President Trump says US Navy will begin blockade of Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. and Iran failed to reach a peace deal after 21 hours of negotiations.

Last Updated: April 12, 2026, 10:22 PM EDT

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military and government sites.

Trump set a deadline for Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face broad strikes on its critical infrastructure. Hours before the deadline expired, Trump said he had agreed to suspend planned bombing for two weeks if Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi then said that "safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran's Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supported the ceasefire with Iran, but that Lebanon -- where intense Israeli strikes continued -- was not covered by the agreement, despite Iranian protests.

Apr 07, 2026, 10:50 AM EDT

Multiple Israeli strikes hit Iranian railways, causing casualties, disruption

Israeli attacks targeted bridges and railway lines in the Iranian cities of Kashan, Qom, Tabriz, Ahwaz and Zanjan, causing casualties, disruption and halting transportation, according to Iranian media.

Train traffic on several routes, including those to the city of Mashhad, has reportedly been suspended until further notice

Israeli airstrikes have also damaged some roads and freeways. The Tabriz–Zanjan freeway and the old Qarachaman–Mianeh road have been closed due to projectiles.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed strikes on Iranian railways in a statement on Tuesday. The IDF said that "eight bridge segments" were hit, claiming that they were used "for transporting weapons and military equipment in several areas across Iran, including Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Kashan, and Qom."

The Israel Defense Forces' Farsi language X account on Tuesday morning issued a warning to all Iranians to "refrain from using and traveling by train throughout Iran" until 9 p.m. local time.

"Your presence on trains and near railway lines endangers your life," the post said.

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian and Jordana Miller

Apr 07, 2026, 10:10 AM EDT

End the war 'before it spirals out of control,' Qatari official says

Qatar is urging a quick end to the war, warning that "there are no winners in the continuation of this war," Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry, said at a press conference Tuesday, according to Reuters.

"We have been warning since 2023 that escalation left unchecked will get us into a situation where it cannot be controlled. And we are very close to that point. And this is why we have been urging all parties to find a resolution out of this, to find a way of ending this war before it spirals out of control," Al-Ansari said.

"A continuation of this war in this way will only mean more costs for the people of the region, for the international peace of security, for the international economy, for international energy, markets, and there are no winners in the continuation of this war. There are only losers, and the net of losers is expanding every day as a result of the ramifications of the economic situation," Al-Ansari said.

Al-Ansari also condemned all attacks on civilian infrastructure.

"Attacks on civilian infrastructure, especially energy infrastructure, is putting all of us in danger. It's affecting the wealth of the people, the prosperity of the people, and the well-being of the people, in this region and beyond," Al-Ansari said.

Apr 07, 2026, 9:57 AM EDT

IRGC warns Gulf states it will no longer show 'restraint' in retaliation against attacks

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the Gulf states on Tuesday that it will no longer show "restraint" in choosing targets for retaliation, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

"The U.S. regional partners should also know that until today, we have exercised great restraint for the sake of good neighborliness and have had some considerations in choosing targets for retaliation, but all these considerations have since been removed," the IRGC said.

Following President Donald Trump's threats to destroy Iran's infrastructure and intensified Israeli attacks on facilities including electricity, gas, steel, and petrochemical plants -- as well as roads and railways -- the IRGC responded, saying it would retaliate against attacks on civilian targets.

President Donald Trump gestures as he responds to a question from the news media during a briefing on Iran from the White House in Washington, April 6, 2026.
Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Shutterstock

"We have not and will not be the initiators of attacks on civilian targets; but we will not hesitate to retaliate against vile attacks on civilian facilities," the IRGC said.

"The foolish leaders of America, who have thrown all their interests at the feet of the Zionists, do not even have the power to calculate what important assets of theirs are within the reach of our warriors in return for attacking our infrastructure," the statement added.

Apr 07, 2026, 9:47 AM EDT

Trump says 'a whole civilization will die tonight' in latest Iran threat

President Donald Trump issued a broad threat against Iran on Tuesday morning, as his Tuesday evening deadline loomed for Tehran to fully reopen of the Strait of Hormuz.

"A whole civilization will die tonight never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will," Trump wrote on his social media platform. It was not immediately clear what the president was referring to. Trump has repeatedly threatened punitive strikes against critical Iranian infrastructure.

"However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?" Trump also wrote.

"We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!" the president said.

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