Iran Floats A New Condition For Strait of Hormuz Reopening
The strikes focused on weakening long-range strike capabilities and defence systems linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Seyyed Mohammad Mehdi Tabatabaei, a presidential spokesperson, wrote Sunday on the social platform X that the reopening of the vital waterway can only happen if transit revenues are partially earmarked to compensate Iran for war damages.
There has been growing alarm over Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, critical for shipments of oil and gas from the Persian Gulf to Europe and Asia. Trump has threatened to attack Iran’s infrastructure if it fails to reopen the strait by Monday. — AP
Trump Says Iran Power Plants, Bridges To Be Hit If Hormuz Strait Not Re-opened
US President Donald Trump threatened in an expletive-laden social media post Sunday to strike Iran's power plants and bridges if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened the next day.
Following an 48-hour ultimatum he issued on Saturday, Trump said on his Truth Social platform that "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!"
"Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!" wrote the president, adding: "Praise be to Allah." — AFP
Israel Hits Over 200 Iran Targets, 140 Hezbollah Sites
- The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) carried out a large-scale military operation targeting more than 200 infrastructure sites in Iran and over 140 Hezbollah-linked locations in Lebanon.
In a statement shared on X, the military said it had struck “200+ Iranian regime infrastructure targets across Iran, and 140+ Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure throughout Lebanon.”
The strikes focused on weakening long-range strike capabilities and defence systems linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Among the key targets in Iran were a central IRGC weapons storage site and multiple air defence systems.
The IDF also reported hitting facilities involved in the production, storage, and development of ballistic missiles intended to target aircraft.
The operation extended into Lebanon, where Hezbollah’s operational capacity was targeted. Strikes included a Hezbollah training site, weapons storage facilities, and launch sites.
According to the military, Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force headquarters were also hit, dealing a significant blow to its command structure.
This offensive follows a surge of over 70 strikes conducted on Friday across western and central Iran. These targeted ballistic missile launch sites and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) infrastructure linked to the IRGC.
The IDF stated that these actions are part of an ongoing effort to reduce threats to Israeli civilians by weakening Iran’s military capabilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes had severely impacted Iran’s industrial base, claiming that 70 percent of its steel production capacity had been destroyed.
He described the damage to the steel sector as a “tremendous achievement,” stating it would limit both funding and weapons production capabilities for the IRGC.
Netanyahu also highlighted coordination with the United States, saying joint efforts would continue to target Iran’s military and infrastructure.
On the northern front, he confirmed that operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon are ongoing, aimed at protecting communities in northern Israel.
He also praised Israeli citizens for following safety instructions during heightened tensions, including during the Passover Seder night.
Live Updates
- 5 April 2026 10:45 PM IST
West Asia crisis: Jaishankar speaks to Qatari PM, UAE foreign minister
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Sunday to discuss the West Asia conflict and its impact on global energy supplies. The external affairs minister also held a phone conversation with the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Jaishankar's phone conversations with the Qatari prime minister and the UAE foreign minister came amid a spike in tensions in West Asia after US President Donald Trump renewed ultimatum to Tehran, threatening to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened for shipping.
"Had a telecon on the ongoing conflict with PM & FM @MBA_AlThani_of Qatar this evening," Jaishankar said on social media. Al Thani is also Qatar's foreign minister.
Following his talks with Al Nahyan, the external affairs minister, without sharing much details, said the evolving situation in West Asia was discussed.
"Discussed the evolving situation in West Asia with DPM & FM @ABZayed of UAE," he said. Al Nahyan is also the deputy prime minister of the UAE.
Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
West Asia has been a major source of India's energy procurement.
There have been growing global concerns over disruptions in commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with many leading powers pressing for the full reopening of the waterway. — PTI
- 5 April 2026 10:40 PM IST
Oil-producing countries decide on symbolic output increase
Eight countries from the OPEC+ oil cartel say they will increase production again in May to ensure stability on the oil market — a decision overshadowed by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic due to the Iran war.
The countries said in a statement carried Sunday on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries website that production would be increased by 206,000 barrels per day.
That, however, remains largely on paper due to the loss of an estimated 12 million barrels a day from Persian Gulf producers due to the Hormuz closure.
The countries — Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman — warned that damage from attacks on oil infrastructure will take “a long time” to repair and return supply to previous levels.
Such attacks, as well as disruption of navigation, undermine efforts to support stable prices “for the benefit of producers, consumers and the global economy,” they said. — AP
- 5 April 2026 10:39 PM IST
Iranian government minister dismisses Trump threat in AP interview
Iran’s culture minister has dismissed President Donald Trump’s latest threats, calling the U.S. leader an “unstable, delusional figure.”
“Iranian society generally does not pay attention to his statements, as it believes he lacks personal, behavioral and verbal balance, and constantly shifts between contradictory positions,” Sayed Reza Salihi-Amiri told The Associated Press in an interview Sunday.
Trump on Sunday said he would strike Iran’s power plants and bridges this Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to marine traffic. In an expletive-laden post, Trump promised the Iranians would be “living in Hell” if the waterway isn’t opened.
“It seems Trump has become a phenomenon that neither Iranians nor Americans are able to fully analyze,” said Salihi-Amiri. — AP
He said the Strait of Hormuz is “open to the world but closed to Iran’s enemies.”
- 5 April 2026 10:39 PM IST
Latest attack from Iran hits Haifa apartment building, Israel’s rescue services say
Paramedics say they rushed to the scene and searched through the rubble to dig out the injured, finding an older man in serious condition. They say three other people were mildly injured, including a baby.
Photos and video showed much of the multistory building reduced to rubble.
The rescuers described the damage as resulting from a direct hit. It was not immediately clear if the building had been struck by an Iranian missile or shrapnel from a missile interception. — AP
- 5 April 2026 10:38 PM IST
2 Black Hawk helicopters were hit during the rescue, but got to safety
The two helicopters were able to navigate to safe airspace, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive information.
It was not clear where the Black Hawks landed or if their crew members were injured.
Iran’s joint military command has claimed it struck two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters. — AP
- 5 April 2026 10:38 PM IST
Muslim civil rights group accuses Trump of mocking Islam
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a nationwide advocacy group, assailed Trump for invoking Allah in his Truth Social post threatening Iran.
“President Trump’s deranged mocking of Islam and his threats to attack civilian infrastructure in Iran are reckless, dangerous, and indicative of a mindset that shows indifference to human life and contempt for religious beliefs,” CAIR said in a statement.
Trump, in his post on Easter Sunday, demanded that Iran open the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday, “or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
“The casual use of ‘Praise be to Allah’ in the context of violent threats reflects a disturbing willingness to weaponize religious language while simultaneously denigrating Islam and its followers,” CAIR said. — AP
- 5 April 2026 10:37 PM IST
Iranians say Trump’s threats to strike infrastructure is ‘intent to commit war crime’
Hours after Trump’s expletive-laden post promising Iran will be “living in Hell” over the Strait of Hormuz closure, Tehran’s mission to the U.N. called the open threats to target civilian infrastructure “a direct and public incitement to terrorise civilians and clear evidence of intent to commit war crime.”
“The international community and all States have legal obligations to prevent such atrocious acts of war crimes,” the mission said in a post on the social platform X. “They must act now. Tomorrow is too late.” — AP
- 5 April 2026 8:31 PM IST
Over 1,400 people in Lebanon have been killed in war between Israel and Hezbollah militant group
Among the 1,461 killed are 97 women, 129 children, and 54 paramedics, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
4,430 people have been wounded since the latest fighting began on March 2.
After Hezbollah fired rockets toward northern Israel, the Israeli military launched an intense military operation with daily strikes across the country and a ground invasion into southern Lebanon. — AP
- 5 April 2026 8:31 PM IST
US official says CIA launched ‘deception campaign’ to find second crew member
Details about the rescue of a second U.S. crew member in Iran, who was a weapons systems officer, are trickling out hours after Trump’s announcement.
A senior U.S. administration official said Sunday that prior to locating the crew member, the CIA spread word inside Iran that U.S. forces had already found him and were moving him on the ground for exfiltration.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public, said the campaign managed to confuse Iranian officials while the agency conducted its search-and-rescue operations. — AP
- 5 April 2026 8:30 PM IST
Top satellite imagery provider says US asked it to suspend access to Mideast imagery
The U.S. government has asked top providers of satellite imagery to stop publishing photos from parts of the Middle East because of the Iran war, says the company Planet Labs.
Planet Labs and companies like it provide near-daily imagery crucial to reporting on regions where on-the-ground access for journalists is impossible, limited or unsafe. That has made it an especially key tool for reporting on the Iran war, which has impacted nearly all Middle Eastern countries.
In a Saturday email to users, including the AP, Planet Labs said it was complying with the U.S. government’s requests and would indefinitely delay publication of imagery taken after March 9, 2026. It said it would release new imagery on a “case-by-case basis and for urgent, mission-critical requirements or in the public interest.”
The company said the new measures would be in place until the end of the conflict. — AP
