behind.
And Lancs continue to be frustrated by Northants, who are now 254-9, 130 behind.
Well played Northants, who from 41 for five and 191 for nine have avoided the follow-on against Lancashire. McManus, 68 not out, and Conway, 16 not out. The deficit is now 137.
Shane Snater, Jamie Porter and Sam Cook are currently toying with Hampshire, who are now 67 for seven. Jake Lehmann the only man to have made it out of single figures.
And another! Simpson is not too happy about that lbw against Holland. Sussex 182-6.
They’re back on at Grace Road and a nifty acrobatic diving catch from Eskinazi at second slip sends Jack Leaning on his way. A second wicket for Ben Green. Sussex 178-5, lead by 294.
Ajaz Patel has been spotted at Grace Road, he will spend the season with Leicestershire and play all formats.
Lewis McManus and Harry Conway have done a fabulous job at Wantage Road and is inching Northants towards the follow on target – at 230-9, they are five runs away. Ajeet Singh Dale and George Balderson with the ball.
I think we’ll be back on quite quickly at Grace Road, the sun is now out and the tractors are racing around. Hello to Mike Daniels up in the scorebox.
“Spent a portion of yesterday watching and enjoying Dan Mouseley and Sam Hain bat in a controlled and high quality partnership, albeit against what looked like a fairly pedestrian Surrey attack battling against the conditions.
There has to be a place for such batting at international level and those batters who seem to have developed a death wish in trying to follow bazball (I’m looking in your direction, Rishi Patel) could do well to take a leaf out of their book if Leicester are to get anything out of this game.”
Jake Weatherald was optimistic last night: “I feel as though this wicket’s just getting better and better. If we can keep them under 450, I think that’s actually chaseable on this wicket with this ground. There is definitely a way we can score quickly and big. We’ve just got to keep that belief that we’ll be able to do that.”
Rain at Grace Road
From nowhere, the players race into the pavilion and the covers are pulled on. Sussex 176-4.
Some early wickets round the ground:
Finlay Bean gone for four at Sophia Gardens, to Timm van der Gugten. Yorks 16-1, and Sam Whiteman starts his first innings for the club.
Jake Lehman, edges behind to Jamie Porter – Hampshire looking vulnerable against that huge Essex total. Hants 54-4
Jack Haynes caught behind in Craig Overton’s opening over at Taunton, for 55. The players went off shortly afterwards for rain but the covers are coming off again. Notts 226-4, trail by 121.
Jonny Bairstow replaced by Will Luxton
A second substitution of the round as Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow is replaced by Will Luxton. Bairstow injured his right thumb on day one and he will now miss the game against Hampshire too.
An early wicket here at Grace Road and it’s a ripper from Ben Green, nipping in and knocking out James Cole’s off stump. Sussex 161-4.
Play is underway at eight of the nine grounds. No play before lunch at CLS, but Mike’s update (below) makes it sound pretty unlikely we’ll get much play at all. Ian Holland has the ball here at Grace Road, a fierce west wind blowing across the ground and billowing at the flags up on the pavilion.
CLS: “Scaffolding structure has completely blown over”
Huge thanks to CCLive! reader Mike McKie who is on the spot at The Riverside:
“I’m a neighbour of the ground.
“There has been a temporary scaffolding erected a couple of weeks ago build to hang sight screens for the early season pitches which are extremely close to the pavilion (the permanent solutions can’t cover pitches to such short boundaries).
“That scaffolding structure has completely blown over. Literally.
“My guess is- with current wind and Easter Sunday – it will be difficult to get sight screens in place for any play today at all.
“Are they permitted to move to a different pitch? I doubt it.”
And many hugs to Derbyshire allrounder Luis Reece, who made 114 in Derby’s 625-8, who told the reporter’s network that his son is unwell.
“It’s been a bit of an emotional week for me. Unfortunately my young one, he’s got a heart defect and we got the bad news earlier in the week.
“Your whole life changes when you have a little one and it puts things into perspective. I got the news playing in a friendly here on Monday afternoon and I had to go out and bat 15 minutes after that which is tough
There will be a time when unfortunately he has to have an operation this year, when that is I don’t know but as all parents do they carry their little ones around with them at all times. I absolutely adore him and it’s going to be a tough few months but at the same time I’ve got every faith that he’s going to get through this.”
There will be comments BTL today, we are just waiting for the mods to turn them on!
“He’s a very proud bear”
Warwickshire’s Rob Yates on Dan Mousley: “we are all really pleased to see get Dan over the line for his first first class century for Warwickshire. He is a very proud Bear and that will mean the world to him. We were willing him on in the dressing room and you could tell by the roar that went up when he got there how much it meant to everybody in the crowd. It was a very special moment.”
“Crocombe gave them some X-factor”
Some quotes from last night, courtesy of the Rothesay reporters network:
Leicestershire’s Jake Weatherald after his 83 against Sussex: “I was pretty happy with the way I adapted. The wickets are a bit lower, with probably not as much bounce. It doesn’t suit my square drives and cuts as much. So it was about trying to find different ways to score and put pressure back on the bowlers, which is what I’m probably good at. I was really pleased too to be facing a high-quality bowler in Ollie Robinson. Crocombe got it right with his pace and gave them a bit of an X-factor. He broke the game open for them really.”
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 302 v Yorkshire 1-0
Southampton: Hampshire 48-3 v Essex 461-7dec
Grace Road: Leicestershire 245 v Sussex 361 and 149-3
Taunton: Somerset 347 v Nottinghamshire 218-3
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 330-2 v Surrey 328
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire 625-8dec v Worcestershire 113-2
Chester le Street: Durham 335 and 83-2 v Kent 197
Lord’s: Middlesex 445-9 v Gloucestershire 116-4
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 215-9 v Lancashire 384
Saturday’s round-up
Storm Dave’s approach brought with it a gusty wind that swirled across the vast expanse of Grace Road, forcing players’ hands into pockets and the owners of an elderly labrador to swap ends to keep their faithful hound warm. But the weather didn’t put off Ollie Robinson or Henry Crocombe, who both took five wickets on another long day for Leicestershire.
Robinson, whose farmhand run-up disguises his skills, grabbed five for 42 and there was a career-best five for 33 for Crocombe, who found impressive bounce and nip from the surface. The watching England and Wales Cricket Board scout will have had plenty to note down. Jake Weatherald (83) was the stand-out batter for Leicestershire, all nut-brown arms and interesting angles. Daniel Hughes’ 72 then helped Sussex to a useful lead of 265 on a pitch beginning to misbehave.
Jimmy Anderson showed that the role of permanent Lancashire captain fitted very nicely with five wickets at Wantage Road. He ripped through Northants’ top six, including the wicket of James Sales – 21 years earlier Anderson had dismissed his dad, David. A pugnacious 54 from Lewis McManus inched Northants to within 20 runs of the follow on. Earlier Ben Sanderson, even at 37 six years younger than Anderson, collected his own five-wicket haul.
The weather dropped the curtains early at Edgbaston, where Warwickshire kicked back and slapped boundaries against a wayward Surrey attack. Dan Mousley’s first championship century, a calm innings, was greeted with merry applause by the zipped up members, and he and Sam Hain (80 not out) took Warwickshire past Surrey, with eight wickets in hand. There were also half centuries for Alex Davies and Rob Yates.
Dillon Pennington zipped through the Somerset tail in the first hour of the day at Taunton to cut them off just before they could claim a third batting point, to the ire of Craig Overton, stranded on 60. Migael Pretorius nipped out Notts’ top three but Joe Clarke (70 not out) and Jack Haynes (53 not out) then added an unbeaten 90 for the fourth wicket.
At Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan continue to rise from the ashes against Yorkshire, masterminded by a patient century from Colin Ingram, and half centuries from Ben Kellaway and Mason Crane. Dom Bess, captaining Yorkshire with Jonny Bairstow off the field with a finger injury, grabbed three wickets.
Martin Andersson became the first man to score a double-century in 2026, his 228 grinding a wearing Worcestershire into the Derby dust. He and Luis Reece (114) added 273 for the fifth wicket. Derby finally declared on 625 for eight, but Dan Lategan’s unbeaten 77 ensured Worcestershire finished the day with a trinket. Shoaib Bashir has had his first bowl in a Derbyshire jersey.
Sam Northeast’s return to Kent will have had a familiar feel. His 94 held the innings together with paper and string, the next highest non-extras score 22 by the No 10, Keith Dudgeon. There were three wickets each for Matthew Potts and Kemar Roach, the latter playing his first game for Durham.
Essex piled up the runs at Hampshire, Matt Critchley’s 173 leading the way. After the declaration, Sam Cook then took two quick wickets before bad light gave Hampshire temporary shelter.
Gloucestershire found themselves in similar trouble against Middlesex, after Toby Roland-Jones left them 26 for three. Miles Hammond’s unbeaten 59 applied some ballast. Earlier Middlesex declared on 445 for nine, Leus du Plooy eighth man out for 182, Joe Cracknell bowled three short of a century.
Storm Dave damages The Riverside. No spectators and play postponed
Storm Dave hit the north east last night and has caused damage to the structure and pitch at the Riverside,
Durham have confirmed that play will not start on time and no spectators will be let into the ground.
In a statement, the club said: “As the safety of all players, staff and spectators is the club’s number one priority, spectators are requested not to travel to the ground and the Club will provide an update in due course.”
“The safety of all in attendance is our number one priority in any decisions we make.”
Preamble
Good morning and happy Easter to all those who celebrate.Hope your church service was beautiful and your chocolate delicious.
A sunny morning here in Leicester and time for a walk round lovely Victoria Park, heavy with blossom and a scattering of late-blooming daffodils. And a coffee from the Espresso Street van – if you’re passing do buy one, set up by 20 year old Ahmed, and a friend, who are running it on the side alongside a degree apprenticeship.
Bad news from Chester-le-Street where Storm Dave has caused extensive damage – no spectators will be allowed in today and we’re waiting for news on whether play can start at all.
More news on that, and more, as we get it. Play starts at 11am, do join us.
Andrew-Mountbatten Windsor and his family are absent from the traditional family event.
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