US & ‘Israel’ at war with Iran | Day 39 coverage
The 2026 Iran War began on February 28 when the United States and ‘Israel’ launched an operation dubbed Epic Fury by the US and Lion's Roar by ‘Israel’, unleashing nearly 900 airstrikes in 12 hours on Iranian missile systems, air defenses, nuclear facilities, military bases, and leadership targets.
Yemen’s Houthi movement entered the war early, launching missile and drone attacks toward ‘Israel’ and expanding the war beyond the Gulf and Levant theaters.
This direct assault followed years of shadow war, including the first-ever Iran-‘Israel’ missile exchanges in April and October 2024 and a limited 12-day war in June 2025 that damaged Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of top officials were killed in the opening salvo, while a US Tomahawk strike on a school adjacent to a naval base near Bandar Abbas killed about 170 civilians, mostly children.
Iran responded within hours by firing hundreds of ballistic missiles and launching thousands of drones at ‘Israel’, US bases in the Gulf, and targets in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait.
Tehran restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz—through which 20% of global oil flows—disrupting shipping and spiking oil prices.
The retaliation reignited fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon, prompting ‘Israeli’ strikes there and spreading the conflict regionally while hitting civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, airports, and heritage sites.
Over the next six weeks, US-‘Israeli’ forces conducted sustained air campaigns that destroyed much of Iran’s air-defense network, missile production sites and navy assets.
Iran appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader, but pragmatic senior official Ali Larijani was assassinated in an ‘Israeli’ strike on March 17.
More than 80,000 civilian sites were hit, including 260 medical facilities and UNESCO-listed buildings, causing widespread blackouts, fuel shortages, toxic pollution, and over 2,000 total deaths across Iran, ‘Israel’, Lebanon, and Gulf states.
VIDEO - Iranian missile salvo fired at ‘Israel’
‘Israel's’ military said early Wednesday that Iran had fired missiles toward it.
"The (Israeli army) identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel,” the military said on its official Telegram channel.
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Read more: US & ‘Israel’ at war with Iran | Day 40 coverage
Iran threatens US, 'Israeli' infrastructure in Wave 99 strikes
The spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters announced the execution of broad attacks under the operation dubbed “Wave 99.”
He confirmed that the strikes targeted US bases, 'Israeli' military positions, and facilities linked to American and 'Israeli' forces.
Two injured in Beersheba by missile shrapnel
'Israeli' ambulance services reported that two people were injured in Beersheba after shrapnel from intercepted rockets fell in the city.
Pakistan asks Trump to extend Iran deadline by two weeks
The Prime Minister of Pakistan requested former President Donald Trump to grant Iran an additional two weeks before the current deadline.
Protesters storm Kuwaiti consulate in Basra after deadly rocket strike
Demonstrators in Basra, Iraq, stormed the Kuwaiti consulate following a rocket attack that killed three people.
Alert period ends in Jordan
Alert period ends in Jordan.
Iran declares bridges in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain as military zones
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that specific bridges in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain will be classified as closed military zones.
The restrictions take effect at 11 PM Tehran time and will remain in place until further notice.
King Fahd Bridge crossing suspended in Saudi Arabia
The King Fahd Bridge authority in Saudi Arabia announced a temporary suspension of traffic on the bridge as a precautionary measure.
Sirens blare in Jordan
Sirens blare in Jordan amid ongoing regional tensions.
Kuwait asks people to stay home overnight as ‘precautionary measure’
Kuwait’s Interior Ministry has asked all residents to remain indoors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. local time (21:00 GMT to 03:00 GMT) as a precautionary measure.
Alert period ends in Jordan
Alert period ends in Jordan.
Missile fragment lands in Salt, Jordan after interception
Roya News correspondent reported Tuesday evening that a missile fragment fell in Wadi Al-Hour, part of Salt city, following interception.
Sirens blare in Jordan
Sirens blare in Jordan amid ongoing regional tensions.
Falling shrapnel lands in Mafraq, Jordan, no injuries
A local official in Mafraq governorate confirmed that a piece of shrapnel fell in an unpopulated area without causing any injuries.
The source told Roya’s correspondent that authorities quickly responded and secured the site, located between Aidoun Hassan and Rehab.
Progress seen in Iran-US talks, deal still unlikely: Axios
Axios reported that progress has been made in ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington, citing informed sources.
Despite the reported advances, the outlet noted that reaching a final agreement before the set deadline remains difficult.
IRGC launches pink missile toward Tel Aviv, honors viral girl’s request
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced yesterday it launched a pink-painted missile toward Tel Aviv, citing a viral request from a young Iranian girl as inspiration. The action marks the latest escalation in ongoing cross-border tensions.
A little girl had asked for a pink missile to be launched at Tel Aviv.
— Iran Embassy SA (@IraninSA) April 6, 2026
This is the result:
'Bespoke missiles' pic.twitter.com/5e8fYcXcm2
A video of a girl asking for a pink missile to be fired at occupied territories circulated widely online. In response, the IRGC released an image of the custom-painted weapon via Iran’s Embassy in South Africa, showing the missile inscribed in Persian with the phrase, “In response to the revolutionary girl's request.”
She is the one pic.twitter.com/yLSKSEvDsM
— Positive Side Of X (@ssmb291_) April 6, 2026
US slams Russia, China for 'shielding repressive regime'
The US ambassador to the UN criticized Russia and China after they opposed a Security Council resolution, saying their stance amounts to supporting a government that represses its own population.
Washington called the veto “a clear signal” of alignment with authoritarian practices and warned of continued diplomatic consequences.
Iraqi militia group releases US journalist Shelly Kittleson in Iraq
The security official of Hezbollah-affiliated militias in Iraq announced the release of American journalist Shelley Kittleson.
She has been instructed to leave the country immediately, ending her brief detention.
Huge explosions heard in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem
Residents in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem reported hearing massive explosions across the city, causing widespread alarm. The blasts follow recent missile strikes from Iran targeting the area. Emergency services are on high alert, and authorities are urging civilians to seek shelter as investigations into the impact continue.
