Donald Trump warns Iran as tensions rise over the Strait of Hormuz.
United States (US) President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 4, warned Iran it faces severe retaliation if it fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or strike a deal within 48 hours, as the US–Israel conflict with Tehran continues to widen across West Asia.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump underscored the urgency of the deadline and reiterated his earlier ultimatum. “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!” he said.
The warning follows his extension of a deadline to April 6 for Iran to reopen the key maritime route, which carries nearly a fifth of global oil supplies.
In a related development, US authorities arrested the niece and grand-niece of slain Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and revoked their lawful permanent resident status.
The State Department said Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in custody under Immigration and Customs Enforcement after Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled their green cards.
India said its energy supply chain remains stable despite the conflict, with refiners continuing to source crude from Iran alongside a wide range of global suppliers.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India has “solidly come through” global turbulence, stressing the need for hedging, de-risking and diversification.
More than 1,150 Indian nationals have exited Iran via Armenia and Azerbaijan since the conflict began.
A group of stranded Indian fishermen is returning home via Armenia, with their flight expected to reach India later on Saturday.
Jaishankar thanked Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and the Armenian government for facilitating the evacuation.
Iran said it would allow vessels carrying “essential goods” to transit the Strait of Hormuz under strict co-ordination, though it remains unclear what qualifies as essential cargo or whether restrictions will continue for certain countries, Reuters reported.
Iran fired a fresh barrage of ballistic missiles towards central Israel, with sirens sounding in Ramat Gan, Givata’im, Bnei Brak and Petah Tikvah. Residential buildings were damaged, and civilians were injured.
The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for residents of Tyre in southern Lebanon before launching strikes on Hezbollah targets, with attacks damaging buildings including a hospital.
Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli troop positions, while Israeli forces reported seizing weapons and striking missile launchers.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said its air defence systems intercepted 23 ballistic missiles and 56 drones launched from Iran. Kuwait reported intercepting eight missiles and 19 drones, while Jordan said it had faced more than 160 missiles and 120 drones since the conflict began, targeting vital facilities.
Bahrain authorities reported minor injuries after debris from intercepted drones fell in residential areas.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced a new phase of large-scale strikes under “Operation True Promise 4”, targeting US military assets and Israeli-linked sites across the region.
The IRGC claimed strikes on US systems in Kuwait and Bahrain, locations hosting US personnel in the UAE, and sites in Israeli cities including Tel Aviv and Kiryat Shmona. It also reported hitting a vessel allegedly linked to Israel in Bahrain and targeting infrastructure, including a facility linked to Oracle Corporation.
Iranian media said a drone attack set an Israel-affiliated vessel ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz.
Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom said it evacuated 198 personnel from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant after a nearby strike that reportedly killed a security guard.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that repeated attacks on the facility — reportedly struck four times — could trigger radioactive fallout affecting Gulf capitals.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said no increase in radiation levels had been recorded.
Pakistan rejected reports that its mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran had stalled, with spokesperson Tahir Andrabi calling the claims “baseless”.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar welcomed Iran’s clarification that it had not refused talks.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also denied involvement in an attack on the US embassy in Riyadh.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the conflict as a “geostrategic impasse” in talks with NATO chief Mark Rutte.
In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran’s position had been “misrepresented” by US media, adding that Iran had “never refused” to attend talks in Islamabad and remained committed to a “conclusive and lasting end” to what it described as an “illegal war”.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 3,300 people have been killed, over 30,000 injured and 4.3 million displaced.
Iran said more than 30 universities and 55 libraries have been damaged, including two destroyed, while a Red Crescent worker was killed in Isfahan.
In Lebanon, more than 1,400 people have been killed, with dozens of healthcare facilities hit.
Indonesia repatriated the bodies of three peacekeepers killed in Lebanon.
Senegal has suspended non-essential foreign travel by officials, warning of “extremely difficult” economic conditions due to rising oil prices.
Iraq temporarily shut the Shalamcheh border crossing after strikes in Iran killed one Iraqi and wounded others, disrupting food imports. Authorities said the crossing is expected to reopen soon, while movement at the Safwan crossing was also briefly halted following nearby explosions.
Kuwait said essential services remain stable despite damage to infrastructure, including a desalination facility.
India reiterated there are no payment issues for Iranian crude imports, even as global markets remain volatile.
Iran reported over 10.4 million volunteers registering to defend the country in case of a ground invasion.
A US fighter jet was shot down over Iran, with search operations ongoing for a missing pilot.
Iran said it is confident of gaining full control of its airspace using newly deployed defence systems.
The country has also experienced prolonged internet restrictions since late February.
With sustained missile exchanges, evacuations near nuclear sites and limited diplomatic progress, the conflict shows no signs of easing.
This post was last modified on April 4, 2026 10:24 pm