Blackouts Spread in Tehran as Israel Strikes Iran During Peace Talks
Power Outages and Escalating Tensions in Tehran
Sunday night saw a significant disruption in electricity supply across parts of Tehran and the neighboring Alborz province. This outage was attributed to attacks on power infrastructure, as reported by state media. The incident occurred against the backdrop of ongoing military actions by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which announced a new wave of airstrikes targeting the Iranian capital.
The damage caused by shrapnel hit a section of the electricity grid in Alborz, leading to widespread power outages in several areas of Tehran and the city of Karaj. Despite the initial disruption, authorities worked quickly to restore power to some affected regions. State media confirmed that efforts were ongoing to fully restore electricity across all impacted areas, emphasizing that “the electric grid is stable.”
This event coincided with broader discussions aimed at ending the war in Iran, which began when the US and Israel launched a bombing campaign on February 28. The objective of this campaign was to destabilize the regime and destroy its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. In response, Iran has carried out missile and drone strikes in Israel and throughout the region.
Escalation of Hostilities
US President Donald Trump had previously warned of potential strikes on Iranian power plants unless Iran ceased blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil supplies. However, he extended the deadline for Iran to open the strait until April 6, allowing time for negotiations over a US proposal to halt the fighting. Iran reportedly responded with its own proposal, calling for an end to attacks, reparations, and Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan also expressed its readiness to host meaningful talks to end the conflict. However, it remained unclear whether Iran or the US had agreed to participate. A top Iranian official accused the US of promoting negotiations publicly while secretly planning an invasion.
Military Actions and Regional Responses
Shortly after the blackouts were first reported, the IDF announced strikes on regime targets in Tehran. Earlier in the day, Israeli Air Force jets dropped over 120 bombs on arms production sites, air defense systems, and ballistic missile storage and launch sites. These targets included facilities involved in the development of essential components for ballistic missiles, research and development centers for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and weapons research and production sites of the Iranian army.
In addition, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran’s heavy water production plant at Khondab, which was attacked on Friday, suffered severe damage and is no longer operational. The facility contains no declared nuclear material, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.
Diplomatic Efforts and Regional Mediation
Efforts to end the conflict have gained support from various countries across the region. The foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt attended a meeting convened by Pakistan to review progress in bringing the US and Iran to the negotiating table. Pakistan has emerged as a mediator, leveraging its relatively good ties with both Washington and Tehran.
Speaking after the meeting, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated, “Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks.” He added that Pakistan would be honored to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days.
Pakistan later confirmed that the foreign ministers had departed for their home countries. The talks were initially scheduled to continue on Monday. There was no immediate word from Washington or Tehran regarding the continuation of discussions. It remains unclear whether the talks will be direct or indirect.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty noted that the meetings in Pakistan aim to open a “direct dialogue” between the US and Iran, which have largely communicated through mediators. While Iran has rejected the US’s 15-point “action list” as a framework for a possible peace deal, it has reportedly drafted its own five-point proposal, calling for a halt to attacks, guarantees against future attacks, reparations, and Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has eased some restrictions on commercial ships in the strait, agreeing late Saturday to allow 20 more Pakistani-flagged vessels to pass through. Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Iran, stated that this move sends a clear signal that Iran remains open for business with the world, provided the United States abandons coercion.
An adviser to the United Arab Emirates, Anwar Gargash, called for any settlement to include “clear guarantees” that Iranian attacks on neighbors will not be repeated. He described Iran’s government as “the main threat” to Persian Gulf security and urged compensation for attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Threats Against US and Israeli Officials
Meanwhile, Iran’s joint military command spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari declared that the private residences of US and Israeli officials have now become legitimate targets for Iran. This statement came after the US and Israel targeted residential homes of Iranians in various cities across Iran. The threat specifically targeted US and Israeli military and political officials living in the Middle East, including in Israel.
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