Trump is stepping back from his threat to end Iran as a civilization predicated on the Strait of Hormuz being quickly opened.
The post Trump Agrees To Ceasefire With Iran appeared first on The War Zone.
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After Iran rejected the idea of a 45-day ceasefire and said it wanted a permanent end to the conflict, the countdown continues to see whether Tehran bows to U.S. pressure and reopens the Strait of Hormuz. “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” U.S. President Donald Trump declared today. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
Author’s note: Trump just took to Truth Social to announce “I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks.” You can read more about that later in this story.
Trump: "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will." pic.twitter.com/nQTSVN9Mga
We also continue to update our coverage on the recovery of a U.S. Air Force F-15E Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) in this separate story.
Last night, President Trump had threatened that if Tehran did not meet his deadline of 8:00 pm ET tonight, “every bridge in Iran will be decimated” by midnight ET on Wednesday and “every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again.”
In the face of repeated questions about whether such a wave of attacks would constitute a war crime, Trump said he was “not at all” concerned about that possibility. “You know what’s a war crime? Having a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Today, Trump told Fox News that he was pessimistic about negotiations with Iran making any progress and expected to move forward with the war plans he has outlined.
Trump tells Fox News that he wouldn't put odds on negotiations being successful and that he was moving forward with his plans
According to Iranian state television, “all diplomatic channels and indirect talks with the United States have been frozen” in response to these latest threats from Trump.
Iranian TV:
All diplomatic channels and indirect talks have been frozen following Trump’s recent threats.
Speaking today, U.S. Vice President JD Vance claimed that the military objectives of the war have been completed and that the conclusion of the conflict will now depend on the Iranians.
At the same time, there have been conflicting reports about ongoing efforts to reach some sort of an agreement between the two parties.
With Trump’s deadline fast approaching, the two sides were engaged in urgent, last-minute discussions, according to Pakistani officials, who are serving as intermediaries for indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran.
Iran’s ambassador in Islamabad, Reza Amiri Moghadam, wrote on X: “Pakistan positive and productive endeavours in Good Will and Good Office to stop the war is approaching a critical, sensitive stage … Stay Tuned for more.”
Pakistan positive and productive endeavours in Good Will and Good Office to stop the war is approaching a critical, sensitive stage …
As well as Pakistani diplomats, officials from Egypt and Turkey are also working to narrow the significant divide between the positions of Tehran and Washington.
It’s unclear if these last-ditch efforts are still underway or if Iran cut off all talks as it claims to have done.
Trump said on Monday that Iran’s latest proposal, which consists of a 10-point plan, showed some progress but was “not good enough” for him.
According to the NYT, Iran has passed a ten point proposal to the US to end the war.
1. A commitment that Iran will not be attacked again – all American attacks or those of its allies on Iran will cease.
2. A declaration of a permanent end to the war – not just a temporary…
Meanwhile, Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, the head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told the Associated Press: “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”
Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency reiterated that Tehran’s demands included “an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, reconstruction, and the lifting of sanctions.”
Senior Iranian source to Reuters: Iran rejects any temporary ceasefire with the U.S., sets conditions for “lasting peace” talks including halt to strikes, guarantees & compensation
Senior Iranian source to Reuters: Tehran also seeks fees on ships transiting Hormuz Strait,…
The New York Times, citing two unnamed senior Iranian officials, reported that Tehran was also seeking assurances against future attacks and an end to Israeli strikes on its ally Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, something that Israel is extremely unlikely to yield to.
🇮🇷/🇺🇸🇮🇱 — Senior Iranian officials told NYT that their demands to end the war include the following:
1. A guarantee that Iran will not be attacked again
2. An end to Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon
3. The lifting of all sanctions imposed on Ira@Alsaa_plus_EN
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned today that it would “deprive the United States and its allies of the region’s oil and gas for years,” if Trump follows through with his threats to strike civilian infrastructure.
The IRGC also said that “Regional U.S. allies also need to know that, until today, Tehran has shown considerable restraint while taking certain restrictions on selecting retaliatory targets into account, but all these restrictions have now been lifted.”
BREAKING: Iran's Revolutionary Guards announces all restraint in targeting will be ending and it will strike infrastructure in a way that could deprive US and regional countries of oil and gas resources for years.
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) April 7, 2026
NEW: IRGC Aerospace Commander announces a new phase of the war, deploying fresh twin-launcher for Fateh and Kheibar-Shekan missiles. pic.twitter.com/DNSH0I8RYH
The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, is also pushing a defiant line. On X, he wrote:
“Over 14 million proud Iranians have, up to this moment, declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives in defense of Iran. I too have been, am, and will be a sacrificer for Iran.”
More than 14 million proud Iranians have so far registered to sacrifice their lives to defend Iran. I too have been, am, and will remain devoted to giving my life for Iran. https://t.co/B9GBHAAEMu
A growing divide within Iran’s leadership, meanwhile, seems to have erupted into an unusually intense clash, with President Pezeshkian reportedly accusing senior IRGC commanders of acting independently in ways that have undermined ceasefire efforts and driven the country closer to catastrophe.
A deepening rift at the top of the Islamic Republic has spilled into an unusually sharp confrontation, with President Masoud Pezeshkian accusing senior Guards commanders of unilateral actions that have wrecked ceasefire prospects and pushed Iran toward disaster.… pic.twitter.com/5kDmV7jlE6
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) April 7, 2026
As the countdown to the deadline continues, Iranian citizens appear to have gathered on the White Bridge in Ahvaz, forming a human chain to protect key infrastructure in symbolic defiance of the U.S.-Israel threats.
UPDATES:
Our updates have concluded for the day.
UPDATE: 7:58 PM EDT –
Israel has agreed to the ceasefire as well, a White House official tells The War Zone. That confirms an earlier report by Reuters.
UPDATE: 7:43 PM EDT –
The ceasefire is in force and the U.S. has suspended strikes on Iran, a U.S. official told The War Zone.
That confirms an earlier a post on X, by Axios reporter Barak Ravid, that a “U.S. Defense official said ceasefire is in force and U.S. suspended strikes in Iran.”
A “White House official says U.S. expects that it will take some time for orders to get down to lower ranks of IRGC,” he added, a likely indication of how badly Iran’s command and control systems are after more than a month of intense bombardment by the U.S. and Israel.
U.S. Defense official said ceasefire is in force and U.S. suspended strikes in Iran. White House official says U.S. expects that it will take some time for orders to get down to lower ranks of IRGC
In an indication that Trump will not likely make any public appearance following his Truth Social post, the White House issued a “lid” about 12 minutes after the post went up.
While lids (announcements that there are no more scheduled public appearances by the president) can be lifted by the White House, that rarely happens, noted Steve Herman, Exec. Director, Jordan Center for Journalism Advocacy & Innovation / Asst. Professor of Practice at the University of Mississippi.
Reporters at the White House were given a lid about 12 minutes after the president's social media announcement, so it is unlikely he will make an appearance tonight to elaborate on his statement. (The press office can always lift the lid but this rarely … https://t.co/dSCdDJJu30
Iranian Foreign Minister Sayed Abbas Araghchi stated on X that Iran will agree to a ceasefire if it is no longer attacked.
“If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations,” Araghchi stated. “For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”
Araghchi did not elaborate on what those limitations are.
UPDATE: 6:43 PM EDT –
According to Reuters, “Iran says negotiations with U.S. will be held in Islamabad to finalize details, with the aim of confirming Iran’s battlefield achievements politically within maximum of 15 days.”
Iran says negotiations with U.S. will be held in Islamabad to finalise details, with the aim of confirming Iran’s battlefield achievements politically within maximum of 15 days.
A little more than an hour before his proclaimed 8 p.m EDT deadline to unleash a major new attack on Iran, Trump took to his Truth Social network to declare “I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks.”
“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump wrote. “This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East. We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate. Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated. On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honor to have this Longterm problem close to resolution. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
UPDATE: 6:37 PM EDT –
Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan offered a cryptic update about ceasefire talks.
“As of now, a step forward from critical, sensitive stage,” Reza Amiri Moghadam said on X. “In the next stage, respect and comity should replace rethorics and redundancy.”
“Stay more tuned…”
As of now, a step forward from critical, sensitive stage …
In the next stage, respect and comity should replace rethorics and redundancy.
CNN is reporting that “some good news is expected from both sides soon” after Pakistan requested Trump extend his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and called for a two-week truce amid diplomatic negotiations.
The unnamed person told the network that it is expected that an agreement will be reached tonight.
These discussions are being directed by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to the source.
“Some good news is expected from both sides soon” on a potential Iran ceasefire -a regional source to CNN
“You’ll have to figure that out,” Trump told the network.
NBC interview with Trump: As for what motivated Trump to post this morning that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” he would only say: “You’ll have to figure that out.”
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska took to X to push back against Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight.”
“This type of rhetoric is an affront to the ideals our nation has sought to uphold and promote around the world for nearly 250 years,” she wrote. “It undermines our long-standing role as a global beacon of freedom and directly endangers Americans both abroad and at home.”
The President’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight” cannot be excused away as an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with Iran.
This type of rhetoric is an affront to the ideals our nation has sought to uphold and promote around the world for nearly 250…
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) April 7, 2026
UPDATE: 5:46 PM EDT –
An image emerged on social media showing what could be remnants of a Stunner interceptor, fired by Israel’s David’s Sling air defense system, that landed in Beirut.
UPDATE: 4:55 PM EDT—
A video purportedly shows supporters of Iraq’s pro-Iranian Popular Mobilization Militias storming the Kuwaiti Consulate in Basra Province, Iraq, in protest against Kuwait’s role in the war with Iran.
BREAKING: Supporters of Iraq’s pro-Iranian Popular Mobilization Militias storm the Kuwaiti Consulate in Basra Province, Iraq, in protest against Kuwait's role with the U.S. in the war with Iran. pic.twitter.com/pyxtxjlzeU
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) April 7, 2026
UPDATE: 4:45 PM EDT—
Al Jazeerareports that three drones were intercepted by Iraqi air defences, and all fell into the Tigris River tonight, leaving two people injured.
Two rockets landed in the U.S. military’s Camp Victory military installation located by Baghdad International Airport, resulting in some fires, according to a security source.
In a brief phone call with NBC News, President Trump sharply criticized Iran’s call for young people to line up as human shields around power plants.
“Totally illegal,” he said. “They’re not allowed to do that.”
Trump says it would be “totally illegal” for Iran to use civilians as human shields around power plants.
Iran’s Prince Reza Pahlavi, a well-known opponent of the Iranian government, urged the country’s national armed forces to rise up against both the regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“Before your very eyes, the Islamic Republic and its terrorist, repressive IRGC have slaughtered tens of thousands of the purest and bravest sons and daughters of this country, and each day send more to their deaths,” Pahlavi wrote on X.
Pahlavi, the son of the late deposed shah, has spent most of his life in the United States since the Iranian Revolution. He has indicated that he would consider serving as a transitional leader if the current regime were to collapse.
To the Armed Forces of Iran:
You are the heirs to the legacy of the patriotic and honorable commanders of this land—from Ariobarzanes, Bahram Chobin, and Surena, to Babak Khorramdin, Ya'qub Leyth, and Mazyar, to Jahanbani, Khosrowdad, and Rahimi.
Jacqui Heinrich, the senior White House correspondent at Fox News, has just come off a phone call with Trump, who declined to say how he is feeling about negotiations: “I can’t tell you, because right now we’re in heated negotiations.”
He also declined to talk about Pakistan’s two-week deadline extension request, saying he’s about to be briefed fully on it, but said, “I can say this — that I know him very well. He’s a highly respected man, all over.”
Just had a short call with POTUS:
He declined to say how he is feeling about negotiations: “I can't tell you, because right now we're in heated negotiations.”
He declined to weigh in on Pakistan’s 2 week deadline extension request – saying he’s about to be briefed fully on it -…
In a post on Telegram, the Israeli military has warned that “there may be increased firing towards the territory of the State of Israel in the coming hours.”
Pope Leo XIV has renewed his call for an end to the war.
Speaking to reporters as he left the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, outside Rome, he alluded to Trump’s threat against the Iranian people, calling it “truly unacceptable.”
The head of the US bishops has condemned threats against Iran as morally unjustifiable and called the faithful to unite with Pope Leo XIV in prayer for peace.https://t.co/beyiW4SZeu
— The Catholic Herald (@CatholicHerald) April 7, 2026
UPDATE: 3:50 PM EDT—
Unverified footage shows the moment that an airstrike targets a bridge said to be to the west of Tehran.
WATCH: JDAM airstrike hitting a bridge west of Tehran, with several civilian vehicles passing underneath at the moment of impact. pic.twitter.com/dA6XPZaZmp
U.S. Central Command said on X that American forces launched one-way attack drones into Iran last night.
CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper noted that “hundreds of U.S. drones are fully integrated into offensive and defense operations against Iran,” and said that these “operate in the air, at sea, under the sea and on the ground in support of our military objectives.”
Last night, U.S. forces launched one-way attack drones into Iran during Operation Epic Fury. CENTCOM made history a month ago when it began using low-cost aerial attack drones in combat for the first time.
Citing two U.S. officials, NBC Newsreports that the Pentagon has drawn up options for Trump that include targets that are used for both military and civilian purposes. This would help get around the fact that deliberately attacking civilian infrastructure indiscriminately would violate international law and could be prosecuted as a war crime.
NBC News reports: “Targeting infrastructure that is considered ‘dual use’ could allow the administration to argue the United States is hitting military targets and avoid the technical definition of a war crime.”
Do you live near a data center? A power line? Because, I have bad news for you…
"The dual-use nature of the targets (in Iran) would make them legitimate, the officials said."
In America, there's a gold rush for #dualuse tech…
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked Donald Trump to extend to a deadline he imposed on Iran to end its blockade of Gulf oil by two weeks.
In a post on X, Sharif said: “Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future.
“To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks. Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture.”
Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future. To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend…
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior is urging all of its residents to stay home and avoid going out “except in cases of extreme necessity,” from midnight until tomorrow at 6 a.m. local time.
“This precautionary measure is taken to ensure everyone’s safety, enhance preventative measures, and enable security forces to perform their duties with high efficiency,” the ministry said.
Kuwait has told its citizens to shelter in place from midnight tonight until 6 a.m. (11 p.m. Washington time) -Reuters
Meanwhile, the U.S. government has urged American citizens to reconsider traveling to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage, citing Iranian missile and drone strikes that continue to threaten the region. Hajj takes place on May 24 this year.
The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia is urging American citizens to reconsider traveling to Saudi Arabia to participate in Hajj, citing the ongoing security situation.
If the U.S. military does attack power plants, as Trump has threatened, Iranian state media says that Tehran will target oil infrastructure across the Gulf, including the Saudi port of Yanbu, ARAMCO oil facilities, and the Fujairah oil pipeline.
Iranian state media says that if the US targets Iran's power plants, Iran will target oil infrastructure across the Gulf, including the Saudi port of Yanbu, ARAMCO oil facilities, and the Fujairah oil pipeline.
"Iran will not hesitate to impose heavy costs on the United States."
The U.K. Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon, sent to the eastern Mediterranean to beef up British defensive capabilities there, has reportedly been forced to return to port due to problems with its freshwater supply. As TWZ noted at the time of the deployment, the Type 45 vessels have not been without problems:
More generally, there have long been questions about the availability of the Type 45s, despite their undoubted capabilities. These six vessels are still very modern, but they have spent a notably long time in maintenance. Typically, only two are actually available to deploy at any given time. With one of the warships normally earmarked for the North Atlantic and Russia, and another needed to escort one of the U.K. aircraft carriers when that is at sea, there is very little capacity left to play with.
The withdrawal was first reported by the Mail
HMS Dragon had been deployed to the Middle East to help defend RAF Akrotiri during the Iran conflict
The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for comment
Axios is reporting that there has been meaningful progress in negotiations to reach a ceasefire deal, but getting it done by tonight is still a reach.
Trump could extend the deadline again, although there are likely many pieces in motion already for executing whatever massive strikes they have planned for tonight.
🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷Progress has been made in the past 24 hours in the negotiations between the U.S. & Iran, though reaching a ceasefire deal by President Trump's 8pm deadline still looks like a long shot, four sources tell @MarcACaputo & me. Read out story on @axioshttps://t.co/CpDKoA0lpK
In the meantime, U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran are ongoing, while Iran has again responded with missile fire on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors.
Among the reported targets of U.S. strikes is Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. A U.S. official told NBC News that the U.S. military struck dozens of military targets on the island overnight. Kharg Island, which handles around 90 percent of Iranian oil exports, has long been high on the list of targets for both Israel and the United States, but reports indicate that, on this occasion, no oil infrastructure was targeted.
The targets that the US hit on Kharg Island included bunkers, radar station, ammunition storage. Landing docks were not intentionally targeted. Only would have been struck if Iranians fired something from next to them, according to senior US official who spoke to Fox News. https://t.co/o3OH44uUWy
“The American-Zionist enemy has carried out several attacks on Kharg Island, and several explosions have been heard there,” Iran’s Mehr news agency reported.
As you can read about here, there has long been speculation that the U.S. military could invade the strategically vital Kharg Island.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, the United States and Israel are already striking various civilian targets in Iran, with the organization reporting 17 such targets hit on Tuesday morning.
In a statement posted on X, the Iranian Red Crescent said that there is no justification for attacking defenseless civilians, and to do so was a war crime.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society on Tuesday said that its aid workers are carrying out a “relief and rescue” mission in the Iranian capital after another US-Israeli air strike https://t.co/YFOKxkDP4P
A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Associated Press that international law bars the attacking of infrastructure such as bridges and power plants, as Trump has threatened. “Even if specific civilian infrastructure were to qualify as a military objective,” Stephane Dujarric said, an attack would still be prohibited if it risks “excessive incidental civilian harm.”
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warns Trump that destroying Iran’s civilian infrastructure is a war crime because of the disproportionate cost to civilians. https://t.co/xe6kcBugU0
For its part, Israel has leveled a threat against Iran’s entire rail network, with reports that attacks against this infrastructure have already begun.
The Israeli Air Force has bombed around 10 key rail sections and bridges in Iran, according to reports from Israel, in a campaign that has been presented as part of an effort to prevent Iran from moving weapon systems.
🎯STRUCK: 8 bridge segments utilized by the Iranian terror regime for transporting weapons & military equipment.
The IDF struck 8 bridge segments in several areas, including Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Kashan, & Qom. Prior to the strike, several steps were taken to mitigate harm to… pic.twitter.com/kDzkRhMFTD
The Israeli Air Force has bombed around 10 "key" rail sections and bridges in Iran, as part of efforts to prevent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from moving weapon systems.
Ahead of the strikes, the IDF warned Iranians to stay away from trains until this evening.… pic.twitter.com/xxCu553j5k
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 7, 2026
The Israeli Air Force has attacked several "key bridges" across Iran to prevent the Revolutionary Guards from being able to transfer weapons, according to Channel 12
Beyond the primary logistics railways provide, one possibility is that Israel is seeking to interdict Iranian ballistic missiles configured for launch from railcars, a concept that we have seen in North Korea, for example.
Israel has warned Iranians not to use railroad transportation across Iran today. Iran has previously shown container launched ballistic missiles from ships. I wonder if they installed them on railroad cars too like the Russian Club-K. https://t.co/b8uy5AxNLlpic.twitter.com/0y54iqpGPG
The Israeli military had earlier warned the people of Iran not to use trains, saying that doing so “endangers your life.” The Israeli military’s Farsi-language channel on X issued what it called an “urgent warning to users and train passengers in the country of Iran”:
“Dear Citizens, for the sake of your security, we kindly request that from this moment until 21:00 Iran time, you refrain from using and travelling by train throughout Iran. Your presence on trains and near railway lines endangers your life.”
The @IDF's Persian-language spokesperson issued an unusual warning urging Iranian civilians to completely avoid using the national railway system until 9 PM tonight (Tuesday).
The alert emphasizes that presence at stations, on trains, or near tracks poses immediate danger to… pic.twitter.com/gQEO9LAbYM
Citing a new intelligence memo, The Times of London reports that Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader of Iran, is “unconscious” and currently incapable of running the country. Based on American and Israeli intelligence, the claim suggests that Mojtaba Khamenei is being treated for a “severe” unnamed medical condition in the religious city of Qom.
#Iran's regime's new Supreme Leader is 'unconscious' and currently incapable of running the country, according to a new intelligence memo.
An assessment understood to be based on American and Israeli intelligence says Mojtaba Khamenei is being treated for a 'severe' medical…
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) today claimed it had struck a major petrochemical compound in Shiraz in southern Iran. According to the IDF, this facility was one of the last remaining facilities that produced critical chemical components for explosives and materials for ballistic missiles. The IDF said it also struck a large ballistic missile array site in northwestern Iran.
🎯🧪STRUCK: A key petrochemical compound in Shiraz.
The facility was one of the last remaining compounds producing critical chemical components for explosives and materials for developing ballistic missiles in Iran.
The IDF also released footage showing a strike on an apparent transporter-erector-launcher associated with a Russian-made S-300MPU-2 air defense system operated by Iran. While we cannot confirm the date of the strike, if recent, it would seem to point to the continued threat of Iranian air defense systems — including high-end ones.
Pakistan has indicated it would support Saudi Arabia under their mutual defense pact if the conflict with Iran intensifies further, a Pakistani security official told Reuters.
BREAKING: Pakistani official says the country will stand with Saudi Arabia under their military pact if the conflict escalates, according to Reuters report.
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) April 7, 2026
Israeli emergency services were responding today to a reported missile attack in central Israel. Footage from Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom showed an overturned car, but there were no immediate reports of injuries. The Times of Israelreports that the damage was caused by cluster submunitions from an Iranian ballistic missile. TWZ has previously examined how Iran has been using cluster warheads to consistently defeat terminal-phase ballistic missile defenses, especially Israel’s David’s Sling.
Damage was caused at several sites in central Israel by bomblets from an Iranian ballistic missile carrying a cluster warhead, according to rescue services.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 7, 2026
Iran’s latest barrage of drone and missile attacks against Gulf states saw Saudi Arabia’s air defenses pressed into action again. According to the Saudi Ministry of Defense, at least 18 drones were intercepted and destroyed over the past few hours. Before that, Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed seven ballistic missiles targeting the eastern region of the country, the defense ministry said. Debris reportedly fell in the area of some energy facilities, but damage is still being assessed.
The IDF struck more targets in southern Lebanon overnight. According to the state-run National News Agency, three people were killed in Maarakeh, one in Zebdine, one in Deir al-Zahrani, and three in Tayr Debba. Dozens more were wounded, including nine in Qatrani, the same source reported. The IDF had issued an alert on Monday, warning residents of a number of villages in the area that significant military action was planned.
The IDF bombed another Litani River bridge that it says was being used by Hezbollah to move operatives and weapons into southern Lebanon.
It marks the seventh river crossing that the military has struck amid the ongoing fighting. pic.twitter.com/RW16TQ1KuK
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 7, 2026
A container ship south of Iran’s Kish Island was hit by an unidentified projectile, the U.K. Office of Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday.
All crew members are reported safe, with no environmental damage detected. The incident is still being investigated, and it remains unclear who fired the projectile or whether the vessel was the intended target.
An article in The Financial Times provides estimates of the cost of the campaign against Iran as Operation Epic Fury reaches the five-week mark. The newspaper quotes Elaine McCusker, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and a former senior Pentagon budget official, who puts the cost of the campaign as between $22.3 billion and $31 billion.
Her calculations include the cost of deploying additional U.S. assets to the Middle East since late December but do not include a full battle-damage assessment, which is unlikely to be clear before hostilities end.
Trump’s war against Iran is costing the US hundreds of millions of dollars a day — and about a tenth of that is the price of military equipment destroyed in the fighting, according to recent analysis.
A Wall Street Journalopinion piece notes that, with the notable exception of Spain, other European countries are quietly providing support for the U.S. military operation against Iran:
London, after some delay, authorized the use of British bases for U.S. strikes on Iranian missile sites targeting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Portugal reaffirmed its decision to allow the U.S. to use Lajes Air Base in the Azores. Germany has kept Ramstein Air Base available under standing agreements — a vital U.S. hub for logistics, force projection, and drone-linked operations beyond Europe — even as Berlin insists this isn’t NATO’s war.
The situation as regards the American use of British airbases for infrastructure attacks against Iran is a little less clear.
A report for the i suggested that the U.K. government will refuse to allow the use of RAF bases for any strikes on Iranian bridges or power plants. However, a spokesperson for the U.K. Prime Minister would not confirm or deny that, telling The Guardian that the government would not provide a “running commentary” on what the United States was doing, including its use of British bases.
The United Kingdom will refuse to allow the United States to use its airbases, particularly RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia which long-range strategic bombers with the U.S. Air Force have previously utilized on a case-by-case basis to carry out strikes on Iran, for missions that… pic.twitter.com/1GuHz5UWZl
Russian satellites have made dozens of detailed imagery surveys of military facilities and critical sites across the Middle East to help Iran strike U.S. forces and other targets, according to a Ukrainian intelligence assessment, reviewed by Reuters. The same assessment describes Russian and Iranian hackers collaborating in the cyber domain.
Russian satellites made at least 24 surveys of areas in 11 MidEast countries from March 21 -31, covering 46 objects, incl. military bases, airports and oil fields, according to Ukraine
Within days of being surveyed, some of the sites were targeted by Iranhttps://t.co/aTTSszABPw
The U.S. military gym at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, known as The Diamond Mine, appears to have been the target of an Iranian attack, based on this before-and-after satellite imagery. Camp Buehring, in the northwestern region of Kuwait, was established in 2003, and is the primary location for the Middle Eastern Theater Reserve.
