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Donald Trump blasts NATO as ‘paper tiger’ for not backing US on Iran

Donald Trump blasts NATO as ‘paper tiger’ for not backing US on Iran
By Zaid Sabah and Zsombor Peter
Published On 2 Apr 2026

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3 Apr 2026 - 05:03
 (05:03 GMT)

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Motorcyclists queue at a petrol station as fuel prices in Pakistan rise amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 2, 2026 [Waseem Sattar/Reuters]
3 Apr 2026 - 04:50
 (04:50 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

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Here are some of the day’s top developments:

  • The US and Israel intensified attacks on Iran, hitting a century-old medical research centre in Tehran, steel plants and a bridge near the capital, sparking criticism over their targeting of what Iran and many analysts insist are civilian infrastructure.
  • In the UAE, falling shrapnel killed a Bangladeshi farmworker. Kuwaiti emergency services extinguished an airport fire. Saudi Arabia intercepted several drones headed its way from Iran. And debris from intercepted projectiles fell near a highway in Bahrain.
  • The USS Gerald R Ford left Croatia after five days in port, the US Navy said, without revealing its next destination. The US has deployed thousands of marines and other soldiers to the Gulf in recent days, amid reports that it is mulling a ground operation against Iran.
  • Despite the intensifying war, Pakistan said that it would continue with mediation efforts.
  • UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted leaders and representatives from 40 countries to explore possibilities for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
3 Apr 2026 - 04:45
 (04:45 GMT)

Iran defiant after Trump’s latest threat

By Mohamed Vall

Reporting from Tehran

They are taking these threats seriously, because they have seen the implementation already on the way – power blackouts because of these strikes that touched some of the power facilities around Tehran and Karaj over the last three days. The third time was overnight.

So, they don’t only take it seriously, but they know it is underway, and they are expecting more of it.

And they are also looking at it as war crimes committed against civilians and facilities that have to do with the lives of 90 million Iranians, those Iranians who have been promise emancipation and freedom coming with this war.

Also the Iranians are saying that these crimes against humanity, crimes of war, are not going to force Iran to come to the negotiating table, because they know that any deal under coercion and under the threat of power will not be for the favor of Iran.

3 Apr 2026 - 04:40
 (04:40 GMT)

Russia’s Putin says he is ready to make ‘every effort to help stabilise’ the Gulf

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty that the current situation in the Middle East was a “shared concern” between the two countries, and that Moscow is ready to step in to help.

We all hope that the ongoing conflict will be promptly resolved. As you know, President Trump also addressed this issue yesterday. Let me reiterate that we are prepared to make every effort to help stabilise the situation and, as they say in such cases, return it to normal,” Putin said during a meeting at the Kremlin, according to a Russian readout.

3 Apr 2026 - 04:32
 (04:32 GMT)
Houthi

Saudi Arabia says it has intercepted five drones since Thursday

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said on X that it intercepted and destroyed a drone overnight without disclosing further details.

The news follows an earlier post on Thursday saying that it had intercepted and destroyed four drones.

3 Apr 2026 - 04:15
 (04:15 GMT)

UN Security Council vote on Strait of Hormuz reportedly rescheduled to Saturday

The UN Security Council’s vote on a proposal to ensure the safety of ships in the Strait of Hormuz has been rescheduled from Friday to Saturday, according to media reports.

The council’s 15 members are set to vote on a resolution from Bahrain aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the critical waterway, which usually carries about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supplies.

The Associated Press and Reuters news agencies have reported that a draft resolution includes text authorising countries “to use all defensive means necessary” to protect commercial shipping.

The proposal is considered unlikely to pass, as China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the council, has made it clear that it opposes any resolution that mentions the use of force.

Members of the Security Council vote on a Russian-sponsored resolution at UN headquarters in New York, the United States, on March 11, 2026 [Seth Wenig/AP Photo]
3 Apr 2026 - 03:45
 (03:45 GMT)

Israel issues rocket and missile warning for Upper Galilee

Israel’s Home Front Command has issued warnings about rocket and missile fire in the vicinity of Malkiya, Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai and Metula in the Upper Galilee region.

The Home Front Command, which is tasked with protecting civilian lives, earlier on Friday also issued an alert about a “hostile aircraft intrusion” in the Western Galilee region.

3 Apr 2026 - 03:29
 (03:29 GMT)

US military pays tribute to general after sudden retirement

The Joint Chiefs of Staff has paid tribute to outgoing Army Chief of Staff Randy George.

The statement follows the Pentagon’s sudden announcement that George would retire from his post “effective immediately.”

“On behalf of the Joint Force and the Joint Chiefs, we extend our deepest gratitude to Chief of Staff of the Army, General Randy George, for his decades of steadfast service to our nation,” the body of the most senior uniformed military leaders said in a statement on social media.

“Since 1988, General George and his family have consistently answered the nation’s call with honor and dedication. We are profoundly thankful to General George and his wife, Patty, for their many years of sacrifice and devotion to those who serve. As they graduate from this distinguished chapter of service and look toward the future, we wish them both continued happiness and success in all that lies ahead.”

US media outlets have reported that the high-ranking official was fired by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

3 Apr 2026 - 03:00
 (03:00 GMT)

US defence chief Hegseth reportedly fires two more high-ranking officials

US Secretary Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired two other senior military officials in addition to US Army Chief of Staff Randy George, according to US media reports.

General David Hodne, the head of the US Army’s Transformation and Training Command, and Major-General William Green Jr, the chief of the Army’s Chaplain Corps, have also been relieved of their duties, according to reports in The Washington Post and the military publication Stars and Stripes.

While the Pentagon earlier confirmed George’s retirement after it was first reported by CBS News, it has yet to confirm the ousters of Hodne or Green.

 

3 Apr 2026 - 02:54
 (02:54 GMT)

Trump levels new threats against Iran, says bridges ‘next’

Trump has levelled a series of new threats against Iran, warning that the US military “hasn’t even started” destroying what remains of Iranian infrastructure.

“Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!”

US President Donald Trump after a televised address from the White House in Washington, DC, on April 1, 2026 [Alex Brandon/Pool via AFP]
3 Apr 2026 - 02:45
 (02:45 GMT)

Speculation about US army chief’s firing extends to Biden-era ties

By Rosiland Jordan

Reporting from Washington, DC, United States

More speculation surrounds the firing of Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, particularly given his previous work with Lloyd Austin, who was the defence secretary during the Biden administration.

That might have been a cause for concern for both Secretary Hegseth and, by extension, the White House, because the speculation is that the administration wants generals and admirals in these top positions who will support the president’s agenda, not necessarily what makes sense from a military standpoint.

It’s worth pointing out that traditionally, the US military has tried to be nonpartisan – carrying out its operations without any concern for whether this would help a particular president.

3 Apr 2026 - 02:30
 (02:30 GMT)

Omani ships exiting Strait of Hormuz without using Iranian corridor, tracking data shows

Three Omani ships appear to be transiting the Strait of Hormuz outside Iran’s “approved corridor” near Larak Island, according to tracking data monitored by shipping journal Lloyd’s List.

The convoy consists of two large oil supertankers and one liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier that are sailing “unusually close to the Omani coast,” according to the UK-based outlet.

If the vessels complete passage through the strait, they would be the first group of tracked ships – those sailing with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched on – to exit the waterway without using the Iranian corridor in nearly three weeks.

3 Apr 2026 - 02:15
 (02:15 GMT)

Israel intercepts latest missile from Iran, one inured

By Rob McBride

Reporting from Amman, Jordan

The latest strike has happened just within the past hour or so. An alert was raised about a missile being detected, launched from Iran.

It was deemed to be heading for the central areas of Israel, and … it made an impact around the centre of Israel, around the city of Bnei Brak and surrounding towns and cities.

It was intercepted and suspected to have been a cluster-type warhead, so spreading impacts over a wide area, with one person reported injured there.

3 Apr 2026 - 02:00
 (02:00 GMT)

US officials say bridge bombing was to stop transport of drone materials

By Rosiland Jordan

Reporting from Washington DC

Prior to the attack, President Trump posted a threat to Iran on his social media platform, stating that if Tehran did not give in to the US’s 15-point proposal for trying to end the war, the US, in turn, would ramp up its military strikes on targets inside Iran.

This has been a controversial decision because even though the Iranians argue this is a civilian bridge – and thus its destruction could constitute a war crime – US officials are saying that the bridge was being used to transport materials to help the Iranian military build drones that have been used in attacks against the US, Israeli, and other regional targets.

3 Apr 2026 - 01:50
 (01:50 GMT)
Houthi

Warning sirens sound in Bahrain

The Ministry of Interior has told people to “remain calm and head to the nearest safe place” as sirens sound for the second time in the past hour.

3 Apr 2026 - 01:45
 (01:45 GMT)
Houthi

Hezbollah claims more attacks on Israeli forces

The Lebanese group says its fighters detonated an explosive device targeting Israeli forces in Biyyada in southern Lebanon.

The group also said it targeted a gathering of Israeli troops in the Malkia settlement, and another gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Dishon settlement. Both gatherings were targeted with rocket barrages.

3 Apr 2026 - 01:30
 (01:30 GMT)

Asian stock markets rise despite Trump’s vow to intensify war

Some of Asia’s major stock markets are having a strong start to the day after stocks on Wall Street were largely flat overnight.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose more than 1 percent on Friday morning, while South Korea’s KOSPI climbed more than 2 percent.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index bucked the rally, dropping about 0.7 percent.

In the US, stocks had a volatile session on Thursday after Trump pledged to ramp up the war with Iran.

The benchmark S&P 500 closed 0.11 percent higher than the previous session.

A man passes an electronic quotation board displaying the Nikkei 225 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo, Japan, on March 31, 2026 [Kazuhiro Nogi/ AFP]
3 Apr 2026 - 01:00
 (01:00 GMT)

NGO condemns Iran’s execution of man over January protests

Roya Boroumand, executive director of the Washington, DC-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, has condemned the execution of an 18-year-old man who was convicted of participating in an attack on a military site during protests against the Iranian government.

Amirhossein Hatami was executed on Thursday after being found guilty of entering a restricted military facility, setting fire to the building, and trying to seize weapons and ammunition, according to the Iranian judiciary’s news outlet Mizan.

“His case and that of several other protesters was tried hastily and in a total lack of transparency and without access to independent lawyers,” Boroumand said in a statement posted on social media.

“The court relied on confessions coerced during detention, and the whole process from the start to the sentencing took just a month in violation of the most basic due process standards. I think it is important to stress that he was not accused of being armed or harming anyone. He was killed for an alleged intention, just the intention.”

3 Apr 2026 - 00:50
 (00:50 GMT)

WATCH: What might end Israel’s war on Iran?

Attacks by Israel and the United States continue relentlessly while Iran hits back.

Israel and the United States continue to bomb Iran, but Israeli opinion polls suggest support for the war is dropping while Iranian missiles force millions into shelters there.

So, what does Israel now seek from attacking Iran, and what could end its onslaught?

3 Apr 2026 - 00:20
 (00:20 GMT)
Houthi

Israel says new wave of missiles launched from Iran

The Israeli military says more missiles have been launched from Iran towards Israel’s territory.

In a statement, the military said air defence systems are operating to intercept the attack.