Published : 05 Apr 2026, 08:42 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:33 PM
Pulse of the War: Apr 4
Trump’s 48-hour Hormuz ultimatum: Donald Trump has renewed pressure on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning of severe consequences if it fails to comply within 48 hours. In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president referred to an earlier demand, writing: “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT.” He added that “time is running out”, setting a 48-hour deadline and warning that “all hell will reign down on them” if the demand is not met. (Source: Al Jazeera)
Hunt for missing US pilot: Iranian and US forces were searching for a missing American pilot on Saturday from one of two warplanes downed over Iran and the Gulf. The prospect of the US service member alive and on the run in Iran raised the stakes for Washington as the conflict entered its sixth week with scant prospect of peace talks in sight and polls showing low public support. With Iran's leadership defiant since the start of the war, its foreign minister left the door open in principle for peace talks with the US via mediation from Pakistan, but gave no sign of Tehran's willingness to bow to Trump's demands. (Source: Reuters)
US-Iran ceasefire talks ‘stall’: Ceasefire mediation efforts between the United States and Iran have reached a dead end, The Wall Street Journal reports. Iran has reportedly told mediators, including Pakistan, it will not meet US officials in Islamabad and considers US demands “unacceptable”. (Source: Reuters)
Iran warns region will become ‘hell’ for US, Israel: Iran has warned that the Middle East will become “hell” for the United States and Israel if tensions continue to escalate. A spokesperson for Iran’s highest operational command coordinating the armed forces, Ebrahim Zolfaghari of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said that if hostility increases, the entire region would turn into “hell” for the US and Israel, adding that any illusion of defeating Iran would become a quagmire. (Source: BBC)
5 killed in attack on Mahshahr petrochemical plant: Iranian media report that at least five people have been killed in an attack on the Mahshahr Petrochemical Zone. The reports did not immediately provide further details about the victims or the extent of the damage. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had carried out attacks on petrochemical factories in Iran, describing them as a major source of revenue for the Iranian government. (Source: Al Jazeera)
US, Israel accused of ‘war crimes’: Iran has accused the United States and Israel of carrying out attacks on civilian infrastructure, describing the strikes as “war crimes” and “state terrorism”. In a statement, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said the alleged “systematic targeting of civilians and critical infrastructure” included the Mahshahr Petrochemical Zone and the Karaj–Tehran B1 bridge. The mission urged the international community to act decisively and condemn the attacks unequivocally. (Source: Al Jazeera)
Lebanon death toll tops 1,400: More than 1,400 people have died in Lebanon following Israeli strikes that began on Mar 2, the Lebanese health ministry reports. Among the dead are at least 126 children, 93 women, and 54 health workers. (Source: Al Jazeera)
Iranian and US forces were searching for a missing American pilot on Saturday from one of two warplanes downed over Iran and the Gulf, while President Donald Trump warned Tehran time was running out on his latest deadline for a deal to end the war.
The prospect of a US service member alive and on the run in Iran raised the stakes for Washington as the conflict entered its sixth week with scant prospect of peace talks in sight and polls showing low public support.
With Iran's leadership defiant since the start of the war, its foreign minister left the door open in principle for peace talks with the US via mediation from Pakistan, but gave no sign of Tehran's willingness to bow to Trump's demands.
"We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X.
Mixed Signals
Trump has sent mixed messages since the conflict began with a US-Israeli bombardment of Iran on Feb 28, switching between hinting at diplomatic progress to making threats to bomb the Islamic Republic "back to the Stone Ages".
On Saturday, he repeated his threats to intensify attacks on Iran if it failed to reach a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz strategic waterway.
"Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out - 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them. Glory be to GOD!" he said in a post on Truth Social.
In an apparent move to heap further pressure on Tehran following Trump's ultimatum, a senior Israeli defence official said Israel was preparing to attack Iranian energy facilities, and was awaiting the green light from the US
The timeframe for such attacks would be within the next week, the official said. Trump has previously threatened to hit Iranian power plants if his demands were not met.
The war has killed thousands, sparked an energy crisis and threatened lasting damage to the world economy. Iran has virtually shut the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.
Iran has rained drones and missiles down on Israel, and also taken aim at Gulf countries allied to the US, which have so far held back from joining the war directly for fear of further escalation.
Iranian state TV said its military had launched drones at US radar installations and a US-linked aluminium plant in the United Arab Emirates and US military headquarters in Kuwait in retaliation for deadly attacks on Iranian industrial centres.
Iran earlier attacked an Israel-affiliated vessel with a drone in the strait, setting the ship on fire, state media said, citing the commander of the Revolutionary Guards' navy.
Iran Touts New Air Defence Systems
The downing of two US warplanes shows the risks still facing US and Israeli aircraft, despite assertions by Trump and his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that US forces had total control of the skies over Iran.
Iranian fire brought down a two-seat US F-15E jet, officials in both countries said on Friday, and a US official said search-and-rescue efforts had recovered one of the crew.
Two Black Hawk helicopters engaged in the search for the missing crew member were hit by Iranian fire but made it out of Iranian airspace, the two US officials told Reuters.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was combing a southwestern area near where the pilot's plane came down, while the regional governor promised a commendation for anyone who captured or killed "forces of the hostile enemy."
In a separate incident, an A-10 Warthog fighter aircraft was hit and crashed over Kuwait, with the pilot ejecting, the US officials said.
Iranians, pummelled by air power since the US and Israel began their attacks, celebrated their success.
The Khatam al-Anbiya joint military command said it used a new air-defence system on Friday, which targeted a US fighter jet, three drones and two cruise missiles.
"The enemy should know that we rely on new air-defence systems built by the young, knowledgeable, and proud people of this country, unveiling them one after another in the field," a Khatam al-Anbiya spokesperson said, according to Iran's state media.
The Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted various areas in Israel in a wave of missiles and drones. Israeli media reported that two warheads from an Iranian cluster missile landed near Israel’s Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Later on Saturday, the Israel Defence Forces said they had detected more missiles launched from Iran towards Israel.
Petrochemical Zone Struck in Iran
Iranian state media reported air strikes at a petrochemical zone in southwestern Iran, with five people reported injured. They later said a fire there had been extinguished.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had struck the plant, which an Israeli military spokesperson said produced materials for explosives and missiles.
Israel has been waging a parallel campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon after the militant group fired at Israel in support of Iran.
Early on Saturday, Israel's military said it was striking the militants' infrastructure sites in Beirut. It later said an Israeli soldier had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon.
