Once upon a time, they were called crimes against humanity: in the last 33 days, Israel and the United States have targeted over 600 schools and educational centers, including the Shajareh Tayyebeh School in Minab and the Lamerd Sports Hall. On April 2, livestock farms and civilian bridges connecting Iranian regions were bombed.
Amid all this, Donald Trump said in his long-awaited speech: “We could simply take their oil, but I’m not sure the people of our country have the patience for that.” “We are fighting wars. It’s not possible for the United States to take care of daycare, Medicaid, Medicare.” “I’m pleased to announce that our key strategic objectives in Iran are nearing completion.”
Trump warned Iran that the United States will bomb them back to the Stone Age. “We’re going to hit them hard in the next two to three weeks. We’re going to take them back to the Stone Age, where they belong.” He also denied that one of the objectives of Operation Epic Fury is regime change.
His words were echoed by Iranian President Pezeskian, who wrote a letter to the American people, recalling its thousand-year history and that Iran has never started wars. And the Iranians have always drawn a clear line between people and their rulers.
More peremptory were the words of the Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Forces, General Majid Mousavi: “With your paltry 250-year history, you threaten a civilization over 6,000 years old.”
Trump’s words only served to exacerbate the markets, which rewarded Texas oil futures, and to worry the entire world about what will happen in the next 20 days.
The US military has presented the president with a plan to seize nearly 500 kilograms of highly enriched uranium in Iran, which includes the delivery of excavation equipment and the construction of a cargo runway to transport the nuclear material – Washington Post. But Trump has denied his interest in Iranian uranium.
Bloomberg: “The United Arab Emirates, in its letter to the United Nations Security Council, requested permission to use ‘force,’ including the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, citing the United Nations Charter.” According to the Wall Street Journal, the UAE is ready to go to war. Trump reiterated what the Iranians deny every second: “The new president of the Iranian regime, far less radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a ceasefire!” The Head of State, remember, is still the same, and the new Ayatollah is Khamenei’s son, and in both cases the information is incorrect.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “The G7 countries and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries will hold a meeting next week to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.” French President Macron: “It is unrealistic to think of opening the Strait of Hormuz with a military operation.”
Meanwhile, the Director of the IEA claims that: “Fuel shortages are expected in Europe.” “This crisis is worse than the two oil crises of the 1970s and the cessation of Russian gas supplies in 2022 combined,” says Fatih Birol. “Due to the crisis in the Middle East, over 12 million barrels of oil have already been lost per day. The biggest problem is the shortage of jet fuel and diesel, which has already affected Asia and is expected to reach Europe between April and May,” he noted.
Iran has sent a diplomatic note to NATO member Bulgaria, warning that US military aircraft should not use Bulgarian airports.
Israeli War Minister Israel Katz: “Na’im Qasim (Hezbollah leader) and his colleagues will pay a heavy price for launching rockets into Israel during Passover.”
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad urged American citizens to leave Iraq immediately. The embassy warned that attacks in central Baghdad were possible within 48 hours.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Chas Freeman, said that Gulf states depend up to 90% on desalinated water, making their desalination plants dangerously vulnerable to Iranian attacks. The Saudi petrochemical giant is shutting down due to Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Sadara Chemical has temporarily suspended operations at its petrochemical plants in the port city of Jubail, in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
In Russia’s Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and together they discussed a number of issues related to the crisis in the Middle East. They expressed deep concern about the deteriorating military and political situation in the Middle East and said this negatively impacts global energy security. They called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Middle East. Finally, they emphasized the importance of joint work within OPEC+ to achieve stability in the global oil market.
The British delivered military equipment to Qatar.
The United Arab Emirates invoked Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, calling on the Security Council to take “immediate action” to ensure safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas.
From Yemen, the leader of the Ansar Allah movement, Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi: “The human losses among the enemy’s ranks indicate a high level of effectiveness in Iran’s counteraction to Israeli-American aggression. Given the importance of this battle, the axis of jihad and resistance is moving on various fronts with a united position under the title of arena unity.” He reported that Yemen will continue to support Hezbollah and Iran. Demonstrations against Israel and the death penalty are expected across Yemen today.
No LNG carrier has passed through the Strait of Hormuz since March 2026, and approximately 20% of global supplies transit through this strait. According to Axios’s Barak Ravid, discussions are underway with Iran regarding a possible ceasefire in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran denies this.
Mehdi Tabatabai, Deputy Chief of Information at the Office of the President of Iran: “The position of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the patriotic defense of the country’s integrity against aggression […] and the conditions for ending the imposed war has not changed, and no attention is paid to the illusions and lies of criminals. The Iranian nation defends the integrity of its land with determination, firmness, and unity. Unity is the secret of our victory.”
Iranian Army Commander General Hatami: “It is essential that the enemy’s movements and actions be monitored moment by moment with the utmost level of suspicion, precision, and caution, and at the same time, it is necessary to immediately implement countermeasures against the enemy’s aggressive methods. The shadow of war must be dispelled from the country, and security must be guaranteed for all. It cannot be accepted that some areas are safe while our people are not. If the enemy launches a ground attack against Iran, none of them must survive.”
Former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency ElBaradei: If the Trump administration betrayed its closest European allies in NATO by refusing to participate in its aggressive war against Iran, how can we rely on it to ensure the security of our Arab region and protect our rights and interests?
And now a look at the ongoing military scenarios in the Middle East and Western Asia, updated at 3:30 PM on April 2. The Atlantic: “US military officials are planning two possible ground attacks in Iran.” They are doubling the number of A-10 aircraft in the Middle East, sending an additional 18 to the region. According to CBS, the US military has lost at least 16 MQ-9 drones in the war with Iran, each worth approximately $30 million. Two more were reportedly shot down on April 2, one in Shiraz. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier CVN 77 George H.W. Bush left Norfolk for deployment to the Middle East.
A fully loaded American B-52H strategic bomber took off from the British Lakenicht Air Base bound for Iran. According to a statement from the British Ministry of Defense, RAF gunners They successfully shot down 10 Iranian drones overnight in “high-risk areas” in the Middle East. This statement confirms the British Defense Minister’s claims that 1,000 British troops are deployed in the Middle East to protect UK interests. British F-35 and Typhoon fighter jets continue to conduct defensive operations over Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, Jordan, and Bahrain.
Greek activists in southern Cyprus attacked civilians in the Turkish Cypriot section of Nicosia using stones, sticks, and firecrackers.
According to Israeli media: “More than 760 drones were launched toward Israel, some of which penetrated the air defense system and hit sensitive targets. The Iranians are producing huge numbers of accurate and inexpensive attack drones.” Iran is preparing for a long battle. In Israel, from 4:30 PM on April 1st until 3:30 PM on April 2nd, launches were reported against: Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, Negev, Petah Tikva, Rosh HaAyin, Bnei Brak, Western Galilee, Haifa, Kiryat Shmona, Acre, Uval, and Shlomi. Unlike other attacks, this time, Hezbollah and Iranian attacks alternated. As soon as the Iranian launches ended, those from Lebanon began. Damage was reported to property and assets, and military sites were still being hit.
An Iranian missile struck a US base in Jordan: two air defense missiles attempted to intercept it but failed. Iran claims responsibility for the attack on the Al-Azraq base in Jordan.
Hezbollah targeted an Israeli armored vehicle near the town of Qana, in southern Lebanon, in a suicide attack. The Shehab correspondent reports: “Israeli warplanes are flying low over the city of Saida and some villages in Mount Lebanon and the Chouf district.”
Two Israeli raids were recorded on the city of Haboush and another on Safad Al-Batikh, and IDF artillery targeted the town of Hadatha in southern Lebanon. According to Israeli media, two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a firefight between a Hezbollah mujahideen and an IDF Nahal brigade in Beit Lif.
Al-Manar correspondent: Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Sirbin, Nasrallah.
A direct hit on the Golan Heights by Hezbollah against the IDF. New satellite images reveal the aftermath of the Iranian attacks on US military positions in Syria: “Destruction of US Army officers’ quarters at the Hasakah base in Syria.”
Clashes erupted in Iraq over the night. Meanwhile, Khataib Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of American journalist Shelley Kittelson, who was reportedly taken to a base in Babylon. They appointed a mediator and are demanding the release of some of their men in exchange for Kittelson’s release. A drone crashed into oil tanks in Erbil, Kurdistan, after attempts by US F-15s failed to intercept it. A direct attack hit the PKK and Komala headquarters in Erbil. Iraqi media reported that the Adairiyah facility, which houses US forces near the Iraq-Kuwait border, was targeted by a drone attack. The attack reportedly destroyed a Patriot air defense system and injured three American soldiers. Al-Mayadeen correspondent: “The sound of an explosion was heard in “Hite,” in Anbar province, in the western part of the country.”
Explosions in the early hours of April 2 were heard in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. New satellite images reveal the aftermath of Iranian attacks on US military positions in Kuwait: “U.S. Army officers’ quarters at the Kuwaiti administrative base were destroyed. The U.S. Army equipment depot at Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait was hit. The U.S. Army maintenance depot at Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait was hit.”
An Iranian missile strikes US Fifth Fleet facilities in Bahrain. Recent Iranian drone strikes have caused significant physical damage and service disruptions to Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. These events mark the first time a nation has deliberately targeted commercial cloud infrastructure with a kinetic attack, highlighting a dangerous evolution in modern warfare. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stated that the attack was intended to identify support for US “military and intelligence activities.” A second attack on a facility in Bahrain also caused a fire. The physical attacks have had cascading effects on the region’s digital infrastructure: Structural and power damage: Buildings suffered structural damage and power outages. Additional damage was caused by fire suppression systems. The AWS status dashboard reported the deactivation of some facilities, resulting in increased error rates and reduced availability. Local banking systems were disrupted.
Reports of explosions in the United Arab Emirates following an Iranian missile attack on American targets. A fire was reported in the Abu Dhabi Economic Zone following the Iranian missile attack.
A cargo plane from Oman landed at Nevatim Air Base, Israel.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) issued a suspicious activity alert 17 nautical miles north of Doha, Qatar, after an unidentified projectile struck a commercial vessel above the waterline, causing damage. All crew members are safe and sound.
Qalibaf: “In less than a week, approximately 7 million Iranians have announced their willingness to take up arms and defend our Iranian homeland. Iranians don’t just talk about defending their homeland; they shed their blood for it. If you approach our homeland, you will find the whole family ready and deployed, with their hands on the trigger. We have done this before and we are ready to do it again… let’s see what you have to offer.”
On the night between April 1st and April 2nd, the Iranian people took to the streets en masse for the 31st consecutive night in support of the Iranian armed forces and the Islamic Republic. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters: “We declare to the Zionist American enemies that your information about our military power and equipment is incomplete. You know nothing of our vast and strategic capabilities.” “Do not delude yourselves into thinking that you have destroyed the production centers for strategic missiles, long-range offensive and precision drones, modern air defense systems, electronic warfare, and our specialized equipment, because such an assumption will only worsen the situation you have found yourselves in.” […] “You will have to pay the price for the aggression you have unleashed against the honorable, dear, and Muslim nation. Trusting in Almighty God, this war will continue until your final and permanent humiliation, your repentance, and your surrender.”
Israeli-American attack on a cattle ranch near the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz; rescue teams are working to save the animals trapped under the rubble. Numerous cattle ranches in Iran have been attacked. On April 2, the Karaj Bridge, Alborz Bridge, and the B1 Bridge, the highest bridge in the Middle East, were attacked.
A US MQ9 drone was destroyed in the skies over the city of Shiraz. Restrictions in Chalous and Haraz from 5:00 PM. Traffic Police Chief: Return to Tehran and metropolitan areas began yesterday. Revolutionary Guards Press Office: “An officer who provided data and photos to enemy networks was arrested in Hamedan.” Fars News Agency: Brigadier General Muhammad Ali Fath Ali Zadeh, commander of the “Fathin” unit of the Revolutionary Guards’ ground forces, died during attacks against Iran on April 1. Residents of Bushehr mourn the death of Admiral Tangsiri.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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