AJ
Recap of the war between US-Israel and Iran, including the latest political news, and updates on attacks across the regions.
Good Friday wasn’t a particularly memorable experience for the United States and Israel in the war against Iran, as Iran claimed to have shot down an F-15E fighter jet over their skies, which later involved a successful search and rescue operation for one crew member, while the search for a second was ongoing, as another plane, (an A10 Warthog), was also shot down on Friday morning around the same time.
During the search and rescue operation, another A10 Warthog came under small-arms fire from local residents which forced the plane to crash in the Persian Gulf, while small arms fire also injured crew of a Black Hawk as it attempted to rescue the pilot, eventually ending up in damage to both Black Hawk helicopters, although all crews were reported safe.
US and Israeli strikes have significantly degraded Iran’s missile-launching capabilities, but a substantial portion of its infrastructure remains intact, reported the New York Times, stating military assessments indicated that while many fixed launch sites and production sites had been destroyed, Iran has relied increasingly on mobile launchers and underground systems to continue attacks, complicating efforts to eliminate the threat entirely. Strikes have also targeted missile manufacturing and storage sites, aiming to disrupt long-term production, though intelligence assessments suggest Iran retains enough capability to continue periodic launches.
President Donald Trump was asked in an interview by the Independent what he would do if the missing pilot is captured or harmed by the Iranians, to which Trump replied: “Well, I can’t comment on it because – we hope that’s not going to happen,” ending the call with the newspaper shortly after.
Three helicopters were reportedly searching Iran’s Khuzestan province on Friday night for the missing US pilot, according to Iran’s Nour News, noting it was likely that both Americans and Iranians were searching for the missing pilot, although it had not been verified who the helicopters belonged to.
IRGC later sealed off a large area of Iran’s Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province to search for the missing US pilot, along with local security forces and civilian tribal groups, NYT was told by three Iranian officials.
Semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim news stated that Iran had shot down another US or Israeli fighter jet overnight, publishing images of what it said were the remaining parts of an aircraft, while speculating it could be an F-16 or F-35, but no official confirmation had been issued, the agency said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reported that the head of the Iranian Strategic Council on Foreign Policy was targeted by a US or Israeli airstrike in an assassination attempt, leading to the death of his wife.
Following reports of explosions on Thursday night, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry confirmed a Patriot interceptor missile had fallen onto homes in the Sitra area, causing damage to homes and injuring four local residents.
Combined attacks shook various parts of Iran in the early hours of Saturday morning, as residents of Abadan, western Iran, recorded strikes on the city, while another piece of footage showed what appeared to be a US/Israeli fighter jet deploying flares after conducting a strike on a target in Tehran, most likely the mountains north of the capital city.
Hundreds of US sailors have been evacuated from the Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home to the Navy’s 5th Fleet, following Iranian missile and drone attacks on the base, reported NPR, stating the Navy confirmed that 1,500 sailors, their families, and several hundred pets were relocated back to the United States, arriving with very few belongings, while some service members were also relocated to Italy and Germany before being flown to the US, and the Navy has not said when, or if, they will return.
Britain is set to deploy the Rapid Sentry air defence system to Kuwait to help protect British and Kuwaiti interests in the Gulf, following an Iranian drone attack on a Kuwait oil refinery, as British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer discussed the deployment with Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, condemning the reckless drone strike, while noting the SHORAD system is designed to intercept drones and low-flying threats, and has been successful so far in Erbil where the system has also been deployed.
Iran launched two waves of missiles towards Israel, the first appearing to miss air defences and impacting in southern Israel, as a fire broke out at the impact site in Negev and at the Neot Hovav industrial zone south of Beersheba, while cluster munitions later struck Tel Aviv, with impacts reported in Petah Tikva, the road in Rosh Haayin, and a fire in Rosh Haayin, while multiple buildings and roadways had been damaged by impact debris in Ramat Gan, Givatalym, Bnei Brak and other surrounding areas, but no injuries reported.
An Iranian drone attack on the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia last month caused far more damage than initially reported, when two drones struck the compound in Riyadh severely damaging multiple floors including a secure section, while additional drones were intercepted and debris fell nearby, reported the Wall Street Journal, adding that the strike occurred overnight and officials said it could have caused mass casualties if it had happened during working hours.
Dubai Media Office confirmed two events through the night, the first being an incident caused by debris from a UAV interception that fell onto the façade of a building in the Dubai Marina area, which didn’t cause a fire or any injuries, while a minor incident caused by debris that fell on the façade of the Oracle building in Dubai Internet City was also reported, with no injuries.
Fires had broken out at storage facilities belonging to foreign oil companies west of Basra following a drone strike, Iraqi security sources told Reuters, stating the incident marked the latest in a series of drone attacks targeting energy infrastructure in Iraq amid the ongoing regional escalation.
An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera that a member of the Popular Mobilisation Forces was killed and another was injured in an airstrike that targeted their headquarters in Al-Qaim, western Iraq.
Turkey announced on Saturday morning that a second Turkish ship had crossed the Strait of Hormuz, as traffic appeared to be moving slowly, depending on the country of origin of the ships, but it was later revealed the ship was the CMA CGM Kribi, flying the French flag and in which Yüksel Yildirim, the Turkish owner of Yildirim Holding, is a partner.
Israeli Air Force, acting on IDF intelligence, completed a wave of strikes against Iranian infrastructure sites across Tehran, which included strikes on regime aerial defence sites, including an IRG aerial defence site where missiles intended to target aircraft were stored, while additionally, the IDF struck a military site responsible for safeguarding the regime’s weapons and development facilities, simultaneously striking a site where ballistic missiles were stored, along with additional weapons production, research and development sites, reported Selena News.
A blaze continued to burn at the Mina Al Ahmadi Oil Refinery in Kuwait more than 24 hours after it was struck by Iranian Shahed drones, as dark smoke columns were visibly rising still on Saturday morning.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf took to X saying: “What share of global oil, LNG, wheat, rice, and fertiliser shipments transits the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait? Which countries and companies account for the highest transit volumes through the Strait?”
Explosions were reported on Saturday morning by @alsaa_plus at the Mahshar petrochemical plant in Khuzestan Province, southwestern Iran, as a result of American or Israeli airstrikes, and another strike targeted the Shalamcheh border crossing on the Iraq-Iran border, as Deputy of Security and Law Enforcement of the Khuzestan Province confirmed that the trade terminal on the border in Khorramshahr was attacked by forces, causing serious damage, according to Fars News Agency.
Soon after the attack at the Petrochemical Special Zone, an evacuation notice was ordered by the Public Relations and Emergency Spokesman announcing the complete evacuation of all active industrial unit personnel in the area, stating the decision was based on the resolution of the Emergency Command Committee of the zone, noting families of the employees have been asked not to worry as the situation is under control, reported Tasnim News, as the Deputy of the Governor of the region reported 5 were injured in the attack, reported Al Jazeera.
Later, it was reported by the Deputy Governor that the airstrikes targeted the Mahshahr Petrochemical Special Zone and the Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company in Khuzestan province, southwest Iran, while other strikes in the area included the Fajr, Abu Ali, Rijal, and Amir Kabir plants, reported local media and officials.
IDF Radio announced after the attacks that the Israeli Air Force struck petrochemical plants in southwest Iran as part of an effort to degrade Iranian military industries and the national economy.
More than 80 journalists from various foreign networks were present to witness the bombing of Vahdat Ferdows, closely witnessing the bitter and painful scenes of residential areas targeted by Israel and US forces, reported Tasnim News, stating that the journalists narrated what they saw, including houses that had been destroyed, families that had been displaced, and compatriots who were killed or injured.
Another attack allegedly occurred on the Bushehr nuclear power plant on Saturday at around 8:30am, reported Tasnim News, stating that as a result of the blast wave and shrapnel from the attack, one of the auxiliary buildings of the plant was damaged, and a member of staff at the plant had been killed, as preliminary investigations indicated the attack didn’t damage the main parts of the plant, and the operation of the process of the plant hadn’t been affected, but noted this was the fourth attack on the plant in the recent war.
Head of the Iraqi Border Crossing Authority, General Omar Al-Waili, reported that one person was killed and five others injured as the attack targeted the Iranian passport office on the Shalamja border crossing, adding that as a result of the strike, the border crossing would be closed until further notice, according to Al Mayadeen. Al-Ahad’s correspondent in Basra reported the trade and travel routes through Shalamjah border crossing between Iraq and Iran would resume after damage assessments had been completed, adding that the head of the Al-Sadiqoun bloc held Kuwait responsible for the incident, stating that while previous strikes had targeted the commercial exchange square, today’s targeted the passenger hall.
US or Israeli strikes also hit the Bandar Khamir cement factory, but didn’t disrupt the supply chain, according to the Political and Security Deputy Governor of Hormozgan, noting the attacks were thwarted due to the vigilance of forces stationed in the area, and no casualties were reported, while despite efforts to disrupt the production process, the production at the factory continued steadily and no disruption occurred in the supply chain, reported Fars News.
Global food issues have already begun, according to Iranian Foreign Policy Chief and @iribnews, stating that disruptions in the shipment of chemical fertilisers from the Persian Gulf, along with climate phenomena, have put severe pressure on farmers worldwide and revealed early signs of a global food crisis.
Fisherman of Bandar Deyr retrieved the wreckage of an American MQ-9 drone, which was hit by air defence systems in the Bushehr province and had crashed into the Persian Gulf.
Iran destroyed a US CH-47F Chinook helicopter, reported CNN, stating the cost is around $40 million, which was located at a US military base in Kuwait, and was fired upon by an unmanned aerial vehicle, noting that the Iranians have already destroyed 7 manned combat aircraft since the beginning of the war.
Following a triple attack by the Houthis, Hezbollah and IRGC, an Iranian cluster munition fell in Tel Aviv at around lunch time, with impacts reported in Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva, central Israel, while an Houthi drone was intercepted off the coast of Eilat, southern Israel, and no sirens were activated, which resulted in an injury in Beit Shemesh, as the IRGC confirmed they targeted Dimona, the NEgev, Beersheba, Ramat Gan and Israeli defences. Magen David Adom (MDA) later announced that four people had been lightly injured during the ballistic missile attack this morning, noting a 24-year-old man suffered smoke inhalation, two men in their twenties were hit by glass shards, and another man was injured by the blast wave.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan stated that Azerbaijan and Iran stand together in difficult days, and would continue to stand by each other in both difficult and good times as before, reported Tasnim News: “The appreciation of the homourable President of the Republic of Iran, my brother Mr Masoud Pezeshkian, for the support of the people and the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan is considered very valuable to our people.”
Iran’s Minister of Science and Research reported on Saturday that American-Israeli aggression directly targeted 30 universities in various parts of Iran, reported Al Mayadeen. Hossein Simayi Sarraf said that attacking infrastructure is a crime against humanity, and it was unbelievable that in the era of human rights and the 21st century, civilian places and people, and worse, scientific and vital human infrastructures are being attacked: “Is attacking a bridge somthing to be proud of,” Sarraf said, adding that: “Our enemy has returned to the Stone Age, not that we are in the Stone Age or have come from the Stone Age,” Tasnim News reported.
Commander of the Iranian Army Air Defence Forces, General Ali Reza Elhami, said his forces were using new Iranian methods and equipment to chase aircraft, contributing these advancements to the alleged downing of American and Israeli jets, including two US fighters in one day, claiming that Iranian air defences destroyed more than 160 drones, including MQ-9s, Hermes and Luas models, and that the new capabilities have caused confusion and astonishment among US-Israeli officials.
European leaders are under pressure from President Trump to allocate immediate military resources to end the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, reported the New York Times, citing sources, adding that European leaders were having difficulty reaching a unified action plan regarding the Strait.
Iranian Red Crescent reported that a paramedic was killed in attacks on the city of Mobarakeh in the Isfahan province on Saturday morning, as the security assistant to the governor of Qom in Iran said that an aerial attack targeted two points just outside the city, as Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in Tehran reported that Iranian air defences were confronting hostile targets in the vicinity of the city of Qom.
Three Iraqi nationals were injured following two drones attacking the Rumaila oil field, causing a massive fire to break out that rescuers were attempting to contain, as nonstop explosions were reported by various Arabic and Persian media, including Tasnim News and @alsaa_plus.
Multiple US or Israeli airstrikes were taking place in the afternoon on Mehran, which is along the Iran-Iraq border, with targets that included the Iranian border checkpoint and several warehouses, while strikes were also reported again on the Bandar Khamir cement factory, and on Abadan, southwestern Iran, as Israel later claimed responsibility for the strikes, despite Trump’s plea to avoid the infrastructure due to retaliatory strikes.
Reuters reported that the downing of 2 American fighter jets over Iran and the subsequent search by the Iranian side for the missing pilot had presented the White House with a new dilemma, because the US President had claimed full control over Iran’s airspace, but the possibility that an American serviceman is alive and at large inside Iranian territory increases the risks for Washington in a war that has little public support among Americans and shows no sign of an imminent end.
Brigadier General Esmail Qanni, the Commander of the Quds Force in the Revolutionary Guards, posted on social media saying that Trump should dismiss the commander of the aircraft carrier Gerald R Ford, stating that the carrier daren’t cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait out of fear of the heroic Mujahideen and the steadfast Yemeni people, adding that the crew fabricated stories and damage so they could flea from the Red Sea and the region.
Head of the Information Council of the 13th Government stated that Iran had formed a new order in the region and the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened, noting that America was desperate and unplanned in this war, while America’s prestige had collapsed in one month, adding that Iran is the new regional superpower.
Iran approved the passage of ships carrying humanitarian supplies through the Strait of Hormuz to Iranian ports or nearby waters under specific protocols, and businesses were now allowed to resume sending these shipments, after Iran and Oman came to an agreement on how to ensure safe passage, according to Tasnim News.
Last night at 23:15, three US Black Hawk helicopters entered the Yasuj areas, according to local reports, but they encountered Iranian fire and couldn’t take any action, which meant they were forced to flee, while in another instance a little later, fighter jets above Tehran were forced to make a quick exit after encountering heavy air defences.
Iranian operatives have been digging out underground missile bunkers and silos struck by American and Israeli bombs, returning them to operation within hours of attacks, with Iran’s IRGC still retaining a significant amount of its cruise and ballistic missiles, along with mobile launchers, according to recent US intelligence reports.
Hanzala hacking group today disclosed the identities of 50 senior officers of Israel’s Unit 9900, which is reported to be one of the most powerful geospatial intelligence divisions in the world, collecting strategic information using drone images, satellite imagery, and 3D maps, using it in ‘targeted assassinations,’ and Hanzala announced this disclosure marks the end of the ‘myth of invincibility’ of this unit, serving as warning to all other players in the cyber warfare arena.
Iran’s ambassador to Egypt, Mojtaba Ferdowsi-Pour, outlined Tehran’s conditions for ending the war, which included a complete halt to hostilities, guarantees that attacks wouldn’t resume, along with compensation and lifting of all sanctions, accusing the US of making a blatant strategic mistake by striking during negotiations. Ferdowsi-Pour stated Iran’s position still hasn’t changed on the nuclear issue, so it will not agree to permanently stop uranium enrichment on its soil, calling it the right of the Iranian people, adding that the only proposal before the war was an Iranian offer to reduce enrichment below 60% inside Iran, not abroad.
President Trump’s fiscal 2027 budget outlines calls for a 42% increase in defence spending and a 10% reduction in non-defence outlays, targeting renewable energy, refugee resettlement and housing initiatives, as the plan extends tax cuts and adds new breaks while raising tariffs, but despite early efforts to shrink the federal workforce and cut health and nutrition spending, the deficit remains largely unchanged, with publicly held debt approaching 100% of GDP, reported Wall Street Journal.
India has admitted to purchasing oil from Iran to overcome the current energy crisis and deined the existence of payment obstacles hindering purchase operations, reported Al Mayadeen.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated Iran were grateful to Pakistan for their mediation efforts, stating that Iran had never refused to go to Islamabad, but what matters to Iran is that they reach a final and permanent end to the illegal war imposed upon the country.
Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and FM Araghchi held a phone conversation exchanging views on the latest regional, international developments and bi-lateral relations, reported Tasnim News.
Soon after, Araghchi also took to X: “Do you remember the Western outrage over the hostile actions near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine? Israel and the United States have bombed our station in Bushehr four times so far. Radioactive pollution would end life in the capitals of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, not Tehran – moreover, the attacks on our petrochemical plants conveyed real objectives.”
Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran had prepared for the confrontation and proved its defensive capabilities, stating the war is Israel’s war and that Iran was forced to target US interests in the region to preserve its existence, warning that any further escalation would be met with a decisive and wide-ranging response against US interests, adding that regional security should be built without US or Israel involvement.
Major in reserve Isaac Breick told Channel 12 Israel that: “We in Israel have not achieved the goals of the war with Iran… We have not stopped the missile program, we have not ended the nuclear project, and we have not stopped their support for their ‘agents.'”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has removed top Army leaders, including General Randy George, amid concerns that Daniel Driscoll could become Hegseth’s replacement, according to the NYP, stating that Hegseth was increasingly wary of Driscoll’s influence, particularly with his ties to JD Vance, and has targeted officials seen as aligned with him, but although he cannot currently remove Driscoll, tensions are escalating, with speculation that Sean Parnell could step in if Driscoll is pushed out.
Iran’s IRGC Navy Command reported that a drone strike hit the ship MSC Ishlka, affiliated with Israel, which is the Liberia-flagged ISHYKA, in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire on bard, as the RIGC claimed the vessel was linked to Israel and was trying to pass through the Strait.
Jordanian Army officials reported intercepting 261 missiles and drones since the start of the war, but were unable to intercept 20 of them, noting the missiles from Iran and the factions associated with them were not passing through, but were targeting vital institutions in the country, causing at least 28 injuries and material damage.
UAE’s Ministry of Defence reported that 23 ballistic missiles and 56 drones had been shot down in a 24 hour period, taking the total to 2141 drones, 23 cruise missiles, and 498 ballistic missiles since the start of the war.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Qatar on Saturday for a visit after meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Friday, and Meloni is the first leader from a NATO or EU country to visit the Gulf states since the start of the war.
