US-Iran War: 2026-04-05

An Iranian ballistic missile exploded in the Negev industrial zone of southern Israel on Sunday, causing fires and triggering emergency responses, OSINTdefender reported. No injuries or hazardous material leaks have been reported so far. The strike is part of Iran's ongoing Wave 96 retaliatory operations targeting Israeli territory.

US President Trump issued new threats against Iran's energy infrastructure on Sunday, writing on Truth Social that Tuesday would be 'the day of the power plant and the day of the bridge, all in one' in Iran, demanding the Strait of Hormuz be reopened. In a separate Fox News interview hours later, however, Trump struck a more conciliatory tone, saying 'I think we can reach a deal tomorrow — we are negotiating right now.' The competing signals come as the Hormuz deadline has been repeatedly extended since March 22.

An Israeli airstrike hit a densely populated residential area near the Hariri Governmental Hospital in the Jnah district of Beirut on Sunday, killing at least four people and wounding 39, according to Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health. The strike landed near a shopping center and residential buildings with no prior evacuation warning issued. Israel has not commented on the attack.

A Hezbollah drone directly impacted a building in the Israeli settlement of Shomra, north of Acre, on Sunday, causing injuries, according to Middle East Spectator. The attack is part of Lebanon's Islamic Resistance ongoing operations targeting Israeli settlements and military positions in northern Israel. Israel's MDA confirmed treating injured persons at the scene.

An Iranian ballistic missile struck Bahrain's BAPCO petroleum storage facility on Sunday, causing a major fire, according to regional reports. The attack is part of Iran's Wave 96 retaliatory operations targeting energy infrastructure across Gulf states linked to US and Israeli interests. Bahrain's authorities confirmed the incident and emergency services responded to contain the blaze.

A projectile struck near the perimeter of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant around 08:30 on April 5, damaging one of the plant's auxiliary buildings, according to Iranian state media. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent letters to the UN Secretary-General and Security Council warning that attacks near the plant risk triggering a catastrophic radiological disaster. Russia has evacuated 198 staff members from the Bushehr site. No damage to the reactor itself has been reported, and the extent of the auxiliary building damage remains unclear.

Lebanon's Islamic Resistance announced it targeted an Israeli military warship approximately 68 nautical miles off the Lebanese coast at 00:05 on April 5, using a naval cruise missile following hours of surveillance. The Resistance stated the warship was preparing to carry out strikes when it was hit. The statement invoked the famous 2006 moment when Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan announced the destruction of the Israeli Sa'ar 5 warship, saying "look at it burning." Israel has not yet commented on the claim.

Iran's IRGC announced Wave 96 of Operation True Promise 4, targeting energy infrastructure linked to the US and Israel across the region. According to the IRGC statement, targets included a refinery supplying aircraft fuel to Haifa, Exxon Mobil and Chevron gas facilities in the UAE, a petrochemical facility in Bahrain that produces petroleum derivatives for the US military, and facilities in Kuwait. IRGC warned that a second phase of the operation would follow with greater force, and that any further attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure would provoke a multiplied response.

US sources including ABC, NBC, and The New York Times acknowledged the loss of multiple aircraft over a 48-hour period: one F-15E Strike Eagle, one A-10 Warthog, four MH-6 Little Bird helicopters, two UH-60 Black Hawks, two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, and four MQ-9 Reaper drones. Reports from warmonitors also indicate US forces deliberately destroyed their own C-130 and an MH-6 Little Bird that had been damaged by small arms fire before departing a forward base inside Iran.

An Iranian ballistic missile heavily damaged the Aero-Sentinel drone production facility in Petah Tikva, disrupting part of its manufacturing operations. The company stated it is determined to restore production quickly. The strike is part of Iran ongoing Wave 96 retaliatory operations targeting Israeli military and defense industrial sites.

Lebanon Islamic Resistance announced that its fighters targeted an Israeli military warship approximately 68 nautical miles off the Lebanese coast at 00:05 on April 5, using a naval cruise missile after hours of surveillance. The statement said the warship was preparing to carry out strikes when it was hit, invoking the famous "Look at it burn" moment from the 2006 Lebanon war. The IDF has not issued a statement on the claimed hit.

Russia has evacuated 198 personnel from the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in southern Iran following increased attacks in the area, OSINTdefender reports. The evacuation raises concerns about nuclear safety, though no direct damage to the reactor itself has been reported. The plant is operated by Rosatom and has been a subject of international nuclear watchdog attention since the conflict began.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps published images of aircraft wreckage it says was left behind by US forces during the rescue operation, claiming IRGC forces prevented the US from recovering the pilot. The IRGC said it prevented the rescue attempt and displayed what it described as remains of destroyed US aircraft. The US has not confirmed the Iranian version of events. This comes as the war enters its 38th day with over 2,076 people killed in Iran since the conflict began.

Iran dismissed Trump's 48-hour Hormuz deadline as a "helpless and nervous" ultimatum. Meanwhile, US-Israeli strikes on the Mahshahr Petrochemical Zone in Khuzestan killed 5 people and wounded 170. Iran also reports more than 30 universities have been targeted since the war began, including the Laser and Plasma Research Institute at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran. Kuwait reported new Iranian drone attacks damaging power and desalination facilities and sparking a fire at an oil complex. The Hormuz deadline expires tomorrow, April 6.