Trump says we're 'blowing up the whole country' if Iran doesn't make deal in 48 hours

Two C-130 aircraft were lost during the operation, an official said.

Last Updated: April 6, 2026, 1:24 AM EDT

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

Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

Apr 02, 2026, 7:33 AM EDT

UAE says it intercepted 19 ballistic missiles, 26 drones from Iran

The United Arab Emirates' Defense Ministry said on Thursday it intercepted another 19 ballistic missiles and 26 drones launched from Iran.

The ministry said UAE defenses have intercepted 457 ballistic missiles, 19 cruise missiles and 2,038 drones since the war began on Feb. 28.

Apr 02, 2026, 6:49 AM EDT

Iran to allow Philippines-flagged ships through Strait of Hormuz, ministry says

Iran agreed to allow Philippines-flagged ships and energy sources destined for the country through the Strait of Hormuz, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Thursday.

The decision was announced after a phone conversation between Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the statement said.

The Panamanian-flagged Tiger Wings, carrying crude oil from Russia, is moored close to the Petron oil refinery on April 1, 2026 in Limay, Bataan province, Philippines.
Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

"The Iranian foreign minister assured the secretary that Iran will allow the safe, unhindered and expeditious passage through the Strait of Hormuz of Philippine-flagged vessels, energy sources and all Filipino seafarers," the statement said.

"Given that the Philippines imports the majority of its energy requirements from the Middle East, these assurances from Iran will greatly facilitate the steady delivery of critical oil and fertilizer supplies to the Philippines," the statement said.

-ABC News Othon Leyva

Apr 02, 2026, 5:55 AM EDT

Bahrain downs 2 missiles, 10 drones in 24 hours

The Bahrain Defence Force said in a post to X on Thursday that its air defenses intercepted two missiles and 10 drones over the past 24 hours.

It brings Bahrain's tally of munitions intercepted since Feb. 28 to 188 missiles and 429 drones, the BDF said.

Vehicles move on a road in Bahrain's capital Manama on March 11, 2026.
-/AFP via Getty Images
Apr 02, 2026, 5:47 AM EDT

Iran prepared to continue war, officials say after Trump address

Iranian officials on Thursday dismissed President Donald Trump's Wednesday assertion that the U.S.' "core strategic objectives" in Iran are "nearing completion."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a statement, "We will not accept this vicious cycle of war, then negotiations, then a ceasefire, then a repeat of the same pattern."

Smoke rises following a reported strike in Baharestan, Isfahan province, Iran, in a social media video released on April 1, 2026.
Social Media/SOCIAL MEDIA via Reuters

"This is not only disastrous for Iran, but for the entire region and beyond," Baghaei said. "This is not an ordinary war; it is a combination of terrorist activities and warfare. They have targeted our leaders, our military commanders, even when they were not on duty. This is an unjust war imposed on the Iranian people and therefore we have no choice but to respond forcefully."

Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesperson for the Iranian military's Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said of the U.S. strikes, "The centers you think you have targeted are insignificant."

"Our strategic military productions take place in locations of which you have no knowledge and will never reach," Zolfaghari said, as quoted by the Associated Press.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti

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