Senior Iranian Official Involved In Reaching Out To Vance Severely Wounded In Airstrike

 A top Iranian official who was involved in diplomatic outreach and indirect talks or messaging with the United States and Pakistani mediators was reportedly critically wounded in a US-Israeli strike. Kamal Kharazi, an 81-year-old senior adviser to Tehran and former foreign minister, lost his wife in the Wednesday strike on his home, state media has said.

Kharazi chairs Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations and has been viewed as a potential backchannel negotiator involving Islamabad, but now he's been hospitalized with serious injuries, state media has also said.

"We have seen what looks like an assassination attempt against the former foreign minister, Kamal Kharazi … We don’t know why he’s been targeted. He has been gravely wounded, and his wife was killed," said an Al Jazeera correspondent in Tehran.

Iranian officials described to Mehr News Agency that Kharazi was overseeing outreach to Pakistan tied to a possible meeting with US Vice President JD Vance. A potential Vance trip to Pakistan was initially reported as possibly being in the works late last month.

But Middle East Eye has reported that Kharazi was not seeing much room for diplomacy as US-Israeli actions escalate to attacks on Iranian infrastructure and energy:

He told CNN in March, "I don’t see any room for diplomacy anymore. Because Donald Trump had been deceiving others and not keeping with his promises, and we experienced this in two times of negotiations – that while we were engaged in negotiation, they struck us."

If he succumbs to his wounds, Kharrazi would be the latest senior Iranian official killed since the war began.

In addition to Khamenei, top security adviser Ali Shamkhani, Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammad Pakpour, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, and Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh were all killed on the first day of the war.

Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, was killed on 17 March, along with his son and one of his ⁠deputies. Intelligence minister and head of civilian monitoring, Esmail Khatib, was killed in an Israeli strike a day later.

Some analysts and pundits have accused Israel in particular of trying to sabotage any US-Iran talks, as the Netanyahu government wants to see complete regime collapse in the Islamic Republic.

Israel has also stood accused of seeking to create the conditions to lure the White House into authorizing 'limited' strikes which would inevitably become an open-ended war with no timeline.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/senior-iranian-official-involved-reaching-out-vance-severely-wounded-airstrike

Iran state TV warns public against disclosing officials’ hiding places

 Iranian state television has escalated its messaging by warning citizens not to reveal the locations of officials hiding among civilians.

As the regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States escalates, Iran’s state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), has undergone a marked transformation in tone and language.

In a segment of a program on Iran’s state broadcaster, presenter Mohammad Jafar Khosravi acknowledged that officials are hiding in safe houses among ordinary citizens and urged the public not to reveal their locations, warning that otherwise they would be “finished” and targeted.

Alongside this shift, dehumanizing language toward foreign adversaries has become increasingly common. Following intensified strikes in late February, IRIB hosts and commentators repeatedly described Israeli officials as “rabid dogs,” portraying them as threats that must be eliminated.

The escalation in tone extends beyond broadcast television. On social media platform X, IRIB presenters have engaged in increasingly personal exchanges with Israeli officials.

Figures such as Ameneh Saadat Zabihpour and Ali Rezvani, both sanctioned by the United States in 2022 as "Interrogator Journalists", have traded insults with Israeli spokespersons, with some interactions descending into personal attacks, religious provocation, and inflammatory rhetoric.

"After blunt death threats by the Revolutionary Guard, aired on State TV and the televised intimidation of the women's football team, State TV presenters are openly calling for the murder of the people of Iran," the Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) said in a post on its Instagram.

"The recent calls for 'shoot-to-kill' verdicts make the broadcaster an instrument of direct attack on a population already reeling from the violent suppression of January uprising," the Association said last month.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604020258

Iran’s Pezeshkian faces hardline backlash over conditional war-end offer

 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is facing a fierce political backlash after signaling a conditional willingness to end the war, exposing deep divisions within Iran’s political and military establishment over diplomacy versus continued conflict.

In a phone call on Tuesday with European Council President Antonio Costa, Pezeshkian said Iran has the “necessary will” to bring the conflict to an end - provided that “essential conditions, especially guarantees to prevent renewed aggression, are met.”

Following Pezeshkian’s remarks, US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that the “president of the new Iranian regime” had requested a ceasefire. Oil prices dipped slightly after the comments.

Iranian officials swiftly rejected Trump’s characterization. Mehdi Tabatabaei, the deputy for communications and information at the president’s office, responded on X:

“The position of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the defense of the nation against the aggression of evildoers and the conditions for ending the imposed war has not changed, and there is no regard for the delusions and lies of criminals.”

In a letter addressed to the American public published on Wednesday, Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran’s military actions were “purely a response and defense, not the initiation of war and aggression.” He described continued confrontation as “costly and fruitless,” signaling a more pragmatic tone from parts of the political establishment.

Hardliners and figures aligned with the security establishment have set stricter conditions for ending the war. Mohsen Rezaei, now a military adviser to Mojtaba Khamenei, has said the conflict should only end with reparations and guarantees, including the removal of US bases from the region.

Hardliner backlash intensifies

Pezeshkian’s comments triggered strong criticism from conservative and hardline figures. Lawmaker Hamid Rasaei described the remarks as evidence of a “wavering personality” and “passivity in the face of the enemy,” arguing that such positions could embolden further attacks.

Rasaei has previously compared Pezeshkian to Iran’s first president, Abolhassan Banisadr, who was removed from office by parliament for “political incompetence”. Similar comparisons have circulated widely on social media in recent days.

Some critics framed the conflict as a struggle between “truth and falsehood” and opposed any negotiated settlement short of total victory.

Calls for deterrence over diplomacy

In an open letter published on X, hardline activist Mohammad Shirakvand criticized Pezeshkian’s appeal for European guarantees, writing: “When you yourself state that the United States does not believe in diplomacy, what does speaking of guarantees for ending the war mean other than repeating a costly mistake?”

“This war is a battle of truth against falsehood and an arena of clashing wills. The government must play on this field, not on promises that have repeatedly proven unreliable,” he added.

Shirakvand argued that “real guarantees are not built through diplomacy, but through power and deterrence on the battlefield.”

Another widely shared post by a conservative account, Rah-e Dialameh, described Pezeshkian’s remarks as “sending a signal of weakness to the enemy,” linking them to the drop in oil prices and warning that such a strategy “must be stopped before it causes further damage.”

Some hardline users accused Pezeshkian of “sending ceasefire signals” and weakening Iran’s military posture, demanding that security authorities “control” him.

One user appeared to issue an implicit threat, suggesting authorities should restrict his public appearances “to protect his life,” claiming the country “is better managed on autopilot.”

Son defends the president’s stance

Amid escalating criticism, Pezeshkian’s son and adviser, Yousef Pezeshkian, publicly defended his father. He challenged critics’ logic, asking: “I do not understand the meaning of these criticisms; are we not seeking to meet conditions and obtain guarantees? Or are we seeking war until the complete destruction of America and Israel?”

He framed the president’s position as a realistic attempt at conditional de-escalation, contrasting it with what he implied were unrealistic or maximalist goals.

He also defended his father’s earlier apology to neighboring countries affected by Iranian strikes, calling it an “ethical duty” and highlighting efforts to maintain regional relations despite the conflict.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604026228

Iran’s wartime messaging targets its own citizens

Iran’s state broadcaster has adopted a noticeably harsher tone toward dissent, increasingly framing domestic protests as part of a war waged by “enemies.”

One of the clearest examples came on March 10, when Police Commander Ahmad-Reza Radan addressed the possibility of protests during the conflict.

Speaking on state television, he warned that anyone who took to the streets “at the will of the enemy” would no longer be treated as a protester but as an “enemy combatant.”

The wording marked a significant escalation. By invoking the language of combat, the state effectively framed domestic dissent as participation in the war itself.

Such framing has appeared repeatedly in recent broadcasts. Commentators and officials frequently describe protests not as political grievances but as extensions of foreign military pressure.

The same rhetorical shift is evident in the way foreign adversaries are described. Television hosts increasingly employ dehumanizing metaphors to portray Western and Israeli leaders.

Israeli officials have been repeatedly referred to as “rabid dogs” on talk shows, imagery that casts them as biological threats rather than political opponents.

Foreign-based Persian-language media outlets are portrayed in similarly extreme terms. Iran International TV, for example, has been described on state television as a “satanic network,” while presenters have warned that its regional offices could be considered legitimate targets.

The tone is often even more unrestrained online, where state television presenters engage in public taunts and insults with Israeli officials and journalists on social media.

The language echoes wartime propaganda seen in many conflicts, where demonization of the enemy is used to mobilize domestic support. But the Iranian broadcasts go further by combining this rhetoric with arguments that dismiss international norms governing warfare.

On several television panel discussions in March, state-aligned analysts suggested that international humanitarian law and institutions such as the United Nations serve merely as tools of Western power.

Some commentators declared bluntly that “the age of diplomacy is dead” and that the West understands only “the language of missiles.”

In this atmosphere, messaging increasingly serves not only to condemn foreign adversaries but also to warn domestic audiences about the consequences of dissent.

When protests are described as actions carried out “at the will of the enemy,” the implication is that political opposition itself becomes a form of collaboration with hostile powers.

Wars have always reshaped political language. Governments under military pressure tend to simplify narratives, divide the world into allies and enemies, and suppress ambiguity. Iran’s state television now appears to be moving decisively in that direction.

When state television begins speaking about its own citizens in the language of the battlefield, it signals that the war is no longer being presented as something happening only beyond the country’s borders.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604026228

Israel aiding US search for downed jet crew in Iran - AP

 

Israel aiding US search for downed jet crew in Iran - AP

Israel is helping the United States with the search and rescue operation for a downed US fighter jet over Iran, the Associated Press reported, citing an Israeli military officer briefed on the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a US announcement.

45 minutes ago

Video: US aircraft flies low over Iran amid crashed pilot search

48 minutes ago

Trump briefed on downed US fighter jet in Iran - Fox News

President Donald Trump has been briefed on reports that a US F-15 fighter jet was downed inside Iran, Fox News reported on Friday.

53 minutes ago

BREAKING NEWSOne crew member rescued after US jet downed over Iran - CBS

One crew member from a US F-15E fighter jet downed over Iran was rescued by American forces, while a search and rescue operation continues for the second crew member, CBS News reported, citing two US officials on Friday.

The F-15E is flown by a two-member crew and a search and rescue effort is ongoing, the report added citing sources.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202604015564

March Jobs Shocker: Payrolls Soar 178K, Most Since 2024, Blow Away Estimates; Jobless Rate Drops

 We titled our nonfarm payroll preview post "a substantial bounce" and boy were we right: with consensus expecting a material rebound from February's negative print (which was revised as usual worse, from -92K to -133K), what the BLS reported instead was a huge beat to expectations of a 65K increase, with March jobs reportedly rising by 178K, the biggest increase since December 2024.

This was not only higher than all estimates but was a 3 sigma beat to the median forecast, something we haven't seen in over a year.

In keeping with tradition, the previous month's data was revised sharply negative, from -92K to -133K, despite expectations of an upward revision. Yet for once there was an upward revision in the historical data: the change in total nonfarm payroll employment for January was revised up by 34,000, from +126,000 to +160,000, and the change for February was revised down by 41,000, from -92,000 to -133,000. With these revisions, employment in January and February combined is 7,000 lower than previously reported. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from  businesses and government

There was more good news: the unemployment rate actually dropped from 4.4% to 4.3% amid expectations of an unchanged print. This was despite a drop in the actual number of employed workers (per the Household survey) but offset by an even bigger drop in the civilian labor force, which declined by almost 400K, from 170.483MM to 170.087MM.

While the unemployment rate dropped, the labor force participation rate slumped to a 5 year low, largely due to the halt of illegal immigration, helping keep unemployment depressed.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for people who are Asian (3.7%) decreased in March. The jobless rates for adult men (3.8%), adult women (4.0%), teenagers (13.7%), and people who are White (3.6%), Black (7.1%), or Hispanic (4.8%) all posted a modest sequential drop. 

There was some good news for the Fed too, with a 0.2% increase in monthly average hourly earnings, below the 0.3% est and down from 0.4% in February, the annual increase in hourly earnings was just 3.5%, the lowest in 3 years, and below estimates of a 3.7% increase. It appears that the most important metric for the Fed - hourly earnings - is starting to take on water.

Taking a closer look at the Establishment survey, in March job gains occurred in health care, in construction, and in transportation and warehousing. Federal government employment continued to decline. 

• Health care added 76,000 jobs in March. Employment in ambulatory health care services rose by 54,000, reflecting an increase of 35,000 in offices of physicians as workers returned from a strike. Employment also increased in hospitals (+15,000). Over the prior 12 months, health care had added an average of 29,000 jobs per month. 
• Employment in construction grew by 26,000 in March but had shown little net change over the prior 12 months.
• Transportation and warehousing added 21,000 jobs, reflecting a gain in couriers and messengers (+20,000). Employment in transportation and warehousing is down by 139,000 since reaching a peak in February 2025.
• Employment in social assistance continued its upward trend in March (+14,000), primarily in individual and family services (+11,000).
• Federal government employment continued to decline in March (-18,000). Since reaching a peak in October 2024, federal government employment is down by 355,000, or 11.8 percent. Federal employees on furlough during the partial government shutdown were counted as employed in the establishment survey because they worked or received (or will receive) pay for the pay period that included the 12th of the month.
• Employment in financial activities edged down by 15,000 in March, reflecting a loss in finance and insurance (-16,000). Employment in financial activities is down by 77,000 since reaching a peak in May 2025.

Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; retail trade; information; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services.

https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/march-jobs-shocker-payrolls-soar-178k-most-2024-blowing-away-all-estimates-unemployment

'The U.S. economy isn't generating many jobs lately, but it might not need to'

 The birthrate is falling. The population is aging. Immigration has ground to a halt. Unless something changes, the U.S. economy won't return to churning out hundreds of thousands of jobs each month.

The economy has alternated between adding jobs and losing jobs for 10 months in a row, and the on-and-off streak is likely to extend into March.

Yet the net result is all the same: The U.S. is barely creating any new jobs.

Here's what to watch for in the March employment report.

New jobs are no longer plentiful

Businesses and governments are expected to have generated 59,000 new jobs in March, partly reversing a 92,000 decline in February, according to economists polled by the Wall Street Journal.

The economy has added - and then lost - jobs in every month since May 2025, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show.

Add it all up, and the economy created just 34,000 net jobs during the 10-month span. That's the total, not a monthly average.

Get used to it. The U.S. birthrate is falling. The population is aging. Immigration has ground to a halt.

Until something changes, the economy is no longer going to churn out hundreds of thousands of new jobs every month.

Economists estimate the U.S. needs to add just 50,000 jobs a month, if that, to absorb the new entrants into the labor force. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the break-even rate could even be zero - or lower.

Strikes and weather

There is a chance we'll learn on Friday that job creation topped 100,000 in March, but that would almost certainly be a one-off.

For starters, some 30,000 jobs were subtracted from the February employment report because of nurses' strikes. Those jobs will be added back in March.

Harsh winter weather, meanwhile, almost certainly depressed hiring in February, even if the government's initial report didn't show much sign of it.

If there is a big employment increase, then the three-month average of job creation is a better guide for assessing the strength of the labor market. The three-month average was 36,000 in the last employment report.

Low unemployment

The unemployment rate is expected to hold firm at a low 4.4%. The jobless rate shouldn't change much, economists say, if the labor force isn't really growing.

The only way the unemployment rate would rise is if layoffs rose sharply - and there's no evidence of that - or the labor force started to grow again.

Higher labor-force participation would actually be good news for the job market.

In any case, the unemployment rate is now viewed as the best measure of the labor market's health, given what's expected to be a long-term slowdown in job creation.

Healthcare

The economy wouldn't be adding any jobs at all if not for healthcare, including social services such as eldercare and child care.

These providers created an average of 56,000 new jobs a month from February 2025 to February 2026.

By contrast, all other industries combined lost an average of 43,000 jobs a month during that span.

The current surge in healthcare hiring can't go on forever. Healthcare spending is projected to slow in 2026, J.P. Morgan analysts said, and reduce the demand for labor.

Healthcare unemployment has crept up since touching an all-time low in 2022.

https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20260402225/the-us-economy-isnt-generating-many-jobs-lately-but-it-might-not-need-to