Updated

The U.S. carried out new attacks on Iranian targets today, striking several empty oil tankers trying to break the blockade, according to a post on X by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). This latest incident comes as the UAE says it was attacked again by Iran today and hours after the U.S. and Iran exchanged blows in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. forces “disabled M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, May 8, prior to both vessels entering an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman in violation of the ongoing U.S. blockade, CENTCOM stated. “A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran.” 

This was the third time that the U.S. has fired on Iranian ships running the blockade. The Navy has used a destroyer’s five-inch gun firing inert rounds to blast the engineering section of one ship to disable it and a Super Hornet’s 20mm Vulcan cannon to disable the rudder on another. So, the use of bombs dropped down a ship’s smokestack to disable but not destroy a ship is new. You can read about these prior instances here.

The weapons used in this latest wave of attacks on blockade runners wasn’t disclosed. 500lb laser-guided bombs are likely what was employed here based on the Super Hornet’s stores options, precision required, and the effects seen. These can utilize high-explosive bomb bodies or inert ones for desired effects, with the latter being most probable in this case.

Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin was the first to report this news.

The blockade on Iranian ports was enforced April 13 to strangle Iran’s economy as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. On Friday, CENTCOM reported that U.S. forces have prevented more than 70 tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports. 

“These commercial ships have the capacity to transport over 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth an estimated $13 billion-plus,” the command stated on X.

However, “a confidential CIA analysis delivered to administration policymakers this week concludes that Iran can survive the U.S. naval blockade for at least three to four months before facing more severe economic hardship,” The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing four people familiar with the document.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates claims it was once again attacked by Iranian ballistic missiles and drones on Friday.

“The Ministry of Defense announced that on May 8, 2026, the UAE air defense systems engaged 2 ballistic missiles and 3 UAV’s launched from Iran, resulting in 3 moderate injuries,” the UAE Defense Ministry (MoD) announced on X Friday morning EDT. “Since the beginning of the blatant Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates, the air defenses have engaged a total of 551 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,263 UAV’s.”

The UAE, located about 60 miles south of Iran across the Strait, claims these attacks have killed 13 and injured 230.

The MoD “affirmed that it remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront anything that aims to undermine the security of the country, in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability and safeguards its interests and national capabilities.”

Tehran did not immediately respond to the claim, which TWZ cannot independently verify.

These incidents follow an exchange of fire last night between the U.S. and Iran. As we reported yesterday, U.S. Central Command said it attacked several locations in Iran after “Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) transited the international sea passage. No U.S. assets were struck.”

Iran said it launched the attacks in retaliation for “violation of the ceasefire and the aggression by the terrorist US military against an Iranian oil tanker near the port of Jask.”

IRGC Navy:

Following the violation of the ceasefire and the aggression by the terrorist US military against an Iranian oil tanker near the port of Jask, and the approach of warships belonging to the terrorist US military toward the Strait of Hormuz, a very large-scale and… pic.twitter.com/pmg4IiD15M

— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 7, 2026

The extent of the damage to Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island and the Bandar Kargan naval checkpoint in Minab, targets struck by the U.S. on Thursday in response to the attacks on U.S. Navy ships, remains unclear. No images have emerged and neither Iran nor the U.S. have commented.

Last night, Trump called the exchange a “love tap” and said the ceasefire still held.

President Trump tells me in a phone call the retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets are just a “love tap.”

“It’s just a love tap.”

When I asked if it means the ceasefire is over.

“No, no, the ceasefire is going. It’s in effect.”

— Rachel Scott (@rachelvscott) May 7, 2026

This is a developing story.

UPDATE: 11:40 AM EDT –

Amid the kinetic activity, diplomacy continues as Trump insists that Iran never develop a nuclear weapon. The status of its ballistic missile arsenal, control of the Strait of Hormuz and support for proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis are also major sticking points.

The U.S. is awaiting to hear back from Iran about its peace proposal, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. 

“We’re expecting a response from them today at some point. We have not received that yet,” he said.

The secretary added that he remained concerned that Iran is still trying to maintain control over the Strait.

“We’ve seen the reporting overnight that Iran is trying to establish some agency that’s going to control traffic in the Strait,” Rubio explained. “That would actually be unacceptable.”

“We’ve seen the reporting overnight that Iran is trying to establish some agency that’s going to control traffic in the Straits… That would actually be unacceptable,” says @SecRubio.

“We’re expecting a response from them today at some point. We have not received that yet.” pic.twitter.com/Wo8IEEWDnI

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 8, 2026

Iran, meanwhile, is accusing the U.S. of moving the goal posts in the negotiating process by using force.

“Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on X. “Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire? Whatever the causes, [the] outcome is the same: Iranians never bow to pressure.”

Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure. Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire?

Whatever the causes, outcome is the same: Iranians never bow to pressure. pic.twitter.com/ev7dMIebNB

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) May 8, 2026

UPDATE: 11:55 AM EDT –

Iran claims that its “naval commandos carried out a special operation to detain” an oil tanker, “which was attempting to disrupt Iran’s oil exports and national interests.”

“Implementing the decision of the Supreme National Security Council and with a judicial ruling, the Army Navy seized the oil tanker Ocean Koi, which was carrying Iranian oil and tried to take advantage of the situation in the region to harm and disrupt the oil exports and the interests of the Iranian nation,” said Iran’s Army Public Relations Office in a statement on Friday.

​“The commandos of the Army Navy “directed the violating oil tanker to the southern coast of Iran and handed it over to the judicial authorities,” according to the statement. “The Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran will “vigorously defend the interests and assets of the Iranian nation in the territorial waters of the country and will not tolerate any violator or aggressor.”

Though Iranian officials identified this ship as the Ocean Koi, it is also known as the Jin Li. It is part of Iran’s so-called dark fleet and was sanctioned by the U.S. in February for transporting millions of barrels of Iranian oil. It is unclear why Iran made a show of this event, though it could have been for domestic consumption in the wake of yesterday’s attacks on several targets.

You can see video of the claimed boarding below.

According to IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) News, the Iranian Navy had conducted a special operation to seize an “offending tanker” named “OCEAN KOI” for attempting to export Iranian oil.

Her new name is actually JIN LI (9255933), and has been so since 2025-11-30.… pic.twitter.com/3Wv8jJNEAr

— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) May 8, 2026

UPDATE: 12:16 PM EDT –

The CIA recruited sources inside Iran, but flawed covert communications reportedly helped Iranian counterintelligence identify and arrest informants, a new report from Reuters stated.

“In interviews with six Iranian former CIA informants, Reuters found that the agency was careless…amid its intense drive to gather intelligence in Iran, putting in peril those risking their lives to help the United States,” the outlet explained.

“Such aggressive steps by the CIA sometimes put average Iranians in danger with little prospect of gaining critical intelligence,” Reuters added. “When these men were caught, the agency provided no assistance to the informants or their families, even years later, the six Iranians said.”

UPDATE: 12:25 PM EDT –

Iranian officials continue to dismiss the notion that the country will cede control of the Strait.

Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said on Friday Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz is an asset “on the scale of an atomic bomb”, adding that Tehran would not give up the capability it gained through war.”

Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said on Friday Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz is an asset “on the scale of an atomic bomb”, adding that Tehran would not give up the capability it gained through war. pic.twitter.com/07vbiRwVPR

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) May 8, 2026

12:43 PM EDT –

Hours after launching another attack on the UAE, an Iranian official says that country will remain a target for supporting the U.S. and Israel.

Iran will not leave the Emirates alone, and they are well aware of that, which is why they are trying to maintain tension between Iran, America, and the Zionist entity,” Ali Khodarian, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Commission, stated on X. “The Americans have realized that their naval blockade parade will henceforth face a military response from the Islamic Republic. No one can now carry out a military operation against our ships without a response.”

عضو لجنة الأمن القومي في البرلمان الإيراني علي خضريان:

⭕إيران لن تترك الإمارات وشأنها وهم يدركون ذلك لذا فهم يحاولون الحفاظ على التوتر بين إيران وأميركا والكيان الصهيوني

⭕ الأميركيون أدركوا أن استعراض حصارهم البحري سيواجه من الآن فصاعدا ردا عسكريا من قبل الجمهورية الإسلامية… pic.twitter.com/qHPE4ZeRsv

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) May 8, 2026

UPDATE: 1:37 PM EDT –

The United States will facilitate two days of intensive talks between the governments of Israel and Lebanon on May 14 and 15, State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott announced on Friday.

UPDATE: 1:48 PM EDT-

CENTCOM released imagery of the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) operating in the Middle East. “The three destroyers are currently sailing in the Arabian Sea supporting the blockade against Iran,” the command stated on X. “As of today, CENTCOM forces have redirected 57 commercial vessels and disabled 4 to prevent the ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports.”

The three destroyers were in last night’s exchange of fire with Iran.

Photos of USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) operating in the Middle East. The three destroyers are currently sailing in the Arabian Sea supporting the blockade against Iran. As of today, CENTCOM forces have redirected 57 commercial… pic.twitter.com/iFHp1HHMac

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 8, 2026

UPDATE: 3:32 PM EDT –

The U.S. is denying the latest Iranian claim that it successfully carried out an attack on U.S. military assets.

On Friday, the Iranian Army claimed “while the US Navy was attempting to remove three of its destroyers from the Strait of Hormuz towards the Sea of Oman with air support, we carried out a combined missile and drone operation, during which we targeted this naval group with 8 cruise missiles and 24 suicide drones. As a result of this operation, and despite the extensive attempts by the US Navy to repel the attack, one cruise missile and three suicide drones successfully hit the American destroyers, causing fires to break out on them.”

Asked if any U.S. ships were struck today, a U.S. official offered a one-word response.

“No,” the official stated.

BREAKING: IRAN SAYS IT DIRECTLY HIT US DESTROYERS IN THE HORMUZ

The Iranian Army Statement:

On Friday morning, while the US Navy was attempting to remove three of its destroyers from the Strait of Hormuz towards the Sea of Oman with air support, we carried out a combined… pic.twitter.com/FusP0ihHxt

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) May 8, 2026

Contact the author: howard@twz.com

Iranian media outlets are reporting that a port on Iran’s largest island in the Strait of Hormuz came under attack. However, details are scant at the moment and no images have emerged to support the claims. We have reached out to U.S. Central Command for more information. The reports come as negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to end the war have been ongoing during a fragile ceasefire that would be further imperiled by a new round of fighting.

This story has been updated with new information from CENTCOM that it attacked Iranian targets in response to U.S. Navy destroyers being fired on by Iran.

“FARS investigations in Bandar Abbas show that during the exchange of fire between the Iranian armed forces and the enemy, parts of the commercial area of Bahman Qeshm pier were targeted,” the official Iranian FARS news outlet reported on Telegram.

U.S. forces operating in the Gulf of Oman disabled an Iranian-flagged ship trying to run the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports by blasting its rudder with several rounds from the 20mm cannon of an F/A-18 Super Hornet , U.S. Central Command stated on X. The jet was launched from aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

The incident occurred at 9 a.m. EDT, according to the command. It came as a new peace initiative between the U.S. and Iran is being floated and a day after President Trump paused the short-lived Project Freedom operation to protect commercial shipping trying to escape the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM forces “observed M/T Hasna as it transited international waters enroute to an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman,” the command added. “American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade.”

When it ignored the warnings, the Super Hornet opened fire. After being fired upon, the ship is no longer traveling to Iran, CENTCOM explained.

“The U.S. blockade against ships attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports remains in full effect,” the command continued. “CENTCOM forces continue to act deliberately and professionally to ensure compliance.”

The Hasna incident is the second known time the U.S. has fired on an Iranian-linked large commercial ship running the blockade. The Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Spruance struck the Iranian cargo ship Touska on April 19th with its 5-inch MK 45 gun. The destroyer fired nine inert rounds into the cargo ship’s engine room after the vessel failed to comply with warnings while transiting the north Arabian Sea, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said last month. The Super Hornet used its own method to disable but not sink the ship via taking out its rudder control.

You can see him explain the incident in the following video.

Meanwhile, a French-owned ship is “currently drifting without power” after being “struck by an Iranian drone” yesterday, a maritime security official told TWZ.

The container vessel, CMA CGM San Antonio, was damaged and eight people were injured in the attack, the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) told us. The attack was reported about two hours before Trump paused Project Freedom, pending further negotiations with Iran.

A U.S. military official told us that it is “aware of the reports” about the attack on the San Antonio, but had no further details about how it happened.

“The transit in question was not coordinated” through Project Freedom, said the official, adding that the crew did not seek U.S. assistance.

Since the war began on Feb. 28, UKMTO “has received 46 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in and around the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz (SOH), and Gulf of Oman,” the organization states. There were 26 reported ship attacks, including the San Antonio, 18 suspicious activity reports and two ships hijacked.

Vessel Attacked In Strait Of Hormuz As US Pauses Operation To Guide Ships | US Iran Update

In the wake of Trump’s decision to pause Project Freedom, the IMO and shipping companies say the short-lived effort did not changed the level of danger for ships trapped in the Persian Gulf.

“The situation remains the same,” IMO told us Wednesday morning. “IMO has been consistent in its messaging that the Strait of Hormuz is not safe at present for ships to transit, and ships should exercise maximum caution. Things have not materially changed over the past few weeks.”

“Our risk assessment goes on continuously and it is still valid, that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for Hapag-Lloyd transits until further notice,” a spokesperson for the German shipping giant told us

“We don’t have a comment specifically addressing the decision to pause,” a spokesperson for Maersk told us. ”We are following the guidance of our security partners in the region, and it is currently recommended to avoid transiting the strait.”

A U.S. official declined comment on how the pause is affecting CENTCOM operations. However, “U.S. forces are currently focused on enforcing the U.S. naval blockade against Iran,” the official told us.

As we reported yesterday, Trump paused Project Freedom after little more than a day, pending negotiations with Iran. 

The move came after Iran fired on U.S. warships and commercial vessels being protected under Project Freedom.  Trump said he made that decision at the behest of Pakistan, which has been mediating peace talks. The president claimed the goal was to give Iran time to respond to U.S. proposals.

Given the circumstances, it seems probable that tactical considerations also drove this decision.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday said it came under attack from Iranian missiles and drones. The strikes come a day after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched attacks on the UAE as well as U.S. Navy vessels and the commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The extent of the damage is unclear at the moment, as is whether U.S. assets came under fire today, though no indications have emerged that they have. We have reached out to CENTCOM for more details.

“The UAE’s air defenses are currently dealing with missile and drone attacks originating from Iran,” the UAE Defense Ministry stated on X. “The Ministry of Defense confirms that the sounds heard in scattered areas of the country are the result of the UAE’s air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.”

Meanwhile, the IRGC issued a new threat against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz today.

“We warn all vessels intending to pass through the strait; the only safe route for crossing the Strait of Hormuz is the corridor previously announced by Iran and any deviation of vessels to other routes is unsafe and will face decisive action from the IRGC Navy.” the IRGC announced.

Yesterday, we reported that the U.S. Navy is urging strait transits to travel south of the Iranian corridor, along the cost of Oman.

The Navy’s suggested route “appears deep enough to accommodate the largest oil supertankers, but it’s very narrow, with several obstacles both north and south [of] the route (including shallow reefs),” Bloomberg News energy and commodities columnist Javier Blas noted on X.

Before this latest attack and new IRGC threat, U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine both stated that Iran’s attacks on Monday, as well as other incidents during the ceasefire, still fall below the threshold of violating the agreement. Caine even went as far to say that “thus far, today is quieter” in the region.

As we reported yesterday, U.S. Army AH-64 Apache and U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk helicopters destroyed six small Iranian boats that were threatening commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran launched new attacks aimed at American warships, as well as merchant vessels on the first day of Project Freedom, the new operation to enable commercial ships to safely transit the Strait. 

“Since the ceasefire was announced, Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships, and they’ve attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times, all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations,” Caine told reporters, including from TWZ, at the Tuesday morning briefing. 

He added that “22,500 mariners embarked on more than 1,550 commercial vessels trapped in the Arabian Gulf, unable to transit.”

Caine was vague on the details of the attacks on U.S. forces.

“The threshold of restarting [the war] is a political decision above my pay grade,” he told reporters. “What I’ll say is it’s low harassing fire right now. It feels like Iran is grasping at straws to try to do something across the southern flank.”

The chairman did not elaborate further on the attacks on U.S. forces. We reached out to his office for more details. U.S. Central Command referred us to the Joint Chiefs.

“No, the ceasefire is not over,” Hegseth also posited. “Ultimately, [Project Freedom] is a separate and distinct project, and we expected there would be some churn at the beginning, which happened, and we said we would defend and defend aggressively, and we absolutely have.”

“Iran knows that, and ultimately, the president is going to make a decision whether anything were to escalate into a violation of a ceasefire,” the secretary added. “But certainly, we would urge Iran to be prudent in the actions that they take, to keep that underneath this threshold. This is about the straits. This is about freedom of navigation. This is about international waterways. This is about free flow of commerce, all the things that happened before and only Iran is contesting. So right now, the ceasefire certainly holds, but we’re going to be watching very, very closely.”’

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump offered scant details when asked what Iran has to do to violate the ceasefire.

“You’ll find out,” the president said.

Hegseth also addressed reports that the IRGC carried out yesterday’s attacks without permission from Iran’s civilian government officials.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian “has expressed strong anger at actions by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, led by Ahmad Vahidi,” according to the Iran International media outlet. Pezeshkian described the missile and drone strikes on the UAE as “completely irresponsible” and carried out without the government’s knowledge or coordination,” the publication reported.

“There are some actions the IRGC takes sometimes that are outside the bounds of what maybe Iranian negotiators would like,” Hegseth explained. “That’s their job to rein that in and ultimately create a condition for a deal, right?

Hegseth also noted that Project Freedom was a temporary operation that the U.S. wants to soon hand over to others, saying foreign nations depend on the Strait more than the U.S.

After one of its ships was attacked yesterday by the IRGC, South Korea is reportedly mulling over joining Project Freedom.

“We are reviewing the US proposal about the Strait of Hormuz based on the principle, the military readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula and domestic laws,” South Korean officials said in a statement, according to CNN. “About Project Freedom, South Korea and the US have been closely communicating for safe use of key waterways including the Hormuz Strait.”

UPDATE: 7:04 PM EDT –

Tuesday evening, Trump announced Project Freedom will be placed on hold pending negotiations with Iran.

“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” the president announced on Truth Social. 

Earlier today, U.S. Army AH-64 Apache and U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk helicopters destroyed six small Iranian boats that were threatening commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to the U.S. military’s top officer in the region. He also confirmed that Iran has launched new attacks aimed at American warships, as well as merchant vessels. All of this comes after the U.S. kicked off a new operation to safeguard commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, dubbed Project Freedom, which you can read more about in our initial reporting here.

“We have an enormous amount of capability and firepower concentrated in and around the strait, including AH-64 Apache and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters used just this morning to eliminate six Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping. So we’re backing up commitment with action,” Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), told TWZ and other outlets during a press conference today. “We also have A-10s, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-35, EA-18 Growlers, RC-135s, KC-46s, and KC-135 fixed-wing aircraft, and numerous U.S. warships, including destroyers, two carrier strike groups, [an] amphibious readiness [sic] group, and [a] Marine Expeditionary Unit.”

“The cruise missiles were going after both U.S. Navy ships, but mostly after commercial shipping,” Cooper added when asked about attacks so far. “We defended both ourselves and, consistent with our commitment, we defended all those commercial ships.”

“We had drone launches against commercial ships, all of which were defended against, consistent with our commitment, and then the small boats were all going against commercial ships, and all were sunk by Apaches and Seahawk helicopters,” he continued.

UPDATE: More Details From Adm. Cooper’s Briefing

• On the scope of Project Freedom:

“We are employing U.S. ballistic missile defense-capable destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms – meaning under the sea, on the sea, and from the air – and then 15,000 service members to extend this defensive umbrella across the Strait of Hormuz to protect our forces and also, as committed, to defend commercial shipping.”

• On international reaction

“Vessels currently in the Arabian Gulf represent 87 countries from around the world. As the president mentioned, they’re merely neutral and innocent bystanders. Over the last 12 hours, we’ve reached out to dozens of ships and shipping companies to encourage traffic flow through the Strait, consistent with the president’s intent, to help guide ships safely through the narrow trade corridor. This news has been quite enthusiastically received, and we’re already beginning to see movement.”

“The President has also said that if the process [Project Freedom] is interfered with, we will react forcefully. And over the last 12 hours, Iran has interfered. The IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] has launched multiple cruise missiles, drones, [and] small boats at ships we are protecting. We have defeated each and every one of those threats through the clinical application of defensive munitions.”

• On whether U.S. warships were hit:

“I can confirm there’s been no U.S. military ship hit, and there’s been no U.S. flagged-ship [sic] that have been hit.”

🚫 CLAIM: Iranian state media claims that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hit a U.S. warship with two missiles.

✅ TRUTH: No U.S. Navy ships have been struck. U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports. pic.twitter.com/VFxovxLU6G

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 4, 2026

• On whether these attacks mean the ceasefire is over:

“I wouldn’t go into detail of whether the ceasefire is over or not. I think the key thing for us is we’re merely there as a defensive force and a force to give a very thick layer of defense to commercial shipping to allow them to proceed out of the Arabian Gulf. That’s what we’re focused on. What we saw this morning was Iran initiating aggressive behavior. We are simply going to respond to that consistent with the president’s direction.”

• On whether Project Freedom is protecting ships in port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which have also come under attack today:

“I don’t want to give the details of what we’re protecting and what we’re not. I wouldn’t want to tip our hand on that. But in the case of the Fujairah attack, I’d really refer to the UAE on that. That’s really a matter under their national jurisdiction and not part of our project operation.”

• On how close the Iranian missiles and drones got to ships:

“I don’t want to get into the specific details of differences. All of the missiles and drones that were fired at both us and the commercial ships were effectively engaged. So that’s the good news. No personnel injuries in that regard, and also in terms of where specifically, the area in the strait was transited, probably not worth getting into details. What I will say is, over the past several weeks, we’ve used low-observable capability to clear that path, and we validated that in multiple ways. And then we took the risk by using U.S. flagships [sic] to go first, setting the example. Since then, we’ve had great communication with industry, as I mentioned, and ships, multiple ships, are already heading that way. So the summation of that is, we used our own military technology in a unique way to clear a free lane that’s not obstructed in any way, shape or form, through the Strait, executed by setting the example of U.S. ships. And over top of all that, we have a US military defensive umbrella.”

• On whether U.S. destroyers transited the Strait today:

“Yes, we have gone through the Strait today. As we sit here right now, we have multiple U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers operating in the Arabian Gulf.”

U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom. American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping. As a first step, 2 U.S.-flagged merchant… pic.twitter.com/SVDxDhK72I

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 4, 2026

• On whether U.S. warships are providing escort through the Strait:

“There’s no specific escort. If I just describe this overall, if you’re escorting a ship, you’re playing kind of one-on-one, I think we have a much better defensive arrangement in this process, where we have multiple layers that include ships, helicopters, aircraft, airborne early warning, electronic warfare – we have a much broader defensive package than you would have ever had if you were just escorting. I feel good about that, and it was proven just in the last couple of hours.”

“In terms of mines, I’m not going to talk about specific capabilities. You know, they all have varying degrees of influence. I think the key thing about mines is that we have cleared an effective pathway for ships to lead. At this point, for the first time, there seems to be great enthusiasm to do that, but we’re going to stay in contact with the commercial shipping and support them along the way.”

• On our question about whether Project Freedom is just for getting ships out of the Strait, or whether it is also for getting them into it.

“It will ultimately be a two-way path. The most important thing is in the near-term getting ships out. And then over time, we’ll also, for sure, see ships go in.” 

• On our question about what munitions the Apaches and MH-60s used:

“We don’t want to get into the munitions or how we’re doing things tactically. I will just kind of put that off to the side. But the munitions that were used were very effective, and the tactics worked just as described.”

UPDATE: More on AH-64s and MH-60s in the counter-small boat role

Today’s use of AH-64s and MH-60s to engage Iranian small boats as part of a larger effort to ensure access to the Strait of Hormuz highlights a larger contingency plan that the U.S. military has been working to refine for decades now.

The IRGC’s naval arm, in particular, has been a chief example of the threats that small boats pose since the Tanker War sideshow to the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Armed helicopters, including ones belonging to the U.S. Army’s elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the famed Night Stalkers, were an important part of the American response to threats to commercial shipping at that time.

Small boat threats, and in the context of a Strait of Hormuz crisis, especially, became even more of a focus of U.S. military planning in the early 2000s. Al Qaeda’s attack on the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Cole while it was in port in Aden, Yemen, was one key driver. The fallout from the still-controversial Millennium Challenge war game in 2002 was another very important factor.

All of this impacted the addition of new close-in defense capabilities to existing and forthcoming warships. It also put additional emphasis on the role of armed helicopters, as well as fixed-wing aircraft, in responding to swarms of small boats. The Air Force’s A-10 Warthog ground attack planes have trained extensively to fly counter-small boat missions for the past two decades, for instance.

Army AH-64s and Air Force A-10s had already been conducting missions targeting Iranian naval assets in and around the Strait of Hormuz before the announcement of the ceasefire in April. Navy MH-60s are known to have been flying armed force protection missions as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, as well. As an aside, Seahawks also destroyed small boats belonging to Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen as part of previous operations to safeguard commercial shipping in and around the Red Sea.

Armed helicopters remain key assets for defending against swarms of small boats. This is in part because of the added flexibility they offer in terms of their ability to launch from forward bases on land and ships at sea, either of which can also be situated closer to the threat area. This, in turn, can help reduce the time it takes to react and increase time on station. Helicopters’ ability to fly slow and low also allows them to spot, identify, and make rapid attacks on small moving targets. For naval vessels that carry helicopters, arming them with more advanced weaponry to go after small boats means they can provide an on-call outer highly flexible layer of force protection that would not exist otherwise. New munitions, including laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets, will only increase their capabilities to engage larger swarms of small boats

Small boats are, of course, not the only threat Iran is already bringing to bear in the Strait of Hormuz. As Adm. Cooper noted in his briefing, Iranian forces have been launching cruise missile and drone attacks on ships in and around this critical waterway. There is also the continued threat of Iranian naval mines, as well as explosive-laden uncrewed surface vessels. Iran has also launched a new round of missile and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates.

For weeks, TWZ has been pointing out that Iran’s shore-based anti-ship cruise missiles had been largely absent from conflict in the region, and these weapons could play a major part in responding to any American push to reopen the Strait. This now seems to be happening and also underscores a broader point we have been making about the real danger of the regime in Tehran turning the waterway into a super weapons engagement zone. The threat ecosystem also includes air defenses, such as shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, also known as man-portable air defense systems, which present hazards to armed helicopters, as well as fixed-wing aircraft.

All of this only reinforces the general risks that U.S. forces will face as Project Freedom gets further underway, especially if it grows to include more direct escort and/or convoy missions.

UPDATE: Reaction to the Iranian missile and drone barrage

In a phone conversation with ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, Trump “”stopped short of saying Iran has violated the ceasefire,” Karl stated on X. “Regarding the Iranian drone and missile attacks on UAE today: ‘They were shot down for the most part,’” Trump told Karl. “‘One got through. Not huge damage.’ Regarding the Iranian attack on a South Korean ship: ‘We’re going to look into it. Shots were fired at a South Korean ship, and I think South Korea should take some action. … This was a South Korean ship riding by itself. It was not an escorted ship.’”

In a phone conversation a short while ago, President Trump stopped short of saying Iran has violated the ceasefire.

Regarding the Iranian drone and missile attacks on UAE today: “They were shot down for the most part,” Trump told me. “One got through. Not huge damage.”…

— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) May 4, 2026

Trump said Iran will be “blown off the face of the Earth” if they attack U.S. vessels carrying out Project Freedom.

Trump made the comments during an interview with Fox News‘ Trey Yingst on Monday, adding that he believes Iran has become “much more malleable” in peace negotiations.

The president also emphasized that U.S. military buildup in the region is continuing.

“We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” Trump said. “We have the best equipment. We have stuff all over the world. We have these bases all over the world. They’re all stocked up with equipment. We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”

Trump again said that Iran has “no navy, they have no air force, they have no anti-aircraft equipment, they have no readar, they have no nothing, they have no leaders actually…the leaders happen to be gone also.”

President Trump on Iran: “They have no navy, they have no air force, they have no anti-aircraft equipment, they have no radar, they have no nothing, they have no leaders actually…the leaders happen to be gone also.” pic.twitter.com/JBkAV7OKwi

— CSPAN (@cspan) May 4, 2026

UAE air defense systems “engaged 12 ballistic missiles, 3 cruise missiles, and 4 UAV’s launched from Iran, resulting in 3 moderate injuries,” the UAE MoD stated on X. “Since the beginning of the blatant Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates, the air defences have engaged a total of 549 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,260 UAV’s.”

تتعامل حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية مع اعتداءات صاروخية وطائرات مسيرة قادمة من ايران وتؤكد وزارة الدفاع أن الاصوات المسموعة في مناطق متفرقة من الدولة هي نتيجة تعامل منظومات الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية للصواريخ الباليستية، والجوالة والطائرات المسيرة.

UAE Air Defences system… pic.twitter.com/j9mW4JucfW

— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) May 4, 2026

Qatar “strongly condemns the renewed Iranian attacks targeting civilian sites and facilities in the sisterly United Arab Emirates using missiles and drones, which resulted in injuries to three Indian nationals,” the country’s Foreign Ministry stated on X. “Qatar considers these attacks a blatant violation of the UAE’s sovereignty and a serious threat to the security and stability of the region.”

Qatar Strongly Condemns Renewed Iranian Missile, Drone Attacks on UAE

Doha | May 4, 2026

The State of Qatar strongly condemns the renewed Iranian attacks targeting civilian sites and facilities in the sisterly United Arab Emirates using missiles and drones, which resulted in… pic.twitter.com/UU0tV5w111

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) May 4, 2026

The U.S. and Israel are “holding feverish consultations on how to respond and assist their loyal ally.” Israel’s Israel Hayom news outlet claimed, citing three sources familiar with the matter. 

“The likely options include targeted attacks against launchers and military targets threatening the strait, or a parallel attack on an Iranian energy facility in response to the attack on Fujairah,” the outlet posited. 

We cannot independently verify that claim.

Tehran had no prior plan to attack Emirati facilities in Fujairah port, an Iranian official told Iranian media. 

“What happened is the result of the American army’s adventure to illegally open a passage for ships to cross from the prohibited passages in the Strait of Hormuz,” the official said.

BREAKING: Iranian Military source to Iranian TV:

Tehran had no prior plan to attack Emirati facilities in Fujairah port

What happened is the result of the American army’s adventure to illegally open a passage for ships to cross from the prohibited passages in the Strait of… pic.twitter.com/Pt3GKSUIDb

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) May 4, 2026

UPDATE: 5:32 PM EDT –

In the wake of today’s attacks from Iran, UAE has partially closed its airspace for one week, effective today through May 11. Commercial traffic is restricted to narrow corridors through specific waypoints only.

UAE has partially closed its airspace for one week, effective May 4 through May 11.

Vide NOTAM A1722/26, Emirates FIR partially closed. Commercial traffic restricted to narrow corridors through specific waypoints only.#airspace pic.twitter.com/dfmJFuOAlA

— FL360aero (@fl360aero) May 4, 2026

Meanwhile, Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport management has raised the alert level for an attack scenario, which includes a rapid “departure procedure” for international companies, according to Israel’s Channel 14 news outlet. 

“Against the backdrop of increasing security tensions and reports of the closure of the airport in the United Arab Emirates today (Monday), Israel is on high alert for the possibility of a widespread escalation,” the outlet added. “As of this time, Ben Gurion Airport continues to operate as usual, but behind the scenes the alert level has been raised to the highest level with the understanding that the schedule could change within minutes.”

Ben Gurion Airport is on high alert in preparation for a possible closure of Israeli airspace and evacuation of aircraft -CH14

The Airport Authority and the Ministry of Transportation have conducted situational assessments in recent hourshttps://t.co/VufBp2viqj pic.twitter.com/inDP3RNVKm

— Faytuks News (@Faytuks) May 4, 2026

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

The Department of Energy is seeking millions of dollars for work in part on a new bunker-busting nuclear weapon called the Nuclear Deterrent System-Air-delivered (NDS-A) in its latest budget request. At present, there is only one specialized air-delivered deep-penetrating weapon known to be in America’s nuclear stockpile, the B61-11 gravity bomb, and there have been discussions about a potential successor for decades now.

The Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the Department of Energy, which was released last month, includes a new line under Weapons Activities for Future Programs. The Department is asking for $99.794 million in the next fiscal cycle to support those efforts.

“The Increase represents the start of one new Phase 6.X program, currently known as Phase 1 Nuclear Deterrent System-Air-delivered (NDS-A), as well as supporting production assessments for two new Rapid Capability Team (RCT) projects,” according to a public summary of what the Future Program funding would support.

The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the U.S. military, develops, produces, and sustains nuclear weapons, and uses a multi-phase rubric to categorize where they are in their respective life cycles. The Phase 6.X process is itself broken into several stages, spanning all the way from the definition of the basic concept of a weapon and its requirements through to full-scale production.

Where the NDS-A may already be in the process is unknown, but the mention of “Phase 1” here could point to Phase 6.1, which is the basic concept assessment stage. Beyond that it will be air-delivered, there are also no details currently available publicly about the weapon’s design, including whether it will be based on something already in the stockpile. It is also not known if it will be an unpowered bomb or a missile/rocket-assisted weapon of some kind. We will come back to this point later on.

“The Nuclear Deterrent System-Air-delivered will provide the President with additional nuclear options to defeat Hard and Deeply Buried Targets, ensuring that adversaries cannot place their most valued assets beyond the reach of America’s nuclear forces,” a spokesperson for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) told TWZ when asked for more information. “The program is moving aggressively, and further information will become publicly available when it is strategically beneficial to the United States.”

Within the Department of Energy, NNSA is specifically responsible for nuclear weapons-related activities.

As noted, at present, the B61-11 is the only air-delivered nuclear weapon in the U.S. stockpile today that is specifically designed to address this target set. The B61-11 is based on the earlier B61-7, but is substantially different in form and function. It has a heavily reinforced outer shell, possibly with a depleted uranium penetrating nose section, and a rocket booster at the rear to help it penetrate down into underground facilities. Sources differ on the maximum yield of the B61-11, but it is said to either be between 340 and 360 kilotons (identical to that of the B61-7) or to be closer to 400 kilotons. There are also reportedly fewer than 100 of these bombs in the stockpile.

You can learn more about the entire B61 family, the first versions of which entered service in the 1960s, here.

For a time, the newer B61-12 variant, which has a precision guidance package in a new tail kit, was considered as a potential successor to the B61-11. The B61-12 is also a dial-a-yield design with multiple yield settings, but the highest one is reportedly 50 kilotons. The logic was that improved accuracy would allow for more precise placement of the bomb, and, by extension, of its explosive force. This, in turn, would make up for its lack of deep-penetrating capability and more limited yield. The plan to supplant the B61-11 with the B61-12 was subsequently abandoned.

B61-12 Flight Test with F35-A Lightning II

More recently, a more powerful B61-13 variant, which features the same precision guidance tail kit as the B61-12, was developed explicitly to provide “the President with additional options against certain harder and large-area military targets.” This version is understood to have a maximum yield in line with the B61-7. However, the U.S. government has also previously said that the B61-13 is not intended as a direct replacement for the B61-11, according to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS).

The U.S. military also has B83-1 nuclear gravity bombs in the stockpile, which are of a completely different design from the B61 series and have a far more powerful megaton-class maximum yield. By virtue of that high yield, the B83-1 is also intended to be used against certain deeply buried and otherwise hardened facilities, as well as large-area targets.

In the early 2000s, NNSA, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, did explore the possibility of developing a B61-11-like bomb on the basis of the B83-1, as well as a new deep-penetrating version of the B61 itself. In 2005, Congress brought a halt to work on what was dubbed the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP).

There have been hints since then, however, about possible revivals of the RNEP concept and/or other plans for a true successor to the B61-11.

What may be prompting the requirement for the NDS-A now is unknown. There are deeply-buried targets only a nuclear weapon can realistically destroy. The development of the B61-11 is understood to have been prompted heavily by one such facility in particular, Russia’s Kosvinsky Kamen bunker. Kosvinsky Kamen is a key node in the Russian nuclear command and control enterprise and was built under a mountain of the same name in the northern Urals. The nature of its location and design also means it could serve as a so-called “continuity of government” site for senior leadership to operate from before or after a nuclear strike or in response to some other major emergency.

However, the landscape of deeply-buried, hardened facilities that U.S. authorities would be interested in holding at risk has grown substantially in the past two decades since work, at least publicly, on RNEP came to an end.

The Russian and Chinese governments have been expanding on their already significant arrays of subterranean facilities. In China, this includes the construction of vast fields of new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos, as well as work on a new underground command center outside of the capital, Beijing, just in recent years.

Other, smaller countries, like North Korea and Iran, have been investing in new underground and other hardened facilities, as well. This has been driven in many cases by concerns about the prospect of conventional strikes carried out by the U.S. military and others.

In the past year, the matter of Iran’s deeply buried nuclear facilities, and the limits of U.S. conventional options for prosecuting those targets, has been an especially hot-button issue. During Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025, U.S. B-2 bombers struck Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow and Natanz with 30,000-pound-class GBU-57/B conventional bunker buster bombs. The outcome of that operation remains a subject of heated debate and is deeply intertwined with the justifications for U.S. and Israeli forces launching the latest campaign against Iran in February. U.S. officials are now at a crossroads with how to proceed with operations targeting Iran, which has now turned to a maritime blockade, at least for the time being, following the announcement of a ceasefire in April.

The video below is a montage of imagery from GBU-57/B MOP tests over the years.

GBU-57 MOP test

Broader concerns about just getting the B61-11 to its intended target in the future may also be a factor driving plans now for the new NDS-A nuclear bunker buster. Unpowered bunker buster bombs, nuclear or conventional, need to be released relatively close to their targets. The kinds of facilities that the B61-11 is intended to be employed against are deep inside hostile territory, behind layers of integrated air defenses. Major potential adversaries, as well as smaller nation states and even non-state actors, are only expected to expand the scale and scope of their defensive architectures in the coming years. With all this in mind, it is not surprising that the more survivable B-2 is currently the only platform certified to employ the B61-11, as well as the conventional MOP. It is more or less a given that both of those weapons will be integrated onto the forthcoming B-21 Raider for the same general reasons.

That being said, as TWZ regularly highlights, stealth aircraft are not invisible or invulnerable. This reality is part of the argument for the planned integration of the new nuclear-tipped AGM-181 Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) air-launched cruise missile onto the B-21, as well as the venerable and non-stealthy B-52. LRSO will also just extend the B-21’s reach, with that aircraft already expected to be an extremely long-range platform. This all raises the possibility of the NDS-A being a powered design offering some degree of standoff capability.

As an aside here, powered designs have also been part of the discussions about potential conventional successors to the MOP. A follow-on to the GBU-57/B, the Next Generation Penetrator (NGP), is now in development, but it is unclear whether or not that will be a powered weapon. Still, when it comes to the NDS-A, it seems more likely that it will be a traditional bomb that adapts elements of existing designs, including the B61-11, -12, and -13.

Whether or not the NDS-A effort reaches fruition also remains to be seen. The previous RNEP effort prompted significant criticism, including from members of Congress, in part because of concerns about what steps it might prompt other countries to take in response. At the same time, there has been a change in tenor in U.S. nuclear policy in recent years, driven by other global developments, especially efforts by the Chinese to rapidly and substantially expand their stockpile.

There is also a question of affordability. The U.S. military is already in the midst of a major modernization push across all three legs of America’s nuclear deterrence triad that is set to cost hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming decades. This could impact support for funding another ‘new’ nuclear weapon, even if it is derived from an existing design.

More definitely remains to be learned about the NDS-A program and the design of that weapon. What is clear is that the Department of Energy is requesting funding to kick off at least the initial development of a new air-delivered nuclear bunker buster that could succeed the B61-11.

UPDATE: 5:27 PM EST –

It has been brought to our attention that some additional details about the NDS-A effort have been tucked away in U.S. budget requests in recent years.

In its Fiscal Year 2025 budget, the Air Force asked for, and ultimately received just over $39 million for work on NDS-A, but under a budget line titled “Hard and Deeply Buried Target Defeat System (HDBTDS) Prototyping.”

“The Air-delivered Nuclear Delivery System (NDS-A) is a new start project to address a capability gap identified in the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). A congressionally directed study based on the NPR led to endorsement of the Deputy’s Management Action Group (DMAG) and initiation of this project,” according to the 2025 Fiscal Year budget documents. “The Air Force will work with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and its National Laboratories to develop a prototype NDS-A system to demonstrate the capability to close this gap in the near term.”

“Early development will include Model and Simulation (M&S) analysis of several nuclear explosive package (NEP) options to refine the proposed NEP,” the budget documents add. “Ground tests may include wind tunnel, static ejection, vibration and thermal, cable pull-down, and sled tests. Flight tests will be performed by USAF F-15E developmental flight test aircraft, with final prototype demonstrations flown on B-2 aircraft.”

The video below shows flight testing of the B61-12 using a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle.

B61-12 full-weapon system demonstration at Tonopah Test Range

In the Air Force’s proposed 2026 Fiscal Year budget, the line item was renamed “Nuclear Delivery Systems Prototyping,” but references to NDS-A by name were also omitted. A nearly $18 million year-over-year increase in requested funding (from roughly $39 million to almost $57 million) was attributed “to greater emphasis on prototype design after completion of Modeling and Simulation of mission effectiveness of design space options; increased procurement and development of components; the initiation of subsystem and test unit assembly; and the initiation of ground tests of the Prototype Weapon Assemblies.”

The Fiscal Year 2025 and 2026 budget documents do not provide any details about the design of the weapon or say what aircraft it will be integrated onto operationally.

More details about the current state of the Air Force side of this program are likely contained in the service’s 2027 Fiscal Year budget request documents. However, at the time of writing this update, they are inaccessible online.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Caracas, April 29, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government signed new energy agreements with energy conglomerates British Petroleum (BP) and Eni in separate ceremonies at Miraflores Presidential Palace.

On Wednesday, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop the Cocuina-Manakin field, an offshore natural gas project shared between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.

“The return of BP [to Venezuela] is a ⁠clear sign of the future we want to chart for Venezuela and for ​international energy relations,” she said during a live broadcast. “May we have cooperation grounded in a win-win approach and ​shared benefits.”

BP was represented by its Trinidad and Tobago director David Campbell. The Cocuina-Manakin field holds an estimated 1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas, split 34-66 between Caracas and Port of Spain.

Following Wednesday’s agreement, the London-based multinational will additionally explore opportunities in the 7.3 Tcf Loran field, which is also part of a cross-border reserve shared with Trinidad. Both Cocuina and Loran are part of Venezuela’s Deltana Platform, a largely unexplored gas deposit on the country’s eastern maritime border.

Venezuela had suspended all energy projects involving Trinidad and Tobago over its neighbor’s support for the US military escalation in the Caribbean. Following January 3, the acting Rodríguez administration reengaged with Port of Spain, while extending overtures to BP and Shell in an effort to reopen the projects.

The BP agreement came on the heels of another high-profile ceremony at Miraflores on Tuesday that saw Rodríguez extend a “special welcome” to Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and other executives. In what she called a “milestone in the relations” between Venezuela and the Italian corporation, Rodríguez announced that Eni is planning “one of the largest investments” in the Venezuelan oil sector. 

The contract establishes conditions to relaunch the exploration of the 425 square-kilometer Junín-5 block of Venezuela’s Orinoco Oil Belt. The Junín-5 is estimated to contain 35 billion barrels of extra-heavy oil in place, though only a fraction will be recoverable.

For his part, Descalzi indicated that the signed deal created conditions to “accelerate development” of Junín-5 activities and that the company would finalize its investment plan by the end of the year.

The Junín-5 block was assigned in the late 2000s to Petrojunín, a joint venture where Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA and Eni held 60 and 40 percent of shares, respectively. Crude extraction began in 2013 but did not hit the established targets, hovering around 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) by the end of the 2010s.

The BP and Eni agreements were crafted under Venezuela’s recently overhauled Hydrocarbon Law, which introduces a series of pro-business incentives while curtailing state control over the energy sector.

Under the new law, minority partners can directly manage oilfield operations and sales, whereas in the prior framework that was PDVSA’s exclusive prerogative. Additionally, private companies can have royalties, income tax, and other fiscal contributions slashed at the government’s discretion as well as bring eventual disputes to international arbitration bodies.

In March, Eni, alongside Spain’s Repsol, inked a contract to further development of the Cardón IV offshore natural gas project. The European companies each own 50 percent stakes in the venture and recently announced plans to increase output by roughly 10 percent in the short term.

Eni, which has around 30 percent of its shares owned by the Italian state, is also a minority stakeholder in Petrosucre, a joint venture that operates the Corocoro offshore oilfield. In 2025, the ventures with Eni participation produced an average of 64,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Alongside BP, Eni, and Repsol, Chevron and Shell have likewise struck new deals in recent weeks under the favorable conditions of the hydrocarbon reform. Chevron increased its stake in the Petroindependencia joint venture, while its Petropiar project with PDVSA was assigned a new drilling block in the Orinoco Belt. For its part, Shell will take over light and medium crude projects in Eastern Venezuela and several offshore natural gas initiatives. The company had also expressed interest in the Loran field.

The acting Rodríguez administration has actively courted foreign investment into the South American country’s energy and mining sectors, with leaders openly acknowledging the incorporation of “suggestions” and “recommendations” from Western conglomerates into the recent reform.

Alongside multiple delegations of corporate executives, Rodríguez has also hosted Trump officials, including Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, ahead of the recent hydrocarbon and mining reforms.

Last week, newly appointed US Chargé d’Affaires John Barrett stated that Washington’s goal is to “place the private sector at the center of Venezuela’s transformation” during a meeting with the Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VENAMCHAM).

Since the January 3 military strikes and kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration has issued multiple licenses to facilitate the return of Western conglomerates to the Venezuelan energy and mining sectors.

The licenses mandate that all royalty, tax, and dividend payments be made into accounts run by the US Treasury. Caracas and Washington recently announced the hiring of external auditors to oversee the flow of the US-controlled Venezuelan resources.

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Fusagasugá, Colombia.

Note: The report was amended on Wednesday night to incorporate the BP agreement.

People planning holidays should check that their destionation has no new alerts or warnings

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has significantly expanded its ‘red list’ in recent months due to regional escalations, particularly in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. It is important to be aware of which parts of the world pose a greater risk to tourists than others.

While it is not advisable to ignore the Foreign Office’s advice, doing so is likely to invalidate any insurance that travellers have obtained. In most cases, insurers will not cover people who knowingly go against FCDO advice and take risks. If you absolutely must travel to a high-risk area, you may need to look for specialised travel insurance companies that provide specific cover for such scenarios, according to ABTA.

As of April 28, 2026, the following list summarises the countries for which the Foreign Office has specific safety advice for travelling. In some cases, it issues a blanket alert urging people to reconsider visiting countries that are unsafe across all areas. Some areas have partial warnings in place. If people are visiting the area, check the Foreign Office website for the latest updates and warnings.

Countries where the Foreign Office currently advises against all travel:

• Afghanistan
• Belarus
• Burkina Faso
• Central African Republic (CAR)
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel
• Lebanon
• Mali
• Niger
• Palestine (Occupied Palestinian Territories)
• Russia
• South Sudan
• Sudan (most of the country)
• Syria
• Ukraine (most of the country)
• Yemen

Countries where the Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel:

• Bahrain
• Cuba (entire island)
• Ecuador (coastal provinces)
• Egypt (significant parts: Western Desert, North South Sinai)
• India (significant parts: Manipur, Pakistan border)
• Jordan (entire country)
• Kuwait
• Mexico (significant parts: Baja California, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, etc.)
• North Korea
• Pakistan (most of the country)
• Philippines (significant parts: Mindanao, Sulu Archipelago)
• Qatar
• Thailand (Cambodian border)
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Areas where people are advised against travel in all or specific parts

• Algeria (borders with Tunisia, Libya, Niger, Mali, Mauritania)
• Armenia (border with Azerbaijan)
• Azerbaijan (Armenian border and former Nagorno-Karabakh areas)
• Benin (Northern border regions)
• Burundi (Cibitoke and Kayanza provinces)
• Cameroon (Far North, Bakassi Peninsula, NW and SW regions)
• Chad (borders with Libya, Sudan, CAR, Niger, and Lake Chad)
• Congo (Brazzaville) (Likouala region)
• Côte d’Ivoire (Northern borders with Mali and Burkina Faso)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (Eastern provinces and Kasaï)
• Djibouti (border with Eritrea)
• Ethiopia (Tigray, Amhara, and the border with Somalia/Sudan)
• Georgia (Abkhazia and South Ossetia)
• Indonesia (Central Papua and Highland Papua)
• Kenya (border with Somalia and parts of the coast)
• Libya (all areas except strictly essential business in Tripoli)
• Mauritania (Tiris Zemmour and Adrar regions)
• Moldova (Transnistria)
• Mozambique (Cabo Delgado province)
• Myanmar (Burma) (most of the country due to conflict)
• Nigeria (Northern and Riverine states)
• Somalia (all areas except parts of Puntland and Somaliland)
• Togo (Northern border region)
• Turkey (within 10km of the Syrian border and Sirnak/Hakkari provinces)
• Western Sahara (all areas east of the Berm and border with Algeria)

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Navy to attack any Iranian boats mining the Strait of Hormuz. His decree, issued on Truth Social, also claims the U.S. is currently demining the strategic waterway. His announcement comes hours after the U.S. boarded another Iranian-linked vessel in the Indian Ocean and a day after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) fired on at least three ships and seized two of them in the Strait.

All this activity is taking place as the prospect of peace talks remains unclear two days after Trump announced a ceasefire extension, which we will discuss later in this story.

“I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be (Their naval ships are ALL, 159 of them, at the bottom of the sea!), that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump proclaimed on his social media site. “There is to be no hesitation. Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!”

It should be noted that the IRGC has invested heavily in its fleet of small boats for decades as TWZ has explored in the past. In addition to being armed with short-range anti-ship missiles, as well as artillery rockets and other weapons, they can also be used to lay naval mines. While the president claimed that 159 Iranian ships have been destroyed, the IRGC still has a large number of these small vessels.

In a story yesterday, The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon told Congress it could take six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines deployed by the Iranian military.

EXCLUSIVE: It could take six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines deployed by the Iranian military, and any such operation is unlikely to be carried out until the U.S. war with Iran ends, the Pentagon has informed Congress — an assessment that means the conflict’s…

— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) April 22, 2026

With three carrier strike groups, several destroyers and scores of land-based aircraft in the region, the U.S. is well-postured to take out Iranian boats if needed. Striking Iran’s Navy was a prime mission for Epic Fury, as Trump noted. However, it is not publicly known at the moment what assets are conducting the mine sweeping Trump claimed or what the current level is of that activity that he wants to triple. We’ve reached out to the White House and U.S. Central Command for more details.

While it is possible one or more of these vessels could be in the Strait, doing so would put them at a greater risk of attack from Iran’s remaining cache of land-based weapons like anti-ship missiles and drones, as well as what’s left of its flotilla of small boats and uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).

As we reported on April 13, a pair of Avenger class mine-hunters homeported in Japan were tracked sailing westward out of the Pacific Ocean, however, they are still a distance away from the Strait. USS Chief and USS Pioneer departed Colombo, Sri Lanka, yesterday following a two-day port call, public AIS data on MarineTraffic shows. They stopped transmitting AIS while steaming northwest at 10 knots toward the CENTCOM area of responsibility, although their final destination is unconfirmed.

USS Chief (MCM-14) and USS Pioneer (MCM-9) Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships leaving Singapore – April 10, 2026 SRC: INST- yplanesonly pic.twitter.com/49unSU9nuf

— WarshipCam (@WarshipCam) April 10, 2026

The U.S. also has a trio of littoral combat ships (LCS) forward-deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet and configured for mine countermeasures missions. However, as we previously reported, those ships were redeployed from Bahrain ahead of the conflict, and two emerged unexpectedly in Southeast Asia last month. It remains unclear why the decision was made to send them to the other side of the globe amid the threat of Iran mining the Strait of Hormuz, but both were recently spotted sailing northbound in the Malacca Strait after weeks in Singapore.

The Santa Barbara left Singapore on April 16 and the Tulsa left on April 2.

USS Canberra is the only confirmed mine sweeper currently in CENTCOM, according to a post on the Pentagon’s image sharing site that shows the Independence class LCS patrolling in the Arabian Sea.

The arrival of Pioneer and Chief would increase mine sweepers from one to three, tripling the coverage, which aligns with Trump’s order. The other two LCSs, USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara, could also be nearby or on station in the Middle East to support the MCM mission.

UPDATE: There are 4 minesweeping ships in the US Navy, 2 in Japan and 2 are en route to the CENTCOM/5th Fleet (may already be in the AOR).

There are 3 Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) with mine countermeasures modules (MCM) assigned to CENTCOM/5th Fleet with only 1, the USS Canberra… https://t.co/DOKqZdp3nt

— TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) April 23, 2026

The transit of the Chief is not without issues. A sailor assigned to the was medically evacuated to his home port after he was scratched by an Asian monkey while ashore in Thailand, Axios reported.

“The Navy reports the incident did not delay the USS Chief‘s mission and that the sailor is OK, but officials say the attack is a reminder that military missions face unexpected troubles and disruptions that are hard to war-game for,” the outlet added.

NEW: A U.S. Navy sailor assigned to a minesweeping ship that’s headed to the Strait of Hormuz was medically evacuated to his home port after he was scratched by an Asian monkey while ashore in Thailand https://t.co/NQ2xaoErBF

— Axios (@axios) April 23, 2026

UPDATES

UPDATE: 6:07 PM EDT –

“U.S. military officials are developing new plans to target Iran’s capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz in the event the current ceasefire with Iran falls apart,” CNN is reporting. 

An additional option, according to the cable network, is targeting individual Iranian military leaders and other “obstructionists” U.S. officials believe are actively undermining negotiations.

New: US military officials are developing new plans to target Iran’s capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz in the event the current ceasefire with Iran falls apart, multiple sources tell me.

Another option — target individual Iranian military leaders & other “obstructionists” US…

— Zachary Cohen (@ZcohenCNN) April 23, 2026

UPDATE: 5:50 PM EDT-

The U.S. has burned through so many munitions in Iran that some administration officials increasingly assess that America couldn’t fully execute contingency plans to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion if it occurred in the near term, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials.

“The U.S. has fired more than 1,000 long-range Tomahawk missiles since the war with Iran began on Feb. 28, as well as 1,500 to 2,000 critical air-defense missiles, including Thaad, Patriot and Standard Missile interceptors, according to U.S. officials,” the publication added.

NEW: The U.S. has burned through so many munitions in Iran that some administration officials increasingly assess that America couldn’t fully execute contingency plans to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion if it occurred in the near term, U.S. officials said.

— Alex Ward (@alexbward) April 23, 2026

UPDATE: 5:34 PM EDT –

Trump announced that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended for three weeks.

“The President of the United States, DONALD J. TRUMP, Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, met today with High Ranking Representatives of Israel and Lebanon in the Oval Office,” Trump announced on Truth Social. “The Meeting went very well! The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah. The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS. I look forward in the near future to hosting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun. It was a Great Honor to be a participant at this very Historic Meeting!”

.@POTUS: “We had a great meeting with very high officials of Lebanon and very high officials of Israel… They’ve agreed to an additional three weeks of ceasefire… It’ll be a wonderful thing to get this worked out simultaneously with what we’re doing in Iran.” https://t.co/Aok4VOGE6G pic.twitter.com/faS4Z6JAhv

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 23, 2026

UPDATE: 5:15 PM EDT –

Hezbollah reportedly launched about five rockets at northern Israel. The IDF says its forces intercepted all the rockets. There were no reported injuries.

UPDATE: 5:09 PM EDT –

During an afternoon press conference on healthcare, Trump offered additional insight into his ongoing dealings with Iran.

Iran “came to us, and they said ‘we will agree to open the Strait,’ and all my people are happy,” Trump exclaimed. “Everybody was happy—except me. I said, wait a minute. If we open this Strait, that means they’re going to make $500 million a day. I don’t want them to make $500 million a day until they settle this thing, so I’m the one that kept it closed. We have total control of it. And it’ll open when they make a deal or something else happens.”

BREAKING: President Trump says he could make a deal with Iran “right now,” but he wants it to be “everlasting,” not temporary.

“We have total control of the Strait… They would have opened it up three days ago. They came to us and they said, ‘we will agree to open the Strait.’… pic.twitter.com/W7ayTC6dn8

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 23, 2026

On the topic of who is in charge in Tehran, Trump said: “Iran wants to make a deal and we’ve been speaking to them, but they don’t even know who’s leading their country. They are in turmoil, so we thought we’d give them a little chance to get some of that resolved.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Iran wants to make a deal and we’ve been speaking to them, but they don’t even know who’s leading their country. They are in turmoil, so we thought we’d give them a little chance to get some of that resolved. pic.twitter.com/0gLeHRl8cl

— Department of State (@StateDept) April 23, 2026

As far as the military goals of Epic Fury, Trump said: “We’ve hit 78% of the targets that we’ve wanted to hit. If Iran doesn’t want to make a deal, then I’ll finish it up militarily with the other targets.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’ve hit 78% of the targets that we’ve wanted to hit. If Iran doesn’t want to make a deal, then I’ll finish it up militarily with the other targets. pic.twitter.com/42h4QGnQXV

— Department of State (@StateDept) April 23, 2026

Asked about the timeline of Epic Fury, Trump snapped that: “I don’t want to rush it; I want to take my time. We have plenty of time, and I want to get a great deal. I want to get a deal where our nation and the world are safe from lunatics with nuclear weapons.”

Trump:

I don’t want to rush it; I want to take my time.

We have plenty of time, and I want to get a great deal.

I want to get a deal where our nation and the world are safe from lunatics with nuclear weapons. pic.twitter.com/qN0xKFRXw5

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 23, 2026

Queried about whether he would use a nuclear weapon against Iran, Trump retorted: “No. Why would a stupid question like that be asked? Why would l use a nuclear weapon when we’ve totally decimated Iran without it? A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody.”

REPORTER: Would you use a nuclear weapon against Iran?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: No. Why would a stupid question like that be asked?

Why would l use a nuclear weapon when we’ve totally decimated Iran without it? A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody. pic.twitter.com/7hAlHLrNT4

— Department of State (@StateDept) April 23, 2026

Earlier this morning, the Pentagon announced an overnight “maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.”

“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” the Pentagon said, repeating a refrain it used earlier this week after the interdiction of the M/T Tifani in the Indian Ocean. “International waters cannot be used as a shield by sanctioned actors. The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”

Video released by the Pentagon shows troops boarding MH-60S Seahawk helicopters then repelling onto the ship and searching it. As in the case of the boarding of the Tifani, a U.S. Navy Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) vessel, which you can see in the background, provided support for this operation.

Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.

We will continue global maritime enforcement to… pic.twitter.com/SWF6Jt9Ci4

— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 23, 2026

The Pentagon gave the ship’s name as Majestic X but the ship – IMO number 9198317- is also known as Phonix, according to SeaTrade Maritime News. The open-source maritime tracking site MarineTraffic shows that the Guyana-flagged crude oil tanker is located about 200 miles east of Sri Lanka and some 2,000 miles southeast of Iran.

While MarineTraffic data indicates the vessel is currently moving southwest about 8 knots, its current disposition is unclear. The Pentagon declined to offer further information and we have reached out to the White House for additional details.

The fate of the Tifani, boarded on April 21, is now in the hands of the Department of Justice, the Pentagon told us. We reached out to them for more details.

CENTCOM said it has turned away 31 ships so far during the blockade of Iranian ports.

The command also announced that, as anticipated, the Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush is now in the Indian Ocean part of its region. That brings the total carrier force to three for now, with the Abraham Lincoln and Gerald R. Ford already on station. However, the Ford, which has set a record for the longest deployment since the Vietnam War and has suffered issues ranging from a fire to leaky plumbing, is likely to depart the area soon.

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) sails in the Indian Ocean in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 23. pic.twitter.com/oDcTM6YMLF

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 23, 2026

Two days into the ceasefire extension declared by Trump, efforts to negotiate a peace deal remain murky.

Iranian officials have yet to commit to a new round of talks, which the president blames on schisms in its government between hardliners in the IRGC and more moderate elements.

“Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is!,” Trump exclaimed on Truth Social. “They just don’t know! The infighting is between the ‘Hardliners,’ who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the ‘Moderates,’ who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY!.”

Iranian officials have pushed back against the notion their government is fractured.

“In Iran, there are no radicals or moderates; we are all ‘Iranian’ and “revolutionary,” and with the iron unity of the nation and government, with complete obedience to the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, we will make the aggressor criminal regret his actions,” Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf stated on X. “One God, one leader, one nation, and one path; that path being the path to victory for Iran, dearer than life.”

در ایران ما تندرو و میانه‌رو وجود ندارد؛
همه ما «ایرانی» و «انقلابی» هستیم و با اتحاد آهنین ملت و دولت، با تبعیت کامل از رهبر معظم انقلاب متجاوز جنایتکار را پشیمان خواهیم کرد.

یک خدا، یک رهبر، یک ملت، و یک راه؛ آن هم راه پیروزی ایرانِ عزیزتر از جان.
#ایران_ما

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 23, 2026

However, at about the time Ghalibaf posted that, Israel’s N12 News outlet reported that Ghalibaf stepped down as a result of interference from the IRGC.

“The reason for the extreme step is his refusal to accept the growing intervention of IRGC generals – including prominent names such as Ahmed and Heidi and Abdullahian,” the outlet claimed in its unsourced story. “According to the information obtained by News 12, the generals penetrate into the decision-making processes and prevent Ghalibaf from providing the maneuver required to manage the negotiations.”

The War Zone cannot independently verify this.

In an extremely notable development, Israel’s N12 news outlet is reporting that the Iranian Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf has been forced to resign from the Iranian negotiating team by factions within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). pic.twitter.com/bOu01XX8AT

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 23, 2026

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said his country “is prepared to resume the war against Iran,” but needs permission from Trump.

“We are awaiting a green light from the United States — first and foremost to complete the elimination of the Khamenei family and to push Iran back into a dark age,” Katz added. “This time, the strike will be different and far more lethal, delivering devastating blows at the most sensitive points — ones that will shake and undermine its very foundations”.

🚨🚨 Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz: “Israel is prepared to resume the war against Iran — We are awaiting a green light from the United States — first and foremost to complete the elimination of the Khamenei family and to push Iran back into a dark age. This time, the…

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) April 23, 2026

In his Truth Social post about Iranian leadership, Trump added that the U.S. has “total control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is ‘Sealed up Tight, until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!”

The Iranians, however, have a different take.

“We have control over this Strait,” Hamidreza Hajibabaei, the deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament, said Thursday, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency. Hajibabaei, speaking at a public gathering in the western city of Kuhdasht, added that the first revenues from Iran’s new tolls on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have been deposited in the Iranian state central bank account.

“If the United States continues on its current course, no vessels will pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” Hajibabaei warned. “We are not engaged in negotiations — rather, we are making demands.”

“The amount collected from each ship depends on its cargo and level of risk they pose,” said Alireza Salimi, another member of the Iranian parliament, according to the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency.

“Iran determines how much and how these fees are collected, in other words, we determine the rules,” Salimi said. The War Zone cannot independently verify this claim.

Trump has previously threatened ships that pay tolls to Iran to use the Strait.

Iran Deposits Transit Fees from Hormuz Strait Ships into Treasury Account

Iran has begun depositing transit fees collected from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz into the national treasury. pic.twitter.com/jkMUH3thZ4

— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) April 23, 2026

Lloyds List reports that the Houthi rebels of Yemen, an Iranian proxy, could institute their own tolls around the Bab al-Mandab region.

“Mechanisms have been discussed at senior leadership levels indicating Houthi ambition to control, and not merely disrupt, maritime traffic,” the outlet reported. “Conversations have been supported by Iranian involvement. But the militia is looking to act on its own terms.”

You can read more about what a Houthi intervention into the conflict would mean in our report about it here.

Iran’s decision to levy payments on transiting vessels has created a model that Houthi militants may soon replicate at the Bab el Mandeb, further threatening global trade flowshttps://t.co/AGcgSytuBk

— Lloyd’s List (@LloydsList) April 23, 2026

The maritime security environment across the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Strait of Hormuz “remains CRITICAL, driven by recent attack patterns, continued navigation interference, and persistent operational disruption, including impacts to port activity,” according to the latest update from the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC). Despite the April 8 ceasefire, “commercial traffic remains limited, with constrained transits and continued routing uncertainty.”

With the Strait of Hormuz closed, the demand on transiting the Panama Canal has become so intense that one vessel carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) paid $4 million to skip the line and avoid a wait that can take up to five days, according to AFP, citing an official report.

🇵🇦 Strait of Hormuz blockade drives up traffic at Panama Canal

The war in the Middle East has boosted demand to move vital cargo through the Panama Canal to such an extent that one vessel carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) paid $4 million to skip the line and avoid a wait that… pic.twitter.com/ySnwGLSv46

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 23, 2026

Oil isn’t the only commodity supply affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the United Nations, one-third of global fertilizers are stalled in that body of water as well. 

“With planting seasons already underway, we have no time to lose,” the world organization noted. “This is not a matter of logistics or economics – it’s about saving lives. If we don’t act, a massive food crisis will hit the most vulnerable the hardest.”

One-third of global fertilizers are stalled in the Strait of Hormuz. With planting seasons already underway, we have no time to lose.

This is not a matter of logistics or economics – it’s about saving lives. If we don’t act, a massive food crisis will hit the most vulnerable…

— Jorge Moreira da Silva (@UNOPS_Chief) April 22, 2026

Indian crew aboard two of the ships fired upon yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz by IRGC are safe, according to Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesman Randhir Jaiswal.

The firing happened on 2 foreign ships in Hormuz, Indian nationals on them are safe, says MEA Spox Randhir Jaiswal; In touch with Iran govt over safe passage of Indian vessels. pic.twitter.com/kalngqpjVw

— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) April 23, 2026

During the now-extended ceasefire with Iran, the U.S. continues to flow military assets to the Middle East.

Online flight trackers indicate that the first group of aerial refueling tankers supporting F/A-18C Hornets from the VMFA-312 “Checkerboards” are airborne from Lajes.

“The flight plans filed for the tankers indicate the jets are going straight into CENTCOM today,” according to open-source flight tracker DefenceGeek.

Coronet East 052 – Marines Move Forward to CENTCOM #FreeIran‌
— Operation EPIC FURY —

The first group of tankers supporting the onward movement of VMFA-312 “Checkerboards” F/A-18C “Hornet” fast-jets today are airborne from Lajes (LPLA). The flightplans filed for the tankers… pic.twitter.com/42ZauX778m

— DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 (@DefenceGeek) April 23, 2026

Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors are expected to convene again at the State Department on Thursday for a second round of meetings amid the latest conflagration in the Middle East, according to ABC News.

The first direct negotiations between the two states since 1993 “are intended as preparatory meetings to shape future talks on a deal to normalize ties between the countries,” the network noted. “Thursday’s meeting is expected to focus on extending a shaky ceasefire that has halted fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia.”

Lebanon enters potential talks with Israel amid deep internal divisions, echoing the failed 1983 peace deal. While some argue negotiations are vital for stability, senior figures and Hezbollah oppose direct talks, risking renewed unrest.

Al Jazeera’s @ZeinakhodrAljaz reports. pic.twitter.com/IupaGElwlW

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 23, 2026

Trump will host the event.

“The ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon will now take place at the White House,” an official tols us. “President Trump will greet the representatives upon their arrival.”

🔴 BREAKING: US President Donald Trump may attend today’s meeting between Lebanese and Israeli officials, which has been moved from the State Department to the White House, according to sources familiar with the matter. pic.twitter.com/2HknXgzqBE

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) April 23, 2026

Despite the ongoing ceasefire, Israel is maintaining its positions in southern Lebanon and issued a new warning to residents there.

“We reiterate and warn that, out of concern for your safety and the safety of your family members, and until further notice, you are required not to move south of the line of the villages shown and their surroundings,” IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee stated on X. “Additionally, approaching the Litani River area, Wadi Salhani, and Salouqi is not permitted.”

#عاجل ‼️رسالة عاجلة إلى سكان جنوب لبنان

⭕️نجدد تأكيدنا انه خلال فترة اتفاق وقف إطلاق النار يواصل جيش الدفاع تمركزه في مواقعه بجنوب لبنان في مواجهة النشاطات الإرهابية المستمرة لمنظمة حزب الله.

⭕️نعود ونحذر انه وحرصًا على سلامتكم وسلامة أبناء عائلاتكم وحتى إشعار آخر انتم مطالبون… pic.twitter.com/YBjksAhVja

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 23, 2026

Heading into a second round of rare direct talks with Israel, Lebanon is urging the Trump administration to pressure Israel to scale back its demands and end its military invasion of the country, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in an interview with The Washington Post.

Salam said Lebanon could not sign any agreement that does not include a “full withdrawal” of Israeli forces.

“We cannot live with a so-called buffer zone,” he said, “an Israeli presence where Lebanese displaced people are not allowed to return, where destroyed villages and towns cannot be rebuilt.”

Hours before the second round of direct talks with Israel, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says any agreement must include a “full withdrawal” of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

Speaking with the Washington Post, Salam says that Beirut is urging the U.S. to pressure…

— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) April 23, 2026

Israeli strikes killed one journalist and wounded another in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, The New York Times reported.

“The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said the Israeli military had targeted the journalists in the town of Tayri, where they took shelter in a nearby house after an airstrike struck a vehicle in front of the car they were traveling in,” the newspaper noted. “About an hour and a half later, a second strike hit the house they were hiding in, according to a statement by a Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which employed the journalist who was killed.”

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

Though President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared an extension to a ceasefire with Iran, the Islamic Republic continues to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. At least two ships were fired on by Iran, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). Iranian officials say the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized those ships and fired on another.

These incidents came a day after U.S. forces boarded an Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean and highlighted that regardless of diplomacy, shipping remains a target for both sides. Meanwhile, Iran made veiled threats against the telecommunications cables running under the Strait. All this is happening as Tehran says it won’t return to the bargaining table until the U.S. ends its blockade of Iranian ports. We’ll discuss that more later in this story.

The first attack in the Strait on Wednesday took place shortly before midnight EDT about 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, according to UKMTO. 

“The Master of a Container Ship reported that the vessel was approached by 1 IRGC gun boat, no VHF challenge that then fired upon the vessel which has caused heavy damage to the bridge. No fires or environmental impact reported. All Crew reported safe.”

Nour News, a website affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) opened fire on the Epaminodes, after it had “ignored the warnings of the Iranian armed forces,” the BBC reported.

Epaminodes is a Liberian-flagged container ship, according to MarineTraffic.com.

A second incident took place about three hours later eight nautical miles west of Iran, UKMTO stated. 

“A master of an outbound cargo ship reports having been fired upon and is now stopped in the water,” the organization explained in an alert. “Crew are safe and accounted for. There is no reported damage to the vessel. UKMTO is aware of high levels of activity in the SoH area and encourages vessels to report any suspicious activity.”

It is unclear at the moment which ship was attacked in that incident. UKTMO did not name the vessel. However, in addition to claiming they fired on the Epaminodes, Iranian officials say they also struck the Euphoria, which MarineTraffic said is a Panamanian-flagged container ship, and the MSC-Francesca, also a Panamanian-flagged container ship, according to MarineTraffic.

The Epaminodes and MSC-Francesca were also seized for “endangering maritime security by operating without the necessary permits and tampering with navigation systems,” the IRGC claimed, stating the vessels have been “directed to the coast of Iran.”

🚨Update: The two vessels are currently in the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran for inspection of their cargo, documentation, and related records. https://t.co/aXbSZLSNFa

— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) April 22, 2026

The disposition of the vessels and crews is not currently known. U.S. Central Command could not confirm any of these incidents.

A Sentinel-2 satellite image captured today shows what looks like a swarm of IRGCN fast attack craft sailing north of the strait of Hormuz near Kargan coast, according to open source investigator Mehdi H on X. 

The image shows what appears to be at least 33 boats. It is unclear if there is any connection between these craft and the shipping attacks. The IRGC has invested heavily in its fleet of small boats for decades as TWZ has explored in the past. Some of these vessels are armed with short-range anti-ship missiles, as well as artillery rockets and other weapons. They can also be used to lay naval mines. These fleets are extremely hard to find and fix, and do not need large ports to operate from. While CENTCOM says it has destroyed well over 150 Iranian ships, the IRGC still has many remaining small boats.

Sentinel-2 satellite image today shows what looks like a flotilla of IRGCN fast attack crafts sailing north of strait of Hormuz near Kargan coast.
At least 33 boats can be seen in what looks like a show of force enforcing the strait closure by Iran.
Geo-location: 26.899,56.824 pic.twitter.com/smNuM0y6D3

— Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) April 22, 2026

As we noted earlier in this story, in addition to attacking and capturing ships on the Strait, Iran pointed out the vulnerability of telecommunications cables running under it.

“The Strait of Hormuz is not only a crucial route for oil and gas transportation; this narrow waterway is also one of the most important internet chokepoints in the region and the world,” the IRGC-linked Tasnim news agency noted on Wednesday. “According to submarine network data, at least 7 main communication cables of the Persian Gulf countries pass through this route; while more than 97% of the world’s internet traffic is transferred via these fiber optic cables laid under the sea.”

“Cables such as FALCON, AAE‑1, TGN‑Gulf, and SEA‑ME‑WE connect a significant part of the region’s digital communication to major data centers in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia,” the outlet added. “These infrastructures are the backbone of data transfer, e-commerce, cloud services, and online communications in the Persian Gulf countries.”

“The concentration of many internet cables in a narrow passage makes the Strait of Hormuz a vulnerable point for the region’s digital economy,” Tasnim posited, calling it “a place where cables, after passing through the strait, connect to coastal landing nodes and major regional data centers.”

New post from Iran state media Tasnim about major undersea Internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz

“The concentration of a large number of internet cables in a narrow passage has made the Strait of Hormuz a vulnerable point for the region’s digital economy” pic.twitter.com/JE0o4qcCC6

— Steve Lookner (@lookner) April 22, 2026

UPDATES

Our coverage for the day has concluded.

UPDATE: 7:56 PM EDT –

Though the fighting may be paused, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the economic pressure on Iran continues.

.@PressSec on Iran: “There’s a ceasefire with the military and kinetic strikes, but Operation Economic Fury continues and… we are completely strangling their economy through this blockade. They’re losing $500M/day… He’s satisfied with that as we await their response.” pic.twitter.com/SdtLveF1ZH

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 22, 2026

The aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush is set to arrive in the Middle East in about three to five days after sailing around the southern tip of Africa, Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin stated on X.

The timing, she noted, coincides with Trump’s extending the ceasefire deadline by that same timeline.

3rd aircraft carrier USS Bush arrives in Middle East after detour around southern tip of Africa in next 3-5 days as Trump extends the ceasefire with Iran by “3-5 days.” https://t.co/MymBLABmlE

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) April 22, 2026

The Washington Post reports that the Pentagon has told Congress it could take six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines deployed by the Iranian military.

The publication added that any such operation is unlikely to be carried out until the U.S. war with Iran ends.

This “assessment that means the conflict’s economic impact could extend late into this year or beyond,” the newspaper added.

“The timeline — met with frustration by Democrats and Republicans alike, two of these people said — is the latest sign that gasoline and oil prices could remain elevated long after any peace deal is reached,” the Post noted.

EXCLUSIVE: It could take six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines deployed by the Iranian military, and any such operation is unlikely to be carried out until the U.S. war with Iran ends, the Pentagon has informed Congress — an assessment that means the conflict’s…

— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) April 22, 2026

Israel’s N12 News reported on X that Trump has given Iran a deadline of Sunday.

Two Israel Air Force technicians from Tel Nof Airbase, near Ashdod, will be charged with spying for Iran during Operation Roaring Lion, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN News reported on Wednesday.

“The two technicians, who worked on IAF F-15 fighter jets, handed over documentation of the engine diagrams, as well as photographs showing the face of a flight instructor, which is against military censorship rules, The Jerusalem Post reported.

“They were also asked to gather information about former IDF chief Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Herzi Halevi and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir,” the publication noted. “Authorities are considering whether to increase the charges on one of the technicians to treason, rather than the lower charge of espionage.”

Report: Two Israel Air Force technicians from Tel Nof Airbase will be charged with spying for Iran during Operation Roaring Lion. They provided sensitive military documents and photos.
Written by @JamesGennhttps://t.co/KA8lLh9672

— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) April 22, 2026

The New York Post said Trump told them that another round of negotiations with Iran may take place later this week. At issue is the future of Iran’s highly enriched uranium, its supply of ballistic missiles, support of proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis, and ultimate disposition of the Strait of Hormuz.

“‘Good news’ about a second round of talks between the US and Iran may be coming as soon as Friday,” the publication said Trump and Pakistani sources told it on Wednesday.

“Sources in Islamabad touted positive mediation efforts with Tehran, renewing the possibility of more peace talks within the next ‘36 to 72 hours,’” the newspaper added. “Asked about this possible breakthrough by The Post, Trump, in a text message, said: ‘It’s possible! President DJT.’”

Well, guess I’m not going anywhere just yet!

President Trump and Pakistani sources today told me good news about a fresh round of talks between the US and Iran is “possible” as soon as Friday.https://t.co/5TdF0kRgO7

— Caitlin Doornbos (@CaitlinDoornbos) April 22, 2026

Trump “plans to give the Iranians a limited timeframe to come up with a unified proposal to get diplomatic negotiations back on track,” CNN reported, citing two sources familiar with the internal discussions. “The administration does not want to indefinitely extend the ceasefire, the sources said, and does not want to give Iran time to drag out talks further.”

President Trump plans to give the Iranians a limited timeframe to come up with a unified proposal to get diplomatic negotiations back on track, two sources familiar with the internal discussions tell me.

The administration does not want to indefinitely extend the ceasefire, the…

— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) April 22, 2026

“Trump is willing to give another three to five days of ceasefire to allow the Iranians to get their shit together,” one U.S. source briefed on the matter told Axios. “It is not going to be open-ended.”

Trump’s negotiators “believe a deal to end the war and address what’s left of Iran’s nuclear program is still achievable,” the outlet added. “But they also worry they may not have anyone in Tehran empowered to say yes.”

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei “is barely communicating,” Axios posited. “The IRGC generals now in control of the country and Iran’s civilian negotiators are openly at odds over strategy.”

“We saw that there is an absolute fracture inside Iran between the negotiators and the military — with neither side having access to the supreme leader, who is not responsive,” a U.S. official told the news organization.

Axios added that though Vice President JD Vance was all set to go to Pakistan for the second round of negotiations, he instead found himself waiting for the IRGC generals now in control of Iran to let parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Sayed Abbas Araghchi travel to Pakistan to meet him. However, while the Iranians appeared to have given Pakistani mediators the green light for talks, by Tuesday morning, that signal was gone, replaced by a demand that the U.S. lift its naval blockade.

“Trump is willing to give another three to five days of ceasefire to allow the Iranians to get their shit together,” one U.S. source briefed on the matter said. “It is not going to be open-ended.”https://t.co/QdZWaZPYL3

— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) April 22, 2026

As we have previously noted, Trump extended the ceasefire deadline yesterday, but gave no specific date for when fighting could resume. In a Truth Social post, he said he did so to give time for the fractured Iranian leadership to come up with a response to U.S. demands and that the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports would remain in effect.

His post came after Iranians refused to commit to peace talks tentatively scheduled to be held in Pakistan.

The official Iranian IRIB news outlet denied Tehran has taken any official position on Trump’s ceasefire extension or future negotiations.

🚨 IRIB EXCLUSIVE
“Iran has NOT yet announced an official position on Trump’s claim about extending the ceasefire. Rumors about Iran’s formal agreement are #not_accurate, and no statement has been issued by Iranian officials.”

— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) April 22, 2026

The Iranians say the future of negotiations depends on the status of the ongoing blockade of its ports.

Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani stated that Tehran is prepared to negotiate immediately after the United States ends its naval blockade, emphasizing that Washington must first halt its “ceasefire violations.”

He added that while Iran is prepared to negotiate, it is also prepared for war.

Iran Ready for Talks Once US Lifts Naval Blockade, Envoy Says

Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani stated that Tehran is prepared to negotiate immediately after the United States ends its naval blockade, emphasizing that Washington must first halt its “ceasefire violations.” pic.twitter.com/GOxEO8yqzS

— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) April 22, 2026

Citing data from the Vortexa cargo tracking group, Financial Times is reporting that “at least 34 tankers with links to Iran have bypassed the US blockade since it began.” 

CENTCOM, which on Tuesday said the US Navy had directed 28 vessels to turn back to Iranian ports since the blockade was enacted, told us the assertion that dozens of ships bypassed the blockade “is not true.”

Good morning, Asia. While you were sleeping, one of our most-read stories reported that dozens of ships have managed to circumvent the blockade since it began — despite Donald Trump declaring it a ‘tremendous success’. https://t.co/TI52fxy7VQ pic.twitter.com/BkOeMke1pR

— Financial Times (@FT) April 22, 2026

The Pentagon on Wednesday pushed back on the assertion that the Iranian-linked oil tanker Tifani was seized by the U.S., however, it may be a matter of semantics.

As we reported yesterday, the vessel boarded by U.S. forces in the Indian Ocean and The Washington Post later said it was “seized” as the United States determines “next steps for the Tifani and its crew in the next couple of days.”

“Seized wouldn’t be accurate at this time,” a Pentagon official told us. “So the way it works is after interdiction the U.S. has 96 hours to determine next steps. That’s where the rest of the interagency comes in. It varies by ship and situation what the solution would be. At this point DoW’s finished its role with just the interdiction.”

“During that 96-hour period, State would make the determination it’s stateless and work through diplomatic channels on where to take it,” the official added. “DHS and Coast Guard could be the ones to escort it. DoE gets involved for the oil, treasury for the sanction, DoJ for the legal elements and warrant. It really is a large, complex coordination effort across the interagency.”

The exact current disposition of the vessel is unclear. We have reached out to the White House for more details.

With Iran partially reopening its airspace, the U.S. State Department stated that any U.S. citizens still in the country “should leave Iran now, monitor local media for updates, and consult with commercial carriers for additional information on flights out of Iran.”

Americans seeking to depart Iran “may also depart by land to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Turkmenistan. U.S. citizens should not travel to Afghanistan, Iraq, or the Pakistan-Iran border area,” the warning added. “Be aware that the Iranian government may prevent U.S. citizens from departing or charge an ‘exit fee’ for departures from Iran. U.S.-Iranian dual nationals must exit Iran on Iranian passports.”

Iran: As of April 21, Iran’s airspace has partially reopened. U.S. citizens should leave Iran now, monitor local media for updates, and consult with commercial carriers for additional information on flights out of Iran. Americans seeking to depart Iran may also depart by land to… pic.twitter.com/yvVIqO0XoJ

— TravelGov (@TravelGov) April 22, 2026

During the course of Epic Fury, the U.S. has run through a large amount of advanced munitions, CNN reported.

The list includes about 50% of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors, 50% of its Patriot interceptors, 45% of its Precision Strike Missiles, 30% of its Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles (TLAMs), 20% of its Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff (JDAM) munitions and 20% of its Standard Missiles (SM-3 and SM-6).

Approximate estimates of percentages of U.S. munitions expended in Iran war, per @CNN :
50% THAAD interceptors
50% Patriot interceptors
45% Precision Strike Missiles
30% Tomahawk missiles
20% Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles
20% Standard Missiles (SM-3 and SM-6) https://t.co/1A9TH0zpr5

— John M. Donnelly (@johnmdonnelly) April 21, 2026

Given the expenditure of costly defensive munitions used to swat down much cheaper Iranian drones, the U.S. military has introduced Ukrainian counter-drone technology in recent weeks at a key U.S. air base in Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported, citing five people with ​knowledge of the matter.

These attacks have destroyed aircraft and buildings, and killed at least one service member.

“The deployment of a Ukrainian command-and-control platform called ‌Sky Map at Prince Sultan Air Base, which has not previously been reported,” is another sign of Ukrainian battlefield technological advances after more than four years of full-on war with Russia.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

As the clock ticks down on a shaky ceasefire that could end Wednesday, Pakistan is attempting to host last-ditch negotiations to stave-off a new round of fighting between the U.S. and Iran. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed after being shut down again by Iran this weekend as negotiations for a peace deal took a nose-dive. The closure occurred around the same time Iran reportedly fired on several ships in the Strait on Saturday. A U.S. attack on and seizure of a cargo ship that was supposedly running the blockade in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday has also resulted in Iran making new threats of retaliation. All this represents a dramatic deterioration in U.S.-Iran relations compared to just a few days ago.

Pakistan has cordoned off parts of Islamabad in anticipation of the pending talks. However, it remains unclear if Iran will send a delegation to meet the U.S. negotiating party of Vice President JD Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. The meeting is tentatively set for Tuesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday insisted the talks are still on despite Iranian suggestions otherwise.

“We’re supposed to have the talks,” Trump told The New York Post Monday morning in a brief interview, brushing aside doubts about whether negotiations would fall apart. “So I would assume at this point nobody’s playing games.”

Trump’s comment to the New York Post came after Iranians claimed they would not take part in any new talks.

“So far, we have no plans to participate in the next round of negotiations,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters on Monday. “The behavior of the United States does not indicate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process.”

Baghaei added that no decision has been made on how or when negotiations would resume. The Foreign Ministry spokesman also pushed back on Trump’s claims that Iran agreed to give up its highly enriched uranium (HEU).

“It is strictly off the agenda,” Baghaei proclaimed “Iran’s definitive stance is to keep all of its nuclear achievements on its own soil.”

A senior Iranian source told Reuters the continuation of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports was undermining the prospect of peace talks, and that Tehran’s “defensive capabilities,” including ​its missile program, were not open to negotiation.

However, a Pakistani security source told the news outlet that Pakistan’s key mediator, Field Marshal Asim Munir, informed Trump that the ⁠blockade was an obstacle to talks, and that Trump had replied that he would consider the advice.

One big reason for confusion about Iran’s attendance at the Islamabad talks could be a growing schism between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and more moderate elements of Iran’s current leadership. 

“There’s a power struggle underway in Iran—and even within the delegation that went to Islamabad for the first round of talks, which offered a sense of the country’s internal tensions,” according to The Economist. 

“Their arguments were so ferocious that Pakistani mediators are reported to have spent as much time refereeing among the Iranians as engaging the Americans.”

One visible sign of this power struggle may have come Saturday, when several ships were reportedly struck by the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC could have been acting independently, however we don’t know for sure. Thawed relations with the U.S. run counter to the IRGC’s core mission and beliefs, but also could spell degradation in their power within Iran. The idea that the IRGC could end up taking control over Iran, at least to a degree, is a possible outcome TWZ highlighted before the war broke out.

Iran claims its reluctance to negotiate stems in large measure from U.S. Central Command’s interdiction of the Iranian-owned cargo ship M/V Touska on Sunday for what it says was a violation of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. CENTCOM said the Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the vessel on Sunday as it transited the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots enroute to Bandar Abbas, Iran.

“After Touska’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room,” CENTCOM stated. “Spruance disabled Touska’s propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer’s 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touska’s engine room. U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody.”

The ship had recently visited China, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Early Monday morning, CENTCOM released a video of Marines fast-roping aboard the Touska. The video shows an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter taking off from the Spruance. It cuts to a scene of Marines repelling from a Seahawk onto the deck of the ship.

CENTCOM on Monday had no update on how long the ship would be held, what cargo was discovered on board or the fate of the crew.

The command previously released video of the Spruance firing three rounds on the cargo ship from its Mk-45 gun. The projectiles have a range of up to 20 nautical miles and can be fired at a rate of between 16 and 20 rounds per minute.

While the Navy used the Mk-45 to take down Houthi drones in 2024, it’s unclear when a 5-inch gun was last used against another vessel. We have reached out to the Navy for more details.

Iran says it has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, which it largely closed after being attacked by the U.S. and Israel. The move was prompted by a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy. However, the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports enacted on Monday remains in place, President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social social media site.

All this comes as the U.S. and Iran appear closer to reaching a deal to end the war, which we will discuss in greater detail later in this story. The temporary ceasefire between the two countries ends April 21.

“In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic Rep. of Iran,” Sayyed Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, stated on X Friday morning.

That route is a narrow five-mile stretch between the islands of Qeshem and Larak, roughly 15 miles from the Iranian shoreline.

In a post on his Truth Social site, U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the decision but said it did not change the ongoing blockade.

“THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR BUSINESS AND FULL PASSAGE, BUT THE NAVAL BLOCKADE WILL REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS IT PERTAINS TO IRAN, ONLY, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE,” Trump stated. “THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED.”

The president added that “Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!” However, there was no immediate response from Tehran.

Regarding any peace deals, Trump said on his Truth Social network that the “U.S.A. will get all Nuclear ‘Dust,’ created by our great B2 Bombers – No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form.”

This was a reference to the Operation Midnight Hammer attack on Iranian nuclear facilities last year.  Iran is believed to have about 440.9 kg of uranium enriched up to 60% of the explosive uranium isotope, U-235 stored at these locations.

“This deal is in no way subject to Lebanon, either, but the USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezboolah situation in an appropriate manner. Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer,” Trump added.

It remains to be seen how this will play out. Iran’s state TV, citing a senior military official, highlighted that “only civilian vessels will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz via designated routes and with permission from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.”

“The passage of military vessels through the strait remains prohibited,” it said.

Despite the closure, ships have still transited the strategic body of water through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports pass. Ship traffic through the Strait actually “increased from last month’s unusually low levels, with crossings rising and activity extending across a broader mix of vessel types and cargoes,” according to the global trade intelligence firm Kpler.

There is also still the issue of mines in the section of the Strait outside the Qeshem-Larak passage. Demining is one of the issues being discussed today in an international meeting being held in Paris, a French official told us. We’ll discuss this meeting in a little more detail later in this story.

Trump, however, claimed that “Iran, with the help of the U.S.A., has removed or is removing all sea mines!”

We have reached out to shippers and maritime analysis and security firms to get a clearer picture of what this decision means from their perspectives.

“This is good news,” a spokesman for Hapag-Lloyd told us. “There are still some open questions on our end, but they might be resolved within the next 24 hours. Top priority for the passage is safety and security for the seafarers, the vessel and the cargo of our customers. If all open issues are cleared (i.e. insurance coverage, clear orders of Iranian government/military about the exact sea corridor to be used and the sequence of ships leaving) we would prefer to pass the strait as soon as possible. Our crisis committee is in session and will try to resolve all open items with the relevant parties within the next 24-36 hours.”

The reopening of the Strait “marks a turn for global shipping, as it allows over 750 vessels previously trapped in the Middle East Gulf to begin clearing approximately $17 billion in stranded energy and dry bulk cargoes,” Kpler told us. “As of April 17, 2026, there are 862 vessels currently operating within the Mideast Gulf. The core of the backlog is composed of approximately 187 laden tankers carrying roughly 172 million barrels of crude and refined products, along with a specialized cluster of 15 LNG vessels that remain almost entirely stalled following the collapse of recent ceasefire talks.”

The Strait reopening and a looming new round of peace talks appears to have provided a boost to the world economy.

“Oil prices are falling by more than 10%, and Wall Street is rallying toward another record after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz is fully open, which would allow oil tankers to exit the Persian Gulf again and carry crude to customers worldwide,” The Associated Press reported. “The S&P 500 rallied 0.7% as U.S. stocks sprinted toward the finish of a third straight week of big gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1%, and the Nasdaq composite added 1%.”

Stocks “have rallied more than 11% since late March on hopes that the United States and Iran can avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy,” the wire service added.

BREAKING: President Trump and Iran’s foreign minister say the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open. Crude oil prices tumble 10% after the announcements. https://t.co/d44au7X8UP

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 17, 2026

UPDATES

Our coverage for the day has concluded.

UPDATE: 5:45 PM EDT–

Trump told CBS News that Iran has “agreed to everything,” and will work with the U.S. to remove its enriched uranium.

He insisted that doing so will not involve U.S. ground troops. But when asked who would retrieve it, he would only say “our people.”

“No. No troops,” he told the network. “We’ll go down and get it with them, and then we’ll take it. We’ll be getting it together because by that time, we’ll have an agreement and there’s no need for fighting when there’s an agreement. Nice right? That’s better. We would have done it the other way if we had to.”

The president said the material would then be brought to the U.S.

“Our people, together with the Iranians, are going to work together to go get it. And then we’ll take it to the United States,” he said.

NEWS President Trump tells me:

-No ground troops will be required to remove enriched uranium from Iran

-Iran has agreed to stop backing all proxy groups like Hezbollah and Hamas

-I asked if Iran has agreed to stop enriching uranium *forever.” He said, “They’ve agreed to…

— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) April 17, 2026

UPDATE: 5:24 PM EDT –

Speaking to the White House press corps, Trump addressed questions about the peace process.

“We’ll see how it all turns out, but it should be good, some very good discussions, and hopefully that subject that you like to talk about will be very good,” he said. “And we’ve done a good job, but we’ll see … the talks are going on and going over the weekend, and a lot of good things are happening that includes Lebanon.”

Asked about differences with Iran on how all this is developing, Trump said: “If there are, I’m going to straighten it out. .. don’t think there’s too many significant differences.”

As for the blockade: “When the agreement is signed, the blockade ends,” he proclaimed.

Earlier on Friday, Iranian officials said they would close the Strait again if the blockade is not lifted.

“We’ve had some very good discussions… Talks are going on. It’ll go on over the weekend — and a lot of good things are happening,” says @POTUS in Arizona.

“As soon as the agreement gets signed, that’s when the blockade ends.” pic.twitter.com/PjNlBvwSAo

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 17, 2026

UPDATE: 1:34 PM EDT –

Trump told Axios that U.S. and Iranian negotiators will probably meet this weekend, and he expects them to hammer out a final deal to end the war. The deal should come “in a day or two,” Axios reporter Barak Ravid added on X.

UPDATE: 1:28 PM EDT –

Trump told Reuters on Friday that the U.S. will work with Iran to recover its enriched uranium ​and bring it back to the United States.

“We’re going to get ‌it together. We’re going to go in with Iran, at a nice leisurely pace, and go down and start excavating with big machinery… We’ll bring it back to the United ​States,” Trump said during a phone interview.

The ⁠United States will work ‌with Tehran to recover its enriched uranium and bring ​it back to ‌the United States, President Donald Trump told Reuters on Friday.

“We’re going to get it together. ‌We’re going to go in with Iran, at ⁠a nice leisurely pace, and go ‌down ​and… pic.twitter.com/ZfwJTFrIbr

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) April 17, 2026

UPDATE: 1:17 PM EDT –

Seyyed Mohammad Mehdi Tabatabaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s president, pushed back on Trump’s claim that Iran promised never to close the Strait again.

“The Twitter rhetoric and baseless statements of the enemy are aimed at stripping the Iranian nation of their sense of pride for the great victories they have achieved through their resolute defense,” he stated on X. “The conditional and limited reopening of a portion of the Strait of Hormuz is solely an Iranian initiative, one that creates responsibility and serves to test the firm commitments of the opposing side. If they renege on their promises, they will face dire consequences.”

لفاظی‌های توئیتری و اظهارات بی‌پایه دشمن، در جهت سلب احساس افتخار ملت ایران برای پیروزی‌های بزرگی است که در دفاع مقتدرانه کسب کرده‌اند.
بازگشایی مشروط و محدود بخشی از تنگه هرمز ، صرفا ابتکاری ایرانی، مسئولیت‌آفرین و برای آزمون تعهدات قطعی طرف مقابل است. بدعهدی کنند، بد می‌بینند.

— سيد مهدي طباطبايي (@tabaei1356) April 17, 2026

UPDATE 12:51 PM EDT –

Iran considers the continuation of the U.S. blockade on its ports a ceasefire violation and would close the Strait of Hormuz again if the blockade is not lifted, the IRGC-affiliated Fars News reported citing an informed source close to the Supreme National Security Council.

We’ve reached out to the White House for comment.

Iranian official to Fars:

If the maritime blockade continues, it will be considered a violation of the ceasefire, and the Strait of Hormuz transit route will be closed.

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 17, 2026

With new talks potentially set to be held in Pakistan over the weekend, the U.S. and Iran are negotiating over a three-page plan to end the war, Axios reported Friday morning. One of the key elements under discussion is “that the U.S. would release $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in return for Iran giving up its stockpile of enriched uranium,” the outlet noted, citing two U.S. officials and two additional sources briefed on the talks.

The Memo of Understanding (MoU) also states the two sides are negotiating over a “voluntary” moratorium on nuclear enrichment by Iran. It also deals with the Strait of Hormuz, “though the sources said there are still significant gaps on that issue,” Axios posited.

It’s unclear if the MOU refers to Iran’s ballistic missiles and its support for regional proxies.

🚨 SCOOP: The U.S. and Iran are negotiating over a three-page plan to end the war, with one element under discussion being that the U.S. would release $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in return for Iran giving up its stockpile of enriched uranium. https://t.co/w84Yd8JHgp

— Axios (@axios) April 17, 2026

“Trump is directly talking to the Iranians,” U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News. 

“He is negotiating himself,” Graham proffered. “He was on the phone with the Iranians a couple of days ago, and it got rather sporty—to the point that Trump loudly told Iran what would happen if they keep playing games. He actually lost his voice. I’d hate to be the Iranian on the receiving end of that.”

Senator Graham:

Trump is directly talking to the Iranians. He is negotiating himself.

He was on the phone with the Iranians a couple of days ago, and it got rather sporty—to the point that Trump loudly told Iran what would happen if they keep playing games.

He actually lost… pic.twitter.com/rMPjT9SYYc

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 17, 2026

Despite rising hopes that the war in Iran could soon end, the country’s deputy foreign minister on Friday rejected any call for a temporary ceasefire. Instead, Tehran is seeking a comprehensive end to conflict across the Middle East, Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters today. That includes fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, currently paused on the first full day of a shaky 10-day ceasefire.

“We are not accepting any temporary ceasefire,” Khatibzadeh said on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum hosted by Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. Any end to the fighting must include all conflict zones “from Lebanon to the Red Sea,” he added, describing it as a “red line” for Iran.

The cycle of violence “should end here once and for all,” Khatibzadeh continued, according to Al Jazeera.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) said it is ready to resume fighting if needed.

The Army and the IRGC have their “finger on the trigger” and are “prepared to deliver a powerful, destructive, and regret-inducing response to any aggressive or criminal action by the US-Israeli enemy and their allies against the Iranian nation,” the IRGC said Friday.

As we noted earlier in this story, the leaders of nearly three dozen nations met – mostly virtually – at a conference in Paris today to discuss the future of the Strait of Hormuz.

Co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the conference on the Initiative for Maritime Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz looked at ways of protecting shipping after the fighting ends.

Starmer said the U.K. and France will lead a multinational mission to “protect freedom of navigation” in the Strait as soon as conditions permit. He added that the mission would be “strictly peaceful and defensive,” with the aim of reassuring commercial shipping and supporting mine clearance efforts.

Starmer invited other countries to join, saying that roughly a dozen countries had committed to contributing assets.

Kaja Kallas, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, said leaders also discussed ensuring that Iran imposes no tolls on passage through the Strait.

“Any pay-for-passage scheme will set a dangerous precedent for global maritime routes,” she stated on X. “Iran has to abandon any plan to levy transit fees. Europe will play its part in restoring the free flow of energy and trade, once a ceasefire takes hold.”

Kallas added that the EU’s Aspides naval mission is already operating in the Red Sea “and can be quickly strengthened to protect shipping across the region. This could be the fastest way to provide support.”

Yesterday, a spokesman for Aspides told us that there were no changes in its mission.

Under international law, transit through waterways like the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and free of charge. This is what leaders made clear in their call on reopening the Strait today.

Any pay-for-passage scheme will set a dangerous precedent for global maritime routes.… pic.twitter.com/Jeufv4hQou

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) April 17, 2026

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

The U.S. military is not limiting its efforts to interdict Iranian vessels to the Middle East. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters today that this is a global campaign.

“Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports,” he said. “The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran’s ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran’s territorial seas and in international waters.”

“In addition to this blockade, the joint force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific Area of Responsibility, under the command of Admiral [Samuel] Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” he added. “This includes Dark Fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, Dark Fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance requirements.”

Caine added that no Iranian ships have been boarded in the CENTCOM region so far, but he did not say if any have been interdicted outside the CENTCOM region. We have reached out to his office for more details. It should be noted that early in Epic Fury, a U.S. Navy submarine sunk an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean.

Caine was one of three top military leaders to brief reporters this morning on the currently paused Operation Epic Fury and the ongoing blockade. Here are some highlights from the press conference, which also included War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CENTCOM commander, Adm. Brad Cooper.

• Caine explaining how the Navy is enforcing the blockade:

“This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time, we just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities,” Caine noted. “What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. What is also not depicted here is the massive, massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters and other embarked forces, to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. You’ll note that U.S. forces are in blue. Iranian ships are in red.”

A day into the U.S.-imposed military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, several ships have apparently transited the narrow waterway, including at least two that reportedly had previously stopped at Iranian ports. However, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is pushing back against claims that vessels ran the blockade. As we noted yesterday, CENTCOM said the maritime exclusion operation would be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.”

Meanwhile, there are indications that the U.S. and Iran may continue seeking a diplomatic offramp to the crisis, which began Feb. 28 when America and Israel began bombarding the Islamic Republic. We will discuss that in greater detail later in this story.

Christianna, a Liberia-flagged cargo ship, “exited the Persian Gulf through the strait on Monday night, after leaving the Iranian port city of Bandar Imam Khomeini,” The New York Times reported, citing the global trade intelligence firm Kpler. It said the ship was not carrying any cargo.

In addition, Elpis, a methanol carrier, “traversed the strait roughly around the time that the U.S. blockade began, according to ship-tracking data,” the newspaper added, “Kpler said that the vessel had been at the Iranian port of Bushehr. The United States had placed sanctions on the ship last year under an earlier name, Chamtang, over its connections to the Iranian oil trade.”

Donald Trump said he is “very optimistic” that a peace agreement with Iran is close, as a diplomatic team led by Vice President JD Vance heads to Pakistan for high-stakes talks this weekend aimed at ending the war. Meanwhile, however, there is no indication that Iran is easing its near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has triggered what is reportedly the most severe disruption to global energy supplies on record.

Vance is leading the American delegation, joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, both of whom participated in three rounds of indirect nuclear talks with Iranian negotiators in Oman before the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28.

Boarding Air Force Two on his way to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, the vice president said, “We’re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it’s gonna be positive. We’ll of course see.”

Vance also cited Trump, adding: “If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand.”

But he said: “If they’re gonna try and play us, then they’re gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.”

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said on Friday that two previously agreed conditions — a ceasefire in Lebanon and the unfreezing of Iranian assets — must be fulfilled before any negotiations can begin.

Posting on X, he stated that these steps were part of mutual commitments between the parties and cautioned that talks should not proceed until they are implemented, as disagreements over ceasefire terms and ongoing fighting in Lebanon continue to escalate.

President Trump said that Iran has “no cards,” in a post on social media today.

Writing on Truth Social, he said: “The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short-term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!”

After Iran rejected the idea of a 45-day ceasefire and said it wanted a permanent end to the conflict, the countdown continues to see whether Tehran bows to U.S. pressure and reopens the Strait of Hormuz. “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” U.S. President Donald Trump declared today. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

We also continue to update our coverage on the recovery of a U.S. Air Force F-15E Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) in this separate story.

Last night, President Trump had threatened that if Tehran did not meet his deadline of 8:00 pm ET tonight, “every bridge in Iran will be decimated” by midnight ET on Wednesday and “every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again.”

In the face of repeated questions about whether such a wave of attacks would constitute a war crime, Trump said he was “not at all” concerned about that possibility. “You know what’s a war crime? Having a nuclear weapon,” he said.

The F-15E Weapons System Officer (WSO), missing since his plane was shot down on Friday, has been rescued after a very risky combat search and rescue operation and fierce firefight in southern Iran. The pilot had already been retrieved during the rescue operation in which two HH-60H Jolly Green II combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopters were reportedly damaged by incoming fire, injuring several troops.

President Trump took to Truth Social confirming multiple reports that the WSO was safely in American hands.

WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND! This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue. At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine. This miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation. This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies. This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, and everyone else, should be proud of and united around. We truly have the best, most professional, and lethal Military in the History of the World. GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!

“U.S. special forces rescued the second crew member of the F-15 fighter jet that was shot down over Iran,” Axios reported prior to Trump’s posting, citing three U.S. officials. “Saturday’s operation was conducted by a specialized commando unit with a high volume of air cover…the U.S. forces unleashed a hail of heavy fire, and that all of the forces were now out of Iran.”

Videos emerged from the scene showing what appears to be missile strikes, with the sounds of gunfire and explosions being heard.

Another video purports to show Iranian citizens in the area, searching for the pilot. Tehran has offered a large reward for the WSO’s capture. Seizing the airman, or killing them, would have provided an enormous public relations windfall for Tehran and embarrassment for Washington.

Earlier Saturday evening, the Instagram account for U.S. Air Force Special Warfare Recruiting said the WSO was rescued.

“BREAKING: The missing F-15E weapons systems officer that was shot down in Iran yesterday was recovered alive by American Special Operations with Air Force Special Warfare attachments inside contested enemy area in Iran.

Special operators willingly put their lives on the line to rescue the fallen, engaged in a ‘massive firefight’ at the extraction site, and fought with all they had ‘so that others may live.’

What a win for America, and the WSO who paid attention in SERE training. What a win for the Air Force Special Warfare community. If you are looking to join America’s best and bravest that bring our fellow Americans home on their worst days, contact your local Air Force Recruiter today!

F-15 WSO recovered alive. Was escaping and evading. Massive fire fight on tgt. Iranians were actively looking for him in the area.”

In addition, journalist and former Green Beret Jack Murphy stated on X that they were rescued before reports began to hit online.

Since the shootdown, the U.S. has deployed a rescue packages including fighters for top cover, the HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters and HC-130J Combat King CSAR planes, surveillance jets and drones, among many other assets. You can read more about what goes into a CSAR package in our previous reporting here. As the U.S. search continued Saturday for the WSO, a large firefight reportedly broke out in the southern area of Iran near where the crash took place.

As we have frequently noted, CSAR operations are among the most dangerous and complex missions U.S. troops perform, penetrating into potentially highly defended territory where, in this case, one of America’s most capable combat aircraft did not survive. All this is taking place with the Iranians on the highest alert and very active with their own hunt for the WSO. The fact that the operation was launched in broad daylight soon after the F-15E went down shows the stunning amount of risk U.S. personnel took on in order to save one of their own.

After the crash, videos emerged of the rescue efforts.

One showed a Combat King flying low over the Iranian countryside.

A rescue helicopter can be seen coming under Iranian fire in the following video.

Iran’s armed forces claim that a U.S. fighter jet has been shot down over the country. According to Iranian state media, a U.S. F-35 was downed, although photos of the wreckage of a fighter on the ground point squarely to the aircraft involved being a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle — provided they are legitimate.

UPDATE: See latest info on the loss of the F-15E over Iran and the ongoing combat search and rescue operation at the bottom of this post.

A spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters said today that an F-35 was brought down over the central part of the country by a new type of air defense system operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with little chance the pilot survived, Reuters reports. The F-15E carries two aircrew, while the F-35 is a single-seater. At this point, we have no firm indication of the fate of the crew if such an incident did indeed take place.

It also remains possible that the images of the wreckage have been manipulated, and we are dealing with misinformation. However, the photos appear genuine and are certainly consistent with parts of an F-15E, including one of the vertical tails, and parts of the wing and tail. There is also the possibility that the images derive from an earlier F-15E loss, which we will come to later.

Specifically, the tail seen here would indicate an aircraft assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath in England, based on its red band. This is one of the units that has been deployed to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations for Epic Fury. The 494th FS has also been extremely active over the CENTCOM area of responsibility for many years.

We should also consider that the F-15E could have come down for multiple reasons other than being shot down by air defenses, as Iran claims. Potentially, the jet could have been hit and lost its tail and even part of its wing, before returning to safe airspace. That might sound incredible, but F-15s have done this before.

Iran might also be presenting some other F-15E wreckage. Iran has collected many wrecks of foreign aircraft over the years, but where this one would have come from is not clear.

Previous documented F-15E crashes in the Middle East or Afghanistan don’t involve aircraft from the 494th Fighter Squadron, as far as we can ascertain. Specifically, since Desert Storm (when the 48th Fighter Wing operated F-111s, not F-15Es), these (non-combat) losses occurred in Iraq (April 2003, 335th FS, 4th FW), Afghanistan (July 2009, 336th FS, 4th FW), and Libya (March 2011, 492nd FS, 48th FW).

Hours before the F-35 claim, the IRGC released a video of what it said showed the successful shootdown of a U.S. F-15 over Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz. In this case, they attributed the claimed shootdown to an unnamed advanced naval air defense system. The video shows the typical ground-based FLIR systems we have seen in use by air defenses in Yemen and, more recently, Iran. The video does not show the aircraft being struck, but it does show it maneuvering and releasing flares.

That claim was swiftly rebutted by CENTCOM.

At this point, it is unclear if these various incidents are connected, especially since the IRGC specifically identified an F-35 as being shot down, while the claimed Qeshm Island video and the apparent wreckage on the ground clearly show F-15s.

It should be recalled that three F-15Es were brought down over Kuwait in a friendly fire incident earlier in the campaign. CENTCOM confirmed that the six crew members involved ejected safely, and at least some of those remained in theater and have resumed combat operations. It was reported that the three Strike Eagles were brought down by a Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18 Hornet, although many details of the incident remain unclear. At least one of these jets was from the 48th FW, so we cannot entirely rule out the possibility that we are seeing photos of wreckage from that incident here.

Last month, the IRCG claimed that a U.S. Air Force F-35A was hit over Iran, and U.S. officials confirmed the jet made an emergency landing, with the pilot having sustained shrapnel injuries. The IRGC released a video that they claimed shows the F-35 being hit by a missile, as seen through a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system that is identical to the kind in yesterday’s supposed footage of the shootdown.

There appear to have been near-misses for U.S. fighter jets operating over Iran, too. On March 26, videos emerged showing an apparent very close call for a U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet after it was targeted by what appears to have been an Iranian man-portable air defense system (MANPADS). The F/A-18 was conducting a low-level strafing run at the time.

Taken together, all these events underscore the persistent threat posed by Iranian air defenses, whatever is left of them. Despite claims from U.S. officials of aerial superiority over Iran, the continued risk from various air defense systems is something that we have repeatedly drawn attention to.

The apparent incident today comes amid continuing regional tensions, with Iran launching more attacks across the Middle East, including missile strikes targeting Israel and Bahrain, as well as a drone attack that set an oil refinery in Kuwait on fire.

We have approached CENTCOM, the Pentagon, and U.S. Air Forces in Europe for more information and will continue to update this story as more details emerge.

UPDATES:

UPDATE: 6:27 PM EST –

The video we showed earlier of Iranian law enforcement shooting at low-flying U.S. Black Hawk helicopters was geolocated to near Choram, Iran, about 70 miles north of the Persian Gulf in that country’s southwest.

UPDATE: 5:28 PM EST –

The White House has called a “lid,” meaning that Trump has no further scheduled public events or media engagements this evening. However, he and his national security team are reportedly still meeting as the search goes on for the missing F-15E aviator.

UPDATE: 5:28 PM EST –

In a brief Friday phone interview with The Independent, Trump declined to say what his course of action might be if the missing crew member of a downed F-15E is captured or harmed by Iran..

“Well, I can’t comment on it because — we hope that’s not going to happen,” the president stated before ending the call.

Trump gave little clarity on how the U.S. would respond if the missing pilot in Iran is harmed, saying only, “We hope that’s not going to happen,” and declining further comment.

Source: The Independent

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 5: 19 PM EST –

The House Armed Services Committee was “notified by the Pentagon on Friday that the status of the second F-15E Strike Eagle service member is NOT known,” the Hill reported on X.

NEWS: The House Armed Services Committee was notified by the Pentagon on Friday that the status of the second F-15E Strike Eagle service member is NOT known, a congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, told me @thehill @NewsNation

— Filip Timotija (@filip_timotija) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 5:11 PM EST –

Trump’s national security team is gathered at the White House, ABC News is reporting on X.

The president “has been working in the Oval Office or Oval Dining Room all day receiving updates,” the network added, citing a senior official.

There has been no public comments from Trump outside of social media posts, ABC noted.

A senior White House official tells me the President’s national security team is gathered at the White House.

Trump has been working in the Oval Office or Oval Dining Room all day receiving updates, the official adds.

No public comments from Trump outside of social media posts

— Selina Wang (@selinawangtv) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 4:59 PM EST –

The Washington Post is also reporting that an A-10 was struck by incoming fire over Iran. The pilot “navigated the damaged plane to Kuwaiti airspace before ejecting and was subsequently rescued,” the publication stated.

In addition, it confirmed an earlier NBC report that two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters involved in the search-and-rescue effort were also hit by Iranian fire. The Post added that the attack “injured U.S. personnel on board, though both aircraft have safely returned to their base.”

As we noted earlier in this story, The New York Times reported that an A-10 was shot down while Fox said that was inaccurate.

Neither the Pentagon nor CENTCOM have responded to requests for comment.

NEW: Two U.S. military aircraft were shot down in separate incidents Friday while conducting combat operations against Iran, setting off a frantic search-and-rescue effort that remains ongoing for one missing crew member, U.S. officials said. https://t.co/MTQavgZ90u

— Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 4:22 PM EST –

NBC News reports that two U.S. helicopters taking part in the recovery of the pilot of the downed F-15E were struck by Iranian fire, but that the troops are all safe.

UPDATE: 4:08 PM EST –

NBC News stated that in a brief phone interview, President Trump “refused to discuss the specifics of ongoing search and rescue efforts in Iran after an American jet was downed.”

However, he “expressed frustration about some of the coverage of what is plainly an intense and sensitive rescue operation,” the network reported.

Asked if today’s events will affect any negotiations with Iran, the president said it would not.

“No, not at all. No, it’s war. We’re in war, Garrett,” he said.

UPDATE: 3:58 PM EST –

Now Fox News is pushing back against the New York Times story about the A-10 crash,

“An A-10 Warthog attack caught ‘enemy fire’ while a rescue operation for the U.S. crew member took place,” the network reported, citing “a well-placed source.”

We have reached out to CENTCOM, which has not responded to numerous requests for comment, for clarity on these claims.

UPDATE: 3:31 PM EST –

Video emerged purporting to show members of the Iranian Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA) firing small arms at Black Hawks flying at low altitude. While Newsmax reported that a Black Hawk was struck in Iran, it is unclear if it was during this engagement.

And here is the scene of the FARAJA (Iranian Law Enforcement Command) engagement with American Blackhawks at low altitude. One Blackhawk was confirmed hit by Iran. It was a catastrophic day for the United States; many more are to follow. pic.twitter.com/657Th0J4xI

— NEUTRINO (@ETERNALPHYSICS) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 3:25 PM EST –

Newsmax is now reporting that the Black Hawk was indeed hit and that the crew is accounted for and safe.

UPDATE: 3:15 PM EST –

Iran’s semi-official Fars news said Tehran has rejected a White House request for a 48-hour ceasefire.

“Assessments indicate that this proposal came after the escalation of the crisis in the region and serious problems for US military forces due to an incorrect estimate of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military capabilities,” the outlet claimed. “Iran’s response to this proposal was not in writing, but rather a field response with continued heavy attacks.”

We have reached out to the White House for comment.

UPDATE: 3:03 PM EST –

The Pentagon has finally added Epic Fury to its online casualty database. To date, there have been 13 troops killed and another 365 wounded.

NEW: The Pentagon has finally added Operation Epic Fury to its online database of U.S. military casualties

As of April 3, a total of 365 have been wounded in action:

• Army = 247
• Navy = 63
• Marine = 19
• Air Force = 36

Death toll remains at 13https://t.co/VaC8OcXmDg

— Julia Jester (@JulesJester) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 2:58 PM EST –

The New York Times is reporting that an A-10 Warthog close support jet also crashed in the Persian Gulf region on Friday. The pilot was safely rescued, the newspaper stated, citing two anonymous officials.

“The A-10 Warthog attack plane went down near the Strait of Hormuz about the same time that an Air Force F-15E was shot down over Iran,” according to the publication. 

UPDATE: 2:50 PM EST –

Israel suspended airstrikes in Iran amid the U.S. search and rescue effort after a F-15E fighter jet was downed on Friday, according to The Associated Press.

An Israeli official told the AP that the airstrikes were halted in areas “relevant” to the rescue effort.

UPDATE 2:35 PM EST –

Newsmax is reporting that in addition to the F-15E being downed and one of the pilots rescued, a Black Hawk helicopter taking part in CSAR operations may have been hit over Iran as well. While The War Zone cannot independently verify this, the claim highlights the dangerous nature of these operations.

Report from @CarlaBNewsmax: “One source tells me a Blackhawk may have also been hit over Iran while conducting rescue ops to find the second F-15 pilot. I’m told the Blackhawk was tailed by a trail of smoke as it crossed into southern Iraq from Iran today.” https://t.co/mByzZrwMZu

— Steve Lookner (@lookner) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 2:10 PM EST –

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the downing of the F-15E, Al Jazeera is reporting.

“He has been briefed,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, the White House told us.

The White House has confirmed President Trump has been briefed on the shooting down of a US fighter jet in Iran. It comes as Iranian state TV announced a reward for anyone who captures the US pilots alive.

US media reported one crew member has been rescued. Here’s what we know. pic.twitter.com/dNBnMcqVAn

— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 12:30 PM EST–

The critical nature and the huge challenges involved in mounting a CSAR operation in Iranian territory are something we discussed before the war began, as you can read about here.

Specifically, on the CSAR part, we highlighted:

The U.S. has the most advanced air combat capabilities on earth, but ‘shit happens,’ especially during war. Even the Houthis nearly downed U.S. fighter aircraft optimized to destroy enemy air defenses. But regardless of defenses and the state of Iran’s air defense overlay, putting Americans over Iran, and repeatedly over days and weeks, is a risk. Aircraft can malfunction, and mistakes can be made. When that happens, it will require even more risk to push combat search and rescue assets into the area to try to recover the crew. In other words, regardless of America’s outstanding air warfare capabilities, there is still a real risk involved in any operation over Iran.

And that is just what we’ve seen today.

As for CSAR operations and the packages of assets used to go in and pluck downed aircrews from deep inside contested territory, these can look different based on where the incident occurred, what the enemy’s capabilities are, what assets are available and intelligence at the time. These highly tailored groups of assets are tasked with one of the toughest missions imaginable, penetrating into potentially highly defended territory where, in some cases, even America’s most capable combat aircraft did not survive. This would likely be occurring when an enemy is on its highest alert and very active searching for the downed aircrew. In other words, they know you are coming. Executing these operations at night is ideal, but sometimes, daylight cannot be avoided, upping the danger.

The risks are immense as putting many more lives and assets, the latter of which could be more vulnerable than the one lost, at risk in order to rescue a small number or aircrew can cascade quickly into a much larger disaster. While the rotary-wing aircraft and the Pararescuemen (PJs) they carry are often the stars of the CSAR show, a huge array of assets participate in these operations to make them have the best chance at success. This includes C-130s working in the aerial refueling and support role that enables the rescue helicopters to get to their target area. Fixed-wing attack aircraft working in the ‘Sandy’ close air support role aimed at opening holes for helicopters at their landing zones and protecting them and the rescue party once on the ground. They are also a contingency in place if a rescue asset also goes down, buying that crew time until another asset in the rescue party can swoop in and grab them. In the modern era of warfare, drones, such a MQ-9 Reapers, can also be risked ahead of the CSAR force to gather intel and surveil the landing zone. Also knowing what took down the stranded aircrew’s aircraft can be a big help in seeing the rescue force gets in and out of the area safely, as well.

CSAR Training • A-10 Warthogs Fly Close Air Support

From there the list is endless. This package would often require a counter-air capability of fighters providing defense against aerial threats. F-22s, F-15s, F-16s, can all provide this depending on the level of threat in the area. The force would also need to be backed by suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) aircraft, such as F-16CJ/CMs or F-35As, that would work to suppress or destroy any pop-up surface-to-air missile threats. Then you have standoff jamming support aircraft to help all this survive and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) assets to coordinate the air battle and keep an eye out for threats. Then there are the tankers, lots and lots of tankers, to keep all this stuff in the air for a prolonged period of time. Beyond this sampling of aircraft, there are many more assets and capabilities all over the globe and in space that would support such an operation.

And this is just a snapshot of the USAF’s CSAR portfolio, the Navy and Marines have their own tactical recovery of aircrew and personnel (TRAP) packages.

In the case of an air war like the one over Iran, these tailored packages were well thought through in advance and CSAR sits alert at all times ready to go execute the mission. The longer it takes to get to the target area the lower chances the crew has of surviving and/or not being captured. This can be a game of minutes or hours, not days, but bringing all these assets together and getting them on the same page without making things worse does take some time. Considering what is at stake, CSAR crews move as fast as possible to get the mission in motion as they know their job only gets exponentially harder and more dangerous with time, as does evading enemy capture for the downed crew.

The big takeaway here is that these are extremely complex and highly-integrated operations, usually executed under very tight timelines.

UPDATE: 12:20 PM EST–

U.S. officials have confirmed to CBS News that one crew member from the F-15E downed over Iran has been rescued by American forces.

A search and rescue effort is ongoing for the other crew member, the same sources said. 

UPDATE: 12:00 PM EST–

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has apparently told CNN that President Trump has been briefed on the situation regarding the F-15E shootdown. We are still waiting to hear back from CENTCOM, the Pentagon, and U.S. Air Forces in Europe for anything more concrete on the incident.

President Trump has been briefed on the US fighter jet shot down over Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tells CNN

— Faytuks News (@Faytuks) April 3, 2026

In what may well turn out to be a separate incident, there are reports that a U.S. Air Force F-16 flying in an area around the Iraq-Iran border has squawked 7700, the universal, international transponder code used by aircraft to immediately alert Air Traffic Control (ATC) of a general emergency. We have again reached out to CENTCOM for more details.

A U.S. Air Force F-16CJ is flying out of Iran/Iraq airspace and has squawked 7700— the universal code for a general in-flight emergency, indicating the crew is dealing with a serious issue. https://t.co/De9S0gkjax

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 11:35 AM EST–

Very much unconfirmed at this stage is a report from N12 News in Israel, citing a Western source, who says that one of the two U.S. aircrew of the downed F-15E has been rescued.

N12 News’ Amit Segal reports, citing a Western source, that one of the two US crew members of the downed fighter jet has been rescued. https://t.co/fpB6JNTJgv

— Faytuks News (@Faytuks) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 11:30 AM EST–

We seem to have gotten an update on the earlier report that Iran was offering a bounty for the safe recovery of a U.S. pilot. Authorities are now reportedly offering a sum of around $60,000.

Iranian authorities are offering a reward of 10 billion tomans (~$60k) for the capture of the American F-15E aircrew downed earlier today.

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 3, 2026

The Iranian Mehr News Agency reports that a U.S. helicopter involved in the rescue effort was hit by some kind of Iranian projectile. It is unclear if the helicopter was brought down or if it is the same example that was reported as “attacked by air defense near the border and fled the scene.” Of course, this could be nothing more than propaganda. Although imagery reportedly showing a hit on the helicopter is circulating on social media, it is far from clear whether or not it is authentic.

UPDATE: 11:20 AM EST–

Videos also continue to emerge claiming to show HC-130Js operating over Iran, often at low level. In its official factsheet, the Air Force stresses that HC-130J crews “normally fly night, at low to medium altitude levels in contested or sensitive environments, both over land or overwater.” Such overt daytime flights would point to the particular urgency of this mission, but it is worth noting that the HC-130J is also well equipped with self-protection gear.

U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue plane overflying an Iranian countryside at ultra-low altitude during the ongoing operation to evacuate two American crew-member of the downed F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet. pic.twitter.com/CWc5SzokRT

— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) April 3, 2026

«جمعه ۱۴ فروردین ۱۵:۱۶. نزدیک جزیره خارگ. بعد از ما رفت سمت ایران و خارگ.» pic.twitter.com/lqYC2dhWYG

— مملکته (@mamlekate) April 3, 2026

Unverified for now are videos coming out of Iran that claim to show locals firing small arms at U.S. aircraft involved in the rescue effort.

UPDATE: 11:10 AM EST–

The Guardian appears to be one of the first major news outlets to report that the aircraft shot down was an F-15E, citing U.S. officials familiar with the situation who confirmed this fact off the record, and that the Pentagon was scrambling to find the crew.

The same has been reported by specialist press, including Air & Space Forces Magazine.

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle was downed over Iran and combat search and rescue efforts are underway, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine. https://t.co/divbKi1VT0

— Chris Gordon (@ByChrisGordon) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 10:40 AM EST–

Multiple major news agencies, including CNN, the New York Times, and Reuters, are now reporting that a U.S. fighter jet has been shot down over Iran. The incident would mark the first time a U.S. aircraft has been shot down over Iran during the conflict — at least that we know about. 

According to CNN, three U.S. sources have confirmed Iranian state media reports. Reuters cites a single U.S. official.

CNN has geolocated some of the videos of CSAR efforts in the Khuzestan province in central Iran. One of the videos shows a bridge over the Karoon River, which is around 290 miles south of Tehran.

A US fighter jet has been shot down over Iran, three US sources said confirming Iranian state media reports.
US forces have launched search and rescue efforts, the sources said. Potential rescue efforts appeared to be captured in video posted to social media and geolocated by…

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) April 3, 2026

An unverified video said to be taken from the area of the rescue effort shows an A-10C attack jet. The A-10 is well-versed in the Sandy mission, a specialized CSAR role in which the jets provide close air support for downed aircrew and escort rescue helicopters.

UPDATE: 9:00 AM EST–

Citing Iranian media as well as an unnamed source familiar with the incident, Axios reports that Iran did shoot down a U.S. jet, and that a search and rescue effort is underway to locate two crew.

UPDATE: 8:50 AM EST–

At least some official Iranian media channels are now also reporting the U.S. military aircraft claimed shot down over the country earlier today as an F-15E, rather than an F-35.

🚨Iran has shot down an F-15E ‘Strike Eagle’ belonging to the 494th Fighter Squadron ‘LN’ based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom

Debris of the tail fin confirm the downing. The fate of the pilots is currently unclear. pic.twitter.com/onicosCPAp

— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 8:35 AM EST–

Iranian television channels are apparently now broadcasting a message offering a reward from the regime for anyone who can capture the U.S. pilot alive.

UPDATE: 8:30 AM EST–

Additional videos, purportedly taken in Iran, appear to show a pair of HH-60 helicopters taking turns to refuel from an HC-130J.

Wild footage from a USAF C-130 fueling two helicopters over Iran shared by telegram channels. The cars & the dialect are Iranian and from southwest. pic.twitter.com/K9cufOOY26

— Ramin Khanizadeh (@RKhanizadeh) April 3, 2026

🚨Many people in southwestern Iran have gone to the area around the crash site of the American fighter jet in private cars to #capture the American pilot.

The Iranian armed forces have called on the people NOT TO LET anyone mistreat the pilot.

— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 8:15 AM EST–

Tasnim, the semi-official news agency in Iran associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, claims that U.S. attempts to rescue a downed fighter pilot (singular) have failed. The agency says that this was confirmed to them by “news sources” in Kohgiluyeh. The report continues: “The Americans have been conducting search operations for hours using Black Hawk helicopters and a Hercules 130 aircraft to rescue their fighter pilot who was shot down by Iranian armed forces; however, their attempt has failed.”

One of the helicopters involved in the rescue effort was “attacked by air defense near the border and fled the scene,” Tasnim adds.

In a post on X, Tasnim claims: “Unconfirmed reports suggest that Iranian security forces have taken into custody the pilot of a U.S. F-35 fighter jet following its destruction by the country’s air defense system inside Iranian territory.”

Of course, all of these claims remain unverified at this point. It is also puzzling, to say the least, why Iranian reports are consistently identifying the jet as an F-35, while publishing photos of an F-15E.

Iranian Forces Capture F-35 Pilot After Downing Advanced US Warplane

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Iranian security forces have taken into custody the pilot of a US F-35 fighter jet following its destruction by the country’s air defense system inside Iranian territory. https://t.co/PiQDh7xoo9 pic.twitter.com/FK4OGROOYi

— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) April 3, 2026

Normally, CSAR operations would be kept under wraps until the crew was safe, but in our digital world that is no longer guaranteed. The US has well practiced and resourced procedures, but there is always the risk of losing more assets in the act of saving downed aircrew.🤞 https://t.co/zyDXqIueMP

— Greg Bagwell (@gregbagwell) April 3, 2026

Unverified footage suggests that the CSAR effort over Iran may also now be supported by F-35 fighters and MQ-9 Reaper drones.

NOW: F-35 jets and MQ-9 drones were also spotted supporting U.S. helicopters over Iran, searching for the pilots of downed F-15E jet. pic.twitter.com/1cpNQ7pJq0

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 7:50 AM EST–

Unverified claims from Iranian sources, as well as imagery, suggest that the U.S. military may have staged an effort to rescue pilots from the downed F-15E fighter jet in Iran. Available imagery points to the use of C-130 and H-60 Black Hawk series aircraft. Specifically, U.S. Air Force combat search and rescue efforts typically rely upon the heavily modified HH-60 helicopters for extraction, HC-130J Combat King II aircraft for command and refueling, and highly specialized pararescuemen (PJs).

WATCH: U.S. C-130 Hercules reportedly flying very low over Iran, deploying flares.

The U.S. forces are highly likely searching the pilots of downed F-15E jet. pic.twitter.com/cPaQg29bOg

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 3, 2026

Also unverified, at this point, is the following image, which claims to show one of the two ejection seats from the downed F-15E.

The Iranians have found the Advanced Concept Ejection Seat II (ACES II) ejection seat system employed in U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet that crashed in Iran this morning.

The whereabouts of the F-15E’s two crew-members are still unknown. pic.twitter.com/Q2Fz558TBr

— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) April 3, 2026

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

A major bridge near Tehran was struck today by what Iran has said were U.S.-Israeli strikes. The B1 bridge in Alborz province, one of the tallest in the Middle East, was hit in two waves of attacks, separated by around an hour, Iranian state TV reported. The bridge provides a critical link between Tehran and Karaj. The attack comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages.”

“A few minutes ago, the American-Zionist enemy once again targeted the B1 bridge in Karaj,” a city west of Tehran, state TV said earlier today, adding that the first strike had caused two civilian casualties.

It said the a later attack took place as emergency teams were deployed to the site to help victims of the first strike. We cannot confirm this claim.

Imagery posted to social media showed a clear breach in the road bridge, which connects Tehran and Karaj. While a key logistics node between the two regions.

Earlier this week, Trump’s threatened to “completely obliterate,” all Iranian electrical-generation plants and oil wells. This led to questions about whether the U.S. military was being primed to commit potential war crimes under international law, with the campaign expanding to include civilian targets as a matter of policy.

When asked about this point, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump’s statement showed that Iran’s “best move is to make a deal.”

“The United States Armed Forces has capabilities beyond their wildest imagination, and the president is not afraid to use them,” she said.

In response to the bridge strike today, Iran has threatened to hit regional bridges, including in Israel.

Iranian statements also referenced potential targets in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Iraq, signaling a possible widening of threats to regional infrastructure.

UPDATES

UPDATE: 3:15 PM EST –

In a post on his Truth Social site, Trump confirmed that the U.S. attacked the B1 bridge and said there will be more such strikes unless Iran agrees to a peace treaty.

“The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again — Much more to follow!,” Trump proclaimed. “IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY!”

Iran has asked for a ceasefire, U.S. President Donald Trump says. In a statement on Truth Social today, Trump claimed the request came from “Iran’s New Regime President.” Trump added: “We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”

Trump did not mention the top official by name, but described the individual as “much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors.”

Iran still has Masoud Pezeshkian as its president, but he was elected back in 2024. In media appearances — most recently yesterday, according to Iranian sources — Pezeshkian said that Tehran had the “necessary will” to bring the war to an end, while stressing that certain conditions and guarantees would be required for that to happen.

The Iranian foreign ministry says President Trump’s claim that the country has asked for a ceasefire is “false and baseless.”

Trump added, “I didn’t need regime change, but we got it because of the casualties of war. We got it. So we have regime change, and the big thing we have is they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. Nor do they want one.” Iran, for its part, has always claimed that it has no plans to develop nuclear weapons.

Barak Ravid, global affairs reporter with Axios, writes that three U.S. officials confirmed that discussions are taking place about a possible ceasefire, dependent on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

On Monday, Trump claimed he had already accomplished regime change by killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, despite the fact that he had been succeeded by his son, Motjaba. While several other senior Iranian officials have been killed since the war began, critics argue that a leadership shift alone does not amount to true regime change.

“What we are seeing in Iran is not a regime change — but a transformation within the regime itself, one that has made it more extreme,” Danny Citrinowicz, the Israeli military’s former top Iran researcher, posted on X.

Overall, there are ongoing questions about whether the United States has met its evolving objectives since launching a joint attack with Israel on Iran more than four weeks ago.

As for the enriched uranium still possessed by Iran, Trump told Reuters today, “That’s so far underground, I don’t care about that… We’ll always be watching it by satellite.”

Speaking last night, Trump said that Operation Epic Fury could be concluded within two to three weeks. Trump added that reaching a deal with Tehran is not required to bring the conflict to an end.

“We will be leaving very soon,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last night.

Whatever Trump’s intentions are, we should know more tonight. The White House announced that the U.S. president will deliver “an important update” in a national address this evening at 9:00 p.m. Washington time.

While it remains unclear what new details Trump will share about the claimed ceasefire request, it seems likely that he will voice his opinions about the future of U.S. membership in NATO.

President Trump has said he is seriously weighing the possibility of withdrawing the United States from NATO, once again describing the alliance as a “paper tiger.”

“[NATO] is beyond recognition,” he said in an interview with The Telegraph.

“I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.”

In recent weeks, the U.S. president has criticized allied nations for their lack of involvement in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

“Beyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe. And I didn’t do a big sale. I just said, ‘Hey’, you know, I didn’t insist too much. I just think it should be automatic,” Trump said.

He also stated that the United States has supported countries in need, including Ukraine, even though it “wasn’t our problem.”

Trump also directed further criticism at the U.K. government, with which his relationship is increasingly strained. He added, “You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work.”

Soon after, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer provided a press conference on the situation in the Middle East, referring to the growing rift with Washington.

“It is increasingly clear that as the world continues down this volatile path, our long-term national interest requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe and with the European Union,” Starmer said.

The Telegraph interview with Trump followed comments from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggesting Washington may need to reassess its ties with NATO once the conflict with Iran concludes.

“We’re going to have to reexamine the value of NATO and that alliance for our country,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News last night.

“If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked, but them denying us basing rights when we need them, that’s not a very good arrangement. That’s a hard one to stay engaged in.”

UPDATES:

Over coverage has now concluded.

UPDATE: 9:54 PM EST –

During his roughly 19-minute speech from the White House about the war in Iran, Trump offered no real concrete details about its future. He made no mention of sending in ground troops and provided no real sense of when it might end. Meanwhile, contrary to earlier reporting that he might announce a U.S. withdrawal from the NATO alliance, he didn’t even mention the word NATO once.

Here are some highlights.

On the goals of Epic Fury being met:

Our objectives are very simple and clear. We are systematically dismantling the regime’s ability to threaten America or project power outside of their borders. That means eliminating Iran’s Navy, which is now absolutely destroyed, hurting their Air Force and their missile program at levels never seen before, and annihilating their defense industrial base. We’ve done all of it. 

Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their missiles are just about used up or beaten. Taken together, these actions will cripple Iran’s military, crush their ability to support terrorist proxies and deny them the ability to build a nuclear bomb. Our armed forces have been extraordinary. There’s never been anything like it militarily. Everyone is talking about it, and tonight, I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion.

On Iran no longer being a threat:

We are in this military operation so powerful, so brilliant, against one of the most powerful countries for 32 days, and the country has been eviscerated and essentially is really no longer a threat. They were the bully of the Middle East, but they’re the bully no longer.

On The Strait of Hormuz, the flow of oil and allied involvement:

Remember, because of our Drill, Baby, Drill program, America has plenty of gas. We have so much gas. Under my leadership, we are the number one producer of oil and gas on the planet, without even discussing the millions of barrels that we are getting from Venezuela. Because of the Trump administration’s policies, we produce more oil and gas than Saudi Arabia and Russia combined. Think of that, Saudi Arabia and Russia combined, and that number will soon be substantially higher than that. 

There’s no country like us anywhere in the world, and we’re in great shape for the future. The United States imports almost no oil through the Hormuz Strait, and won’t be taking any in the future. We don’t need it. We haven’t needed it, and we don’t need it. We’ve beaten and completely decimated Iran. They are decimated both militarily and economically and every other way. And the countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage. They must cherish it. They must grab it and cherish it. They can do it easily. We will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on. So to those countries that can’t get fuel, many of which refuse to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, we had to do it ourselves. I have a suggestion. Number One, buy oil from the United States of America. We have plenty. We have so much. And Number Two, build up some delayed courage. Should have done it before. Should have done it with us as we ask, ‘go to the Strait and just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves.’ Iran has been essentially decimated. The hard part is done. So it should be easy, and in any event, when this conflict is over, the Strait will open up naturally. It’ll just open up naturally. They’re going to want to be able to sell oil, because that’s all they have to try and rebuild.

On what happens next:

I’ve made clear from the beginning of Operation Epic Fury that we will continue until our objectives are fully achieved. Thanks to the progress we’ve made. I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly. We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.

In the meantime, discussions are ongoing. Regime change was not our goal. We never said regime change, but regime change has occurred because of all of their original leaders’ death. They’re all dead. The new group is less radical and much more reasonable. Yet, if during this period of time, no deal is made, we have our eyes on key targets. If there is no deal, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants, very hard and probably simultaneously. We have not hit their oil, even though that’s the easiest target of all, because it would not give them even a small chance of survival or rebuilding, but we could hit it and it would be gone, and there’s not a thing they could do about it. 

UPDATE: 6:30 PM EST –

The New York Times is reporting that “multiple U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed in recent days that the Iranian government is not currently willing to engage in substantial negotiations over ending the U.S.-Israeli war.” The newspaper cited anonymous U.S. officials.

“The assessments say the Iranian government believes it is in a strong position in the war and does not have to accede to America’s diplomatic demands,” the Times proffered. “And while Iran is willing to keep channels open, they said, it does not trust the United States and does not think President Trump is serious about negotiations.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) kamikaze drones were designed not by private industry, but by the Pentagon. The drones were used in combat for the first time during Epic Fury. You can read more about these weapons, which CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper told us are “indespensible” here.

An image emerged online purporting to show damage to the Tabriz Shahid Madani International Airport control tower. The facility, which also serves as a military airbase, was struck in an attack earlier this week.

The explosive aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on an IRGC missile site can be seen in the following video.

A pair of the U.S. Air Force’s new EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare jets have touched down at RAF Mildenhall in England, from where they could move forward and join America’s growing aerial armada in the Middle East. 

Last night, open-source flight trackers began to track the progress of the two jets — tail numbers 19-1587 and 17-5579 — that were flying with the callsigns AXIS41 and AXIS43. Photos of the aircraft arriving at Mildenhall were provided to TWZ by g.lockaviation.

This could become the EA-37B’s first operational deployment, but we cannot say that for certain at this time. One of the EA-37Bs was in Europe earlier this year to introduce airmen to the platform, but it was not yet operational. You can read more about that here.

It is worth bearing in mind that, during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, a pair of E-8 Joint STARS surveillance aircraft were also deployed, but were operated by civilian crews. The same could be the case here, or at least mixed crews.

The 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, which operates the Compass Calls, declined to provide TWZ with a comment, deferring us to CENTCOM, which could not immediately comment.

The Air Force plans to acquire 10 EA-37Bs to replace its aging and steadily shrinking fleet of turboprop-powered EC-130H Compass Call planes, of which only four are still in service. Two are deployed to the Middle East for Operation Epic Fury. There have been some unconfirmed reports that these aircraft may have been damaged in the attack on Prince Sultan Air Base that saw an E-3 destroyed. Losing EC-130H capability in the region could have very well prompted an emergency deployment of EA-37Bs, even ahead of their planned entry into full operational availability. But we cannot confirm that is the case at this time.

Electromagnetic warfare, evolved

The new aircraft are designed to provide critical standoff jamming support against enemy communications systems, including hostile air defense systems.

As we have pointed out, even improvised systems cobbled together by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, as well as their hodgepodge of other air defenses, have shown their ability to challenge even the most advanced fighters in the U.S. inventory. Iran’s capabilities, while now in a deeply degraded state, are more advanced and already seem to have had some success in targeting U.S. military aircraft, while others have faced close calls.

At the same time, while air defenses are certainly part of the equation, simply keeping the Iranian military from communicating and (further) disrupting their already fractured command-and-control infrastructure is a highly significant capability to bring to bear.

The EA-37B also has an important intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) function, given its ability to spot, track, and geolocate various types of emitters.

This aircraft, which represents the cutting edge in U.S. electronic warfare capabilities, would be highly important for any ground operation, helping to protect troops put in harms way, should this come to pass.

We will have to wait and see if the EA-37Bs make the leap to the CENTCOM area of responsibility. If they do, it will be something of a baptism by fire for America’s new Compass Call.

A full deep-dive into the various capabilities of the EA-37B can be found in this interview with top executives from the two co-primes that are working on the electronic attack aircraft program.

UPDATES:

Our coverage for the day has concluded.

UPDATE: 5:38 PM EST –

CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins provided us with the latest casualty figures for Epic Fury.

There have been 348 troops wounded, six seriously and 315 have returned to duty. There have been 13 troops killed.

Trump told reporters at the White House that the U.S. military will soon depart from the Strait of Hormuz.

“We’ll be leaving very soon,” he proclaimed. “What happens [there] we’ll have nothing to do with.

CNN said top administration officials acknowledge that the U.S. cannot swiftly end the war within the Trump-imposed four to six week timeline and keep the Strait of Hormuz.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated the Trump administration’s rationale for going to war with Iran, stating “we were on the verge of having an Iran that had so many missiles and so many drones that nobody could do anything about their nuclear weapons program…”

It appears that USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara, a pair of U.S. Navy Independence class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) configured for minesweeping, remain in the Pacific.

According to open-source researcher MT Anderson, satellite imagery shows vessels moored alongside each other at Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore. As we have previously noted, ships remain thousands of miles away from their primary assigned operating area in the Middle East, where the conflict with Iran grinds on. That despite concerns that the Strait of Hormuz could be mined.

Iran released new video of its Eagle 44 underground airbase showing it still has some aircraft. As TWZ editor-in-chief Tyler Rogoway notes in a post on X, low-resolution satellite imagery from March 16 shows relatively little damage at the site. However, things may have changed since then and the site may have been it. Regardless, it doesn’t matter if Eagle 44 only has jets, which wouldn’t last very long even if they got off the ground. However, if the facility were stuffed with missiles, that would be a concern. You can read more about Eagle 44 here.

UPDATE: 4:06 PM EST –

In a brief exchange during an interview with NBC News Tuesday afternoon, Trump hinted that Epic Fury might be drawing to a close.

“We’re doing great,” Trump told the network. “And it’s coming to an end.”

He offered no further details.

The U.K. is sending more troops and Sky Sabre air defense systems to the Middle East to defend against Iranian attacks. This will bring the total number of UK personnel in the Gulf and Cyprus to around 1,000, the BBC noted.

“On a trip to the Gulf nations, Defense Secretary John Healey said extra air defence teams and systems would be deployed to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait while the use of Typhoon jets in Qatar will be extended,” the outlet added. “My message to Gulf partners is: Britain’s best will help you defend your skies.”

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that his country is exchanging messages with the U.S. either directly or through friends in the region.

But that doesn’t mean there are peace talks with Washington, Araghchi posited.

“I receive messages from [U.S. envoy Steve] Witkoff directly, as before, and this does not mean that we are in negotiations,” he told the news outlet.

Araghchi added that Iran has no “faith that negotiations with the U.S. will yield any results. The Trust level is zero.”

Netanyahu said that as a result of constant Israeli attacks on Iran, “sooner or later, it will end up falling.”

The Israeli leader also said “we are working on transforming Israel into a super nation in the region and globally.”

The IRGC confirmed the killing of another Iranian leader, this time Jamshid Eshaghi, head of budget and financial affairs for the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff. He was killed in a missile strike in Tehran on an unspecified date, according to the IRGC.

Eshaghi played a key role in evading oil sanctions and financing the group’s missile projects, according to Ariel Oseran, senior Middle East correspondent for Israel’sI24 News in a post on X.

The IRGC confirms the elimination of Jamshid Eshaghi, head of budget and financial affairs for the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff, in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran, without specifying the date. Eshaghi played a key role in evading oil sanctions and financing the IRGC’s… pic.twitter.com/hs2npoQTt5

— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) March 31, 2026

The State Department said it is “tracking reports of threats against locations where American citizens gather” in Saudi Arabia. ”We advise U.S. citizens that hotels and other gathering points including U.S. businesses and U.S. educational institutions may be potential targets.”

Saudi Arabia: We are tracking reports of threats against locations where American citizens gather. We advise U.S. citizens that hotels and other gathering points including U.S. businesses and U.S. educational institutions may be potential targets. On March 22, the Department of… pic.twitter.com/9Xm2oLzxzr

— TravelGov (@TravelGov) March 31, 2026

UPDATE 12:46 PM EST –

The Navy released video today of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush departing for deployment. As we previously noted, the carrier is reportedly heading to the Middle East region. The Bush will likely replace the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which left the region and is undergoing repairs in Croatia after a fire.

📍NORFOLK, Va. – The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), the flagship of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, departs Naval Station Norfolk to begin operations in support of its scheduled deployment, March 31, 2026. pic.twitter.com/ePDTv4IcPE

— U.S. Fleet Forces (@USFleetForces) March 31, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at something on Tuesday that at one time was unthinkable – a military alliance with Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations.

According to Israeli media, “Netanyahu told ministers at a cabinet meeting that new alliances are being formed with leaders of Arab countries who ‘are talking about fighting together on our side,’” The Times of Israel reported.

“In the past, I had secret conversations with Arab leaders,” Netanyahu reportedly said. “I told them, ‘As soon as Iran can, it will conquer you and overthrow your kingdoms.’ Back then, they didn’t really internalize things. Today they understand.”

BREAKING 🇮🇱🇦🇪🇸🇦: Israeli PM Netanyahu says talks underway to form alliance with Arab countries to fight alongside Israel. pic.twitter.com/BOmDeCr8H9

— War Radar (@War_Radar2) March 31, 2026

Lebanon has informed the United Nations in a letter that it has outlawed Hezbollah’s military wing. Beirut’s letter, dated a few weeks ago but made public today, also mentioned the Lebanese government’s March 2 decision to ban all military activity by the group.

Lebanon has informed the United Nations in a letter that it has outlawed Hezbollah’s military wing. Beirut’s letter, dated a few weeks ago but made public today, also mentioned the Lebanese government’s March 2 decision to ban all military activity by the group. pic.twitter.com/2npN5Fckpa

— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) March 31, 2026

Hegseth not only validated Trump’s idea to move forward with plans to attack Iran, he also downplayed the inherent risks of the conflict spiraling out of control, according to CNN.

In the immediate lead-up to Iran war, Hegseth not only validated the Trump’s idea to move forward, he also downplayed the inherent risks of the conflict spiraling out of control, three sources tell me & @KristenhCNN.

Nobody in the room during that critical meeting emphasized…

— Zachary Cohen (@ZcohenCNN) March 31, 2026

Poland has no intention of shipping any Patriot batteries to the Middle East despite a request from the U.S. to do so, says Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

“Our Patriot batteries and their armament are used to protect Polish skies and NATO’s eastern flank,” he stated on X. “Nothing is changing in this regard, and we are not planning to relocate them anywhere! Our allies know full well and understand how important the tasks we have here are. Poland’s security is an absolute priority.”

Nasze baterie Patriot i ich uzbrojenie służą do ochrony polskiego nieba i wschodniej flanki NATO. Nic w tej kwestii się nie zmienia i nigdzie nie planujemy ich przemieszczać! Nasi sojusznicy dobrze wiedzą i rozumieją jak ważne mamy tu zadania. Bezpieczeństwo Polski jest…

— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) March 31, 2026

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened to strike 18 U.S. technology and defense-related companies operating in the Middle East, Israel’s I24 News reported. The IRGC warned the action could begin as early as tomorrow night if Iran’s senior commanders are targeted.

“In a statement, the IRGC urged employees of the listed firms to evacuate immediately, and advised nearby residents to leave surrounding areas, describing the companies as ‘terrorist’ entities allegedly supporting US and Israeli operations against Iran,” the publication added.

The IRGC threatens to attack 18 U.S. tech companies’ sites in the Middle East, including Apple, Google and Tesla, in response to any future targeted eliminations of its senior commanders as of tomorrow night.

“We advise employees of these companies to leave their workplaces…

— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) March 31, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump said today that countries should be prepared to go to the Strait of Hormuz and “take” fuel themselves, urging them to show greater resolve. Writing on Truth Social, he argued that nations would need to “learn how to fight for yourselves,” adding that the United States would no longer step in to assist, particularly after what he described as their refusal to support efforts to topple Iran’s leadership.

Trump suggested that countries facing shortages could instead purchase jet fuel from the United States, where supplies are abundant. He added that Iran had effectively been “decimated” and concluded by telling nations to secure their own oil.

“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you…” – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/aPYmL0qspa

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 31, 2026

NEWS 🧵: I called President Trump for some clarity on this post. He says the U.S. is not pulling assets in and around the Strait of Hormuz yet: “At some point I will, not quite yet, but countries have to come in and take care of it. Iran has been decimated, but they’re going to… pic.twitter.com/67BRdrOkRV

— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) March 31, 2026

In a press conference today, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stressed that Operation Epic Fury would conclude “on our terms” and that the United States remains committed to shaping the outcome of the conflict according to its own objectives.

The next days of the Iran war will be “decisive,” Pentagon chief Hegseth said at his first news conference in nearly two weeks. He adds: “We have more and more options, and they have less… in only one month, we set the terms, the upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there’s almost nothing they can militarily do about it.”

The war secretary reaffirmed that the option of some kind of ground campaign has not been ruled out. Hegseth said that “maybe negotiations will work,” but he was unwilling to commit one way or the other when asked about the potential for American boots on the ground.

Hegseth continued:

“You can’t fight and win a war if you tell your adversary what you are willing to do or what you are not willing to do, to include boots on the ground. Our adversary right now thinks there are 15 different ways we could come at them with boots on the ground, and guess what? There are. And so if we needed to, we could execute those options on behalf of the president of the United States and this department.”

“Or maybe we don’t have to use them at all. Maybe negotiations work, or maybe there’s a different approach. But the point is to be unpredictable in that you certainly do not let anybody know what you’re willing to do or not do.”

More here. Hegseth, speaking to concerns about the war in Iran from some of Trump’s political base:

“As far as President Trump and boots on the ground, I don’t understand why the base, which they have already, they understand wouldn’t have faith in his ability to execute on… https://t.co/7wBzUlntGI

— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) March 31, 2026

Hegseth went on to argue that recent events have exposed the level of support the United States can expect from its allies, suggesting that their responses have fallen short. According to Hegseth, while the missiles in question do not threaten the United States directly but rather its allies, requests for assistance — or even basic overflight access — have often been met with hesitation or obstacles.

Hegseth also confirmed that he had briefly visited the U.S. Central Command region recently.

Press conference at Pentagon just began. Hegseth says he was in the Centcom region for half a day recently — something not previously disclosed.

He has a notably different tone in his opener today, sharing details about what he saw and gratefulness to the service members in the…

— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) March 31, 2026

He concluded by warning that an alliance loses its meaning if member countries are unwilling to stand together when it matters most.

When it comes to overflight access, France has apparently joined Spain in denying U.S. military access to their airspace for taking part in attacks on Iran. In a statement, Trump slammed France for refusing to let U.S. military aircraft carrying military supplies operate in its airspace.

Trump:

The Country of France wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory.

France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the “Butcher of Iran,” who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!! pic.twitter.com/uu7hezFJUq

— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 31, 2026

In other France-related news, Israel has apparently stopped defense exports to the European country, citing “hostile attitude,” sources told The Jerusalem Post.

Meanwhile, Italy confirmed that it denied permission for U.S. military aircraft to land at Sigonella Air Base in Sicily last week, before heading to the ​Middle East; this was due to Washington having not sought prior authorization from the government in Rome, Reuters reports. A source at the Italian defense ministry told The Guardian that “some US bombers” had been due to land at Sigonella en route to the Middle East. Otherwise, U.S. military aircraft continue to operate from Italian airbases as a matter of course, the defense ministry confirmed.

Italian MOD just released this:

Someone is trying to push the narrative that Italy has decided to suspend the use of its bases by U.S. assets.

That is simply false, because the bases are active, in use, and nothing has changed.

The Government continues to do what all Italian… https://t.co/j505zNnuVu

— The Aviationist (@TheAviationist) March 31, 2026

Gen. Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said the U.S. military is delivering precision strikes against manufacturing nodes “deep within Iran.”

He says around 11,000 targets have been hit in the past 30 days. The U.S. military “continues to assert dominance over the Iranian Navy,” he added.

Caine added that more than 150 ships have been “taken out.”

An underground missile storage facility in Sofeh, in Isfahan province, appears to be among the hardened facilities targeted in recent strikes. Earlier accounts suggested that the target was an Iranian underground missile base, but that seems to be refuted by the geolocation of the imagery available.

Videos purporting to show the aftermath of the strikes include multiple secondary explosions, suggesting that bunker-busting munitions managed to penetrate the vaults and then detonate the missiles stored there. As we have described in the past, a key vulnerability of Iranian subterranean installations is the risk that even a single weapon penetrating their hardened exterior by any means could have absolutely catastrophic results.

Last night, President Trump published footage on his Truth Social account showing massive explosions and secondary detonations in Iran.
Reports indicated that the strike took place in the Safeh–Havanirooz area, south Esfahan.@NASA Fire monitoring maps indeed detected active… https://t.co/69f3khsLiw pic.twitter.com/6ffTI0xZIk

— Ben Tzion Macales (@BenTzionMacales) March 31, 2026

Officials familiar with U.S. and Western intelligence assessments say the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has fractured the Iranian government, making it harder for the country to make decisions or coordinate large-scale retaliatory attacks, The New York Times reports.

Since the conflict began four weeks ago, several dozen Iranian leaders and their deputies have been killed. Survivors face significant communication challenges and are unable to meet in person, fearing that their calls could be intercepted by the United States or Israel and lead to airstrikes.

Although Iran’s security and military agencies remain operational, the government’s capacity to develop new strategies or policies has been significantly weakened.

The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has fractured the Iranian government, complicating its ability to make decisions and coordinate larger retaliatory attacks.

Several dozen Iranian leaders and their deputies have been killed since the war began four weeks ago. Those who survive…

— Ronen Bergman (@ronenbergman) March 30, 2026

Iranian state media reported yesterday that a parliamentary committee has approved a plan to impose tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to a Telegram post by the Fars News Agency, the strait would remain closed to vessels from the United States, Israel, and countries involved in sanctions against Iran. The report added that Iran would play a “sovereign” role in enforcing the new system.

The proposal, which has been backed by Iran’s parliament security committee, would still require agreement from other countries bordering the strait. Details on the level of the proposed tolls have not been disclosed.

Meanwhile, as you can read about in our previous coverage, President Trump warned that if no agreement is reached with Iran — including reopening the Strait of Hormuz shipping route — the U.S. military forces would destroy “all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!).”

More information on the proposed toll arrangement emerged today, including the surprising suggestion that Oman is slated to help shape the legal framework. This was reported by Fars and later picked up by Bloomberg, but has yet to be independently verified. Oman has strong relations with the United States, including extensive security cooperation. Oman also plays a key role as a regional mediator, particularly between the United States and Iran.

A pair of container ships operated by the Chinese shipping giant Cosco have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz and exited the Gulf, according to ship-tracking data.

The vessels, CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Arctic Ocean, sailed near the Iranian-controlled island of Larak and are now heading toward Port Klang in Malaysia.

While Iran has largely restricted traffic through the key waterway, it appears to be permitting limited passage for ships from countries it considers “non-hostile,” including Thailand, China, Pakistan, and India.

Two COSCO Container Ships Make First Major Commercial Crossing of Strait of Hormuz Since War Began

After turning back on an initial attempt, the CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Arctic Ocean sailed through the strategic waterway on Monday toward Malaysia, a rare transit for major… pic.twitter.com/kBwscFC7qU

— Washington Eye (@washington_EY) March 30, 2026

Iran struck a fully laden crude oil tanker anchored in the port of Dubai, setting it on fire and damaging its hull in what marks the latest attack on commercial shipping in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict.

Authorities in Dubai said the drone strike on the Al Salmi tanker sparked a blaze that was brought under control early Tuesday, several hours after the incident was first reported. They later confirmed that no oil spill had occurred.

Dubai authorities confirm that response teams have successfully contained the incident involving the Kuwaiti oil tanker in Dubai waters, with no oil leakage and no injuries reported.

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 31, 2026

Iran is reportedly pushing the Houthis to prepare for a renewed campaign against Red Sea shipping, contingent upon any further escalation by the United States in the conflict with Iran. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing European officials familiar with the matter.

An Israeli military spokesperson has said the country is ready to continue its offensive against Iran for an extended period. According to Reuters, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters that Israel is prepared for “weeks” more of fighting in the conflict, which began on February 28 when joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. He emphasized that while the final decision rests with political leaders, “we are prepared to keep operating for weeks to come. We have the targets for that, the munitions for that, the manpower for that, and it’s up to the leadership to decide”.

His remarks follow comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the campaign was “definitely beyond the halfway point,” later clarifying that he was referring to progress in terms of “missions” rather than “not necessarily in terms of time.”

In a televised interview, Netanyahu has claimed that Iran has tried to kill President Trump twice, although he did not provide a timeline for when these attempts were made or how. “They’re still trying to kill him,” the Israeli leader added.

The Israeli military claimed today that all of its critical and essential pre-war targets in Iran will have been destroyed by Wednesday.

This represents the complete elimination of the top two priority categories of pre-war targets and is part of the broader campaign in which the IDF has destroyed roughly 60 to 70 percent of all designated targets within the Islamic Republic.

The Israeli Air Force carried out over 230 strikes in Iran in the past day, the military says, publishing footage showing attacks on Iranian air defense systems in Tehran.

The IDF says other targets hit in the past day included primed ballistic missile launchers and weapon… pic.twitter.com/sLuUZFqYV8

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 31, 2026

“Critical” targets include those posing an immediate threat to Israel, such as ballistic missile facilities, as well as key sites central to the objectives of the campaign, including the few remaining nuclear-related installations.

The IDF announced that all of its critical and essential pre-war Iran targets, including ballistic missile industry targets and nuclear-related targets, will have been destroyed by Wednesday.

✍️ @Jeremybob1 https://t.co/EYankG9iuQ

— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) March 31, 2026

On the topic of nuclear-related targets, President Trump disclosed today that he considers that Iran’s nuclear facilities are buried so deeply that it would be difficult to raid them to secure their enriched uranium stockpiles.

“I don’t even think about it. I just know that, you know, that’s so deeply buried it’s gonna be very hard for anybody,” Trump told CBS News.

TWZ has previously explored the possibility of U.S. and/or Israeli authorities launching a special operations ground raid to extract or otherwise neutralize Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. While noting that it is far from easy to achieve this objective from the air alone, it is also true that Israel has demonstrated its ability and willingness to carry out complex raids on subterranean facilities in the past. Nevertheless, any such operation would still face immense risks and uncertainties.

Four Israeli soldiers have been killed during fighting in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said on Tuesday, as its forces continue to clash with the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

In a statement, the military identified three soldiers from the same battalion who “fell during combat,” while a separate statement said a fourth soldier, whose name has not yet been released, was also killed in the same incident, according to Agence France-Presse.

The military added that another soldier was seriously injured, while a reservist sustained moderate wounds.

🕯️Captain Noam Madmoni, 22
🕯️Staff Sergeant Ben Cohen, 21
🕯️Staff Sergeant Maxsim Entis, 21

All 3 soldiers, a team commander and 2 soldiers, from the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion (934th), Nahal Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon.

I send my deepest condolences… pic.twitter.com/6fVH6PpyJm

— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) March 31, 2026

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry has said it intercepted and destroyed 10 drones in recent hours, along with eight missiles targeting the Riyadh area and the country’s eastern region.

The United Arab Emirates says its air defenses engaged eight ballistic missiles, four cruise missiles, and 36 drones launched from Iran earlier today.

UAE air defences engaged 8 Ballistic missiles and 4 Cruise missiles and 36 UAV’s.

The UAE air defences on 31th March 2026 engaged 8 Ballistic missiles, 4 Cruise missiles and 36 UAV’s launched from Iran.

Since the start of the blatant Iranian attacks, UAE air defences have… pic.twitter.com/kSolj166Kq

— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) March 31, 2026

Furthermore, Kuwait reported that its air defences were responding to hostile missile and drone attacks. Neither country specified the origin of the projectiles.

Gulf partners of the United States, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are pressing President Trump to keep up military operations against Iran, asserting that Tehran has not been sufficiently weakened by the month‑long U.S.‑led bombing campaign, according to U.S., Gulf, and Israeli officials, AP reports.

“Officials from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain have conveyed in private conversations that they do not want the military operation to end until there are significant changes in the Iranian leadership…” https://t.co/WRh4iTIwx5

— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) March 30, 2026

A recent video released by U.S. Central Command includes footage of attacks on pickup trucks configured to launch drones, including Shahed-136 one-way attack drones.

🇮🇷🇺🇸 This is, to my knowledge, the first indication that Iran is launching Shahed-136 strike drones, among other designs, from pickup trucks (without the use of a rocket booster/RATO) during this war. This is a low-signature approach that is well-suited for use in surprise… https://t.co/R1AJdAoG4h pic.twitter.com/cGUoAOqE2b

— Shahryar Pasandideh (@shahpas) March 31, 2026

NPR has reported that the Iranian strike on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base last week damaged two U.S. Air Force E-3G Sentry AWACS aircraft. Previously, we had gotten confirmation that one aircraft was entirely destroyed. The extent of the damage to the other is unclear.

NPR now reports that Iranian strike on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base damaged two U.S. E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft.

One has been confirmed destroyed. https://t.co/ZmYHTAOJvh

— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 31, 2026

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has claimed that Ukrainian intelligence had information that a Russian spy satellite had photographed the base three times before the attack, with targeting data provided to Iran. While that may be true, commercially available satellite imagery over the same period also revealed the likely position of the E-3s at the base.

Comparative images in planet labs of Prince Sultan Air Base from two weeks ago (delayed) and days before tell you everything you need to know about how Iran could have targeted certain aircraft on that airfield even without real time intel.

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) March 30, 2026

A video circulating on social media appears to show an Iranian ballistic missile maneuvering to evade an Israeli interceptor. If verified, this would not be the first occasion that we have seen evidence of more advanced types of Iranian missiles still being fired at Israel and eluding air defenses. We have seen multiple occasions where Iranian maneuverable reentry vehicles (MaRVs) have been able to pierce interceptor barrages during the terminal stage.

At least some of the aircrews of the three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles that were shot down in a friendly-fire incident by Kuwaiti air defenses are still flying missions in Epic Fury, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has confirmed. “Admiral Cooper noted this morning that the three Air Force captains who were shot down by Kuwaiti friendly fire early in the fight never left the theater. All dropped bombs over Tehran last night.”

.@SECWAR “Admiral Cooper noted this morning that the three Air Force captains who were shot down by Kuwaiti friendly fire early in the fight never left the theater.

All dropped bombs over Tehran last night.” pic.twitter.com/tWGQdKBAx2

— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) March 31, 2026

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

An F-35 crashed in the Nevada Test and Training Range in Southern Nevada. The pilot ejected and is reportedly safe after sustaining only minor injuries.

According to KSNV News 3, “The U.S. military is searching for a pilot who had to eject from an aircraft over Southern Nevada on Tuesday, sources tell News 3… The aircraft reported trouble maneuvering around noon, according to sources.” The outlet subsequently reported that the pilot was found in good condition.

TWZ has reached out to Creech AFB and Nellis AFB for more information. We will update this post as we find out more.

UPDATE: 5:24pm EST—

We have now gotten a statement from the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB (the range complex falls under the installation’s command). We now know the F-35 that was lost was based out of Nellis. F-35s are major tenants of the base, for weapons tests and tactics development tasks and aggressor duties, and visiting F-35s frequent the base for training and exercises. The statement reads:

An F-35 from Nellis AFB crashed north of Las Vegas today. The incident occurred approximately 25 miles northeast of Indian Springs, Nevada, within the controlled airspace and restricted federal property of the Nevada Test & Training Range.

Emergency responders are on-scene and there is no impact to populated areas. The pilot is safe and being treated for minor injuries. The safety of our personnel and the community remain our top priority.

We will provide additional information as it becomes available.

Contact the author: Tyler@twz.com