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Daily Briefing April 7: Crunch time for talks with Iran as Trump threatens Tuesday night strikes

US bureau chief Jacob Magid fills us in on the rescue of the downed US airman in Iran, the odds of a deal with Tehran, and the Friday deadline for Hamas disarmament deal

A tall plume of smoke billows from a fire next to Azadi Tower (C) following strikes near Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran on March 7, 2026 (Atta Kenare/AFP)

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.

WATCH the full episode here:

With US President Donald Trump celebrating the rescue of a downed US airman from Iranian territory, Magid brings us new details of the daring operation, including the contingency plan in which the rescuers had to assemble helicopters on the spot.

It’s crunch time for talks with Iran, Magid reports, after Trump reiterated his Tuesday night deadline on his threat to blow up every bridge and power plant in Iran if it doesn’t agree to acceptable US terms for a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

And Magid tells us that a deadline also looms for the Hamas terror group in Gaza — to accept a phased eight-month disarmament plan by Friday, in an ultimatum issued by Nikolai Mladenov, the High Representative for the Board of Peace.

Check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Trump recounts rescue of 2 downed airmen in Iran: ‘We could have ended up with 100 dead, as opposed to one or two’

Downed US airman said to have directed strikes on Iranian positions from hiding place

Trump: US has plan to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran Tuesday night if no deal

Hamas given until week’s end to accept disarmament proposal — sources

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

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