Trump Extends Iran Ultimatum to Tuesday as US-Israel Conflict Intensifies

US President Donald Trump extended his ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Tuesday, April 7, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time (00:00 GMT Wednesday), threatening to destroy Iranian bridges and power plants if the deadline passes without compliance. Trump posted the warning in an expletive-laden message on his Truth Social platform, writing that Iran would "live in Hell" if the strait remained closed. He had previously set Monday, April 6, as the deadline, itself a 10-day extension from an earlier ultimatum issued on March 27. Despite the threats, Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he believed there were "good chances" of reaching an agreement with Iran. The conflict, now in its sixth week, shows no sign of diplomatic resolution as both sides traded escalating warnings over the weekend.

American pilot rescued from Iranian soil in 'daring' operation Trump praised what he called "one of the most daring search and rescue operations in United States history" after an American pilot was recovered from Iranian soil, where the aircraft had gone down on Friday. Trump confirmed the pilot was "seriously injured" and described the rescue as "miraculous." Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed to have shot down several American combat aircraft during the rescue operation, though those claims could not be independently verified. The rescue added a new flashpoint to an already volatile situation, with both governments offering sharply conflicting accounts of events over Iranian territory. In Israel, an Iranian missile struck a seven-story residential building in Haifa on Sunday, killing two people whose bodies were found in the rubble by firefighters and rescuers on Monday, with searches continuing for two additional missing persons. The Israeli army and emergency services had earlier reported at least four injuries from the same strike, including one serious case. 2 (fatalities) — confirmed dead in Haifa building strike

Iran warns region will 'burn' as Israel strikes Tehran again Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Parliament, issued a direct warning to Trump on Sunday in an English-language post on X. „Your reckless actions are dragging the United States into a real HELL for every family, and our entire region will burn because you insist on following Netanyahu's orders” — Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf via La Libre.be Ghalibaf added that "the only real solution is to respect the rights of the Iranian people and to stop this dangerous game." The spokesperson for the Iranian military command separately warned that "if attacks against civilian targets continue, the next phases of our offensive and retaliatory operations will be much more devastating and extensive." The Israeli army announced Monday that it had completed a new series of strikes on Tehran targeting what it described as sites of the "Iranian terrorist regime," with Iranian media reporting damage to several residential areas of the capital. Israeli Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir visited southern Lebanon on Sunday and pledged to "intensify" operations against Hezbollah, stating that the army intended to "push back the threat hanging over the communities of northern Israel" and would remain in place "as long as necessary."

The US-Israel military campaign against Iran, designated Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026, with strikes that killed then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Mojtaba Khamenei, his son, was subsequently appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of the world's hydrocarbons normally transit, has sent shockwaves through global energy markets since the conflict began. The conflict has also drawn in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have continued operations against Hezbollah, and has prompted diplomatic interventions from Russia, China, and Gulf states.

Gulf states and Russia push back as oil markets reel The port of Khor Fakkan on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates, located near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, was struck by an unidentified projectile over the weekend, injuring four people when falling debris from the intercepted projectile hit the area. UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash reiterated that the Emirates was ready to "join any effort" led by the United States or the international community to reopen the strait, warning that Iran's strategy of targeting Gulf neighbors risked increasing Israeli influence in the region. Oman's official press agency reported that Omani authorities had held discussions with Iran on possible "options" for reopening the passage. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on the United States to "abandon the language of ultimatums" to facilitate a return to negotiations, in a telephone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi separately told Lavrov that Beijing wished to work with Moscow toward "de-escalation" of the conflict, according to Chinese state media. OPEC+ members, meeting on Sunday, voted to increase oil production quotas by , as the group warned that restoring energy facilities damaged in recent attacks would be "costly" and time-consuming.