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War in the Middle East: latest developments Washington, United States, April 3 (AFP) Apr 03, 2026 Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war: - Trump threatens Iran destruction - President Donald Trump warned that US forces have yet to begin "destroying what's left in Iran", as he said more of the country's bridges and energy infrastructure were in his sights. The US military "hasn't even started destroying what's left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, several hours after he said Iran's tallest bridge had been destroyed.
The Israeli military said in a statement it had "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel", adding that "defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat". There were no immediate reports of any casualties. - Fresh Gulf attacks - Kuwait's military said its air defences were working to intercept missiles and drones fired towards the Gulf nation's territory. A drone attack on a refinery owned by Kuwait's national oil company sparked fires at several of its units, state media said. Bahrain's interior ministry reported sirens sounding in the country and told residents to head "to the nearest safe place", without providing further details.
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said in separate statements that its fighters targeted at least three communities in northern Israel with rockets, as it keeps up attacks in support of ally Iran.
A military statement carried on Iranian state television said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had launched a fresh wave of attacks on American steel factories in the UAE and Bahrain, as well as an arms factory in Israel. The statement said the latest salvos were in response to attacks on its own steel industries.
Pakistan drastically raised fuel prices in response to spiking global prices caused by the Iran war, the country's petroleum minister said. Petrol will see a 42.7 percent increase effective on Friday while diesel will be hiked 54.9 percent.
The USS Gerald R. Ford departed Croatia after docking for five days, the US Navy said, while not specifying a destination. The ship played a major role in US-Israeli strikes on Iran, but sailed to Crete and Croatia following a fire in its laundry facilities on March 12 that injured two sailors and damaged some 100 beds.
The head of the International Organization for Migration told AFP that there are "very alarming" prospects for prolonged mass displacement in Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah are at war. "There are parts of the south that are being completely flattened... even if the war ends tomorrow, that destruction remains and there needs to be a rebuilding," Amy Pope said.
Houthi rebels, based in Yemen and allied with Iran, launched a fourth missile attack on Israel, after stepping into the war last week. The Israeli military said earlier it had detected a missile launched from Yemen.
Iraq is exerting "maximum effort" to prevent any escalation on its territory, the foreign ministry said, after the US embassy in Baghdad warned of possible attacks in the city by pro-Iran armed groups. Earlier, the US embassy warned that "Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may intend to conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours".
A drone attack targeted the US diplomatic and logistics centre in Baghdad's international airport complex, causing a fire but no injuries, two Iraqi security sources told AFP.
About 40 countries called for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Britain's foreign minister said. "Iran is trying to hold the global economy hostage in the Strait of Hormuz. They must not prevail," Yvette Cooper said in a statement after international talks. - Force in Hormuz - The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council called for the UN Security Council to authorise the use of force to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks. "We call upon the Security Council to assume its full responsibility and take all necessary measures to protect maritime routes and ensure the safe continuation of international navigation," said Jassem al-Budaiwi.
China's foreign minister Wang Yi said US and Israeli attacks on Iran were a violation of international law, Chinese state media reported, as he held calls with his EU, German and Saudi counterparts. Wang also said the UN Security Council -- of which China is a permanent member -- "should prevent the escalation of conflict", state broadcaster CCTV said. burs-jfx/pst |
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