The fate of the second pilot of the F-15E that crashed in Iran last week remains a mystery. While the White House was outlining the plan that led to the rescue of the two pilots, Iranian TV broadcast images of an American soldier’s documents lost while he and other soldiers were trying to exfiltrate one of the two crashed pilots. At least 200 American soldiers are believed to have participated in the rescue. According to Iranian TV, the second pilot is still missing in Iran, in Kuzestan. A C-130 and two helicopters were reportedly shot down. Mossad and Shaldagh special forces units participated in the rescue operation in Iran.
US President Donald Trump made his latest intentions clear: “There will be no ceasefire with Iran until the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened.” Several Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have denied allegations that Trump sent them large quantities of weapons in January, during nationwide anti-government protests in Iran.
On April 5, the US military officially announced the resumption of strikes against Iran after completing the rescue operation of the two crew members of the downed F-15E fighter. Late on April 6, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated, “Today will be the most intense day in terms of attacks since the beginning of the war.” Donald Trump doubled down, saying that the United States would bomb every bridge and power plant in Iran by midnight tomorrow. But “we don’t want that to happen.”
Pope Leo XIV disagreed with Hegseth on the notion that the US Armed Forces fight in the name of Christ. Domination is “foreign to the way of Jesus Christ,” Leo XIV observed. Hegseth had previously called on the American people to pray for the victory and safety of the US Armed Forces.
Russia, China, and France have blocked an Arab-backed proposal at the United Nations Security Council to authorize military action against Iran to reopen traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the NYT reports. According to diplomatic sources, the three veto-wielding countries oppose any wording of the resolution that would allow the use of force. Israel has officially suspended all military agreements with France.
Greece’s announcements regarding the deployment of Patriot air defense systems on the island of Karpathos have sparked regional disputes. Greek military sources say these systems provide “a defense that also covers Turkey.” This statement sparked surprise and criticism in Ankara. Turkey has deemed the deployment problematic under international law and has raised the issue with the European Union and NATO.
In the late afternoon of April 6, a meeting was held between the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Tufan Erhürman. The two leaders will discuss the UN’s vision for progress on the Cyprus issue and how the process can be advanced.
On instructions from President Sadyr Japarov, the Kyrgyz government sent seven trucks with humanitarian aid to Iran. According to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations, the total cargo volume was 129 tons, including 66 tons of food (flour, canned meat, vegetable oil) and 63 tons of medicines. “The aid is intended to support the affected civilian population. The transfer of humanitarian aid to Iran will take place with the participation of Kyrgyz Ambassador to Iran, Akylbek Kylychev,” the statement read. Previously, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan had also sent humanitarian aid to Iran.
Egypt will increase electricity rates for some residential and commercial customers this month due to the severe global energy crisis. India’s Ministry of Petroleum confirmed it has resumed purchasing oil from Iran for the first time since 2019.
The percentage of Iranian missiles hitting Israel has increased significantly, from 3% in the first two weeks of the war to 27%, according to JP Morgan and the Institute for the Study of War. Channel 13, contrary to official Israeli sources, claims that Netanyahu’s “six-month plan” is a sham. Air traffic has dropped by 80%, healthcare is devastated, energy is at a standstill. There is also a teachers’ strike, light rail is at a standstill, and the budget is stagnant. The army is draining resources, the economy is a hollow shell.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health states that since the beginning of Israel’s ground operation in Lebanon, it has led to 1,422 deaths and 4,294 injuries.
The United Arab Emirates is calling on Syria to secure its embassy and its employees. Iraq is investigating the circumstances surrounding the weekend’s attacks.
The Iraqi government has decided to move Iraq’s national airline’s planes out of the country to protect them from possible attacks.
Last month’s Iranian drone attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, caused far more damage than previously reported. A drone entered a secured section of the embassy and severely damaged three floors and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) compound, starting a fire that raged for half a day, the New York Times reported. The war imposed by the United States and Israel on Iran is jeopardizing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, according to the WSJ. Disruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is drastically reducing oil exports, with losses exceeding $10 billion in revenue and costs. Riyadh is now reconsidering last year’s $1 trillion US investment. On April 7, Saudi Arabia ordered companies not to send personnel to Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) for fear of Iranian missile or drone attacks.
U.S. media reported that Qatar refused to mediate ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran.
While the United States threatens Tehran with the destruction of all power plants, Iran threatens to destroy artificial intelligence and the giant Stargate data center in Abu Dhabi, one of the largest AI projects in the world, valued at $30 billion. OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco, SoftBank, and local company G42 are participating in its implementation.
Yemeni sources report that experts from the Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah have arrived to support the Houthi militia and direct naval attacks on Bab al-Mandeb. The experts arrived via the Horn of Africa country and secretly infiltrated the port of Hodeida.
Responding to Trump’s remarks, the Iranian military spokesman said: “The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to the United States and Israel for a long time.” The last tanker carrying fuel from the Persian Gulf countries will arrive in Rotterdam on April 9, after which kerosene supplies to Europe will effectively cease due to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Satellite imagery suggests that 108 tankers have left the Strait of Hormuz since March 1, 2026. This equates to approximately three tankers per day, including those associated with or owned by Iran. Of these 108 tankers, 78 are known to be violating sanctions. Iran has stored 23 million barrels of crude oil in the Gulf of Oman. It is ready to ship this volume at any time, upon notification.
Iran has been without internet for 39 days. Tehran has said it is ready to reach an agreement with European, Asian, and Arab countries on the use of the Strait of Hormuz, said Elias Hazrati, head of the Information Council of the Government of the Islamic Republic. Over the weekend, another 198 Russian nuclear workers left Iran for security reasons. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran stated: “We have warned the countries in the region of the consequences of American and Zionist attacks on our nuclear facilities.” The Tasnim news agency, citing Iranian sources, reports that two Israeli power plants have been added to Iran’s target list: Israel’s Electric Grid Company; Saudi Arabia’s Marafiq, which supplies electricity, desalinated water, and industrial steam to the industrial cities of Yanbu and Jubail; the United Arab Emirates’ TAQA, which operates large power plants; and companies associated with QatarEnergy, which supplies power and water to the LNG and petrochemical complexes in Ras Laffan, Qatar. Over 12 million Iranians have declared their readiness to fight “the Zionist-American enemy,” the Interior Minister said in a statement. The tribes of Balochistan are ready to fight to the death for Iran. Confessions of spies who provided coordinates to Israel were broadcast live on television.
The hacker group Handala threatens the U.S. Air Force. “You only have tonight. We advise you to check your phone right away… You don’t want us to talk about your meeting with us in Uzbekistan tomorrow, do you? Remember, some meetings don’t stay in the past forever. The choice is yours; shadows see all. This is your final warning for tonight; Handala only gives you until tomorrow morning.”
And now a look at the ongoing military scenarios in the Middle East and West Asia. Since the war began, in about a month the United States has lost 13 service members, six of them classified as non-combat losses. 3,380 personnel have been injured. The 31st Amphibious Unit (MEU), deployed to the Middle East last month as part of the war with Iran, is conducting amphibious assault exercises on the island of Diego Garcia in the central Indian Ocean. Senator Tom Cotton says the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade from Arkansas is deploying to the Middle East.
Australia has sent a Special Air Forces (SASR) unit to the Middle East, according to the Daily Telegraph. The country has sent 90 soldiers to the region. The Australian special forces will be stationed at Al Minhad Air Base, near Dubai. The troops will not participate in the US and Israeli military operation against Iran, but will instead focus on the emergency evacuation of diplomats from the region, the publication states. A FOX News reporter claimed that several US service members were injured during a search-and-rescue operation on the night of April 4, contradicting President Trump’s claims that “no Americans were injured,” except for the rescued weapons officer.
General Caine reveals: “Every armed Iranian opened fire on US helicopters during the rescue operation in Iran.”
The UK will refuse to allow the US to use its air bases, specifically RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia, which US Air Force strategic bombers have previously used on a case-by-case basis to strike Iran, for missions targeting Iranian bridges, power plants, or other civilian infrastructure, citing concerns that Such attacks could harm civilians and constitute war crimes, according to a report by The iPaper, citing senior officials.
In Israel, a weekend of bombings and attacks against Iran. Attacks were recorded in the Galilee. Sirens sounded in the Haifa area, in the valleys, and in the Upper and Western Galilee. According to the Iranians, Haifa refineries were hit. Tel Aviv was hit. Channel 12: “Some rocket fragments hit the Bnei Brak train station, in eastern Tel Aviv.” Shrapnel from the Iranian missile launch on April 7 struck at least 10 locations in Tel Aviv. Petah Tikvah and Eilat were also hit.
Hezbollah attacked a British warship with a surface-to-air missile off the Israeli coast, mistaking it for an Israeli vessel. According to Channel 14, the vessel was damaged. The latest missile attacks against Israel were carried out by Iran, Lebanon, and Yemen. In the late morning, a joint attack between the Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah, and further Iranian cluster munitions, hit targets in and around Tel Aviv.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimates that Hezbollah has built up sufficient firepower for four months of continuous fighting. Hezbollah has built its systems for the ongoing war to be able to launch rockets until the end. While the launch rate in northern Israel was 120-130 rockets per day, it is now only 50-60. At the same time, the missiles’ accuracy is also declining. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) believes this is due, in part, to fears of being hunted down at the launch pads and to operating “under pressure.” The IDF is advancing in southern Lebanon along the four open front lines with great difficulty and facing ambushes.
Israeli positions on the Golan Heights were hit over the weekend by two missiles fired from Syrian territory. The sound of an explosion was heard in the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor. A drone strike targeted the US base in Hasakah, Syria, claimed by the Iranian-aligned resistance.
Iraq targeted by Iran, the US-Israel coalition, and the Islamic Resistance. Numerous overflights from Iraq to Kuzestan were conducted in search of the ejected F-15E pilots. Over the weekend, US and Iranian opposition positions in Erbil were hit. Newsmax’s Carla Babb says she can now confirm that a US Air Force UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was attacked by Iran during search and rescue operations for the crew of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle fighter. The helicopter crew has been found and is safe, after which they left Iran via Iraq.
According to CBS News, a US A-10C Warthog attack aircraft was hit and severely damaged during a search and rescue operation to evacuate the crew of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle fighter over Iran. The A-10 pilot managed to exit Iranian airspace and eject over the Persian Gulf, where he was rescued by US Air Force personnel.
Telegram is blocked in Iraq, except in Kurdistan. Pro-Iranian Iraqi militias attacked: The British company Baker Hughes was attacked in the Al-Barzakan oil field in Iraq’s Maysan province, the US Victoria Air Base near Baghdad, and Erbil. The United States carried out attacks in Iraq, in the Iraqi province of Salah al-Din, and in Anbar, on Iraqi PMU headquarters.
Buering Air Base in Kuwait was hit by Iran. According to CBS, 15 Americans were injured in the attack. Shoiba Petrochemical Plant Hit
Jubail, a major industrial port city in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, was hit hard on April 7. Saudi Arabia’s SABIC is the largest petrochemical company in the Middle East (West Asia) and the fourth largest in the world. Several sites were hit.
Petrochemical plants in Bahrain were hit over the weekend. An oil refinery in Sitra was also hit. Explosions were also reported in Bahrain on April 7.
Abu Dhabi authorities reported that several fires broke out at a petrochemical plant in Ruga due to falling debris after the interception. Plant operations have been completely suspended until the full extent of the damage can be assessed on-site. A serious fire broke out in an industrial area in Sharjah, presumably following an attack. Fires have been reported at the ADNOC plant in Habshan, United Arab Emirates. NASA FIRMS data indicates multiple hot spots in the area. Exxon Mobil and Chevron gas processing plants in Habshan, and the Ruwais oil refinery, were hit.
Since April 2, regular missile launches have been launched from Yemen against Israel. “We targeted Lod Airport, in the Jaffa area, and key Israeli military targets in southern occupied Palestine with a ballistic missile and several drones,” the Houthis claim.
The Bahamian-flagged liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker Al Daayen yesterday attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz eastbound, but later aborted the maneuver and returned to the Persian Gulf. A strike occurred just a few kilometers from the UAE.
In Iran, the largest Iranian steel plant in Isfahan was completely destroyed. The Iranian opposition channel Iran International was cut off from broadcasts, accused by Iran of spying for the Israelis. The city of Tehran was attacked several times over the weekend, especially in the northern part. On the morning of the 7th, the synagogue on Palestine Street in Tehran was also hit. A fire broke out at the Meshhar petrochemical facilities after an attack by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Attacks occurred in Tabiz. The Fezl-Abad power plant in Shiraz was attacked.
The IDF says that dozens of Iranian Air Force fighter jets attacked several aircraft, including airplanes and helicopters, as well as aviation infrastructure used by regime forces for military purposes at three airports in Tehran: Behram Airport, Mehrabad Airport, and Azmayesh Airport. Fifty explosions in western Tehran and in Frengin were heard on the morning of April 7. U.S. forces attacked the port city of Chabahar.
According to U.S. intelligence reports, Iran is rapidly repairing its missile silos damaged by American and Israeli bombs, returning them to service within hours of the attack. Iran’s rate of missile launches may have slowed, but the country continues to maintain its position. Iran has been using decoys to keep its weapons operational, hiding them underground, and using decoys, making it difficult to assess or destroy their true capabilities.
Iran shot down an MQ-9 in Bushehr and a second on Qeshm Island, and an MQ-1 Predator over Isfahan province. Iran claimed to have used a modern covert infrared detection system to shoot down an American fighter aircraft. An F-15E was also shot down, along with an MH-6 Little Bird helicopter. Iranians claim to have intercepted and destroyed the forward operating base used by US Special Forces in southern Iran during the operation to rescue the weapons systems officer (WSO) of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle. A C-130 Hercules was also lost. An Israeli Orbiter was also destroyed.
During a series of complex intelligence and technical operations, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence discovered and seized two shipments of weapons and ammunition belonging to terrorist separatist groups, including 13 Kalashnikov assault rifles with 51 magazines, 28 hand grenades, and 500 rounds of ammunition, in the Sardasht district. The holders intended to transport this shipment of weapons and ammunition into the country’s hinterland and arm local mercenaries to sow instability. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the death in an airstrike of Majid Hadami, head of the IRGC’s intelligence organization.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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