Iran claims steel plants and nuclear facilities were attacked, drone swarms targeted the largest transportation hub, warning of retaliation against the US related to industry, and considering withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The military strikes by the U.S. and Israel against Iran have entered their 28th day, with the intensity of conflict between both sides continuing at a high level, showing no signs of cooling.

Despite U.S. President Trump claiming on Thursday that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran were progressing “very smoothly,” and announcing a ten-day extension on the deadline for strikes against Iranian energy facilities, Israel and the U.S. still launched airstrikes on multiple Iranian industrial and nuclear-related facilities on Friday. Iran retaliated with drones and missiles, warning of reprisals against industrial enterprises associated with the U.S. and Israel, and announced it would intercept merchant ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. According to CCTV news, Iranian officials stated that they were considering withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

According to Xinhua News Agency, on the local time of the 27th, Israeli Defense Minister Katz explicitly declared that the Israeli military would “escalate” its strikes against Iran and expand the scope of its attacks. Iranian officials announced that the Revolutionary Guard had launched the 84th wave of its “True Commitment - 4” operation, deploying a swarm of drones to attack Israel’s largest transportation hub in Tel Aviv and carrying out missile strikes against U.S. military bases in Saudi Arabia.

At the same time, U.S. media cited sources saying that Iran’s response to the U.S. peace proposal was expected to be announced later that day, but there were still significant divergences in the ceasefire negotiations.

U.S. media reported that Vice President Vance criticized Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu earlier this week for being overly optimistic about the conflict’s predictions. According to CCTV, a U.S. defense official disclosed that since the start of operations against Iran, 303 U.S. soldiers had been injured, with 10 severely wounded, and over 75% of the injuries involved traumatic brain injuries.

Due to the uncertain prospects of U.S.-Iran negotiations and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, oil prices continued to rise, reaching a daily high during trading on Friday, with international oil price benchmark Brent crude futures climbing above $112, an increase of approximately 3.8% for the day and a cumulative rise of over 80% for the year. The average U.S. gasoline price per gallon has already surpassed $4. Media compilation data indicated that global stock markets are experiencing the largest single-month decline since 2022. Consumer confidence in the U.S. also declined due to inflation expectations worsened by the Iranian war.

Iran claims that the U.S.-Israeli attack included a heavy water reactor nuclear facility’s “yellowcake” production plant.

According to Xinhua News Agency citing Iranian media, Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran’s Həndab nuclear facility that houses a heavy water reactor on that day.

According to Iranian media, Iranian officials stated that the Həndab heavy water research reactor was targeted in an airstrike, and officials claimed that there were no casualties and surrounding residents faced no security threats.

According to CCTV, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization announced that the “yellowcake” production plant located in Ardakan City, Yazd Province, was attacked by the U.S. and Israel that day. Preliminary investigations showed that the incident did not result in any radioactive material leaking outside the complex. “Yellowcake” is an oxide of uranium, typically extracted from natural uranium ore, and is an important intermediate product in the nuclear fuel production process, generally used for enriching uranium.

In terms of industrial targets, according to Xinhua News Agency, Akbar Salihi, Deputy Security Chief of Isfahan Province, stated that U.S. and Israeli warplanes targeted the Mubarak Steel Plant in the province, causing damage to the steel production complex; Valiollah Hayati, Deputy Security Chief of Khuzestan Province, also confirmed that Khuzestan Steel Company was attacked by U.S. and Israeli warplanes on the same day.

CCTV cited Iranian media reporting that the power plant associated with the Mubarak Steel Plant was also damaged in this strike. The Mubarak Steel Plant is one of Iran’s largest steel producers.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the Israel Defense Forces announced on the 27th that their air force attacked the “main Iranian missile and mine production facility” located in central Iran’s Yazd, claiming that most of Iran’s naval missiles and mines were developed, assembled, and stored at this facility. Another statement released by the IDF on the same day indicated that they had attacked ballistic missile and air defense system production bases within Iran the previous night.

Iran retaliates with drones and missiles.

According to CCTV news, Iranian state television reported that the Israeli military logistics base and transportation hub located in Tel Aviv were attacked by a swarm of Iranian drones, which the Iranian military claimed was Israel’s largest transportation center.

Additionally, according to CCTV, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on the 27th that it had launched the 84th round of the “True Commitment - 4” operation. The announcement stated that the Revolutionary Guards’ air force, in coordination with the navy, used solid and liquid-fueled missiles and drones to strike U.S. military bases in Ha’il, Saudi Arabia, destroying the enemy’s missile defense systems and claiming that “several large tankers and support aircraft of the enemy were completely destroyed or severely damaged,” calling the location a “deployment point for the enemy’s air refueling fleet and air support forces.”

According to Iranian media cited by Xinhua, the Revolutionary Guard Navy returned three container ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz was closed, prohibiting any ships “coming from or going to” ports of U.S. and Israeli allies, stating that “any attempt to cross unauthorized will face severe measures.”

Iranian officials stated that Iran’s participation in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons had become “meaningless.”

According to CCTV news, on March 27, the spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Ibrahim Rezaei, posted on social media stating that Iran’s continued participation as a member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons had become “meaningless,” as the treaty had not brought any substantial benefits to Iran.

Rezaei pointed out that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons not only failed to protect Iran from attacks by nuclear powers, but instead led to multiple attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, and international documents and agreements have been completely ignored. He stated that the U.S. has withdrawn from over 60 international organizations and agreements, and if Iran chooses to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the West may express surprise and opposition, but “now is the time to leave.”

Israel declares an escalation in strikes, with internal dissent emerging.

According to Xinhua News Agency, on the 27th, Israeli Defense Minister Katz stated during a situation assessment meeting with military commanders that due to the continued missile launches targeting Israeli civilians, the military would “escalate strikes against Iran and expand the scope of attacks to include targets assisting that regime in the manufacture and use of weapons against civilians.” Xinhua News Agency reported that the Israeli military also carried out large-scale strikes against “Iranian regime infrastructure” located in downtown Tehran early on the 27th.

However, internal criticism has emerged in Israel. According to Xinhua News Agency, opposition leader Lapid accused the government of pushing military actions in multiple directions simultaneously, leading to strained military resources, pushing the nation toward a “security disaster.”

According to CCTV news citing U.S. media, Vice President Vance criticized Netanyahu during a phone call this week for being overly optimistic about the conflict, believing he “exaggerated the possibility of regime change in Iran.” Reports cited a U.S. official stating that before attacking Iran, Netanyahu had portrayed the conflict as “manageable” to the U.S., but Vance was skeptical of this. The official also indicated that Vance played a “leading role” in U.S.-Iran ceasefire negotiations, while Israel was attempting to undermine the talks.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Israeli military officials stated that since the outbreak of this round of conflict, the Israeli military has launched or dropped approximately 15,000 missiles and bombs on Iran.

Iran makes a strong statement while simultaneously engaging in diplomatic actions.

According to Xinhua News Agency, on the 27th, Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian spoke with UN Secretary-General Guterres over the phone, stating that preventing hostile countries and their allies’ ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz is Iran’s “legitimate right.”

According to CCTV news, Amir-Abdollahian posted on social media accusing Netanyahu of “gambling with American taxpayers’ money and American lives,” stating that “ordinary Americans—especially retirees—will pay the price for this defeat.” He also accused U.S. military personnel of using civilians in Gulf Cooperation Council member states as “human shields” and called for local hotels to refuse U.S. military bookings.

According to CCTV, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf responded strongly to the potential threat of ground invasion, stating, “The U.S. cannot even protect its own soldiers in regional bases, hiding them in hotels and parks; under such circumstances, how could they possibly protect those soldiers on our territory?”

According to Xinhua News Agency, Iran’s permanent representative to the UN, Irlavani, has written to the UN protesting that the Iranian Speaker of Parliament and Foreign Minister have been listed as assassination targets. In addition, according to Xinhua News Agency, since the outbreak of the conflict, Iran has arrested 103 individuals related to U.S. and Israeli espionage; there are also reports that at least 120 museums, historical buildings, and cultural relics in Iran have been directly attacked and severely structurally damaged.

Russia, Germany, and the UK express their positions, analysts warn of economic and military risks.

In terms of international reactions, according to Xinhua News Agency and CCTV news, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, stated that U.S. military actions against Iran are a “serious strategic mistake,” warning that “the next U.S. government will likely pay the price for this mistake,” and cautioned that if the U.S. launches ground operations in Iran, it would face “consequences similar to those of the Vietnam War.” Russian presidential spokesperson Peskov stated that Russia does not have details on U.S.-Iran negotiations, but if it helps promote a ceasefire, it is “certainly welcome.”

German Foreign Minister Wadephul stated that there is currently a “massive security risk” and that it is necessary to prevent further escalation of the Iranian situation, anticipating that Iran will allow safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. UK Foreign Secretary Cooper called for an early resolution to the Middle East conflict to restore regional security and stability, allowing the Strait of Hormuz to reopen.

In the analysis dimension, “Dr. Doom,” former White House economist Nouriel Roubini, stated at the Ambrosetti Forum held at Lake Como, Italy, that his baseline judgment is that the probability of the U.S. escalating the war against Iran is “over 50%,” believing that both Trump and Netanyahu have motives to choose escalation and seek victory, “even if oil prices rise in the short term.”

The U.S. consumer confidence index for March released on Friday dropped to a three-month low, with inflation expectations for the coming year rising to 3.8%, marking the largest increase since April 2025.

Joanne Hsu, the director of the related survey at the University of Michigan, stated, “The persistence of high prices remains the dominant factor for consumers in assessing the economy, with 47% of consumers actively mentioning that prices are eroding their personal financial situation.” Since the conflict began, the average U.S. gasoline price per gallon has surged by about $1, and this war is entering its fifth week.

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