Many of Iran’s Military Leaders, who have led them poorly and unwisely, are terminated, along with much else, with this massive strike in Tehran! President DONALD J. TRUMP

(TS: 04 Apr 16:37 ET)​​​‍​​‌‍​​‌‍​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​‌‍​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​‌‍​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​‌‍​​‌‍​​‌‍… pic.twitter.com/tD59eIoVVY

— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) April 4, 2026

KEY EVENTS

• The Strait of Hormuz will open only under conditions, stressed the deputy spokesperson of the Iranian president, linking its reopening to the payment of war reparations. He described Trump as “desperate and angry.”
• Despite what he wrote on Truth Social, Donald Trump told Fox News that… he still believes an agreement is possible by tomorrow. At the same time, he did not hide that the US sent weapons to Iranian protesters through the Kurds (Read more here).
• Incredible attack by the US president against Iranians via Truth Social: “Open the f***ing Strait, you crazy bastards… Tuesday will be Energy Plant Day and Bridge Day, all wrapped into one, in Iran.”
• Trump confirmed on Sunday morning the rescue of the American officer who had been missing after the downing of an F-15 over Iran on Friday. As he said, the rescued man is seriously injured, and he spoke of an “impressive display of bravery by US forces.” Tomorrow he will give a press conference from the Oval Office about the successful operation.
• The pilot had been hiding for more than 36 hours in a mountainous area, while US fighter jets used bombs to keep Iranian forces away from his location and US special forces commandos were trying to reach him.
• The CIA played a crucial role in the rescue operation of the American pilot, according to CBS. After locating him in a mountain crevice, it transmitted his location to the Pentagon and used a deception tactic to facilitate the rescue operation.
• According to reports in US media, two C-130 aircraft became immobilized in the sand during the rescue operation and were destroyed by the Americans to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. Tehran, for its part, claims it shot down multiple American aircraft (including C-130s) and that the “rescue operation failed.”
• Fires at petrochemical facilities in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi after Iranian strikes. The Revolutionary Guards announced they targeted petrochemical installations in the Gulf.
• A new wave of Israeli raids on the capital of Lebanon, read more here.

05/04/2026 19:31
LIVE UPDATES

Trump to the Wall Street Journal: I will destroy all Iran’s power generation units if they do not agree on the Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy all of Iran’s power generation units if the country’s leadership does not agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening, further increasing pressure on Tehran.

“If they don’t comply, if they want to keep it closed, they will lose every power plant and every other facility they have across the country,” Trump said in an eight-minute interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

Asked when he believes the war will end, the US president replied: “I will let you know very soon.”

“We are in a very strong position and this particular country will need 20 years to rebuild, if it’s lucky, if it still exists as a country,” he said. “And if they don’t do something by Tuesday evening, they won’t have any power plants or bridges left standing.”

05/04/2026 19:35
Hamas rejects calls for its disarmament

The armed wing of Hamas announced today that raising the issue of its disarmament in a “blunt manner” is an attempt to continue what it called the genocide of the Palestinian people.

In a statement broadcast on television, the spokesperson of the armed wing of the Palestinian organization stressed that it will not accept such demands, which he described as “unacceptable” under “any circumstances.”

05/04/2026 19:30
Iran: The Strait of Hormuz will open only if compensation for war damages is given

An Iranian official stated that the Strait of Hormuz will open only under conditions, linking its reopening to the payment of war reparations.

Specifically, the official responsible for communications in the office of the Iranian president said that Tehran will allow navigation again only if it receives compensation through a “new legal regime” based on transit fees.

05/04/2026 19:19
Kuwait: Fires under control at a complex housing oil facilities and the Ministry of Oil

Fires at building complexes in Shuwaikh, where the headquarters of Kuwait’s state oil company and the Ministry of Oil are located, have been brought under control.

Iranian drones struck various targets in Kuwait overnight, and the state energy company Kuwait Petroleum Corporation reported fires and “serious material damage” to some of its units, in its subsidiaries Petrochemical Industries Company and National Petroleum Company.

State media in Kuwait, citing the Ministry of Finance, reported that an Iranian drone hit an office complex housing ministries, causing material damage but no injuries.

Two power generation units were also taken out of operation after Iranian drones targeted power and desalination facilities.

No casualties were reported in any of these attacks.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have claimed responsibility for attacks on petrochemical plants in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

05/04/2026 08:12
LIVE UPDATES

Footage of “downed American aircraft” released by Iranian television
Footage circulating online appears to show the wreckage of several American aircraft in Iran, following the high-risk operation to rescue the American pilot whose F-15 fighter jet was shot down over Iranian territory on Friday.

Footage circulating online appears to show the wreckage of several US aircraft in Iran following a high-risk extraction operation to rescue a US service member whose F-15 jet was reportedly downed over Iran.#US #Iran pic.twitter.com/wtetXwi2l3

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) April 5, 2026

The footage shows a wide debris field of aircraft wreckage still smoking. Destroyed aircraft parts are also visible, including what appear to be turboprop engines. It is not clear which type of aircraft they belong to.

Iranian state media claimed that Iranian forces shot down the aircraft shown in the images. In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump made no reference to aircraft losses, but stated that no members of the U.S. armed forces were injured or killed during the operation.

Iran now claims that two U.S. C-130 transport aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down. Although the situation remains unclear so far, according to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials say American forces were forced to destroy two of their own aircraft during the rescue operation after a malfunction, to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.

05/04/2026 13:36
Oman–Iran meeting on the Strait of Hormuz
Oman and Iran have held talks at the deputy foreign minister level, discussing options to ensure the smooth passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement from Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

These talks come after an Iranian official stated on Thursday that Iran is drafting a protocol with Oman regarding control of ship passage through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the global oil trade passes.

04/04/2026 20:57
LIVE UPDATES

Missile and drone attack on the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates reported a missile and drone attack today, with Iran stating it is targeting the aluminum industry in the Gulf country.

“The UAE’s air defense systems have been activated in response to a missile and drone threat,” the country’s Ministry of Defense announced on X, assuring that “the sounds heard across the country are due to ongoing operations against these missiles and drones.”

In a statement broadcast by the Irna agency, the Iranian military said it is striking the UAE’s aluminum industry as well as American military targets, mainly in Kuwait.

05/04/2026 06:27
Two power generation and desalination units in Kuwait hit by Iranian drones
A raid by Iranian drones caused “significant damage” to two power generation and desalination facilities in Kuwait, authorities in the emirate announced today.

“Two power generation and desalination stations were targeted by hostile drones as part of a heinous Iranian attack, resulting in major material damage and putting two power production units out of operation, with no casualties reported,” the Kuwaiti Ministry of Energy said in a statement.

Earlier, a drone raid caused a fire in a building complex in Shuwaikh, Kuwait, where the headquarters of the state oil company (Kuwait Petroleum Corporation / KPC) and government buildings are located, according to the emirate’s official news agency (KUNA).

The Kuwaiti government condemned the “criminal Iranian attack” that caused “significant destruction” to building facilities, while no casualties were reported.

Since the start of the war in the Middle East, Kuwait and other Gulf countries have been targeted by Iranian attacks in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

05/04/2026 06:18
Three dead due to strikes near the border with Azerbaijan
Three people were killed and three others injured due to “American-Zionist attacks” in Ardabil province in northwestern Iran, near the border with Azerbaijan, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

The cities of Jafarabad and Germi were targeted, according to a spokesperson for the governor of Ardabil.

Iran has long accused Israel, the main arms supplier of Azerbaijan, of using Azerbaijani territory for intelligence-gathering operations and attacks.

In June 2025, Baku had assured Tehran that Azerbaijani territory would never be used for attacks on Iran, amid U.S.-Israeli air raids against the Islamic Republic.

In early March, Baku accused Tehran of drone raids in the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhchivan. The Iranian regime denied any involvement, blaming Israel as responsible.