This live blog covered developments on Day 36 of the US-Israeli war on Iran. For a recap of Day 35, go here, and for Day 37 updates, click here.

• US-Israeli strike hits cement plant in southern Iran: Media
• US-Israeli strike hits trade terminal at Iran-Iraq border, killing one: Media
• Israeli strikes damage hospital in Lebanon: Ministry
• Iran's oil exports from Kharg Island increase despite war: Media
• US-Israeli strikes hit Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, killing one: State media

Iranian missiles fired towards Israel: Israeli military

Published: April 4, 2026 | 23:00 GMT

Israel was targeted by missiles launched from Iran on Sunday, the Israeli military said, in the latest salvo in the Middle East war.

"A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel," the military said on social media.

Drone strike triggers fire at Kuwait oil sector complex

Published: April 4, 2026 | 22:38 GMT

A fire broke out at Kuwait’s Shuwaikh oil sector complex following a drone attack, the state news agency reported. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said emergency teams were responding, adding there were “no injuries” from the incident.

Trump claims Iranian military leaders killed in Tehran strike

Published: April 4, 2026 | 19:38 GMT

US President Donald Trump said “many” Iranian military leaders were killed in a major strike on Tehran. “Many of Iran’s Military Leaders… are terminated,” he wrote on Truth Social, without providing further details.

Iran military rejects Trump ultimatum, warns of consequences

Published: April 4, 2026 | 20:38 GMT

Iran’s central military command rejected US President Donald Trump’s threat to strike infrastructure, calling it a “helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid action” and warning it could open “the gates of hell.”

Trump sets Hormuz deadline as search continues for US pilot

Published: April 4, 2026 | 20:20 GMT

US forces continued searching for a downed pilot as President Donald Trump warned Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, saying: “Time is running out,” according to US officials.

Soleimani family denies US claims over detained women

Published: April 4, 2026 | 20:12 GMT

Family members of slain Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani rejected US claims linking them to two detained women. “The US State Department’s claim is a lie,” his daughter Zeinab said, according to Iranian media.

Iran official says five killed in strikes on petrochemical hub

Published: April 4, 2026 | 19:38 GMT

An Iranian official said five people killed after US-Israeli strikes on Saturday targeted a petrochemical hub in the southwest, according to ISNA news agency.

"Five people were martyred following the American-Zionist enemy attack on some companies located in the Mahshahr Petrochemical Special Economic Zone," ISNA said, citing deputy governor of Khuzestan province Valiollah Hayati.

Also cited by the official IRNA news agency, he said 170 people were wounded in the attack but had been treated and did not require hospitalisation.

Earlier, when announcing the strikes, Hayati said the attack hit the premises of three companies in the area, according to Iranian media.

'Don't bomb': Israelis protest against Iran war

Published: April 4, 2026 | 18:20 GMT

Carrying anti-war banners and chanting slogans against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hundreds of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest the war with Iran.

Demonstrators gathered in a central square, holding signs that read: "Don't bomb — talk! End the endless war!" despite restrictions on mass gatherings imposed during the conflict with Iran.

"Police are trying to silence our voice," Alon-Lee Green, the co-director of Israeli-Palestinian grassroots group Standing Together, told AFP.

"We are here to demand an end to the war in Iran, the war in Lebanon, and the war in Gaza, which is still going on, as well as an end to the pogroms in the West Bank.

"In Israel, there's always a war. So, if we're not allowed to demonstrate, we will never be allowed to speak," he added.

Green and several other protesters were soon detained by police, an AFP correspondent reported.

Israel army says identified missile launched from Yemen

Published: April 4, 2026 | 17:44 GMT

The Israeli military said Saturday it had detected a missile launched from Yemen towards Israeli territory, the fifth time it has detected such an attack since the start of the Middle East war.

"The IDF has identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defence systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said.

Iran says Iraq shipping free to cross Strait of Hormuz

Published: April 4, 2026 | 17:22 GMT

Iran will allow Iraqi shipping to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, despite its broader blockade of the key sea lane at the mouth of the Gulf, its military command said Saturday.

"We announce that our brotherly country of Iraq is exempt from any restrictions we have imposed on the Strait of Hormuz, and these restrictions only apply to enemy countries," spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari told state television.

Israeli military says soldier killed in Lebanon fighting

Published: April 4, 2026 | 16:42 GMT

The Israeli military said a soldier had been killed on Saturday in fighting in southern Lebanon, where its forces are engaged in clashes with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.

"Sergeant First Class Guy Ludar, aged 21, ... fell during combat in southern Lebanon," the military said.

The latest fatality brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed in south Lebanon to 11 since the army began ground operations against Hezbollah last month.

Blasts over Jerusalem after Iran missiles detected: AFP journalists

Published: April 4, 2026 | 15:30 GMT

Several loud explosions were heard over Jerusalem on Saturday after the Israeli military warned it had detected missiles inbound from Iran.

AFP journalists heard at least six blasts, more than a month into a conflict that was triggered by Israel and the United States striking Tehran.

Earlier in the day five Israelis were wounded in missile attacks on Tel Aviv and parts of central Israel, according to the rescue services.

Erdogan says Mideast war has caused 'geostrategic impasse'

Published: April 4, 2026 | 14:35 GMT

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the war in the Middle East had led to a "geostrategic impasse", during a telephone conversation with NATO chief Mark Rutte, his office said Saturday.

"President Erdogan said the process started by the intervention against Iran had led to a geostrategic impasse and that the international community had to redouble its efforts to bring end this war," said the statement.

Iran’s foreign minister warns Israeli attacks on nuclear site endanger all of Gulf

Published: April 4, 2026 | 13:51 GMT

In another post on X, Araghchi warns that US and Israeli strikes near the Bushehr nuclear plant "will end life in GCC capitals, not Tehran."

Araghchi said the Bushehr facility had been hit four times, and he criticised what he described as a lack of concern for its safety, especially when compared with the attention given to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

“Attacks on our petrochemicals also convey real objectives,” he said.

Russia slams 'evil' US-Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear plant

Published: April 4, 2026 | 13:16 GMT

Russia on Saturday condemned an "evil" US-Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear plant in Bushehr, which hosts Russian staff, and urged an immediate end to attacks on atomic facilities.

"We strongly condemn this evil deed, which resulted in loss of life," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

"Strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, including the Bushehr nuclear power plant, must cease immediately," she added.

Israeli forces destroy 17 UN peacekeeper cameras in south Lebanon: UN official

Published: April 4, 2026 | 12:55 GMT

Israeli forces destroyed 17 surveillance cameras linked to the United Nations peacekeepers' main headquarters in southern Lebanon in 24 hours, a UN security official told AFP on Saturday.

The official, who requested anonymity, said "17 of our headquarters' cameras have been destroyed by the Israeli army" in the coastal town of Naqura.

On Thursday, UNIFIL spokeswoman Kandice Ardiel told AFP peacekeepers had seen "Israeli soldiers conducting demolitions of large parts" of Naqura since the start of the week.

"Not only have these demolitions destroyed civilian homes and businesses, but the strength of the blasts have caused damage to UNIFIL's headquarters," she added.

Three Indonesian peacekeepers from the UN force have been killed in two separate incidents over the past week.

US-Israeli strikes hit 30 universities in Iran since war began: science minister

Published: April 4, 2026 | 12:14 GMT

US-Israeli strikes have hit more than 30 universities across Iran since the war broke out in late February, Iran's science minister said on Saturday.

"To date, more than 30 universities have been directly targeted," Hossein Simai Sarraf told reporters during a visit to the Shahid Beheshti University in northern Tehran, which was struck on Friday.

Iran Guards say targeted Israel-linked ship in Strait of Hormuz

Published: April 4, 2026 | 11:34 GMT

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday they targeted an Israel-linked ship in the Strait of Hormuz in a drone attack, setting it on fire.

"A drone struck the vessel ... linked to the Zionist regime in the Strait of Hormuz; the ship caught fire," the Guards naval forces posted on X, adding that the ship was called the MSC Ishyka.

US-Israeli strike near Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant kills one in Iran

Published: April 4, 2026 | 11:06 GMT

A projectile from a US-Israeli attack struck near Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant on Saturday, killing one person, state media reported, as the foreign minister warned against further attacks on the site.

The strike was the fourth targeting the area since the outbreak of Iran's war with the United States and Israel on February 28, according to the official IRNA news agency.

The Bushehr plant is located in southern Iran on the Gulf coast.

"Following the US-Zionist criminal attacks, this Saturday morning, around 8:30 am, a projectile hit the area near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the southwest," IRNA said.

It added that one of the facility's guards was killed but noted there was no damage to the plant itself.

US-Israeli strike hits cement plant in southern Iran: Media

Published: April 4, 2026 | 10:34 GMT

A US-Israeli strike on Saturday hit a cement plant in southern Iran, media reported, adding that operations were not interrupted.

"The American-Zionist attack against the cement plant of Bandar Khamir did not leave any casualties," said Tasnim news agency, quoting Ahmad Nafisi, the deputy governor of the southern Hormozgan province.

He added that operations at the plant have "continued as normal".

US-Israeli strike hits trade terminal at Iran-Iraq border, killing one: Media

Published: April 4, 2026 | 10:34 GMT

A US-Israeli strike on Saturday hit a trade terminal at the Iran-Iraq border, killing one person, Iranian media reported.

"At 11:00 am, the commercial terminal of the Shalamcheh border crossing in the southwestern city of Khorramshahr was targeted in an air attack by American and Zionist enemies," Mehr news agency said, citing the deputy governor for Khuzestan province, Valiollah Hayati.

ISNA news agency cited Hayati as saying that "an Iraqi driver was killed and two Iranian workers were wounded" in the attack.

Israeli strikes damage hospital in Lebanon: Ministry

Published: April 4, 2026 | 10:11 GMT

A hospital in the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre was damaged by Israeli airstrikes on nearby buildings that wounded 11 people, the health ministry said on Saturday.

The director of the Lebanese Italian Hospital told the state-run National News Agency (NNA) that it would "remain open to provide the necessary medical care" despite the damage.

Strikes destroyed two buildings nearby, an AFP correspondent saw, shattering windows and causing suspended ceilings to collapse in the hospital, the facility's management said.

Iran's oil exports from Kharg island increase despite war: Media

Published: April 4, 2026 | 10:11 GMT

Iran's oil exports from the key island of Kharg have increased even as the war with the United States and Israel rages, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

"Following the visits carried out and meetings held on Kharg island, I must say that in recent days not only have oil exports not decreased, but they have increased," ISNA news agency quoted Moussa Ahmadi, the head of the Iranian parliament's energy commission, as saying.

Kharg Island, located off Iran's western coast, is a vital oil export terminal for the country.

US-Israeli strikes hit Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, killing one: State media

Published: April 4, 2026 | 09:11 GMT

A projectile from a US-Israeli attack hit near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran  on Saturday, killing one person, state media reported.

"Following the US-Zionist criminal attacks, this Saturday morning, around 8:30 am, a projectile hit the area near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the southwest," said the official IRNA news agency.

It added that one of the building's guards was killed but noted that there was no damage to the plant's facilities.

IAEA DG Rrafael Grossi expressed deep concern about the reported incident.

He said NPP sites or nearby areas must never be attacked.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran petrochemicals hub wound five: Media

Published: April 4, 2026 | 08:30 GMT

US-Israeli strikes on Saturday targeted a petrochemicals hub in southwestern Iran, wounding five people, Iranian media cited an official as saying.

"Explosions occurred in the Special Petrochemical Zone of Mahshahr," said Fars news agency, citing the deputy governor for Khuzestan province Valiollah Hayati.

He said the "US-Israeli attack on Mahshahr" hit three companies in the area, while Tasnim news agency quoted him as saying that the "the extent of the damage remains unknown".

Five people were wounded as a result of the strikes but it was not immediately clear if there were any deaths, he added.

Hayati, deputy Khuzestan governor for security and law enforcement affairs reported several airstrikes in various parts of the province, including Ahvaz, Mahshahr, and Shalamcheh, according to IRNA News Agency.

He stated that some petrochemical facilities and border infrastructure were hit.

Shrapnel from intercepted drones injures four in Bahrain

Published: April 4, 2026 | 08:10 GMT

Shrapnel from intercepted drones injured four people in Bahrain, authorities said on Saturday, as Iran pressed its attacks on its Gulf neighbors.

Separately, two buildings in Dubai were hit by debris, including one housing the US cloud computing firm Oracle, authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said.

Bahrain's interior ministry said on X: "As a result of Iranian aggression, 4 citizens sustained minor injuries & several houses in Sitra were damaged by shrapnel from the interception of Iranian drones."

It added that civil defense and ambulance teams were still present at the site.

Meanwhile, the Dubai Media Office said: "Authorities confirm that they responded to a minor incident caused by debris from an aerial interception that fell on the facade of the Oracle building in Dubai Internet City. No injuries were reported."

It added on X that debris hit the facade of another building in the Dubai Marina area, also reporting no injuries.

Strike kills one Iraqi fighter near Syria border

Published: April 4, 2026 | 08:09 GMT

An attack killed one fighter from the former paramilitary coalition Hashed al-Shaabi on Saturday, the alliance said, blaming the US and Israel.

"This treacherous attack resulted in the martyrdom of one PMF fighter and the wounding of four others, as well as a member of the ministry of defense," said a short statement from the group, which is also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF).

Turkey says second Turkish-owned ship has passed through Strait of Hormuz

Published: April 4, 2026 | 07:29 GMT

A second Turkish-flagged ship has crossed the war-torn Strait of Hormuz, Turkey's Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said Saturday.

Uraloglu said that on Feb. 28 there were 15 ships belonging to Turkish shipowners waiting to go through the strategic strait. 

"Two of these 15 made the crossing," he said in an interview on the private CNN Turk channel.

Iranian speaker mocks Trump administration

Published: April 4, 2026 | 05:18 GMT

Mohammad Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament, mocked the Trump administration.

He wrote on X: "After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from 'regime change' to 'Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?'

"Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses."

Iran, US race to find crew member of crashed American fighter jet

Published: April 4, 2026 | 05:05 GMT

Iranian and American forces raced each other Saturday to recover a crew member of the first US fighter jet to go down inside Iran since the start of the war.

Tehran said it had shot down the F-15 warplane, while US media reported United States special forces had rescued one of its two crew members, with the other still missing.

Iran's military also said it downed a US A-10 ground attack aircraft in the Gulf, with US media saying the pilot was rescued.

US Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the loss of the F-15, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "The president has been briefed."

President Donald Trump told NBC the F-15 loss would not affect negotiations with Iran, saying: "No, not at all. No, it's war."

A spokesperson for the Iranian military's central operational command said "an American hostile fighter jet in central Iranian airspace was struck and destroyed by the IRGC Aerospace Force's advanced air defense system".

"The jet was completely obliterated, and further searches are ongoing."

An Iranian television reporter on a local official channel said anyone who captured a crew member alive would "receive a valuable reward".

Several blasts heard coming from Tehran's north: AFP journalist

Published: April 4, 2026 | 05:05 GMT

Several blasts shook northern Tehran on Saturday, an AFP journalist heard, as the Middle East war neared its sixth week.

The blasts occurred at about 7:30 am (0400 GMT) and were accompanied by a loud sound from above as if coming from a drone, said AFP's correspondent in the Iranian capital.

Explosions heard in Beirut as strikes reported in southern suburbs: AFP journalist
Published: April 4, 2026 | 1:18 GMT

The Israeli military claimed Saturday it had begun striking "Hezbollah infrastructure" in Beirut after it destroyed a bridge in eastern Lebanon. An AFP journalist heard two loud explosions in the capital within half an hour early Saturday and saw smoke billowing from one of them.

Local media reported two strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, a locality that has been a target of Israeli strikes in recent days as the military presses on with its ground invasion in the country's south.