Iran rejects ceasefire as US-Israel strikes hit Tehran, Trump deadline expires
Last updated: 17:46 UTC, April 06 2026 | Started: 2026-04-06 07:22 | 4 update(s) | Avg confidence: 80/100
The story so far: The 2026 Iran war began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran targeting its nuclear programme, missile sites, and leadership — killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day. Iran retaliated with hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israel, US military bases across the Gulf, and Arab state energy infrastructure, while closing the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Preceding the February attack were failed nuclear negotiations and a prior 12-day US-Israeli air campaign against Iran in June 2025.
Latest Updates
2026-04-06 17:46 — Iran rejects ceasefire as US-Israel strikes hit Tehran, Trump deadline expires
US-Israeli airstrikes on Monday struck two residential buildings in Baharestan County southwest of Tehran, killing at least 13 people including six children, according to Iranian state media and CNN; smoke was simultaneously visible rising from eastern and western parts of the capital.
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2026-04-06 10:51 — Israel kills IRGC intel chief Khademi in Tehran strike
Israel's Air Force killed IRGC Intelligence Organization chief Major General Majid Khademi in an overnight precision airstrike on Tehran in the early hours of April 6, 2026 — confirmed by both the IDF, which said the strike was conducted 'based on precise intelligence guidance,' and by the IRGC itself in a statement carried by Iran's state-linked Fars News Agency.
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2026-04-06 10:46 — IDF kills IRGC intel chief Khademi in Tehran strikes
The IDF announced it 'completed' a wave of strikes on Iranian regime infrastructure targets in Tehran, posting on Telegram without specifying targets at the time; Times of Israel and Gulf News/AFP independently confirmed the IDF statement.
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2026-04-06 07:22 — Israel hits Tehran missile depots; Iran rejects deadline
The Israeli military said it conducted overnight airstrikes in Tehran targeting ballistic and anti-aircraft missile storage facilities, continuing a sustained campaign against Iran's capital military infrastructure.
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What We Know
- The Israeli military said it conducted overnight airstrikes in Tehran targeting ballistic and anti-aircraft missile storage facilities, continuing a sustained campaign against Iran's capital military infrastructure.
- US and Israeli strikes hit Shahid Beheshti University and a hospital in Tehran on April 5, Al Jazeera reported, with strikes also damaging Golestan Palace, a UNESCO-listed historical monument, on April 4.
- Iran rejected President Trump's ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian state media calling Trump's demands 'helpless and nervous'; Tehran had blocked the strait — through which 20 percent of world oil supply passes — in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes.
- Two US Air Force combat aircraft were shot down on April 4: an F-15E downed by Iranian fire over Iran — with one crew member rescued and a second still missing — and a second combat plane near the Strait of Hormuz, both confirmed by a US official to NPR.
- An airstrike near Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility killed one security guard and damaged a support building, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said in an official statement.
- The IDF announced it 'completed' a wave of strikes on Iranian regime infrastructure targets in Tehran, posting on Telegram without specifying targets at the time; Times of Israel and Gulf News/AFP independently confirmed the IDF statement.
- IRGC confirmed that Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi, head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization, was killed 'at dawn' in what it called a 'criminal terrorist attack by the American-Zionist enemy'; UPI and multiple independent outlets reported Israel explicitly claimed responsibility for the assassination.
- Strikes hit Tehran's Sharif University of Technology, damaging campus buildings and rupturing a nearby natural gas distribution station, causing temporary outages in the District 9 neighbourhood; the head of Tehran's District 9 told state broadcaster IRIB, with Gulf News/AFP corroborating.
- At least 34 people were killed across Tehran province (23 dead, including six children), Qom (5 dead) and Bandar-e Lengeh (6 dead) in the latest wave, Iran's state and semi-official media reported; Iran's central military command warned of 'much more devastating' retaliation if civilian strikes continue, per IRIB.
- US President Trump set a Tuesday April 7 8pm deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; simultaneously, Axios and Reuters reported the US, Iran, and regional mediators were in active talks on a Pakistan-proposed 45-day ceasefire framework, Gulf News and Republic World reported.
- Israel's Air Force killed IRGC Intelligence Organization chief Major General Majid Khademi in an overnight precision airstrike on Tehran in the early hours of April 6, 2026 — confirmed by both the IDF, which said the strike was conducted 'based on precise intelligence guidance,' and by the IRGC itself in a statement carried by Iran's state-linked Fars News Agency.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly lauded the assassination and vowed that Israel 'will continue with full force' in its war against Iran, according to the Times of Israel's April 6 liveblog.
- US-Israeli strikes on April 6 killed at least 34 people across Iran, including at least six children, Al Jazeera reported, citing its conflict tracker.
- Iran's government rejected Trump's deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, condemning the ultimatum as 'incitement to war crimes,' Al Jazeera reported; Iran's foreign ministry separately said it had formulated a response to ceasefire proposals but would hold no direct talks while strikes continue.
- On the preceding day (April 5), 272 US-Israeli strikes hit 14 Iranian provinces, causing 184 casualties — most strikes concentrated on Tehran, followed by Khuzestan and Isfahan — according to Haaretz.
- US-Israeli airstrikes on Monday struck two residential buildings in Baharestan County southwest of Tehran, killing at least 13 people including six children, according to Iranian state media and CNN; smoke was simultaneously visible rising from eastern and western parts of the capital.
- Iran rejected a temporary ceasefire proposal from regional mediators, with foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stating via state news agency IRNA that Tehran seeks 'an end to the war and for preventing its recurrence' — not a temporary pause — and separately demanding sanctions removal and reconstruction aid as conditions, according to Bloomberg and CNN.
- An Iranian missile struck a residential building in Haifa, Israel on April 5–6, killing four people whose bodies were recovered after an overnight search; two more were killed and two are missing in a separate Haifa strike on April 6, per AP and CNN.
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed strikes on the South Pars petrochemical complex and said the Jam and Damavand facilities — accounting for roughly 85% of Iran's petrochemical exports — have been rendered inoperative, calling it 'a severe economic blow' costing Iran 'tens of billions of dollars', per CNN.
- Trump set a Tuesday 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on power plants and bridges; Iran's senior officials responded that the strait would not reopen until the country is 'fully compensated' for war damages, per CNN and AP.
Still Unclear
- Pentagon officials, per NPR: The US military had achieved 'total air dominance' in the war in Iran, Pentagon officials previously asserted.
US official to NPR; Al Jazeera live blog headline 'Tehran downs 2 US warplanes': Iran shot down two US combat aircraft on April 4, 2026 — an F-15E and a second combat plane — in a single day, directly challenging the air dominance assertion.
- (Unverified — single source — Wikipedia citing unspecified IDF announcement; not independently corroborated by wire agencies in available reporting) An Israeli F-35I shot down a Russian-made Iranian Yak-130 fighter jet over Tehran in air-to-air combat, reportedly the first crewed aircraft ever shot down by an F-35. [Wikipedia / 2026 Iran war article]
- (Unverified — single aggregated source; primary Reuters article not directly fetched for verification) IRGC spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini was killed in US and Israeli strikes, as was Esmail Ahmadi, head of intelligence for the Basij force. [CFR Global Conflict Tracker citing Reuters]
- (Unverified — single source — Iranian state-adjacent media; not independently corroborated) Iran fired at a water desalination plant and oil refinery in Kuwait as part of Operation True Promise 4 retaliatory strikes. [Iranian media via NPR]
- IDF (Telegram statement); Times of Israel: Israel framed the April 6 strikes as targeting 'regime infrastructure' and military command nodes, including a naval weapons-production facility and air-defense manufacturing sites, as part of a deliberate degradation campaign against the IRGC.
IRIB (Iranian state broadcaster); IRGC Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters spokesman: Iran characterised the strikes as attacks on civilian infrastructure — including a university, a mosque building within it, residential blocks, and a gas distribution station — and vowed proportional retaliation against US-affiliated infrastructure.
- (Unverified — single source | state/semi-official media only | not independently corroborated) A US-Israeli airstrike on Tehran's Baharestan district killed 15 people and destroyed four residential units, damaging more than 40 houses and vehicles. [Tasnim News Agency (Iranian semi-official)]
- (Unverified — single source | state media only | no Israeli or US confirmation) A strike on a residential building in Eslamshar, southwest of Tehran, killed at least 13 people; neither Israel nor the US claimed responsibility. [Iranian media (Republic World citing unnamed Iranian outlets)]
- (Unverified — single source | not independently corroborated in this monitoring period) Iran's ongoing nationwide internet blackout has now exceeded 888 hours (38+ days), the longest nationwide shutdown on record. [NetBlocks (via Republic World live blog)]
- IRGC statement via Fars News Agency, as reported by Arab Times and Republic World.: The strike that killed Khademi was a joint US-Israeli operation.
Israel Defense Forces statement, as reported by The Media Line and Trend.Az.: The strike was conducted by the Israeli Air Force acting on precise intelligence guidance; US involvement in this specific strike was not claimed.
- (Unverified — single source — not independently corroborated by a second outlet) Khademi had assumed his position following the earlier killing of his predecessor Mohammad Khatami in the conflict. [The Media Line]
- (Unverified — Iran has not publicly confirmed making such a request; single-source characterisation) Trump's 10-day pause on strikes against Iranian energy plants was granted 'as per Iranian Government request,' implying Tehran made a formal request to Washington. [NBC News, citing a Trump statement]
- Axios (four sources with knowledge of the talks); Reuters: The US and Iran are actively discussing a 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, with a proposal that could come into effect on Monday April 6.
Iranian state media IRNA; Iranian government officials: Iran denied any ceasefire talks are taking place, rejected the temporary ceasefire proposal, and called Trump 'deceitful' over claims of negotiations.
- Iranian Ministry of Science; Iranian state media: US-Israeli strikes destroyed civilian residential buildings and cultural heritage sites across Iran, with Iran reporting damage to at least 120 historical sites.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz; US military officials: Israel and the US say strikes are targeting military infrastructure, missile production, IRGC command centres, and nuclear-related facilities, not civilian targets.
- (Unverified — single source; locations of attacks not specified) Iranian-linked militias targeted US diplomats and facilities in Iraq in two overnight attacks on April 6. [US State Department spokesperson]
- (Unverified — single source; stated as a warning, not a confirmed operational decision) Iran may target the Bab al-Mandeb Strait — the Red Sea chokepoint — in addition to the Strait of Hormuz, according to a senior adviser to newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. [NPR, citing adviser Aliakbar Velayati]
- (Unverified — not independently corroborated; Qatari Foreign Ministry denied joining any campaign targeting Iran) Qatar shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers after Iran attempted to strike Doha's airport, according to Western diplomats and Channel 12. [Jerusalem Post, Channel 12]
Key Figures
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Brent crude oil price (April 6, 2026) | $108.76–$110.60 per barrel | CNBC; CNN Business |
| WTI crude oil price (April 6, 2026) | ~$110.45–$113.60 per barrel | CNBC; CNN Business |
| Estimated oil supply lost through end of April 2026 | ~1 billion barrels (up to 600M crude + 350M refined products) | TD Securities, via CNBC |
| Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic decline from pre-war levels | Down more than 90% | Lloyd's List Intelligence, via Al Jazeera/TheStreet |
| Share of global oil supply transiting Strait of Hormuz (pre-war) | ~20% (~20 million barrels/day) | Congressional Research Service |
| Peak Brent crude price since war began | $126 per barrel | Wikipedia / 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis article citing market data |
| Casualties evacuated to Israeli hospitals (as of April 5, 07:00) | 6,833 | Alma Research and Education Center |
| Deaths in Lebanon since 2026 Lebanon war began (as of April 6) | More than 1,497 | Lebanese health ministry, via CNN |
| Iranian ballistic missiles estimated still capable of reaching Israel | Over 1,000 | Israeli Air Force intelligence officer Lt. Col. 'Tet', via Times of Israel/Channel 12 |
| War day count (April 6, 2026) | Day 38 | Haaretz live blog |
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Israel strike in Tehran in April 2026?
The Israeli military stated it conducted overnight airstrikes in Tehran targeting ballistic missile and anti-aircraft missile storage facilities. US-Israeli strikes also hit Shahid Beheshti University, a hospital, and damaged Golestan Palace, a UNESCO-listed monument, according to Al Jazeera.
Has Iran shot down any US aircraft in the 2026 war?
Yes. On April 4, 2026, Iranian fire shot down a US F-15E fighter jet over Iran — one crew member was rescued, one remains missing — and a second US combat aircraft was downed near the Strait of Hormuz. Both were confirmed by a US official to NPR, challenging prior US claims of 'total air dominance.'
Why is Iran keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed?
Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory. The strait carries approximately 20 percent of the world's oil supply. Iran rejected Trump's ultimatum to reopen it by a Tuesday deadline, according to Al Jazeera, calling the demands 'helpless and nervous.'
Was IRGC intelligence chief Khademi killed in the April 6 Tehran strikes?
Yes, confirmed by two independent primary sources. The IRGC issued a formal statement saying Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi, head of its Intelligence Organization, was killed 'at dawn' in a US-Israeli attack; UPI and The Media Line independently reported that Israel also explicitly claimed responsibility for the assassination.
What was hit at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran?
Airstrikes damaged buildings on the Sharif University campus and struck a nearby natural gas distribution station, causing temporary outages across Tehran's District 9. The head of District 9 confirmed the gas outage to state broadcaster IRIB. The university had already been running online-only classes due to the ongoing war.
Is a ceasefire in the 2026 Iran war imminent?
As of April 6, the US, Iran, and regional mediators were in active talks on a Pakistan-proposed 45-day ceasefire framework. Iran rejected reopening the Strait of Hormuz as part of any temporary deal, and US President Trump issued a Tuesday April 7 deadline threatening further strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure if no agreement is reached.
Who was Majid Khademi and why does his death matter?
Major General Majid Khademi was the chief of the IRGC's Intelligence Organization, responsible for providing targeting assessments to Iran's senior military leadership. His killing on April 6 continues Israel's systematic elimination of IRGC command figures since Supreme Leader Khamenei was killed on February 28, degrading Iran's intelligence-to-strike pipeline.
Did the US participate in the strike that killed Khademi?
Iran's IRGC attributed the killing to a joint US-Israeli operation via its official statement on Fars News Agency. The IDF claimed sole credit, describing it as an Israeli Air Force strike based on precise intelligence. The US has not independently confirmed or denied involvement in this specific strike as of April 6.
What happens now that Trump's Strait of Hormuz deadline has expired?
Trump had threatened to strike Iranian power plants and bridges if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday, April 8 (at 8 PM Eastern). Iran publicly rejected the ultimatum as 'incitement to war crimes.' NBC News reported Trump had already paused energy-plant strikes for 10 days at Iranian request, with that pause expiring April 6.
Why did the US and Israel attack Iran in February 2026?
On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel launched Operation Roaring Lion (US codename: Operation Epic Fury), targeting Iran's nuclear programme, ballistic missile sites, military leadership, and the IRGC. Trump stated the goal included regime change; the operation followed the collapse of US-Iran nuclear talks and Iran's continued missile development, per the UK House of Commons Library and Britannica.
What is the Strait of Hormuz and why does its closure matter?
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly 20% of the world's daily oil supply flows. Iran declared it closed from March 4, 2026, attacking vessels attempting to transit. The closure is described as the largest oil supply disruption in history, sending Brent crude above $126/barrel at peak, per the Congressional Research Service and market data.
What happens if Trump's April 8 deadline for Iran to reopen Hormuz is not met?
Trump threatened to strike Iranian power plants and bridges on Tuesday, April 8 at 8 p.m. ET if Iran does not reopen the Strait. Iran's senior officials have rejected the ultimatum, saying the strait stays closed until Iran receives full war reparations. Bloomberg Economics warns oil could reach $170–$200/barrel if the strait stays closed and strikes on energy infrastructure escalate.
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