Iran war: What is happening on day 39 of US-Israeli attacks?
Trump has issued a strict deadline, but a defiant Iran says the threats by the US president are 'delusional'.
Al Jazeera English
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Trump has issued a strict deadline, but a defiant Iran says the threats by the US president are ‘delusional’.
Published On 7 Apr 2026
United States President Donald Trump has warned of the “complete demolition” of Iran’s key infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by a looming deadline, signalling a sharp escalation in tensions. He described Tehran’s response to a US ceasefire proposal as “significant” but ultimately “not good enough”.
Iran’s military has dismissed Trump’s threats as “delusional”, saying they cannot mask what it described as US “disgrace and humiliation” in the region, according to the Iranian media.
Meanwhile, US-Israeli attacks across Iran have intensified, with universities and oil facilities among civilian targets. Iranian missiles and drones also continue to target sites across the Gulf region.
In Iran
Israel’s military said it had carried out strikes on three airports in Tehran, targeting several Iranian planes and helicopters.
It also claimed to have struck Iran’s largest petrochemical complex, which serves the South Pars gasfield, the world’s largest natural gas reserve.
The chief of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said attacks near Iran’s Bushehr atomic power plant “pose a very real danger to nuclear safety and must stop”.
Iran said an Israeli strike at dawn killed the intelligence chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major-General Majid Khademi.
Two units that produce electricity for the South Pars gasfield were targeted in recent strikes. Iranian officials view this as a “huge escalation” and a sign that the US and Israel intend to destroy the survival capabilities of the Iranian people.
War diplomacy
US ultimatum: Trump has issued a strict deadline, threatening the “complete demolition” of Iran’s power plants and bridges by Tuesday evening (00:00 GMT, Wednesday) if Tehran does not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Experts say targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime.
Iran rejects pause offer: Iran has rejected a proposal for a temporary ceasefire, arguing it would give the US and Israel time to regroup and launch further attacks, citing past ceasefire violations in Gaza and Lebanon. Instead, Iranian officials have put forward a 10-point proposal calling for a comprehensive and permanent end to the war.
Iran demands: Tehran is also demanding the lifting of longstanding sanctions, a compromise on uranium enrichment, and the establishment of a new order in the Strait of Hormuz.
Turkish ship passes through Hormuz: A third Turkish-owned ship passed through the war-torn Strait of Hormuz, Turkiye’s Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said.
South Korea takes Saudi option: South Korea will send five Korean-flagged ships to the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu to establish alternative oil supply routes to the Strait of Hormuz, a governing party parliamentarian said.
Energy shocks: Global fuel price shocks have prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to call for the accelerated construction of a new energy system.
In the Gulf
Kuwait: According to a report by CBS, an Iranian drone strike on the Ali al-Salem airbase wounded 15 Americans overnight.
Saudi Arabia: A Saudi military spokesperson said the country’s air defences intercepted at least 18 drones over the past few hours. In a post on X, the Ministry of Defence said all drones were destroyed.
Earlier, the kingdom’s Defence Ministry reported intercepting up to seven ballistic missiles over its Eastern province, with debris falling near critical energy facilities. The Saudi National Early Warning Platform also issued alerts of potential danger in the region.
Bahrain: An important bridge linking the island nation to Saudi Arabia has been indefinitely closed to traffic over fears of attacks from Iran, according to reports. In a post on X, the authority overseeing the King Fahd Causeway said traffic over the bridge had been “suspended as a precautionary measure” over Iranian attacks targeting the Saudi province of Eastern.
UAE: The Ministry of Defence of the United Arab Emirates reported that its air defences intercepted incoming missiles and drones originating from Iran.
In the US
Trump and other senior US officials gave details of the high-risk mission to rescue two airmen whose fighter was shot down over Iran, saying more than 170 aircraft and hundreds of soldiers were involved in the operation.
The president lashed out at a journalist who reported on a US rescue operation for a downed airman in Iran, demanding the source be revealed and threatening jail time.
Trita Parsi, a foreign policy expert, told Al Jazeera that Trump could again extend military deadlines if diplomacy emerges, noting he has already done so several times in recent weeks. Parsi argues Trump has little credibility to lose, and may ultimately accept a new status quo in the Strait of Hormuz, including Iranian transit fees.
The Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East and is leading the attacks on Iran, said its forces have attacked more than 13,000 Iranian targets.
In Israel
An Iranian missile attack on a residential building in the port city of Haifa killed at least four people.
In Iraq, Lebanon
Widening campaign in Lebanon: Israel’s ongoing bombardment and invasion of Lebanon are deepening fissures within the country, with recent attacks striking beyond predominantly Shia Muslim areas to hit Ain Saadeh, a Christian suburb east of Beirut.
Two separate Israeli air attacks on southern Lebanon have killed five people and injured several, according to the country’s National News Agency.
Two US-made GBU-39 bombs struck a residential building in Beirut, killing three people.
The United Nations said more than 1.1 million people have now been registered as displaced in Lebanon as Israel continues its ground invasion in the country’s south.
Two killed in Iraq: A drone “coming from Iran” killed a couple in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq after crashing into their home, local authorities reported. Separately, two blasts were heard near Erbil airport.
