&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US-Iran-Israel war Highlights: Israel postpones ‘planned strikes’ on Iran amid US search for crew members")
US-Iran-Israel war LIVE | The war in West Asia that began on February 28, when the United States, alongside Israel, launched a series of pre-emptive strikes inside Iran, has entered its second month. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, and new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has taken over, but he has not been seen in public. Tehran has launched a full-scale retaliation, targeting Israel as well as American military installations across the Gulf region. Several Iranian leaders have been killed as strikes continue. Iran-backed groups in the Gulf, namely Houthis and Hezbollah, have joined the war. Iran has blocked the strategic oil route, the Strait of Hormuz, while Israel has expanded its attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
After almost a month, US President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to engage and is said to have put forward a 15-point proposal aimed at ending the conflict. However, Iran has maintained that any communication so far has been indirect. Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary, reportedly preparing to host the talks if needed. Trump has been dilly-dallying in his approach to Iran, sometimes hinting at its end and sometimes saying that it will continue
The major question that arises amid the ongoing operation in West Asia is what the future holds. How will the Iran-US relations pan out, and what will it mean for regional security in specific and world geopolitics at large? All updates and analysis on the ongoing situation as the Israel-US war on Iran continues
Israel has postponed some of its planned strikes on Iran so as not to interfere with the search and rescue efforts for the crew members who were aboard the US fighter jet that was shot down over Iran, an Israeli official told CNN.
According to reports, one of the crew members has been rescued by US forces, but there is no word yet on any others.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone on Friday that Turkey was maintaining contacts with all parties to stop the Iran war spiralling out of control, Erdogan’s office said.
Erdogan also told Putin that Turkey does not approve of the attacks against Iran, nor does it endorse Iran’s retaliation against regional countries.
A US fighter jet was shot down over Iran on Friday, and a search and rescue operation is underway for any survivors, a US official confirmed to Reuters.
Israel’s Army Radio quoted Israeli sources as also confirming that the plane was downed and search efforts being underway. The condition of the jet’s crew is not immediately clear.
A US C-130 and two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters are currently flying at low altitude over Iran in what is being reported as a "search and rescue" mission for downed F-15E pilots.
President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States could "open" the Hormuz Strait and "take the oil" if it has 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 posted.
A large explosion shook northern Tehran on Friday, AFP journalists said, with smoke seen rising from the site of the blast, as war with the United States and Israel rages.
The White House sent a spending proposal to lawmakers Friday calling for a massive $1.5 trillion US defense budget next year as it faces increased costs due to the war in Iran.
At least 12 people were injured in the emirate of Abu Dhabi on Friday as a result of falling debris following the interception of an attack, the government media office said.
Public transport in Pakistan's capital will be free for the general public, the interior minister said Friday, after the government drastically raised fuel prices due to spiking global energy prices caused by the Iran war.
The Maltese-flagged Kribi belonging to the French maritime transport group CMA CGM crossed the strait on Thursday afternoon.
"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 said on X.
Kuwait said without elaborating that the attack by Iran on the desalination plant caused “material damage to some of the plant’s components.”
French President Emmanuel Macron speaking at a joint news conference in Seoul underscored the need for France and South Korea to cooperate to help reopen the strait and de-escalate animosities in the Middle East.
The Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara and The Hindu Temple in Dubai on Friday announced temporary closures until further notice, following directives from Dubai authorities citing safety and security reasons.
Iran warned the UN Security Council against any "provocative action", ahead of a scheduled vote on a draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz that ended up being postponed.
"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 said.
Araghchi was speaking ahead of a scheduled Security Council vote on a draft resolution mandating a force to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz Friday.
It was later announced that the vote was postponed, with no new date scheduled.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday (Apr 2) warned to strike Iran’s electrical power plants, a day after American forces destroyed the Islamic Republic’s largest bridge. The US president hailed the “greatest” and “most powerful” military of his country, saying that they haven’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. He warned Tehran’s new regime, claiming that they know what has to be done.
A drone attack on a refinery owned by Kuwait's national oil company on Friday sparked fires at several of its units, state media said.
"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 reported, adding that emergency teams were working to contain the blazes.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday (Apr 2) said that Iran is “eager” to make a deal with the United States even as Tehran continues to retaliate across the Gulf. Trump also boasted that American forces “blew up their three big bridges last night”. This comes after the American forces destroyed the Islamic Republic’s largest bridge.
The Strait of Hormuz will be closed to the United States and Israel for a very long period, a representative of the Iranian armed forces, Abolfazl Shekarchi, has stated.
"The Strait of Hormuz will be closed to the Americans and Zionists for a long time. Under no pretext will they approach it," he said on state television.
Dated Brent oil price, which is the 'world’s most important price for real-world oil barrels', has reached $141.37, the highest level since 2008, according to Bloomberg report
The 15-member body was set to vote Friday morning on a draft resolution brought by Bahrain, but by Thursday night the schedule shifted.
The reason given was that the United Nations observes Good Friday as a public holiday, according to diplomatic sources -- despite this fact being known when the vote was first announced.
No new date has been given for voting on the draft.
Several explosions were reported in the southern Iranian city of Bushehr on Friday, according to Al Arabiya. The broadcaster said that missile launch systems were targeted, though there has been no official confirmation from Iranian authorities so far. Earlier, on March 28, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) claimed that the United States and Israel had carried out another strike near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, marking the third such incident since February 28. Media reports indicated that the facility itself was not damaged. A day prior, Iranian officials also reported strikes on a heavy water production facility in Khondab, located in western Iran.
Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister said on Friday that the country is seeking greater ‘clarity’ on how the war in Iran will come to an end, as fuel shortages continue to cause concern. Speaking in Sydney, Chris Bowen said the government wants a clearer understanding of the conflict’s “objectives and endpoint.”
Air raid sirens echoed across Tel Aviv early on Friday (April 3), warning residents of incoming threats amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran
Kuwait says air defences are responding to missile and drone attacks
As Tehran continues strikes across the Gulf against US and Israeli targets, Iranian media claimed the IRGC hit an Oracle data center in Dubai. The Dubai Media Office denied the report, calling it “fake news,” amid a month-long conflict threatening civilian infrastructure in West Asia.
The Gulf Cooperation Council urged the UN Security Council to authorise force to protect the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Iran of blocking vessels, halting oil transit, and imposing conditions on passage.
Iranian state media said 95 people celebrating Nature Day near the bridge were wounded in the strike. Trump warned of “much more to follow.” Officials condemned the attack on the under-construction bridge as targeting civilian infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump warned Iran to reach a deal “before it is too late” after fresh airstrikes hit a key bridge near Tehran. He shared a video claiming the country’s largest bridge was destroyed. The highway link between Tehran and Karaj was struck on Thursday, with at least two people reported dead.
Israel’s military said on Friday its air defenses were intercepting missiles launched from Iran, as Tehran continues retaliatory strikes following the US-Israeli bombing campaign that started in late February. The military reported no immediate casualties or damage.