US-Israel Iran War Live Updates

CENTCOM’s commander, Brad Cooper, issued a statement reaffirming the US position on its military campaign in Iran, citing tangible gains five weeks into the operation. According to a CENTCOM post on X, Cooper stated that his assessment indicates unmistakable progress. Key indicators of this progress include the absence of Iranian naval vessels at sea, grounded aircraft, and severely impaired air and missile defense systems. US officials have consistently maintained that the campaign has severely crippled Iran’s military capabilities. However, independent analyst Andreas Krieg of Al Jazeera countered that Iran’s military remains formidable, boasting a range of advanced weaponry.

During a visit to South Korea, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the futility of military action in resolving the ongoing tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Macron cautioned that any US-Israeli aggression against Iran would only serve to exacerbate the situation, underscoring the need for diplomatic engagement to address the issue.
The French leader expressed concern that without a framework for negotiations, the situation could rapidly escalate again within a short period, potentially leading to renewed instability.
Macron also rejected the notion of a military operation to secure the Strait of Hormuz, deeming it impractical and fraught with peril.
He pointed out that any such endeavor would be a protracted and hazardous undertaking, exposing those involved to the threat of coastal attacks from the Revolutionary Guards, who possess advanced resources, including ballistic missiles and other dangers.

A wave of attacks has swept across key areas in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province, according to a senior government official speaking to Mehr news agency.
The deputy governor confirmed that Minu island was among the targeted locations, along with two incidents in Khorramshahr and a further two in Abadan, which also witnessed explosions.
Fortunately, the official stated, there have been no reported casualties or fatalities resulting from these incidents.

The prospect of a massive assault on Iran’s vital civilian infrastructure, including power and desalination facilities, has sparked outrage among experts and human rights advocates. This potential escalation, which would add to the already staggering number of over 113,000 civilian sites reportedly targeted in the conflict, has been met with fierce criticism from those who argue it would constitute blatant war crimes.

Former US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crime Issues Stephen J Rapp has unequivocally stated that any attacks on desalination plants would be a clear-cut war crime, leaving little room for doubt. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has called upon Congress to withhold funding that could fuel further conflict and to investigate US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for potential war crimes.

Coinciding with these developments, the US and Israel have been waging a joint campaign against Iran, mirroring Israel’s own efforts to dismantle civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Israel’s military has publicly announced plans to demolish homes near the border, prompting Medical Aid for Palestinians to accuse Israel of adopting a strategy eerily reminiscent of its actions in Gaza, where it has forcibly displaced a significant portion of the population.

The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence has issued a statement on social media platform X, revealing that its air defence systems successfully intercepted 19 ballistic missiles and 26 unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) on Thursday.
According to the ministry’s latest update, the total count of intercepted drones since the conflict began now stands at 2,038, while 19 cruise missiles and 457 ballistic missiles have also been neutralised, as per the ministry’s records.

The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed that a high-profile attack struck the historic Pasteur Institute of Iran, a renowned medical research hub that has stood the test of time for over a century.
Since the outbreak of conflict, a staggering 316 medical facilities, including hospitals and healthcare centers, have been severely impacted or rendered inoperable, according to the Iranian Red Crescent’s latest assessment.
Among the targeted institutions are the Tovafogh-e Darou Pharmaceutical Research and Production Institute in western Tehran, Gandhi Hospital in the capital, and Farabi Hospital and Medical Centre in Kermanshah, a province in western Iran.

Reports from Iran’s Fars news agency indicate that a high-profile highway bridge connecting Tehran to Karaj has been struck, resulting in a significant number of injuries. The bridge, touted as the highest in the Middle East, was a focal point of a broader assault that also saw US-Israeli strikes on various locations within Karaj, situated just west of Tehran.

In a strongly worded missive, Qatar has lodged a formal complaint with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, decrying a spate of Iranian aerial assaults on its soil.

According to a statement from Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, the letter catalogues a string of Iranian drone and cruise missile strikes that targeted Qatari territory between March 28 and April 1, with one particularly egregious incident involving an oil tanker in Qatari waters.

The letter unequivocally denounces the “unlawful acts” perpetrated by Iran, insisting that the country must provide reparations for the damages incurred. Furthermore, Qatar reaffirmed its right to take countermeasures under international law in response to these attacks.

In a significant escalation, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have inserted themselves into the complex regional conflict between their key ally, Iran, and its adversaries, the United States and Israel, by launching ballistic missile strikes into Israeli territory last week.
Thus far, their involvement has been relatively contained, with maritime shipping in the Red Sea remaining unscathed, a stark contrast to the early days of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
As the situation unfolds, the pressing question now is: what is the upper limit of Houthi engagement in this conflict?
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Iran’s steel production has taken a significant hit after a series of US-Israeli attacks targeted two of the country’s largest steel plants, Khuzestan Steel Company in Ahvaz and Mobarakeh Steel Company in Isfahan province. Mobarakeh Steel Company confirmed that its production lines have been brought to a complete standstill due to the high frequency of attacks. Meanwhile, Mehran Pakbin, the deputy head of operations at Khuzestan Steel Company, indicated that the company does not expect to resume operations at halted units for at least six months, according to reports from Iran’s Mizan Online website.