Iran War: EAM Jaishankar speaks to FMs of Iran, UAE and Qatar; 4 killed in Lebanon | Highlights

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Sunday spoke to foreign ministers of Iran, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), discussing the situation of Middle East.  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised US President Donald Trump following the high-risk rescue of a US F-15 crew member from Iran after it was downed by the Islamic Republic earlier this week, calling it a testament to decisive leadership and shared values between the two nations.

Iran has targeted energy and petrochemical sites across Gulf in response to the attack on its infrastructure, reports ANI.

Israeli influence in the Gulf will increase as a result of Iran's strategy in the region, UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash said on Sunday. 

"The Iranian strategy will actually concretise the American role...  It will not reduce it. We will also see Israeli influence become more prominent in the Gulf, not less," Gargash said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday, reports AFP.

US-Israeli strikes hit an airport in southwestern Iran on Sunday, reports AFP quoting local media.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he believes there is a "good chance" of making a deal with Iran on Monday, ahead of his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face heavy bombing.

"I think there is a good chance tomorrow, they are negotiating now," the president told a Fox News journalist. "If they don't make a deal and fast, I'm considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil."

First footage of the destruction of two Black Hawk helicopters and one C-130 Hercules enemy military transport aircraft in southern Isfahan, Iran.  

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his country will target the Iranian power plants on Tuesday, if it fails to open the Strait of Hormuz.

"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah," he said on Truth Social.

US President Donald Trump has said that he will address a new conference over the rescue of the F-15E crew members at 1 pm on Monday.

"We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran. The Iranian Military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close. He is a highly respected Colonel. This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to “man and equipment.” It just doesn’t happen!" he said on Truth Social.

An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon's Kfar Hatta, far from the border with Israel, killed seven people on Sunday including a family of six, reports AFP.

Even though the United States (US) managed to rescue the second crew member of the downed F-15E Strike Eagle, Iran said on Sunday that it was able to shoot down multiple aircraft of the American military, including a couple of Black Hawk helicopters and one C-130 military transport aircraft. It further said that the rescue operation led to the death of at least five persons in southwestern Iran. Click here to read more.

Oman and Iran have started their discussion to open the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure by Tehran has disrupted global oil supplies, said the Foreign Ministry of Oman on Sunday. 

"The Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran held a meeting on April 4, 2026 CE, at the level of deputy ministers in the foreign ministries of the two countries, attended by specialists from both sides. The meeting discussed possible options for ensuring the smooth flow of transit through the Strait of Hormuz amid the circumstances currently prevailing in the region," the statement read. 

Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) tweets, "A transport aircraft and two American helicopters were hit by Iran's Armed Forces."

Strikes killed five people overnight in Iran's southwest during the rescue of a missing US crewmember of a downed American fighter jet, reports AFP quoting Iranian media.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has posted an image on social media platform X, claiming it shows the wreckage of a US aircraft shot down by Iranian forces. The claim comes amid heightened tensions during a US rescue mission inside Iran. Earlier, Iran’s Fars news agency reported that a US C-130 class aircraft involved in the operation to locate a missing American airman was destroyed by a police commando unit. Iranian authorities have also claimed that multiple US aircraft were targeted during the mission, though there has been no official confirmation from the United States so far. 

The National News Agency reports that an Israeli airstrike on the town of Siddiqine in the Tyre district has killed three people and left several others wounded. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt commended President Donald Trump and the US military for the successful rescue mission. “Proud of our troops, proud of our president, proud to be an American,” she said posted on X. 

Trump said the US military “monitored the location of the rescued colonel 24 hours a day” and meticulously planned the operation. “Dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the world, were sent to retrieve him,” Trump said. He added that the airman “sustained injuries but will recover”, and added that “no Americans were killed or wounded.”

US Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, expressed relief and admiration following the successful recovery of the missing US airman. A former Army Special Forces officer, Waltz wrote on X, “America breathes a sigh of relief. More amazing work by my special operations brothers,” highlighting the skill and bravery of the forces involved in the operation.

US President Donald Trump confirmed that the missing US pilot has been “successfully rescued from Iran.” In a post on TruthSocial, he described the operation as one of the most “daring search-and-rescue missions in US history”, saying that the pilot is now “safe and sound.” The airman had been “behind enemy lines in the mountains of Iran”, pursued by hostile forces, Trump said, adding that the US military for executing the mission without any American casualties, calling it a “historic achievement in American air dominance.” Read the full story here. 

Iran has dismissed US President Donald Trump’s 48-hour threat to destroy its infrastructure, calling it “helpless and nervous,” and warned that any attack on its facilities would trigger “devastating and continuous” retaliation against US and Israeli targets. 

A spokesperson for Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy, Fatima Abbas Johar Hayat, said that Iranian drones targeted two major power generation and water distillation plants in the country, causing significant disruption. She described the incident as a “criminal aggression” that led to serious material damage and forced the shutdown of two electricity-generating units. 

An Iranian security official has issued a strong warning to the United States, dismissing its military strategy and hinting at an imminent escalation. In remarks reported by the Fars news agency, the official said the US “target bank is inaccurate” and mocked threats by Donald Trump to strike key infrastructure, calling them “laughable.” The official argued that such statements reflect the failure of American military operations, pointing in particular to the downing of US warplanes. He further warned that Iran is preparing a “big surprise” for the US and its allies.

The US authorities have arrested the niece of former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in an American strike near the Baghdad airport in Iraq in 2020, said officials on Saturday. Soleimani's niece was identified as Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, who was arrested along with her daughter. Read the full story here. 

US President Donald Trump has stated that several Iranian military officials were killed during what he described as a “massive strike” in Tehran. He made the claim in a post shared on Truth Social on Saturday (US local time). In the same post, Trump shared a video that he said showed the aftermath of the operation. The footage is mostly dark, but the sound of aircraft and multiple loud explosions can be heard in the background. Read the full story here.