Top Iranian officials have condoled the martyrdom of Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, praising his role in strengthening Iran’s maritime power and resistance.

In a statement released on Monday, the IRGC announced the martyrdom of the IRGC Navy commander following injuries sustained in the US-Israeli aggression against Iran.

The statement added that Tangsiri was wounded after operations that “inflicted heavy damage on enemy facilities and infrastructure and led to the downing of a US fighter jet.”

In his message of condolence, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, hailed Rear Admiral Tangsiri as a “courageous and valiant” commander who was honored with martyrdom after years of struggle.

Citing a Quranic verse that those slain in the path of God are alive and sustained by their Lord, the Leader said his martyrdom during the ongoing Israeli-American war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran stands as “a great source of pride.”

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said the sacrifice would serve as an enduring inspiration for the people of Bushehr, the youth of southern Iran, and the country’s armed forces, who have long safeguarded Iran’s independence and maritime borders, particularly in the Persian Gulf.

The Leader also expressed confidence that Iran’s path of maritime strength and resistance would continue with greater power and determination.

In a separate statement, President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed the martyred IRGC Navy commander, describing his martyrdom as “a great honor for the true men of Iran.”

In his message, the president said the “banner of dignity, resistance, and independence” is raised ever higher with the sacrifice of Iran’s brave fighters.

He praised Rear Admiral Tangsiri’s role in elevating the power, prestige, and authority of the IRGC Navy in the Persian Gulf, noting that his leadership had transformed it into a formidable force capable of standing “as a mighty barrier against aggressors and the greedy.”

Pezeshkian said the martyred commander’s effectiveness had made him “a thorn in the side of ruthless enemies,” who viewed his elimination as a major objective.

He stressed that martyrdom represents a profound honor and extended condolences to the Leader, the commander’s comrades in the IRGC and the army, and the Iranian nation.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in a statement, described Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri as a shining example of courage, steadfastness, and loyalty to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

He noted that the martyred IRGC Navy commander’s resolve “was never shaken even in the face of the formidable assault of American warships, striking such a powerful blow to the tools of arrogance that they withdrew and docked at the farthest coasts.”

The parliament speaker further warned that “if the enemy thinks that eliminating the brave will erase courage, they may test their luck – and will face the crushing response of the successors of this honored martyr.”

Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, in a statement, paid tribute to Rear Admiral Tangsiri, describing him as a “valiant and selfless commander of Islam” and one of the renowned heroes of the “Ramadan War,” who “turned the day of the American-Zionist aggressors into night.”

He said the IRGC Navy commander, after years of sincere struggle, attained the “great victory of martyrdom” and “the noblest form of death.”

Ejei highlighted Tangsiri’s lineage, linking him to historic resistance figures of southern Iran such as Rais Ali Delvari, and said he had dealt heavy blows to enemy forces while strengthening Iran’s defensive shield, particularly along its southern shores.

According to the judiciary chief, these efforts had effectively erased the enemy’s ambitions of a ground invasion from their strategic calculations.

He also expressed confidence that the martyred commander’s comrades in the IRGC Navy would continue his path with greater strength, neutralizing enemy aggression and acting with the same resolve in offensive operations.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hailed the martyrdom of Tangsiri as the culmination of years of dedicated service in defending the security and independence of the Islamic Republic.

Araghchi described the martyred commander as a tireless and devoted commander who led the frontlines of Iran’s dignity and military power.

“Rear Admiral Tangsiri, hailing from the brave lineage of Tangestan, elevated the strength of the IRGC Navy in the azure waters of the Persian Gulf with unparalleled prudence,” he said, “ensuring that in critical moments, it would stand as a mighty barrier against aggressors.”

He emphasized that the path of such warriors would continue with unwavering resolve, and that their sacrifice would ensure the continued honor, sovereignty, and independence of Iran.

As Israel continued to press its offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the UN Force in Lebanon said a peacekeeper had been killed on Sunday and another critically injured by a projectile that hit a UNIFIL position.

UNIFIL said they did not know the origin of the projectile but were investigating.

Trump, citing the number of Iranian leaders who have been killed in the month-long US-Israeli war against Iran, said regime change has already been achieved and the new leadership is “much more reasonable”.

“We’ve had regime change,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. “We’re dealing with different people than anybody’s dealt with before. It’s a whole different group of people. So I would consider that regime change.”

Asked whether there could be a deal with Iran this coming week, Trump said: “I do see a deal in Iran. Could be soon.”

Trump said that Iran has accepted “most” of a 15-point proposal put forward by Washington to end the ongoing conflict, with the framework conveyed through Pakistan in indirect negotiations.

Trump indicated that Tehran had largely agreed to the demands. “They gave us most of the points. Why wouldn’t they?” he said, adding that the US may still push for “a couple of other things” as discussions progress.

In Pakistan, the government is looking to capitalise on its links with Tehran and the Gulf states, as well as a budding rapport with Trump, to broker peace talks.

“Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks,” Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.

But the speaker of Iran’s parliament has accused Washington of using diplomacy as a smoke screen.

“The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground attack,” Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

“Our men are waiting for the arrival of the American soldiers on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional allies once and for all,” he added.

Strikes on Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

Weeks of unrelenting strikes have taken a heavy toll on ordinary people in Iran.

“I miss a peaceful night’s sleep,” an artist in Tehran told AFP, saying night-time strikes were “so intense it felt like all of Tehran was shaking”.

The war has escalated into a regional conflagration as Tehran retaliates with attacks on Gulf states and virtually seals the critical Strait of Hormuz oil shipping lane, sending energy markets into a tailspin and threatening the world economy.

An Iranian strike on a power station and water desalination in Kuwait killed one Indian worker and damaged a building at the site, the Gulf state’s electricity ministry said Monday.

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said its forces detected and intercepted five ballistic missiles.

Iran’s energy ministry reported power outages in the capital on Sunday, its surrounding region and Alborz province “following attacks on electricity industry facilities.”

Trump has previously threatened to strike Iranian power stations if Tehran does not negotiate, before repeatedly extending a deadline to do so.

Iran says it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, which previously accounted for a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade and a fifth of liquefied natural gas shipments, to vessels from hostile nations.

The war has sent oil prices soaring, with benchmark US oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, once again surpassing $100 a barrel early Monday, while Brent climbed above $115.

Israel boosts defence spending

Israel’s parliament passed its 2026 budget early Monday, including about $10 billion in new military spending, bringing the country’s total defence budget to about $45 billion.

Israel renews strikes on Iran

The Israeli military said late Sunday that it had launched new strikes on targets across Iran’s capital Tehran.

Pakistan talks

Pakistan said on Sunday that it was ready to broker and host “meaningful talks” between the United States and Iran to bring an end to their war, outlining growing support for its peace efforts, including from the United Nations and China.

Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey met in Islamabad.

Ambassador refuses

Iran’s ambassador will not leave Lebanon despite being declared persona non grata and ordered to quit the country by Sunday, an Iranian diplomatic source has told AFP.

Lebanon’s foreign ministry accused him of making statements “interfering in Lebanon’s internal politics”.

University hit

A university in Iran’s central city of Isfahan said it was hit by US-Israeli airstrikes for the second time since the war erupted.

Kuwait attack

Kuwait’s defence ministry said 10 service members were injured in an attack on a military camp, as Iran continues targeting positions in the region.

Lebanon toll rises

Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes had killed 1,238 people in the country since the start of the latest war with Hezbollah on March 2.

Israeli expansion

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered his military to “further expand” a security zone in Lebanon.

30 days offline

Iran’s nationwide internet blackout has now lasted 30 days, leaving millions cut off from information and communication since the war began.

Iran missile unit

The Israeli military said it had attacked a key production facility in Tehran used by Iran’s defence ministry to manufacture components for ballistic missiles.

Israeli industrial zone hit

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had struck an industrial complex in southern Israel with ballistic missiles.

AFP footage from the ground showed the charred shell of a warehouse billowing thick clouds of white, grey and black smoke, while fire engines trained powerful jets of water on the blaze.

The Israeli military said the impact in the zone could be from “missile shrapnel”.

Aircraft carrier threat

Iran’s navy chief Shahram Irani said the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier would be targeted by the Islamic republic if it comes within range.

Journalists’ funeral

Lebanon held a funeral for three journalists killed by an Israeli strike the previous day in the south of the country.

The Israeli military said it carried out the attack to assassinate Ali Shoeib, a veteran correspondent for Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV, whom it accused, without providing evidence, of working as a Hezbollah operative.

Qatari TV office hit

Qatari news channel Al Araby said an Israeli missile hit a building housing its office in Tehran, causing damage and, according to the Iranian Red Crescent, wounding 10 people.

WASHINGTON: As the war in Iran threatens to imperil President Donald Trump’s legacy, the political stakes also are rising for two of his top lieutenants: Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The pair, widely viewed as potential successors to Trump, have been thrust into still-developing negotiations to end the war at a moment when the Republican Party is already weighing its post-Trump future.

Vance has taken a cautious approach, reflecting his scepticism toward prolonged US military involvement, while Rubio has aligned himself closely with Trump’s hawkish stance and emerged as one of the administration’s most vocal defenders of the campaign.

Trump has said both men were involved in efforts to force Iran to accept US demands to dismantle its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and allow oil traffic to pass freely through the Strait of Hormuz.

With the next presidential election due in 2028 and term limits barring Trump from running again, the president has been putting the succession question to allies and advisers in private, asking “JD or Marco?” two people familiar with his views said.

The outcome of the US military operation now in its fifth week could shape the two men’s 2028 prospects, political analysts and Republican officials said. A swift end to the war that favours the US might bolster Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security adviser and could be seen as a steady hand during a crisis. A prolonged conflict could give Vance space to argue he reflected the anti-war instincts of Trump’s base without openly breaking with the president.

Trump’s own standing is also at stake. His approval rating fell in recent days to 36%, its lowest point since he returned to the White House, hit by a surge in fuel prices and widespread disapproval of the Iran war, ⁠a four-day Reuters/Ipsos poll completed last week found.

Some Republicans say they are watching closely for which senior aide Trump appears to favour as the Iran conflict unfolds. Some see signs of Trump leaning toward Rubio but note he could change his mind quickly.

“Everyone is watching the body language that Trump makes on Rubio and not seeing the same on Vance,” a Republican with close ties to the White House said.

The White House rejected the idea that Trump is signalling a preference.

“No amount of crazed media speculation about Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio will deter this administration’s mission of fighting for the American people,” spokesman Steven Cheung said.

From Trump rivals to likely heirs

Vance, 41, a former Marine who served in Iraq, has long argued against US entanglements in foreign wars. His public comments on Iran have been limited and calibrated, and Trump has noted the two have “philosophical differences” on the conflict.

Once a self-described “never-Trumper,” Vance wrote an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal in 2023 saying Trump’s best foreign policy was not starting any wars during his first four years in ⁠office between 2017 and 2021.

The White House has downplayed any rift between the president and vice president. Standing alongside Trump in the Oval Office earlier this month, Vance said he supported Trump’s handling of the war and agreed with him that Iran should not obtain a nuclear weapon.

Vance could take on a more direct role in negotiations if Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner make sufficient progress, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

“Vice President Vance is proud to be a part of a highly effective team that, under President Trump’s bold leadership, has had incredible success in making America safer, more secure and more prosperous,” a Vance spokeswoman said.

A senior White House official, who like others in this story was granted anonymity to speak freely about a sensitive topic, said Trump tolerates ideological differences as long as aides remain loyal, adding that Vance’s sceptical views have helped inform Trump about where part of his voter base stands.

A person familiar with Vance’s views told Reuters the vice president will wait until after the November midterm elections before deciding on whether to run in 2028.

Rubio, 54, has said he will not run for president if Vance does, and sources familiar with Rubio’s views say he would be content as Vance’s running mate.

But any perceived vulnerability for Vance could encourage Rubio and other Republicans eyeing bids.

“Trump has a long memory,” said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. “And he may call out Vance for his lack of allegiance. And if Trump remains popular with the MAGA base, that could hurt him by not getting the endorsement of the president.”

Trump has floated the idea of Vance and Rubio running together, suggesting they would be hard to beat.

“Trump doesn’t want to anoint anyone,” the senior White House official said.

A March Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 79% of Republicans have a favourable view of Vance, while 19% viewed him negatively. Some 71% had a positive view of Rubio, while 15% viewed him unfavourably.

In comparison, 79% of Republicans viewed Trump favourably and 20% unfavourably.

Rubio, whose 2016 presidential aspirations were snuffed out after a bitter confrontation with Trump, has long since set aside any frictions with the president.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Rubio “has a great relationship, both professionally and personally” with Trump’s team.

Rubio and the White House were forced into damage control after he angered some of Trump’s conservative backers when he suggested that Israel pushed the United States into the war. But in the weeks since, Trump has praised Rubio’s efforts.

Asked whether Rubio was concerned that a protracted war might damage his political future, a senior State Department official said, “He has not spent a second thinking about this.”

Differences on display

Matt Schlapp, a conservative leader who runs the Conservative Political Action Conference, said the Iran campaign will have big political consequences.

“If it is seen as successful at getting the job done…I think people will be politically rewarded for doing the right thing,” Schlapp said. “If it goes on and on and on… I think the politics are tough.”

Republicans remain broadly supportive of the US military strikes against Iran, with 75% approving compared to just 6% of Democrats and 24% of independents, Reuters/Ipsos polling showed.

At a televised Cabinet meeting on Thursday, the contrast between Rubio and Vance was on display.

Rubio gave a full-throated defence of Trump’s attack on Iran. “He’s not going to leave a danger like this in place,” the secretary of state said.

Vance was more measured, focusing on options for depriving Iran of a nuclear weapon. He closed by wishing Christians and US troops in the Gulf a blessed Holy Week and Easter.

“We continue to stand behind you,” he said to servicemembers, “and continue to support you every step of the way.”