Live updates (closed)
The Times of Israel liveblogged Friday’s events as they unfolded.
Iranian ballistic missile attack detected targeting central Israel
The IDF has detected another ballistic attack from Iran, targeting central Israel.
Sirens are expected to sound in the coming minutes.
Rescue forces heading to impact site in south after Iranian attack, no injuries
An Iranian ballistic missile fired at Israel is seen from Jerusalem, March 28, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Rescue forces are responding to reports of an impact in southern Israel following Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack.
No injuries are immediately reported.
New Iranian ballistic missile attack detected targeting southern Israel
The IDF has detected a new ballistic missile attack from Iran, targeting southern Israel.
Sirens are expected to sound in the coming minutes.
UK charges 3 men in connection with London arson attack on Jewish community ambulances
This aerial image shows burnt-out ambulances in a parking area along a street in the Golders Green neighborhood of north London on March 23, 2026, after the ambulances run by a Jewish volunteer organization were set on fire overnight. (Henry NICHOLLS / AFP)
British prosecutors announce that they have charged three men in connection with an arson attack last month on Jewish community ambulances in north London.
The three men have been charged with arson with intent to damage property and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, the prosecutors say.
The Metropolitan Police say separately that, at this stage, the incident has not been declared as terrorism, but due to the circumstances of the incident the investigation is being led by counter-terrorism officers.
US intel reports warn Iran unlikely to ease Hormuz chokehold soon, sources say
Recent US intelligence reports warn that Iran is unlikely to open the Strait of Hormuz any time soon because its grip on the world’s most vital oil artery provides the only real leverage it has over the United States, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The finding suggests that Tehran could continue to throttle the strait to keep energy prices high as a means of pressuring US President Donald Trump to find a quick off-ramp to the nearly five-week-long war that remains unpopular with US voters.
The reports also provide the latest indication that the war, intended to eradicate Iran’s military strength, may actually increase its regional sway by showing Tehran’s ability to threaten the key waterway.
Iran, the recent intelligence reports warn, is unlikely to surrender that leverage any time soon, according to the three sources. They decline to elaborate on which agencies produced the assessments.
“It is certainly the case that now that Iran has tasted its power and leverage over the strait, it won’t soon give it up,” says one of the sources. All three requested anonymity to discuss the intelligence reports.
“In the attempt to try to prevent Iran from developing a weapon of mass destruction, the US handed Iran a weapon of mass disruption,” says Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, a conflict-prevention organization.
Tehran, Vaez says, understands its ability to drive world energy markets through its chokehold on the strait “is much more potent than even a nuclear weapon.”
A White House official, who requested anonymity, says Trump is “confident that the strait will be open very soon” and has been clear that Iran would not be allowed to regulate waterway traffic after the war.
But the official notes that Trump also has said that other countries “have far more at stake in preventing this outcome” than the US.
The CIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters says.
Air Force bombed Hezbollah rocket launcher used minutes earlier, IDF says
The Israeli Air Force bombed a Hezbollah rocket launcher in Lebanon used in a barrage on northern Israel this evening, the military says.
According to the IDF, the launcher was struck minutes after the attack. The rocket fire did not cause any injuries.
תוך דקות ספורות: צה"ל תקף משגר ממנו בוצעו השיגורים לצפון הארץ
מקודם יותר הערב, שוגרו רקטות לעבר צפון הארץ, ללא נפגעים.
זמן קצר לאחר מכן, צה"ל תקף והשמיד את המשגר בשטח לבנון ממנו בוצעו השיגורים.
צה"ל לא יאפשר פגיעה באזרחי מדינת ישראל וימשיך לפעול בעוצמה נגד ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה pic.twitter.com/3FTk4riW9N
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 3, 2026
Trump says he can’t comment on what US will do if missing US airman is harmed
US President Donald Trump is not yet ready to say what the US will do if a missing crew member shot down over Iran is harmed, The Independent reports, citing a brief interview with him.
Trump says he could not comment on what his course of action might be if Iranian forces get to the downed airman, The Independent says.
“We hope that’s not going to happen,” Trump says.
White House announces Trump won’t appear before media on Friday, as search effort continues
The White House has called a “lid” for the press, indicating US President Donald Trump will not be making any appearances in front of the media for the day.
The call comes hours earlier than normal and signals the president and White House are remaining tight-lipped as the search-and-rescue mission continues for the second serviceperson aboard the US fighter jet downed over Iran.
No injuries reported as Hezbollah rockets shot at Haifa are downed or strike open areas
Several rockets launched by Hezbollah at Haifa a short while ago were intercepted or struck open areas, according to the IDF.
No injuries are reported.
‘We’re in war’: Trump says downing of fighter jet won’t impact talks with Iran
US President Donald Trump tells NBC News that the downing of an American military jet won’t affect negotiations over ending the month-old conflict with Iran.
“No, not at all. No, it’s war. We’re in war,” Trump tells the broadcaster.
Rocket warning sirens triggered in Haifa and surrounding towns amid Hezbollah attack
Sirens sound in Haifa and nearby towns amid a Hezbollah rocket attack from Lebanon.
Meanwhile, no injuries are reported after Hezbollah fired a small salvo of rockets at northern Israel, triggering sirens in numerous towns. According to the IDF, some of those rockets were intercepted.
Hezbollah attacks north with rockets, triggering sirens as far as 60km from Lebanon border
Sirens sound across northern Israel amid a Hezbollah rocket attack from Lebanon.
The alerts are activated in numerous towns, including Umm al-Fahm, some 60 kilometers from the Lebanon border.
Lebanon reports destruction of a bridge that Israel said it would strike
Israel destroyed a bridge in eastern Lebanon, Lebanese official media reports, after Israel’s military warned it would hit two bridges in the area to prevent the transfer of reinforcements to Hezbollah.
“Israeli warplanes targeted the bridge that links Sohmor with Mashghara, leading to its destruction,” the state-run National News Agency says.
Israel’s military had warned that “in order to prevent the transfer of reinforcements and military equipment… the IDF [army] intends to target the Sohmor and Mashghara bridges,” publishing a map identifying two bridges within around 100 meters of each other.
Two US helicopters reportedly hit by Iranian fire while searching for downed plane crew members
Two American helicopters were struck by Iranian fire during the search and rescue efforts for two crew members from an F-15E fighter jet that was shot down today over Iran, NBC News reports. One crew member has since been rescued.
Citing a US official, the report says the “service members are all safe” after being hit by Iranian fire during the search and rescue mission.
Footage of Iranian police firing small arms at a pair of USAF HH-60Ws searching for the downed F-15E crew earlier today. pic.twitter.com/9SwhyhY1Aw
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 3, 2026
IDF says Hezbollah fired rocket that hit UNIFIL post in Lebanon, hurting 3 peacekeepers
A rocket fired by Hezbollah struck a United Nations position in southern Lebanon earlier today, the Israeli military says.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said earlier that an “explosion” at their post near Odaisseh injured three members of the observer force, including two seriously.
The IDF says that it identified a rocket launch by Hezbollah that struck the UN post at Odaisseh.
“An examination of the launch trajectory clearly indicates that the firing was carried out by the Hezbollah terror organization,” the military says.
Earlier, UNIFIL said, “We do not yet know the origin of the explosion.”
ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שיגר רקטה שנפלה במוצב יוניפי”ל בדרום לבנון
צה”ל זיהה מוקדם יותר היום שיגור שבוצע על ידי ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שנפל בתוך מוצב של כוח יוניפי”ל במרחב אל-עדייסה שבדרום לבנון. כתוצאה מהשיגור נפגעו שלושה אנשי או”ם, מהם שניים באורח קשה.
מבדיקה של מסלול השיגור עולה… pic.twitter.com/hPsXDq3vGV
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 3, 2026
After Syrian report, IDF says it fired on suspect who approached Israeli border
The Quneitra area in Syria, seen from the Golan Heights, December 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
The IDF says it fired on a suspect who approached the Israeli border in southern Syria this evening.
Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported that an Israeli tank fired on a car in the Quneitra area, killing a man.
In response to a query, the IDF says soldiers monitoring surveillance cameras identified a suspect in southern Syria who was approaching the border.
“IDF troops fired warning shots. A hit was identified,” the military says.
Second American plane involved in Iran war crashes; US officials say pilot safely rescued
Illustrative: A US A-10 Warthog maneuvers next to mountains during live fire exercises, as part of the annual US-Philippines joint military exercise at Crow Valley, in Capas town, Tarlac province, north of Manila on April 10, 2019. (TED ALJIBE / AFP)
Another American plane involved in the war in Iran crashed in the Persian Gulf today, according to US officials cited by The New York Times.
According to the Times, the A-10 Warthog went down near the Strait of Hormuz at around the same time that an F-15E was shot down over Iran.
The report says the pilot from the A-10 was safely rescued. The US officials do not provide further details on how the plane crashed.
Qatar said resisting requests to serve as key mediator in US-Iran ceasefire talks
A photograph shows Doha's skyline on March 10, 2026. (AFP)
Qatar has resisted efforts by the United States and Middle Eastern countries to serve as the key mediator in ceasefire talks between the US and Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports, complicating the push to move forward with negotiations on ending the war.
Citing officials with the matter and mediators, the report says Qatar told the US last week that it isn’t eager to mediate the negotiations.
Syria reports man killed by Israeli tank fire while driving near the border
An Israeli tank fired on a car in the southern province of Quneitra, killing a young man, Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reports, without giving further details.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, says witnesses said that the man was a civilian “and that the attack occurred while he was driving his car on a public road connecting villages near the border strip.” There is no immediate statement from the Israeli military.
After the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar Assad by Islamist-led rebels in December 2024, Israeli forces seized control of a UN-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria, which Israel initially described as a temporary move to protect its borders.
The Syrian government says Israel is violating a 1974 disengagement agreement between the two countries and has called for it to withdraw its forces.
Home Front Command gives all-clear as Iran missile apparently fails to reach Israel
The IDF Home Front Command gives an all-clear after issuing an early warning in northern Israel for an Iranian missile attack.
No sirens sounded as the missile apparently did not reach Israel.
Iran launches ballistic missile attack on northern Israel for 5th time today
The IDF has detected a new ballistic attack from Iran, again targeting northern Israel.
Sirens are expected to sound in the coming minutes.
The Iranian attack is the fifth on the north and seventh overall today.
Debris from interception kills one, wounds four others at Abu Dhabi gas facility
One Egyptian citizen has been killed and four people are suffering minor injuries after debris from an intercepted attack fell on Abu Dhabi’s Habshan gas facilities, Abu Dhabi’s media office says.
The Egyptian was killed during the evacuation of the site, while four others — two Egyptians and two Pakistanis — sustained minor injuries, the media office says.
“Significant damage has occurred at the facilities and an assessment is ongoing,” it adds.
Hezbollah rocket, drone cause damage in northern communities of Gesher Haziv and Metula
A home in the northern community of Gesher Haziv that was damaged by a rocket fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah, on April 3, 2026. (Israel Police)
Damage was caused by a Hezbollah rocket in the northern community of Gesher Haziv in the Western Galilee, and a drone also launched from Lebanon by the terror group caused damage in Metula, rescue services say.
No injuries are reported.
Regional effort to mediate ceasefire between US and Iran has hit dead end — WSJ
Current mediation efforts led by regional countries, including Pakistan, to broker a ceasefire between the United States and Iran have reached a dead end, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Iran has officially told mediators that it is unwilling to meet US officials in Islamabad in the coming days and considers US demands unacceptable, the report says, adding that Turkey and Egypt are seeking a way out of the diplomatic cul-de-sac and looking at alternative sites to host the talks, such as Qatar or Istanbul.
IDF extends amount of time reservists must serve this year, amid fighting against Iran and Hezbollah
IDF troops of the 226th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued by the military on March 29, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
Amid the war in Iran and against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the IDF is extending the time reservists will serve this year, according to an updated military chart.
Previously, reservists were expected to be called up for six weeks of operational activity during 2026.
The IDF says that an updated version of its “combat chart” was distributed to all units, following a fresh assessment.
As part of the changes, reservists will now be called up for nine weeks of operational activity this year.
The changes apply to reservists who are scheduled to be call up to replace those who have been serving amid the war in Iran or before it. However, those currently on reserve duty will also have their time extended, the military says.
IDF intercepts Iranian ballistic missile fire at north
The latest ballistic missile launched at Israel from Iran was intercepted, according to the IDF.
Sirens had sounded across northern Israel, in the fifth attack of the day.
No injuries are reported.
Meanwhile, sirens warning of a drone attack from Lebanon sound in the Galilee Panhandle area.
US warns Iran and its proxies may target universities in Lebanon, tells Americans to leave the country
The US embassy in Beirut says that Iran and its aligned armed groups “may intend to target universities in Lebanon.”
In a security alert, the embassy also urges US citizens to depart Lebanon “while commercial flight options remain available.”
Iran shoots fresh volley of ballistic missiles at northern Israel
The IDF has detected another ballistic attack from Iran, again targeting northern Israel.
Sirens sound in communities across the north.
IDF says it struck cell of armed Hamas operatives in northern Gaza
The IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a cell of armed Hamas operatives in the northern Gaza Strip earlier today.
According to the military, the operatives posed a threat to Israeli troops stationed in Gaza.
“Immediately after the identification, the IDF carried out a targeted strike against the cell to remove the threat,” the military says.
Palestinian media reported that at least six people were wounded in the strike.
צה"ל תקף חוליית מחבלים חמושים מארגון הטרור חמאס שפעלו סמוך לכוחותינו בצפון רצועת עזה
כוחות צה"ל זיהו מוקדם יותר היום חוליית מחבלים חמושים מארגון הטרור חמאס, שפעלו בסמוך לכוחות צה"ל הפועלים בצפון רצועת עזה באופן שהיווה איום מיידי על הכוחות.
מיד לאחר הזיהוי, צה"ל תקף באופן ממוקד… pic.twitter.com/IbcDKoXNMO
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 3, 2026
IDF says missiles fired by Iran in most recent attack were downed or struck open areas
The small number of ballistic missiles launched by Iran at northern Israel, in the fourth salvo of the day, were intercepted or struck open areas, according to the IDF.
There are no reports of injuries.
Officials say crewmember aboard downed US jet has been found, search continuing for the 2nd
One of the American aircrew members whose fighter jet was shot down over Iran earlier today has been rescued alive, US and Israeli officials say.
“One crew member from the downed jet was rescued by American forces,” CBS News reports, citing two US officials. An Israeli official also tells media in Israel that one crew member was rescued.
Search efforts are ongoing for the second crewmember.
The Israeli official also says the Israeli Air Force postponed strikes in areas of Iran where the search efforts are taking place.
A US official confirmed earlier that a fighter jet was shot down over Iran and that a search-and-rescue operation is underway for any survivors.
Iran fires another ballistic missile salvo at north; no injuries reported in previous attack
The IDF has detected additional ballistic missile fire from Iran, again targeting northern Israel.
This comes shortly after sirens sounded across the north after a small number of missiles were launched toward Israel. The IDF says some of those missiles were intercepted.
So far, no injuries have been reported. Rescue forces are responding to reports of an impact, possibly caused by falling fragments, in the northern town of Kafr Kanna.
After criticism, NYPD switches hate crime reporting again
US police at the lighting of the world's largest menorah, hosted by Chabad, in New York City, December 14, 2025. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)
The NYPD updates its public reporting on hate crimes, after a change last month drew concern.
The NYPD releases monthly crime statistics, including hate crimes, which are seen as a barometer of how prevalent bias incidents are in the city.
Last month, the NYPD said it would change from reporting hate incidents that had been reported to police to incidents that had been confirmed as hate crimes.
The change meant that the police would report fewer hate crimes. The NYPD said the switch would be more accurate, but critics said it could have falsely given the appearance that the crimes had decreased.
The police now say they will release two sets of numbers each month — both hate crime complaints that are flagged for investigation, and bias incidents that have been confirmed by the hate crimes task force.
“This will ensure that the public has an accurate and timely and more robust view than ever of hate crime activity in New York City,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch says, adding that she had decided to make last month’s change and “not in consultation with the mayor.”
Last month, there were 32 confirmed antisemitic hate crimes, making up 58% of the total 55 confirmed incidents in the city, and 42 reported, unconfirmed incidents. Jews make up about 10% of the city’s population.
So far this year, there have been 78 confirmed antisemitic hate crimes, or 55% of the total for all groups, about the same total compared to the same time period last year, under the previous mayor, Eric Adams.
Military says over 70 Iranian missile and drone arrays struck by IAF in past day
The Israeli Air Force carried out over 70 strikes against Iran’s ballistic missile and drone arrays in western and central Iran in the past day, the military says.
According to the IDF, dozens of targets were hit during the strikes. The targets included sites where ballistic missile launchers were stored and facilities were drones were stored, along with air defense systems, the IDF says.
IDF detects Iranian ballistic missile fire at northern Israel
The IDF has detected a new ballistic attack from Iran, targeting northern Israel.
Sirens are activated in numerous northern communities.
No injuries reported as Hezbollah continues to fire rockets at north
The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it has received no reports of injuries amid continued rocket attacks by Lebanon’s Hezbollah on northern Israel.
IDF announces ‘extensive’ wave of airstrikes on regime targets in Tehran
The IDF announces that it has begun an “extensive” wave of airstrikes in Tehran.
The strikes are targeting Iranian regime infrastructure sites, the military says, without providing further details.
The strikes in the Iranian capital are taking place concurrently as the Israeli Air Force also carries out strikes in Beirut.
IDF launches wave of strikes on ‘terror infrastructure’ in Beirut
Firefighters spray water on a burning residential building following an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut, Lebanon, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File)
The IDF announces that it has begun a wave of strikes against “terror infrastructure” in Beirut.
No further details are immediately given.
The IDF has struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs in the past month, and the military has repeatedly called on Lebanese civilians to evacuate the area, including earlier today.
IDF says troops seized cache of Hezbollah FPV drones, other weapons in south Lebanon
FPV drones captured by Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo published April 3, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israeli troops captured a cache of Hezbollah first-person view (FPV) drones during operations in southern Lebanon.
The military says troops of the Nahal Brigade’s 50th Battalion raided a Hezbollah site where they located numerous weapons, including explosive-laden drones, a sniper rifle, RPGs and other equipment.
Hezbollah operatives have been increasingly using FPV drones in attacks on Israeli troops carrying out a ground offensive against the terror group in southern Lebanon.
IDF says troops killed Hezbollah operatives as they readied to fire rockets at Israel
Three Hezbollah operatives who were planning to launch rockets at Israel from southern Lebanon were killed in a strike yesterday, the IDF says.
According to the military, troops of the elite Multi-Domain unit identified a primed rocket launcher during their operations in southern Lebanon.
The launcher was struck and destroyed, and “three terrorists operating near the launcher were eliminated in a strike,” the IDF says.
פעילות היחידה הרב-ממדית בדרום לבנון: יותר מ-40 חיסולים וכ-75 תקיפות בוצעו לעבר יעדי חיזבאללה
לוחמי היחידה הרב-ממדית בפיקוד אוגדה 36 פועלים בשבועות האחרונים, במסגרת הפעילות הקרקעית הממוקדת בדרום לבנון.
מתחילת הלחימה, כוחות היחידה חיסלו יותר מ-40 מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה… pic.twitter.com/ySItNKQpt6
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 3, 2026
IDF suspends reservist who forced blinded Palestinian to advertise his jewelry business
The Instagram story of an Israeli soldier who forced a blindfolded Palestinian detainee in the West Bank to hold up a sign advertising for his jewelry business in April 2026. (Courtesy)
An IDF reserve soldier who took part in a recent raid if the West Bank forced a blindfolded Palestinian man to hold up a sign advertising for his jewelry business.
The soldier then photographed the Palestinian man and posted it to Instagram, where it was flagged by an anti-Israel activist and published widely across social media, leading to a downpour of criticism of the IDF’s treatment of Palestinians.
Asked to comment on the incident, the IDF tells The Times of Israel that it views the incident very gravely and that the soldier was immediately suspended from reserve duty.
US official confirms American fighter jet downed over Iran, search efforts for crew underway
A US fighter jet was shot down over Iran and a search and rescue operation is underway for any survivors, a US official confirms to Reuters.
Israel’s Army Radio quotes Israeli sources who also confirm the plane was downed and that search efforts are underway. The condition of the crew isn’t immediately clear.
Rocket warning sirens sound in Safed and surrounding towns
Rocket warning sirens are activated in Safed and a number of neighboring Upper Galilee communities.
Iran looking for reportedly downed US pilot as American forces said to launch search
A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle takes off from Aviano Air Base, Italy, for an air strike mission in support of NATO Operation Allied Force on March 28, 1999. (Public domain/ Senior Airman Mitch Fuqua, US Air Force/File)
Iran’s Fars news agency says the army has launched a search for the pilot of a US fighter jet hit by an air defense system.
Contacted by AFP, the US Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for military operations in the Middle East, doesn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Military forces have launched a search operation to find the American fighter pilot who was hit earlier today,” Fars says.
Iranian state media airs footage of what it says is wreckage of a downed US jet and shares images online of what appear to be American aircraft flying over the area, including helicopters, planes and drones.
Wild footage from a USAF C-130 fueling two helicopters over Iran shared by telegram channels. The cars & the dialect are Iranian and from southwest. pic.twitter.com/K9cufOOY26
— Ramin Khanizadeh (@RKhanizadeh) April 3, 2026
It says the aircraft was targeted over central Iran and may have gone down in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, citing a police statement.
Iranian media urges residents of the area to join the hunt for the pilot or pilots, offering a bounty for the capture of any US servicemen, while a local television channel initially urged viewers who see Americans to “shoot them as soon as you see them.”
The incident is the first report of a US fighter jet being downed in Iranian territory since the start of the US-Israel war against the Islamic Republic on February 28.
UNIFIL reports 3 peacekeepers wounded by blast at post in southern Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon says a blast hit one of its positions and wounded three peacekeepers, the third such incident in a week.
“This afternoon, an explosion inside a UN position… injured three peacekeepers, two seriously. They are all currently being evacuated to hospital. We do not yet know the origin of the explosion,” UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel says.
An Indonesian peacekeeper was killed on Sunday and two more were killed the following day in the south near the Israeli border, where the UN force is deployed and where Israel and Hezbollah have been fighting a war since last month. Israel has blamed their deaths on Hezbollah.
Iran launches ballistic missile attack targeting central Israel
The IDF detects another Iranian ballistic missile attack, with sirens sounding in communities across central Israel.
White House seeks $1.5 trillion defense budget amid Iran war
The White House has sent a spending proposal to US lawmakers calling for a massive $1.5 trillion US defense budget next year as it faces increased costs due to the war in Iran.
The total year-on-year increase in Pentagon spending would be the largest since World War II, US media reports, although presidential budgets are wish lists that have to be approved by Congress, rather than binding orders.
“The budget builds upon the historic $1 trillion overall defense topline for 2026 and requests $1.5 trillion in total budgetary resources for 2027,” the document reads. “This is a $445 billion, or 42 percent, increase from the 2026 total resource level.”
High Court hears petition accusing the cops of effectively banning anti-war protests
Lawyers for the Association for Civil Rights in Israel prepare for a hearing on their petition against police policies on dispersing protests during times of war, at the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem on April 3, 2026. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)
An Israeli civil rights group petitions the High Court of Justice, demanding an end to what they claim is an effective ban on political demonstrations during wartime, after police forcefully dispersed several protests against the government this past week.
The petition heard this afternoon is filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), which accuses police of effectively barring protests in a “sweeping and systematic” manner since the outbreak of war with Iran over a month ago.
The rights group argues that this trend ramped up in the wake of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and subsequent Gaza war, as police began “refusing to give permits for demonstrations and hindering protests, especially those whose core is a critical stance toward the war or government.”
“Free expression does not recede during wartime,” petitioners write. “Especially in times of distress and emergency, it is known to have unique importance.”
The organization files the petition on behalf of Itamar Greenberg, a student arrested twice in the past week for partaking in demonstrations against the Iran war and the recently passed death penalty law.
Heading a three-judge panel, Chief Justice Isaac Amit hints at a double standard in police enforcement of the IDF’s wartime guidelines. He notes that protesters in Habima Square — a frequent location for Tel Aviv demonstrations, which has a large underground parking lot — are relatively safe compared to pedestrians on the city’s coastal promenade, or those shopping at the mall.
“At Habima [Square], the situation is excellent; there’s a parking lot there. It could be that there are people who come to demonstrate because the parking lot is much better than what they have at home,” he says.
Assistant Commissioner Tzachi Sharabi, the Yarkon precinct’s police commander, who on Saturday night gave the order to disperse a Tel Aviv protest against the war, says he decided to do so after he “saw the number of people and the amount continuing to arrive” at Habima.
“Even if Habima is a location that has seen many protests, our ability to lead one to two thousand people within a minute-and-a-half to several parking lot entrances, this is something different,” he says.
Oded Feller, the petitioning attorney, argues protesters have more time to shelter before Iranian missile fire as opposed to attacks from Lebanon or Gaza, due to the Home Front Command’s advanced phone warnings.
He argues throughout the hearing that police have used “disproportionate force” to break up the demonstrations in question, at times injuring protesters and journalists by forcefully shoving them to the ground and directly blasting them with a water cannon.
At the end of the hearing, the judges decide that the two parties must come to an agreement on how to guarantee protesters’ rights in light of the Home Front Command’s wartime guidelines. Tomorrow morning, Avi Milikowsky, the attorney representing the state, will deliver an official position to the petitioners on holding Saturday night protests in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Kfar Saba.
Starting Sunday, Israel will allow up to 90 passengers on flights leaving Ben Gurion Airport
Illustrative: An El Al airplanes departs from the Ben Gurion International Airport during the US-Israel war with Iran. March 16, 2026. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
The Transportation Ministry plans to increase the number of passengers allowed on departing flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport starting as early as Sunday.
According to the eased framework, an additional 20 passengers will be allowed on departing flights, currently limited to 50 per flight. Another 20 seats will be allocated for humanitarian cases, bringing the maximum to 90 passengers per flight.
The emerging framework is still not final and may be updated based on security assessments and decisions by the relevant government authorities.
The Transportation Ministry on March 23 cut the number of passengers permitted on a flight departing Ben Gurion Airport to 50 from 120 previously, after Iranian ballistic missiles targeted central and southern Israel, with multiple impacts and people injured. There are no restrictions on passenger numbers for arriving flights.
The number of takeoffs and landings at Ben Gurion Airport was restricted to one per hour as the country’s airspace remains virtually closed to regular commercial air traffic amid the ongoing war with Iran.
Trump: ‘With a little more time’ the US ‘can easily’ reopen Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump pauses after delivering a televised address on the conflict in the Middle East, at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 1, 2026. (Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP)
US President Donald Trump says the United States can open the Strait of Hormuz with a little more time.
“With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A ‘GUSHER’ FOR THE WORLD???” Trump says in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Iran’s former top diplomat Zarif suggests terms for ceasefire in war with US, Israel
Iran's then-vice president for strategic affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, gestures as he addresses the audience during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 22, 2025. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP)
Iran’s former top diplomat has suggested terms to enable a ceasefire in the war with the United States and Israel.
Mohammad Javad Zarif, who helped reach the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, made the proposal in Foreign Affairs magazine in a piece published today.
While Zarif has no official position now in Iran’s theocracy, he helped get reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian elected.
He also would not have been able to publish such a piece without at least running the positions past senior members of the country’s theocracy.
While insisting Iran “is clearly winning” the war, Zarif writes that Tehran “should offer to place limits on its nuclear program and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to all sanctions — a deal Washington wouldn’t take before but might accept now.”
It remains unclear how US President Donald Trump would respond to such a pitch, particularly as Zarif referred to Trump’s close friend Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner as “completely illiterate on both geopolitics and nuclear technicalities.”
Red Cross says aid warehouse in Iran struck by drone
A drone strike in southern Iran hit a warehouse holding aid containers and emergency vehicles, a spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says.
The strike in the southern province of Bushehr early on Friday destroyed two containers, two buses and an unspecified number of emergency vehicles, the spokesperson says. She does not attribute blame and Reuters cannot immediately establish responsibility.
The IFRC is the only humanitarian group working across the country and has 100,000 responders. Three of them have been killed since the US-Israeli strikes on the country began on February 28.
Its head of delegation in Iran told Reuters yesterday that medical needs were rising exponentially and supplies could run low.
Netanyahu: We will keep hitting Iran, in full coordination with Trump; 70% of Iran’s steel production capacity destroyed
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a situational assessment at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, on April 3, 2026. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)
Israel will continue striking Iran in coordination with the White House, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says during a situation assessment at the Kirya IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.
“In full coordination between me and President Trump,” says the prime minister in a video statement released by his office, “and between the IDF and the United States military, we will continue to strike Iran. This regime is weaker than ever — Israel is stronger than ever.”
“Together with our American friends, we are continuing to strike the terrorist regime in Iran,” he reiterates. “We are eliminating commanders, bombing bridges and striking infrastructure.”
Netanyahu says that Israel’s Air Force destroyed 70% of Iran’s steel production capacity.
“This is a tremendous achievement that deprives the Revolutionary Guards of both financial resources and the ability to produce many weapons,” he says of the IRGC, the powerful military organization widely seen as effectively running the country.
“In Lebanon, we continue to strike Hezbollah decisively,” Netanyahu says, as IDF ground forces continue to operate in southern Lebanon. “We are expanding the security zone and establishing it to protect the communities in the north.”
Japanese tanker safely crosses Strait of Hormuz for first time since onset of Iran war
A Japanese liquefied natural gas tanker has crossed the Strait of Hormuz, its joint owner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines says.
Crew members on the Panama-flagged ship — “SOHAR LNG” — remain safe, a Mitsui O.S.K. Lines spokesperson tells Reuters, while declining to disclose when it crossed the strait and whether there were any kind of negotiations to do so.
The Asahi newspaper earlier reported that the ship was the first Japanese vessel to have exited the Strait of Hormuz since the onset of the Iran war.
IDF warns it will bomb two more bridges in southern Lebanon, citing Hezbollah’s use of them
The IDF warns it will bomb two more bridges on the Litani River due to Hezbollah’s use of them to transfer operatives and weapons into southern Lebanon.
“To prevent the transfer of reinforcements and weapons, the IDF intends to attack the Sohmor–Mashghara bridges,” warns army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.
Israel has already bombed five bridges on the Litani River, citing Hezbollah’s use of them.
#عاجل ‼️ نظرًا لأنشطة حزب الله ونقل عناصر إرهابية إلى جنوب لبنان برعاية السكان المدنيين يضطر جيش الدفاع إلى تنفيذ استهداف واسع ودقيق لأنشطة حزب الله الارهابية.
⭕️بناء على ذلك، ولمنع نقل تعزيزات ووسائل قتالية ينوي جيش الدفاع مهاجمة جسريْ سحمر – مشغرة
⭕️حرصًا على سلامتكم يجب… pic.twitter.com/1a8CTFAqYM
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 3, 2026
Pope urges Herzog to pursue ‘all paths of dialogue’ to end Iran war in Passover, Easter phone call
This handout photo taken on September 4, 2025, and released by the Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV (left) during a private audience with Israel's President Isaac Herzog in the Vatican. (Handout / VATICAN MEDIA / AFP)
Pope Leo XIV and President Isaac Herzog spoke on the phone earlier, their respective offices say, to mark the holidays of Passover and Easter.
During the call, the Vatican says the pope urged Herzog to “reopen all paths of dialogue” to end the Iran war, which began with a joint US-Israeli offensive on February 28.
The pope, who has emerged as a sharp critic of the regional conflict, also urged Herzog to protect civilians and promote respect for international and humanitarian law, the Vatican adds.
In its own readout of the call, Herzog’s office says the two discussed recent Iranian missile attacks on Jerusalem “that fell in the area of sites holy to Christians, Muslims and Jews.”
The two also discussed the situation in Lebanon, where Israel is fighting the Hezbollah terror group after it joined the Iran war, focusing on “the importance of the safety and security of Christian communities on both sides of the border,” Herzog’s office says.
Amnesty International warns Iran that the recruitment of children to the IRGC is a war crime
Amnesty International is warning Iran that its recruitment of children as young as 12 for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ all-volunteer Basij paramilitary amounts to a war crime.
The IRGC put out the call for new recruits and lowered the minimum age of recruitment to 12 recently, as the Basij finds its checkpoints under attack during the war with the United States and Israel.
Amnesty also says that eyewitnesses and its own analysis of video footage “show child soldiers having been deployed” to checkpoints and patrols, some armed with weapons including Kalashnikov-style assault rifles.
“As US and Israeli strikes hit thousands of (Guard) sites, including Basij facilities, across the country, including through drone attacks targeting security patrols and checkpoints, the deployment of child soldiers alongside (Guard) personnel or in their facilities puts them at grave risk of death and injury,” Erika Guevara-Rosas of Amnesty International says.
Katz reiterates: Disarming Hezbollah ‘through military, political means’ is ‘top objective’ in Lebanon
Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israel remains committed to disarming Hezbollah “through military and political means.”
“Israel’s policy in Lebanon has been and remains clear: the top objective is the disarmament of Hezbollah through military and political means, regardless of the Iran issue,” Katz says following an assessment with military officials.
Katz says the IDF is completing its ground offensive in southern Lebanon up to the line from which Hezbollah can launch anti-tank missiles at Israeli communities.
“Homes in villages near the border in Lebanon, which serve in every respect as Hezbollah outposts, will be demolished in accordance with the Rafah and Khan Younis model in Gaza, to remove the threat to Israeli communities,” he says.
Katz says the IDF will “maintain security control” in southern Lebanon, up to the Litani River, “and the return of 600,000 residents of southern Lebanon who evacuated northward… will not be allowed, until the security of northern residents is ensured.”
“The IDF will continue to target Hezbollah leaders and operatives throughout Lebanon, in addition to the 1,000 terrorists who have already been eliminated since the beginning of the current campaign,” vows Katz.
He also says the IDF will “act forcefully” against Hezbollah rocket fire on Israel.
“We promised security for the northern communities, and that is exactly what we will do,” Katz adds.
UK to deploy Rapid Sentry air defense system to Kuwait after oil facility attack
Britain will deploy its Rapid Sentry air defense system to Kuwait to help protect British and Kuwaiti interests in the Gulf, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office says, after an overnight Iranian drone attack on a Kuwaiti oil facility.
Starmer discussed the deployment in a call with Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah this morning, a Downing Street spokesperson says.
“The Prime Minister began by condemning the reckless overnight drone attack on a Kuwaiti oil refinery,” the spokesperson says. “He reiterated that the UK stands with Kuwait and all our allies in the Gulf.”
Disarming Hezbollah still ‘long-term objective,’ IDF says, after official said it wasn’t goal of current campaign
Illiustration: Portraits of Hezbollah's late leaders Hassan Nasrallah, right, and his cousin, Hashem Safieddine, are seen as smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, March 30, 2026. (AP/Hassan Ammar)
After a military official said that the goal of disarming Hezbollah in the current ground offensive in southern Lebanon is unrealistic, the military clarifies in a statement that it is still committed to a long-term objective of disarming the terror group.
“We clarify that, as the chief of staff has said in the past, the IDF is committed to a long-term objective of disarming Hezbollah. This objective includes a wide range of efforts that will continue over time,” the IDF says.
“The current campaign is causing blows to Hezbollah and weakening it, and will advance the achievement of this objective over time,” the army adds.
IDF shares footage from interrogations of captured Hezbollah operatives
The IDF publishes clips from the interrogations of Hezbollah operatives who were captured by Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
The two operatives, members of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, had planned to fire anti-tank missiles at troops, according to the IDF.
During their interrogation by the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504, which specializes in human intelligence, the operatives describe low morale among Hezbollah operatives.
The operatives say that Hezbollah joined the war to “avenge [the death] of Ali Khamenei” and that their commanders sent them “to die.”
It is unclear whether the statements were made under duress.
The IDF publishes clips from the interrogations of Hezbollah operatives who were captured by Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
The two operatives, members of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, had planned to fire anti-tank missiles at troops, according to the IDF.
During their… pic.twitter.com/cecvOKu4KM
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 3, 2026
Abu Dhabi gas facility stops operations after interceptor debris sparks fire
A fire caused by falling debris from an intercepted attack forced the suspension of operations at a gas complex in the emirate of Abu Dhabi on Friday, the government media office says.
“Abu Dhabi authorities are responding to an incident of falling debris at the Habshan gas facilities, following successful interception by air defence systems. Operations have been suspended while authorities respond to a fire. No injuries have been reported,” the emirate’s media office says on X.
World food prices driven higher last month by rising energy costs due to Iran war
Israelis shop for food at a Carrefour supermarket in Ashkelon during the war with Iran, March 1, 2026. (Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90)
World food prices climbed in March, due largely to higher energy costs linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says.
The FAO Food Price Index, which measures changes in a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from its revised February level.
“Price rises since the conflict began have been modest, driven mainly by higher oil prices and cushioned by ample global cereal supplies,” FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero says in a statement.
But if the conflict lasts more than 40 days and input costs remain high, farmers may reduce inputs, plant less, or switch crops, leading to lower future yields and affecting food supply and prices for the rest of this year and next, he says.
One lightly wounded in cluster munition impact in Kiryat Ata
One person is lightly wounded after a cluster munition from an Iranian ballistic missile struck a home in Kiryat Ata, near Haifa, medics say.
Magen David Adom says that a 79-year-old man was hit by stone debris that flew due to the shockwave of the impact.
הירי מאיראן לצפון: בן 70 נפצע קל מפגיעת רסיסים בקריית אתא, נזק רב נגרם לבית | תיעוד
(אורלי אלקלעי, @Nov_reuveny) pic.twitter.com/1oQA2Zf6Ri
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 3, 2026
Several cluster munition impact sites reported in Haifa area after latest Iranian attack
Emergency services respond to a cluster munition impact in Kiryat Ata following an Iranian missile attack on northern Israel, on April 3, 2026. (United Hatzalah)
Several cluster munition impact sites are reported in the Haifa area following Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack.
Damage was caused to roads and cars, with no immediate reports of injuries.
Several cluster munition impact sites are reported in the Haifa area following Iran's latest ballistic missile attack. pic.twitter.com/NgLU8IPZja
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 3, 2026
Kuwait says power, desalination plant damaged in Iranian attack
Kuwait says an Iranian attack hit a power and water desalination plant earlier today, causing material damage to parts of the facility.
The Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy says that emergency and technical teams are responding under contingency plans to maintain operations and secure the site.
Iranian missile fired at northern Israel carried cluster bomb warhead
The Iranian ballistic missile fire at northern Israel a short while ago carried a cluster bomb warhead, according to IDF assessments.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
IDF publishes footage of strike on Hezbollah gunmen in southern Lebanon
The IDF publishes footage showing an airstrike on Hezbollah gunmen in southern Lebanon, during recent ground operations.
According to the military, the Hezbollah operatives were identified by troops of the Givati Brigade on Wednesday. A short while later, the Israeli Air Force struck and killed them, the IDF says.
The IDF says the Givati troops also located numerous weapons and military equipment belonging to Hezbollah in the area.
צפו בתיעוד: לוחמי גבעתי חיסלו מחבלי חיזבאללה חמושים שהתקרבו לכוחות בדרום לבנון
לכל הפרטים:https://t.co/f7I3D2gr0d pic.twitter.com/e2YZcViSMN
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 3, 2026
IDF detects Iranian missile attack targeting northern Israel
After a lull of nearly eight hours, the IDF has detected a new ballistic attack from Iran, targeting northern Israel.
Sirens are expected to sound in the coming minutes.
Former police interpreter indicted on espionage charges after allegedly sharing details on missile impacts with foreign agent
An Arab Israeli man from Qalansawe has been indicted on espionage charges today after allegedly compiling reports for a foreign agent detailing damage and casualties caused by Iranian missile attacks.
According to the indictment, 47-year-old Miqdad Natur, came into contact with the agent, who went by the pseudonym “Abu Ali,” while searching for work last summer. He reached out to Al Jazeera on Telegram in hopes of being employed by the network as an interpreter, despite it being banned in Israel, but was rejected.
Someone from the news channel referred Natur to Abu Ali, and the two began to correspond.
At the agent’s direction, Natur opened an Arabic-language Telegram channel called “Breaking News,” where he would publish news items handpicked by the agent for a monthly payment of $250. This continued from September 2025 to January 2026.
For reasons unknown to the prosecutors, Abu Ali broke off contact with the defendant in February but reached out to him again after the outbreak of the ongoing war, this time asking him to compile reports on damage and casualties caused by Iranian missile impacts.
The agent also requested information on water, electricity and internet outages in Israel, the locations and damage caused by missile impacts, and the rate of expatriation.
Though the agent repeatedly asked Natur to physically go to missile impact sites to document their location and the resulting damage, the defendant was unable to do this, and rather sent him news reports that had already been published.
According to the indictment, Natur formerly worked as an interpreter for the Israel Police, the Israel Prisons Service, and other legal and government bodies.
The Shin Bet security service and police conducted a joint investigation into Natur and police eventually arrested him on March 9. He was indicted today in the Lod-Central District Court on charges of maintaining contact with a foreign intelligence agent, espionage and destroying evidence.
IDF to present plan to establish south Lebanon buffer zone to political leadership
IDF troops of the 226th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued by the military on April 3, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
The Israeli military will be presenting to the political leadership its plan to establish a “security zone” in southern Lebanon, which will involve demolishing Lebanese villages near the border and setting up army posts several kilometers inside the country.
The IDF says the buffer zone plan is being coordinated with legal authorities and will soon be presented to the political leadership for approval.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has said the IDF will raze all buildings in the first line of villages, and civilians will not be allowed to return south of the Litani River until the Hezbollah threat is removed.
The military’s buffer zone plan involves clearing all villages within a few kilometers of the border, except for several Christian communities. The area would be cleared of Hezbollah infrastructure and establish forward army positions.
The IDF says most of these villages were cleared during the last ground offensive in late 2024. However, troops continue to find weapons and Hezbollah infrastructure in some areas. According to the military, some of it predates the war, while other elements were established during the 2024–2026 ceasefire.
The IDF says it aims to significantly weaken Hezbollah and remove the threat to northern residents, though officials acknowledge that fully disarming the group is unrealistic.
“Disarming the organization is not a required goal at the end of this campaign,” a military official says, despite previous statements by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Katz saying that Israel would not give up on disarming Hezbollah.
As a result, the military does not expect to completely halt Hezbollah rocket fire, as most launches originate north of the Litani River. However, short-range projectiles — of which Hezbollah has thousands — are now largely directed at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon rather than civilian communities.
Military officials also say Hezbollah is “deeply troubled” by Israel’s intention to continue its offensive even after the war in Iran ends.
The war in Iran remains the IDF’s primary focus, with Lebanon a secondary front. However, in the event of a ceasefire with Iran, the military is expected to shift most of its attention to Lebanon.
Iran warns UN Security Council against ‘provocative action’ on Strait of Hormuz
Iran warns the UN Security Council against any “provocative action,” ahead of an expected vote on a draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz.
“Any provocative action by the aggressors and their supporters, including in the UN Security Council regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, will only complicate the situation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says.
Araghchi’s comments come ahead of a scheduled Security Council vote on a draft resolution mandating a force to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The draft resolution brought by Bahrain proposes authorizing the use of “defensive” force to protect shipping in Hormuz from Iranian attacks, according to the official Security Council program.
The draft resolution was backed by the US and the Gulf countries hardest hit by the virtual blockade, but member states including Russia, China and France, objected to earlier drafts.
The vote was initially scheduled for today, but was postponed, with no new date set. Sources tell the Associated Press that the vote is now expected to be held Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
15 Hezbollah operatives killed in southern Lebanon airstrike, IDF says
The IDF says it killed 15 Hezbollah operatives in a recent airstrike in southern Lebanon, amid ground operations.
In the western sector of southern Lebanon, troops of the 146th Division identified the 15 operatives in their area of operations. A short while later, the Israeli Air Force struck and killed them, according to the military.
In another incident, the IDF says, the division’s 213th Artillery Regiment identified a cell of Hezbollah operatives who planned to fire anti-tank missiles at Israel. An IAF fighter jet then struck and killed the operatives, the military says.
בהתקפה ממוקדת בדרום לבנון: חוסלו כ-15 מחבלים מהאוויר בהכוונת אוגדה 146
בהתקפה ממוקדת של אוגדה 146, כוחות חטיבת האש 213 וחטיבה 226 זיהו כ-15 מחבלים במרחב פעילותם בדרום לבנון. לאחר הזיהוי המהיר חיל האוויר חיסל את המחבלים בהכוונת האוגדה.
כוחות חטיבת האש 213 זיהו חוליית מחבלים של… pic.twitter.com/k5aG09dkr4
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 3, 2026
Health Ministry: 148 people hospitalized due to injuries from Iran war over past 24 hours
The Health Ministry reports that in the past 24 hours, 148 injured people have been taken to hospitals as a result of the conflict with Iran, bringing the number of hospitalizations due to the fighting to over 6,500.
Among those treated in hospitals over the past day, four are in moderate condition, and 108 are in good condition.
Five people are undergoing medical evaluations, and 31 people have been treated for anxiety.
The ministry says that since the beginning of the war with Iran on February 28, 6,594 people have been admitted to hospitals, 124 of whom are currently hospitalized.
The ministry does not give a breakdown of the causes of injuries, and some might be sustained by people trying to reach shelter rather than as a direct result of missile fire from Iran or rocket fire from Lebanon.
The casualty figures include soldiers and civilians.
Tehran claims to have shot down US fighter jet over central Iran
An Iranian military spokesman claims that a US F-35 fighter jet was shot down over central Iran a short while ago by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ air defenses.
The spokesperson says there are low chances of pilot survival.
Images posted by Iranian media appear to show debris of a US F-15E fighter jet, and not an F-35.
Iranian media has posted what appears to be debris from a USAF F-15E Strike Eagle, reportedly downed earlier today.
Seen here, the remains of a vertical stabilizer. pic.twitter.com/FGD8jrmM4p
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 3, 2026
The US does not immediately comment on the claim.
Last month, a US F-35 had to make an emergency landing at a Middle East base after it was apparently hit by Iranian fire.
Iranian drone attack sparks fires at Kuwait oil refinery, state media says
A drone attack on a refinery owned by Kuwait’s national oil company on Friday sparked fires at several of its units, state media says.
“Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) told KUNA that the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was targeted in a drone attack early this morning, resulting in fires in several operational units,” official news agency KUNA reports, adding that emergency teams are working to contain the blazes.
Report: US intelligence indicates around half of Iran’s missile launchers are still intact
A man inspects the wreckage of an Iranian missile that landed near the West Bank village of Marda, March 31, 2026. (AP/Majdi Mohammed)
US intelligence has assessed that around half of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers are still intact despite over a month of US and Israeli bombardment across the country, sources tell CNN.
Still, some of the remaining missile launchers are not believed to be accessible at present, the sources tell CNN, having been buried under rubble amid the waves of airstrikes.
Contrary to the US assessment, Israel said in March that it had destroyed or disabled around 60 percent of Iran’s estimated 470 ballistic missile launchers.
The discrepancy between the two estimates could be put down to differences in how Israel and the US classify launchers that are intact but inaccessible.
According to Israel’s assessment, around 200 of the launchers were destroyed in strikes, while another 80 are not considered to be operational after the IAF struck tunnel entrances to subterranean facilities where they are stored, according to the military.
Separately, US intelligence assessments have also indicated that Iran still has thousands of attack drones stockpiled and ready for use, CNN says.
One source cited by the outlet warns that Iran is “still very much poised to wreak absolute havoc throughout the entire region.
The White House and the Pentagon both deny the content of the report, with a White House spokesperson accusing the sources of trying to “demean” the achievements of the joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran.
French far-left MEP Rima Hassan arrested over X post about 1970s terror attack on Israeli airport
Rima Hassan, a French far-left member of the European Parliament, is arrested over a comment she posted on X last month about an attack on an Israeli airport in the 1970s, her fellow party member Jean-Luc Melenchon says.
Hassan and her lawyer do not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“The politics police has once again put Rima Hassan in custody in relation to a re-tweet from March. So there is no parliamentary immunity in France. Unbearable,” writes France Unbowed (LFI) leader Melenchon on X.
Le Parisien and other French media report authorities arrested Hassan and detained her in custody because they suspect the post made on March 26 could be construed as showing support for terrorism.
The message is related to the 1972 attack by the Japanese Red Army far-left militant group at Lod airport in Tel Aviv, which resulted in 26 deaths.
In her subsequently deleted post, Hassan quoted on her X account a comment made by an individual convicted of the attack seeking to justify it due to what he said was the “oppression” of people in the Palestinian territories.
After US struck major bridge in Iran, Trump suggests power plants are next to be hit
After a major bridge was struck in Iran, US President Donald Trump suggests the Islamic Republic’s power plants are next to be targeted.
“Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran,” he says on Truth Social.
“Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants! New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!”
Iran claims to be drafting proposal to ‘monitor’ Strait of Hormuz with Oman
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency claims Iranian diplomat Kazem Gharibabadi is drafting a proposal to “monitor” the Strait of Hormuz with Oman, describing the proposal as “intended to facilitate and ensure safe passage and provide better services to ships passing through this route.”
Iran’s attacks on shipping in the region, as well as reportedly demanding as much as $2 million for passage through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, have created a stranglehold on the route.
It is unclear what the proposal would mean. Oman does not immediately acknowledge it. The strait runs through Iranian and Omani territorial waters but is considered an international waterway that should freely allow ships to pass.
“Naturally, when we face an act of aggression, navigation encounters serious problems, and this is the result of the aggressive act,” Gharibabadi says. “We are currently at war and cannot expect pre-war rules to govern wartime conditions.”
Unintercepted Iranian cluster missile said to cause damage but no injuries in 10 sites
Magen David Adom says its medics have visited ten impact sites following Iran’s cluster warhead missile attack on central Israel, reporting damage but no injuries.
The missile was reportedly not intercepted.
Its clusters hit sites in Ramat Gan, Givat Shmuel and Petah Tikva, with some causing damage to homes, roads and parked cars.
Multiple impacts reported without injuries after Iran launches cluster warhead missile toward central Israel pic.twitter.com/kZAyckh9v6
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) April 3, 2026
Impacts but no injuries reported after Iran fires cluster warhead missile at central Israel
Several impacts are reported in central Israel after Iran fired a cluster warhead missile.
No injuries are immediately reported.
The Home Front Command says residents can leave bomb shelters.
Iran targets central Israel with missiles
The IDF has detected an Iranian missile attack targeting central Israel.
Sirens sound in Tel Aviv and nearby cities.
Trump: Israel will ‘do what I tell them’ regarding end of Iran war, will ‘stop when I stop’
US President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, December 29, 2025. (Alex Brandon/AP)
US President Donald Trump says Israel will follow his orders and halt fire if he decides to end the war against Iran.
“They’ll do what I tell them,” Trump tells Time Magazine. “They’ve been a good team player. They’ll stop when I stop. They’ll stop unless they’re provoked, in which case, they’ll have no choice, but they’ll stop when I stop.”
The remark contradicts Trump’s assertion last month in an interview with The Times of Israel that ending the war would be a “mutual” decision with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Time Magazine story — a lengthy account of how Trump decided to launch the war with Israel and of his attempts to now seek an off-ramp given the unpopularity of the war in the US — also cites an unnamed Israeli official as saying Netanyahu has little room to maneuver without Trump’s backing.
The story, which cites multiple American and Israeli sources, recounts how Trump, furious at some administration officials for leaking information about the planned attack on Iran, convened a February 27 meeting in which he indicated that the operation was off. He then called back a small number of trusted officials and planned the opening strikes of the war that would begin that very night.
The report also recounts Netanyahu’s repeated lobbying for Trump to join a prolonged attack on the Islamic Republic. Citing an unnamed source who was in the room as Netanyahu met Trump for an hours-long meeting in Washington, it says the premier told the US president, “We’ve come this far, Donald. We have to finish what we started,” arguing Tehran was playing for time and would secretly race toward a nuclear bomb.
Trump also tells Time that Iran has proven “very tough” by resisting immense pressure to make concessions to end the war with an agreement.
“They’re able to withstand tremendous pain. So I respect them for that. The fact is, I think they’re better negotiators than they are fighters,” he says.
US strikes on major Iranian bridge killed 8, state media says
Strikes on a major bridge in Iran killed eight people and wounded 95 people who had gathered under it and along the riverbank to celebrate “Nature Day,” Iran’s state media says, citing authorities in Alborz province.
Trump referenced the strike on the B1 bridge, which he called Iran’s biggest, in a social media post saying “much more to follow.” The bridge was still under construction.
Pro-Palestinian Sumud Flotilla to set sail for Gaza again on April 12, from Spain
A flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists who attempted to reach Gaza last year say they will launch a new mission to the devastated territory from Barcelona on April 12.
The Global Sumud Flotilla’s first weeks-long journey across the Mediterranean Sea to Gaza, blockaded by Israel during the war against Palestinian terror group Hamas, drew worldwide attention.
The group, which described its first attempt as a humanitarian mission, says the latest trip starting in Spain’s second-largest city will gather more than 80 boats and 1,000 international participants.
“The cost of inaction is too high to bear,” it says in a statement, adding that a land-based movement will join the maritime action to create pressure in multiple countries.
“As Gaza endures intensifying blockade, violence and deprivation, the mission is a principled, nonviolent intervention: a defense of human dignity, a call for humanitarian access, and a demand for international accountability,” the group says.
Gaza is under a ceasefire agreed in October, which followed two years of devastating conflict sparked by the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught in Israel.
Israel’s Leviathan gas field to resume operations after war shutdown, Energy Ministry says
View of the Israeli Leviathan gas field processing rig as seen from Dor Habonim Beach Nature Reserve on January 1, 2020. (Flash90)
The offshore Leviathan gas field will resume operations after a month-long war shutdown, the Energy Ministry says.
The field, operated by Chevron, has been shut down since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28.
“Following situation assessments and a review of all relevant considerations, it has been decided at this stage to return the Leviathan platform to operation,” an Energy Ministry spokesperson says in a statement.
“The supply of natural gas to the local market continues and will now be increased with the addition of another platform to the production system.”
Leviathan is one of the Eastern Mediterranean’s largest gas fields with an estimated 635 bcm in recoverable gas.
In January, Chevron and partners approved plans to vastly expand production at the field, a project set to supply Egypt and others with more than $35 billion worth of natural gas.
The expansion will boost gas deliveries from Leviathan by 9 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year to about 21 bcm, flows expected to supply the region as well as Europe in the form of liquefied natural gas.
Hegseth asks US Army’s top uniformed officer to step down, amid war against Iran
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the US Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, to step down, the Pentagon says, as the United States wages a war against Iran.
A Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, confirms that George has been asked to take early retirement from the post of Army chief of staff, which he has held since August 2023.
The ouster of George is just the latest of more than a dozen firings of top generals and admirals by Hegseth since he first took office last year.
George is a graduate of West Point Military Academy and an infantry officer who served in the first Gulf War as well as Iraq and Afghanistan. He also served as former defense secretary Lloyd Austin’s top military aide from 2021 to 2022, during Joe Biden’s administration, before taking on top leadership roles in the Army.
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