Here are the key developments on April 7, 2026
- Donald Trump has issued a big threat to Iran as the war refuses to subside, US president posted on social media that ‘whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again’ if Iran does not make a deal by 8 p.m.
- Israel is “crushing” the regime in Iran with growing force, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said shortly after US President Donald Trump threatened that “a whole civilization could die tonight.”
- The United States struck military targets on Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, early Tuesday, a White House official said.
- US Vice President JD Vance says ‘very shortly, this war will conclude’.
- One attacker was killed and two others injured in a gunfight with police near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, news agency Reuters reported quoting the city’s governor.
- Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said he and 14 million Iranians have declared they will “sacrifice their lives” to defend the Islamic Republic.
- Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, is reportedly unconscious and receiving treatment in Qom following the airstrike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
- Trump said the US military has the power to destroy Iran’s key infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, within hours. He claimed such strikes could set the country back by decades.
- In return, Iran’s military leadership called Trump’s remarks “delusional” and accused him of using arrogant and baseless threats.
Track latest from the US-Israel war on Iran
Pakistan blames Israel for disrupting US-Iran ceasefire efforts
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has accused Israel of attempting to derail Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran, saying the attack on Tehran came just as “both sides were in a stage to sit down”.
“We were very optimistic [about talks] before [Monday] night,” Dar told lawmakers in the Pakistani Senate, according to Geo News. He added that Iran and the US had agreed to Pakistan’s facilitation, with both sides accepting talks to be held in Islamabad.
Dar further said Pakistan conveyed a 15-point set of US conditions to Iran, while also delivering Tehran’s five-point response to Washington.
According to the state news agency IRNA, Iran shared its response to a US proposal through Pakistan after two weeks of high-level deliberations.
‘Only the president knows’: White House sets deadline for Iran to strike deal
The White House has reinforced Donald Trump’s demand for Iran to reach an agreement within a strict timeframe, warning that the response to any failure will rest solely with the US president.
“The Iranian regime has until 8pm Eastern Time [00:00 GMT] to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States,” said Karoline Leavitt in a statement to Al Jazeera.
She added, “Only the president knows where things stand and what he will do,” underscoring the uncertainty surrounding Washington’s next move if Tehran does not comply.
Russia and China veto UN resolution aimed at reopening Strait of Hormuz
Russia and China veto a watered down UN Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The vote — 11 in favor, two against and two abstentions — takes place just hours before an 8 p.m. Eastern deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to open the strategic waterway or face attacks on its power plants and bridges.
IDF identifies new ballistic missile attack from Iran, says report
The IDF has identified a new ballistic missile attack from Iran, reported Times of Israel. Sirens are expected to sound in central Israel, the Jerusalem area, and the West Bank in the coming minutes, it reported.
India embassy in Tehran issues advisory
The Indian embassy in Tehran has issued an advisory for Indian nationals who are still in Iran. The government has warned them to remain indoors and avoid all electric, military installations, and upper floors of multi-storey buildings.
We are crushing Iranian regime ‘with increasing intensity’, says Netanyahu ahead of Trump’s deadline
Israel is “crushing” the regime in Iran with growing force, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said shortly after US President Donald Trump threatened that “a whole civilization could die tonight.”
'Iran holds the upper hand', Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi calls for 'sacred resistance' to defeat enemies
Amidst the ongoing regional conflict, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has issued a call for national solidarity and persistence. According to the state broadcaster Press TV, the high-ranking cleric on Tuesday urged the Iranian people to maintain their "sacred and historic resistance" against what he described as the "front of infidelity and corruption" during the current military standoff.
US oil price jumps over 2% after reported strikes on Iran’s key export terminal Kharg Island
The main US oil contract extended its gains following strikes on the key Iranian oil export terminal of Kharg Island. West Texas Intermediate for delivery in May jumps 2.1 percent to $114.71 a barrel. Meanwhile, the international benchmark, Brent North Sea crude, for delivery in June, gained 0.4 percent to $110.22 a barrel.
IA 'new phase of the war begins,' IRGC Commander says missile systems deployed
Brig. Gen. Seyed Majid Mousavi, commander of the aerospace force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on Tuesday posted a video informing about the deployment of “dual-launch Fateh and Kheibar Shekan missile systems. A 'new phase of the war begins,' he said.
Israel bombs 10 ‘key’ rail sections, bridges to stop Iran’s Revolutionary Guard moving weapons
The Israeli Air Force has bombed around 10 “key” rail sections and bridges in Iran, as per Times of Israel. The attacks were carried out as part of efforts to prevent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from moving weapon systems.
US strikes 50+ targets on Iran’s Kharg Island; Tehran hits Saudi petrochemical hub
US forces struck more than 50 military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, a critical oil hub, marking a sharp escalation in the conflict. Iran responded by targeting Saudi Arabia’s Jubail petrochemical complex, claiming missile and drone strikes on major facilities including the Sadara joint venture. Video verified by Reuters showed flames rising from the industrial city, though exact damage remains unclear. Saudi air defences intercepted several incoming missiles, with debris falling near energy sites. The attacks come amid intensifying tit-for-tat strikes across the region, raising fears of wider disruption to global energy infrastructure.
Trump warns Iran of historic turning point, says ‘civilisation may not survive tonight’
US President Donald Trump has issued a dramatic statement on Truth Social today saying that that “a whole civilization” could be lost tonight, calling it a defining moment for Iran. While acknowledging the scale of potential devastation, he expressed cautious optimism that a “complete and total regime change” could bring forward “smarter, less radicalized leadership.” He described the moment as one of the most significant in global history, claiming decades of “extortion, corruption, and death” may be nearing an end.
US official says airstrikes on Kharg Island targeted military sites
The US military confirmed airstrikes on military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, the Axios news outlet reports, citing an unidentified senior US official.
IRGC threatens to deprive the US and its allies of oil ‘for years’ if it crosses ‘red lines’
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned it will deprive the United States and its allies of oil and gas if Washington crosses Tehran’s “red lines,” Times of Israel reported, quoting a statement carried on Iran's state television.
“The Revolutionary Guards once again declare that if the American terrorist army crosses the red lines, our response will go beyond the region,” the statement said.
IDF carries out ‘extensive’ wave of strikes in Iran targeting regime sites
The Israeli Air Force said it carried out “extensive” wave of airstrikes in several areas of Iran a short while ago. The IDF said it hit dozens of Iranian regime infrastructure sites, and further details will be provided later.
3 killed in terrorist attack near Israeli consulate in Istanbul
Three people were killed, and two police officers were injured in a terrorist attack near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
Tehran rejects any temporary ceasefire with the US, says Report
Tehran has rejected any temporary ceasefire with the US, says Reuters quoting a senior Iranian source.
Gunfire heard near Israeli consulate in Istanbul
Gunfire was heard near the building housing the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, news agency Reuters reported quoting a witness.
IDF bombs another Litani River bridge used by Hezbollah in south Lebanon
The IDF bombed a key bridge on Litani River bridge that was being used by Hezbollah to move operatives and weapons into southern Lebanon.
“The IDF struck yesterday another central crossing that was used by Hezbollah terrorists to move from north to south of the Litani River, and to transfer weapons, rockets, and launchers to advance terror attacks against IDF troops,” the military says in a statement.
'14 million Iranians ready to sacrifice lives to defend Iran', says President Masoud Pezeshkian
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a post on X, declared that he and 14 million Iranians have declared they will “sacrifice their lives” to defend the country.
“More than 14 million brave Iranians have so far declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives to defend Iran. I have also sacrificed my life for Iran, I am and I will continue to do so,” he writes on X.
US-Israeli strike kills 18, including two children
Air raids hit residential areas in Alborz province, leaving 18 dead, including two children, and wounding 24 others, according to Iranian state media and the deputy governor.
Released journalist still cannot leave
A Japanese NHK bureau chief, recently released from detention in Iran, cannot leave the country due to ongoing security charges. Trial is expected to continue, according to Kyodo News.
Current oil crisis ‘more serious than the ones in 1973, 1979 and 2002 together’, says IEA chief
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has led to a crisis that is “more serious than the ones in 1973, 1979 and 2002 together,” Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), told Le Figaro newspaper.
“The world has never experienced a disruption to energy supply of such magnitude,” he said in an interview with the French newspaper released in its Tuesday edition.
40,000 Filipinos stuck from Gulf jobs due to war
More than 40,000 Filipino workers set to depart for Israel, Lebanon, and Gulf countries cannot leave due to flight shortages.
Workers are staying in temporary housing or returned to provinces, while over 4,000 Filipinos have been repatriated so far.
The Middle East hosts around 2 million Filipino workers, mostly in the Gulf.
Iran pushes back on Trump ultimatum
Strategic advisor to Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf warns:
"Trump has about 20 hours to either surrender to Iran, or his allies will return to the Stone Age. We will not back down."
Israel warns civilians in Iran to avoid trains
In a major escalation of tensions, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has publicly urged people across Iran to stay away from trains and railway infrastructure, citing safety risks.
The advisory, posted in Persian on X, warned passengers to immediately refrain from using rail transport as threats to rail safety rise amid regional conflicts.
Oil prices spike amid tensions
US crude climbs to $115.50/barrel, up 110% since December 2025 lows. Markets are reacting to the risk of escalating war, and inflation expectations are rising.
Negotiators doubt Iran will bend
Sources tell the WSJ that talks are “pessimistic” on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz before Trump’s deadline. If no agreement emerges, the US could escalate attacks on Iranian bridges and power plants.
Trump may delay Iran ultimatum—Again
President Trump could push back his Tuesday 8 PM ET deadline on Iran if a deal looks promising, Axios reports. This would be the fifth delay of his ultimatum.
Wider regional impact
Hezbollah Attack: Rockets were fired at northern Israeli towns of Metula and Kfar Yuval, prompting emergency warnings to residents.
Displaced Populations: Over 1.1 million people are now registered as displaced in Lebanon amid ongoing Israeli ground and air operations.
Journalist Restrictions: A Japanese journalist recently released from detention in Iran is still barred from leaving the country due to pending security-related charges.