The Israeli Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, has spoken out from southern Lebanon. “The damage inflicted on Hezbollah will intensify,” he declared during this visit on Sunday, April 5, according to a statement by the army. The military leader visited “the region of Ras el-Bayada, the northernmost point in southern Lebanon where Israeli soldiers are currently operating.” This announcement comes as Israel has been bombing the neighboring country since early March, targeting Hezbollah, an ally of Iran. The Lebanese civil defense reported that seven people, including six members of the same family, were killed in an Israeli bombing on Kfar Hatta in southern Lebanon. At least four people were also killed and 39 others injured in a strike that hit southern Beirut, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Donald Trump threatens Iran as his ultimatum approaches its end. “Open the damn strait, you bastards, or you will live in hell – you will see,” the American president wrote on his Truth Social network. The day before, the Republican billionaire had reminded that his ultimatum, issued ten days earlier, would expire on Monday night at 8 p.m. Washington time, after which he would “unleash hell” on Iranian infrastructure. Iran responded through the Parliament’s president: “Your reckless actions drag the United States into a real hell for every family,” wrote Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. “Our whole region will burn because you insist on following the orders of [Benjamin] Netanyahu,” he continued, referring to the Israeli Prime Minister, whose country is an ally of the United States. Later in the day, Trump posted a cryptic message on his social network, mentioning “Tuesday, 8 p.m. East Coast time,” without specifying if it was a delay of the ultimatum or not.
Four people were injured by an Iranian missile impact on a residential building in Israel. An Israeli army and rescue personnel announced that four people were injured, including an octogenarian and a baby, by a direct Iranian missile hit on a building in Haifa. Three other people are reported missing.
Israeli-American strikes hit an airport in southwestern Iran. An airport in southwestern Iran was hit on Sunday by Israeli-American strikes, according to the official Irna agency. This affected the Soleimani airport serving the city of Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan province.
Multiple Iranian attacks damage energy sites in Gulf countries. In Bahrain, a drone attack caused a fire in a reservoir belonging to the state-owned oil company. In Abu Dhabi, UAE, authorities fought fires at the Borouge petrochemical plant due to falling debris from Iranian fire. Kuwait reported significant damage to power plants, water desalination facilities, and the capital’s ministerial complex. The national oil company also reported significant damage to several oil installations due to fires caused by Iranian drone attacks.
Gulf countries mobilize for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday, the UAE reiterated its willingness to “join any effort” by the US or the international community to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s strategy, targeting its Gulf neighbors since the beginning of the conflict, may increase Israel’s influence in the region, according to presidential advisor Anwar Gargash. Oman’s official news agency stated that authorities discussed the issue of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran, presenting possible options for reopening this crucial passage for global oil supply.
