LIVE UPDATE FROM THE LIVEBLOG OF SATURDAY,

APRIL 4, 2026

Israel prepping for attacks on Iranian energy sites, awaits US green light, official says

By REUTERS

Israel is preparing to attack Iranian energy facilitiesbut is awaiting a green light from the United States, a senior Israeli defense official says, addingthat any such attacks would likely come within the next week.

The comments came afterUS President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum, sharpening focus on whether Washington would back further Israeli military action against Iran.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israel-prepping-for-attacks-on-iranian-energy-sites-awaits-us-green-light-official-says/

APRIL 4, 2026

Argentina says Iran’s top diplomat has been expelled from the country

By AP

Today, 10:55

Argentina’s Foreign AffairsMinistry says it has expelled Iran’s top diplomat as tensions increase between Iran’s theocratic regime and Argentina’s libertarian government, which is closely aligned with the Trump administration.

In a message on X, Argentina’s Foreign Affairs Minister Pablo Quirno said Iran’s Charge D’Affaires, Mohsen Soltani Tehrani, had left the country “in compliance” with a resolution issued Thursday that gave the Iranian diplomat 48 hours to leave the South American country.

Tensions between both nations intensified earlier this week after Argentina declared Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.The measure will enable the Argentine government to issue financial sanctions against those conducting businesswith that branch of Iran’s armed forces and seize any assets they could own in Argentina.

Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry replied to the terrorism designation with a statement which said Argentina’s actions amounted to an “unforgivable offenseinfluenced by the United States.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/argentina-says-irans-top-diplomat-has-been-expelled-from-the-country/

US Deploys Bulk of Stealthy Long-Range Missile for Iran War

4/4/2026.1/2

The next steps in the US military campaign against Iran willcommit nearly its entire inventory of stealthy JASSM-ER cruise missiles, drawing them from stockpiles devoted to other regions.

The order to pull the $1.5 million weapon from Pacific stockpiles was issued at the end of March, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

Missiles at US facilities elsewhere, including the continental US, will be moved to US Central Command basesor Fairford in the UK, said the person, who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive details.

After the moves,only about 425 JASSM-ER out of a prewar inventory of 2,300 will remain available for the rest of the globe. That would be roughly enough for 17 B-1B bombers on a single mission. Another 75 or so are “unserviceable” because of damage or technical faults.

The JASSM-ER, or Joint Air-to-Surface Missile-Extended Range, can fly more than 600 miles and was designed to hit targets at a safer distances to avoid an enemy’s air defenses.

Along with the shorter-range JASSM — which has a range of about 250 miles,about two-thirds of US stockpiles have been committed to the Iran war, the person said.

Supplies of missile interceptors and long-range strike weapons have been at issue since the US and Israel launched their air campaign on Feb. 28.

Replacing what has been used would take many years’ worth of production at current levels.

The US has been using large numbers of long-range weapons like JASSM-ER for strikes,limiting the risk to service members but reducing stocks of systemsmeant for more capable adversaries such as China.

The US and Israel have saidthey destroyed a significant portion of Iran’s air defenses, allowing them to use cheaper weapons to hit targetsin the country.

Buta US F-15E strike fighter was shot down on Friday. Soon afterward, an A-10 attack jet was downed and two combat search-and-rescue helicopters were hit by Iranian fire, the New York Times reported.

US operations through thefirst four weeks of the war consumed more than 1,000 JASSM-ERs,the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. US aircraft also fired 47 during the raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the person said.

The US has allocated funds to buy more than 6,200 JASSMs since 2009, and production of the baseline JASSM for US supplies ended about 10 years ago.

https://archive.is/I6DRR#selection-1663.0-1699.0

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Lockheed Martin Corp.’sscheduled production rate for 2026 is 396 of the longer-range version, although as manyas 860 can be manufactured if the line, which also produces the LRASM anti-ship missile, is fully geared toward JASSMs.

Committing so many JASSM-ERs to the Iran wardoes not mean they will all be used. So far they have been launched from B-52 and B-1B bombers, as well as strike fighters.

US Central Command and the Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

‘Stone Ages’

It’s not clear what President Donald Trump is planning next for the US campaign.

As ground troops, including Marines and paratroopers, move to the region, speculation has swirled about seizing Kharg island, home to Iran’s main oil terminals.

Trump said in a Wednesday night speech that“over the next two to three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the stone ageswhere they belong,” without specifying what that meant for Iran’s civilians, military or government.

On Tuesday, Chairman of the Joint ChiefsGeneral Dan Caine said the US had begun to fly B-52s over Iran, implying that airspace was now safer for attacks using cheaper and more plentiful JDAM precision bombs.

But along with the two US planes downed on Friday, Iran has also destroyed more than 12 MQ-9 strike dronesduring the course of the war.

The fact that the older, slower B-52s were only now flying over Iran “raises questions about the degree to which the US has continued to rely on standoff capabilities,” said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center.

Iran has launched more than 1,600 ballistic missiles around the region, according to Gulf countries’ official reporting, and about 4,000 Shahed-type rudimentary cruise missiles.

Defending against ballistic missiles alone would consume at least 3,200 interceptors.

While Lockheed Martin makes about 650 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors per year,the company signed an agreement in January to make 2,000 a year by 2030.The company also makes 96 THAAD interceptors per year, but reached a separate deal to increase that number to 400.

The US has fired hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles during the attack on Iran. There were about 4,000 Tomahawks in US stockpiles before the war — including older models and anti-ship variants. RTX Corp. produced about 100 new missiles in 2025, while about 240 older modelswere upgraded to the latest Block V standard.

https://archive.is/I6DRR#selection-1663.0-1699.0

Iran denies role in drone attack on US Embassy in Riyadh, blames Israel. 4/4/26

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturdaydenied responsibility for a drone attack on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh on March 3, claiming the attack was carried out by Israel.

The statement came after The Wall Street Journal published a report saying the Iranianattack on the embassy was more damaging than Saudi authorities had acknowledged.

The Journal reported that while the Saudi Defense Ministry had described a limited fire and minor damage,the blaze had in fact burned for hours and caused extensive destruction.

The IRGC condemned the report and claimed the attack “has absolutely nothing to do with the Iranian armed forces,” adding that given Israel’s strategy in the region, it was “certainly carried out by Zionists.”

The statement also warned Muslim countries about what it described as the “Zionist regime’s sedition in the region” and saidit was essential that neighboring countries remain “vigilant against the American-Zionist movement’sseditious intent to destabilise and destroy the region.”

WSJ report details embassy damage

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing U.S. officials, that the drone attack on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh caused more damage than previously disclosed.

The attack occurred on March 3,when a drone bypassed air defenses in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter and struck the American compound. A second drone followed, hitting the same location and causing another explosion.

The strikes, which took place at night,breached a secure part of the embassywhere hundreds of employees would typically work, severely damaging three floors.The CIA station was among the affected areas.

According to the report,Saudi officials initially downplayed the attack, describing it as a minor fire with limited damage, but U.S. officials said the fire lasted for hours and caused significant, irreparable damage to parts of the embassy.

Later that night,additional drones were intercepted, with debris landing near a preschool. One drone appeared to target the residence ofthe top U.S. diplomat in Saudi Arabia, located only a few hundred feet from the embassy.

Officials saidthat had the attack occurred during working hours, it could have resulted in mass casualties, underscoring what they described as Iran’s ability to strike U.S. assets once thought to be secure.

“It was able to produce an indigenously made weapon, fire it across hundreds of miles and put it into the embassy of their top opponent, which means they could have hit anything they wanted in the city,” said Bernard Hudson, a former CIA counterterrorism chief with extensive experience in Persian Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia.

“There’s been a complete blackout on the actual amount of damage done to these places,”he said about U.S. embassies and bases.

“That feeds suspicions that a lot more damage may have actually happened.”

Regional tensions have escalated since the United States and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel,as well as Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets.

https://www.turkiyetoday.com/region/iran-denies-role-in-drone-attack-on-us-embassy-in-riyadh-blames-israel-3217461?s=1

32 minutes ago

Governor says US paratrooper reports in Iran are not true

Reports that US paratroopers were deployed by helicopter in the Charusa district of Kohgiluyeh County in southwestern Iran to rescue a missing US F-15E pilot are not true, the county governor Iraj Kazemijou said.

Earlier IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News reported that US paratroopers were seen in the area and had clashed with local forces

54 minutes ago

Iran calls Trump's 48-hour ultimatum 'foolish', warns of 'hell'

The commander of Iran’s Khatam

Central Headquarters described President Donald Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum to reach a deal with Washington as “foolish.”

“In a desperate, angry and unbalanced move, he has threatened our infrastructure,” Ali Abdollahi said.

Responding to Trump’s warning that “all hell will reign down” on Iran if it fails to reach a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz, Abdollahi added: “The gates of hell will be opened to you.”

1 hour ago

Iran warns UN of radioactive risk after fourth Bushehr attack

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned in a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres of the risk of radioactive release after Bushehr nuclear power plant was targeted for a fourth time, state media reported.

4.

1 hour ago

Argentina says Iran envoy left after 48-hour expulsion order

Argentina expelled Iran’s charge d’affaires Mohsen Soltani Tehrani, who has left the country in compliance with a 48-hour order issued on Thursday, Argentina’s foreign ministry said.

1 hour ago

Pakistan, Iran FMs discuss regional tensions in call

Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday and discussed the evolving regional situation.

"(Dar) reiterated Pakistan’s support for all efforts aimed at de-escalation and underscored the importance of resolving issues through dialogue and diplomacy," the Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a post on X.

1 hour ago

Yemen’s Houthis say they attacked targets in Israel

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said they carried out a military operation targeting sites in Israel on Saturday.

1 hour ago

Iran says the entire region will turn into 'hell' if hostilities escalate

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya joint military command warned Israel and the United States that the region would "become hell" if hostilities escalate.

"The illusion of defeating the Islamic Republic of Iran will become a quagmire for your downfall," Ebrahim Zolfaghari said on Saturday.

2 hours ago

Iraq oilfield hit by drones near Iran border, facility damaged - Reuters

Four drones hit Iraq’s southern Bazurgan oilfield near the Iranian border, damaging a storage facility, Reuters reported, citing security sources.

2 hours ago

28-year-old man dies in IRGC custody after torture, rights groups say

A 28-year-old man has died in custody after being subjected to torture following his arrest by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz, rights groups reported.

Hossein Ghavi was arrested at his workplace, a tea stall, in Marchon accusations including filming bombed areas and contact with foreign media, US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) and rights group Karun reported on Saturday.

Ghavi was tortured during detention and later died in custody, according to the reports.

Agents affiliated with the IRGC's intelligence unit informed his family of his death by phone on Thursday but provided no details.

His body has not been returned to the family, the reports said.

(If there is any reason to hate Iran and believe this war is necessary, it’s because have killed 35,000 to 80,000+ youth in the country, just because they want freedom!)

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202604015564

Iran International English

@IranIntl_

Members of the Fatemiyoun Brigade, made up of Afghan nationals, held a vehicle parade in Tehranas Iraqi Popular

Mobilization Forces entered Iran, according to video aired by Iranian state media.

9:50 AM · Apr 4, 2026

28K

https://x.com/IranIntl_En/status/2040426880092774509?s=20

Iran MP threatens to kill Trump, Netanyahu

10 hours ago

An Iranian lawmaker said Tehran would kill US and Israeli officials including Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahuif it had the opportunity.

(==Back At You!!! He must be a Democrat. KEK)

“Wherever we can reach Trump or other senior US and Israeli officials,we will send them to hell, and we are not joking or showing leniency in this matter,” Tehran MP Kamran Ghazanfari said Saturday.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604047238

Iran's FM says Tehran never refused Islamabad talks

10 hours ago

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchisaid Tehran had never refused to travel to Islamabad for talks with the US on the conflict and thanked Pakistan for its efforts.

“Iran’s position isbeing misrepresented by US media.

We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad,” Araghchi wrote on X on Saturday.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604048327

NATO Head Coming to Washington DC as Germany Passes Law Requiring 17 to 45-year-old Men to Get Govt Permission for Travel

April 4, 2026 | Sundance |

There are approximately 45,000 U.S. troops on NATO bases within Germany.

NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte is scheduled to arrive in Washington DC on Wednesday, followingremarks by President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio about possible changes in the U.S. relationship with NATO.

Simultaneous to this,the German government has now enhanced their conscription lawswith a requirement for all males aged 17 to 45 to request permission for travel out of Germany if their exit will be longer than 3 months.

As part of a rather unusual Russian invasion deterrence,Germany is trying to hit a new target of between 255,000 and 270,ooo activeand trained military troops by 2030. The new conscription targets seemingly underpin a travel permit system for German men.

• GERMANY – Germany has implemented a significant reform to its military conscription law effective in 2026, mandating that nearly allmen aged 17 to 45 must obtain approval from the Bundeswehr before leavingthe country for more than three months. This change, part of the Wehrdienst-Modernisierungsgesetz, expands the previous restrictions beyond crisis periods,applying continuously regardless of Germany’s security situation.

• The reform aims to bolster the Bundeswehr’spersonnel from about 184,000 to between 255,000 and 270,000 by 2035by reintroducing mandatory conscription examinations for young men. However, the implementation details—such as the approval process and possible exceptions—remain unclear, creating uncertainty among affected individuals. The Bundeswehr is actively working to clarify these procedures and reduce bureaucratic hurdles but has not yet specified consequences for those who depart without permission.

(All of a sudden NATO allies need our help with their planed WWIII with Russia. Rutte has been scaring the EU for 4+ years that Russia will invade EU and these countries has to be prepared. Rutte always wanted a war with Russia and so does the EU. Now they have the Nazi born Merz to create the army’s. These people are insane, Trump will never participate in this but the next President cannot be a Democrat. I hope Trump kicks these guys out on the ass. And they never come back. The EU is truly insane and they will never defeat Russia and Putin. The EU forgets how many Russians they sacrificed to defeat WWII Nazis!)

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/