Israeli emergency responders observe a scene of a direct ballistic hit after it was launched from Iran in Petach Tikva, Israel, on April 02, 2026. Iran has continued firing drones and missiles at Israel since the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on the morning of February 28.
Amir Levy/Getty Images
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Amir Levy/Getty Images
Explosions and sirens rang across Israel, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Friday as air defense systems tried to intercept Iranian drones and missiles. At least two refineries caught fire due to drone strikes or falling debris. The attacks came as President Trump reiterated his threat to Iran’s leadership on the 35th day of the war.
“Our military … has not yet begun to destroy what is left of Iran,” Trump posted on social media late Thursday. “Next bridge, then electric power plant!”
He added: “The leadership of the new regime knows what to do, and to do it fast!”
Iranian officials said one of the longest bridges linking Tehran to the city of Karaj was destroyed overnight.
Kuwait’s largest oil refinery was among the targets hit by Iran on Friday, with some units set on fire. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates reported one incident of debris falling on the Habshan gas facility.
The exchange of attacks and threats came amid new global efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for oil supplies that Iran has blocked in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks that began on February 28. The blockade has increased the prices of oil, gas and fertilizer.
The price of Brent crude oil rose 7.8 percent on Friday to US$109.03 a barrel, an increase of nearly 50 percent since the war began in the Middle East.
Here’s more news on the war on Iran from Friday:
One of Iran’s largest bridges destroyed in US strikes
The B1 bridge linking the city of Karaj, west of the capital Tehran, was under construction when it was attacked late Wednesday. Iranian security forces said eight people were killed in the attack.
More attacks were reported across Iran on Thursday night.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened to target major bridges in the Gulf region in retaliation.
Trump has threatened the US to damage more civilian infrastructure, including power plants, by next week if Iran’s leadership does not open the Strait of Hormuz. This threat has been criticized by many Iranians, even those who oppose the regime, such as opposition leader Reza Pahlavi, the former Shah’s son, because it would cause hardship to ordinary Iranians.
A bridge damaged by US air strikes is seen in the city of Karaj, west of Tehran, Iran, on Thursday, April 3, 2026.
Wahid Salemi/AP
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Wahid Salemi/AP
“If you are saying that if these people are separate from the government and you have come here only to overthrow this regime, then why are you attacking this power plant?” an Iranian who fled Tehran told NPR this week.
In response to the attacks, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said in a post on social media, “An attack on civilian infrastructure will not force Iranians to surrender.”
Iran launches missile and drone attacks on Israel, Gulf
Kuwait’s Petroleum Corporation said on Friday that several units at the country’s largest oil refinery, Mina al-Ahmadi, caught fire after a drone attack.
Emergency teams are working to bring the fire under control and no injuries have been reported. This refinery has been the target of Iranian drones in the past also.
The Kuwaiti military also said its air defense systems were responding to hostile missile and drone threats.
UAE officials said the fire was caused by debris from an interception strike at the country’s Habshan gas facility.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry also said it intercepted and destroyed about a dozen drones.
Israel’s health ministry said Friday it had treated 148 people in the past day, most of them for minor injuries. About 6,594 people received treatment since the war began, according to ministry posts on social media.
Nations consider putting diplomatic pressure on Iran over Strait of Hormuz, but could not reach any agreement
Leaders of 40 countries, who met virtually on Thursday at the request of the British government, discussed diplomatic pressure and economic measures to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but did not agree on any specific steps.
The meeting, organized by Britain’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, included representatives of European countries, Canada, the United Arab Emirates – but not of the countries that started the war: the US and Israel.
Earlier this week, Trump said the blocked strait did not affect the US and told other countries to protect themselves if they wanted to reopen it. Cooper said the rest of the world has been left to deal with the consequences of the Iran war.
He said that by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, Iran was “hijacking the global shipping route” and “holding the global economy hostage.”
“This is impacting trade for Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi, Oman, Iraq… but it also means liquefied natural gas for Asia, fertilizer for Africa and jet fuel for the world,” Cooper said.
He said traffic through the strait has dropped from 150 ships a day to 10-20 ships a day.
The meeting also discussed diplomatic pressure on Iran as well as sanctions if Iran continues to close the route. He rejected any efforts by Iran to impose tolls on ships passing through the waterway.
A residential building damaged by recent US-Israeli attacks is seen with a sign on its wall that reads in Persian: “We stand to the end,” in Fardis, west of Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 3, 2026.
Wahid Salemi/AP
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Wahid Salemi/AP
Cooper said military planners from participating countries would meet next week to think about defensive capabilities to protect the strait after the fighting stops.
Officials also said they would work with the International Maritime Organization to help the approximately 20,000 sailors and thousands of ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that the idea of using force to reopen the strait – as Trump has suggested – is “unrealistic”, adding that it would leave cargo ships in the strait vulnerable to Iranian attacks.
Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung said Friday they would cooperate to reopen the strait, according to the Associated Press.
US allies have repeatedly said they will not get involved militarily in the heated phase of the war.
Bellingcat says UAE downplays Iranian attacks in new report
A new report from investigative outlet Bellingcat shows multiple Iranian attacks on the UAE that were clearly downplayed or misrepresented in official statements.
The government did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment on the report.
Bellingcat, which uses open source data, said a video shared by a migrant worker showed an Iranian drone attacking fuel stores in the emirate of Fujairah in early March. Satellite imagery shows that three tanks were destroyed. But Bellingcat wrote that Fujairah’s media office said debris had caught fire after a successful interception – although no interception could be seen.
In other examples, apparent drone attacks on Dubai’s airport and a hotel were not acknowledged as such.
Bellingcat also said satellite imagery showed two fires a mile apart at the port of Dubai last month, including in an area used by the US Navy. But officials acknowledged only one fire at the time.
Emily Feng contributed to this report from Istanbul, Fatima Al-Kassab from London, Aya Batrawi from Dubai and Tina Krejza from Washington, DC.
