Bahrain says fire breaks out at company facility
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said today that civil defence teams were extinguishing a fire at a company facility following what authorities described as an Iranian attack, adding that relevant authorities were taking necessary measures at the site.No immediate details were provided on the company, casualties or the extent of damage.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar1 April 2026 04:55
CENTCOM denies reports of US attacking sports hall and residential area in Iran
US Central Command has denied reports of the military attacking a sports hall and residential area in Lamerd, Iran, at the start of the war.
“After looking into the reports, U.S. Central Command has confirmed the accusations are false”, US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for CENTCOM, wrote in a statement.
Hawkins continued: “U.S. forces did not launch any strikes at any time into the city of Lamerd or anywhere within 30 miles during the opening day of Operation Epic Fury”.
“U.S. forces do not target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime which has attacked civilian locations in neighboring countries more than 300 times”, the spokesperson added.
Rachel Dobkin1 April 2026 04:45
US energy secretary says Trump’s ‘energy dominance’ is working as US gas prices soar
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Tuesday night local time that Donald Trump’s “energy dominance” is working, as US gas prices soar.
“ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy’s Golden Pass LNG export facility now has LNG flowing with exports coming soon”, the secretary wrote on X. “This represents a huge milestone in efforts to grow access to affordable, reliable and secure American energy”.
Wright’s announcement comes as the national average price of regular gas in the US jumped to more than $4 a gallon.
The growing conflict in the Middle East has increased oil prices as Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil.
Rachel Dobkin1 April 2026 04:30
Oil prices at $104 a barrel
Oil prices ticked up in early trade today, with Brent front-month futures extending a record March rally as Middle East volatility kept markets jittery, despite reports that the US and Iran may be edging closer to a negotiated end to the war.
The front-month Brent contract for June delivery rose 66 cents or 0.63 per cent to $104.63 per barrel. Front-month Brent futures hit a record monthly gain of 64 per cent in March, according to LSEG data dating back to June 1988.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for May rose 96 cents or 0.95 per cent to $102.34 per barrel , while WTI futures for June rose 46 cents or 0.49 per cent to $93.62 per barrel.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar1 April 2026 04:20
Kuwait airport on fire after drone attack
An Iranian drone attack struck fuel tanks at Kuwait International Airport this morning, sparking a massive fire but causing no casualties, Kuwait’s state news agency KUNA said.
The latest of several attacks on the airport and fuel storage there came as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran broadens with Tehran’s strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab states that host US military installations.
Today’s attack caused significant damage to airport fuel tanks belonging to the Kuwait Aviation Fuelling Company, the agency cited a spokesperson for the civil aviation authority as saying.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar1 April 2026 04:15
Marco Rubio says Iran’s not going to ‘string along’ Trump with ‘fake negotiations’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Iran’s not going to “string along” US President Donald Trump with “fake negotiations”.
Rubio said on Fox News Tuesday night local time that Trump would always prefer negotiations over war, but diplomacy has proved “fruitless”.
Trump is “not going to allow fake negotiations to be used as a delay tactic,” Rubio said, adding Iran is “not going to string along President Trump. He’s not going to fall for their games”.
“We’ll always be prepared to talk — but we’re not going to allow that, or the failure of talks, to impede our ability to defend this country and protect this country from a real threat”, the secretary said.
Rachel Dobkin1 April 2026 04:15
CNN’s data guru says Trump’s approval rating is ‘as low as Death Valley’
On Tuesday morning, Enten discussed Trump’s approval ratings, claiming they had fallen “into the abyss” and show “no sign of rising”.
“He’s now at a term 2 low: -18 pts”, Enten wrote on X. “Big reason why: Independents. Trump’s at -45 pts. The worst for any prez at this point in term 2. Worse than Nixon (-36 pts) at the height of Watergate!”
Enten said that Trump’s cratering approval among voters is not only the result of his unpopular war in Iran, but a “slew of events” that have “continuously” dragged his popularity lower and lower.
“He was at plus six points [in January], then minus three points a year ago [in April], minus seven points nine months ago, minus ten points in October 2025. January 2026, -13 points. And now all the way down to -18 points. A term two low”, he said.
Graig Graziosi1 April 2026 04:00
Israeli strikes hits major Iranian pharmaceutical company: report
The Israeli military has confirmed it hit a major Iranian pharmaceutical company Tuesday.
Israel said it struck the Tofigh Daru factory in Tehran and claimed the company was secretly supplying fentanyl to the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research of Iran in a statement shared by The New York Times. The organization develops chemical weapons, Israel claims.
Iran said Tofigh Daru only supplied “hospital drugs,” per the Associated Press.
IRNA, Iran’s state news agency, said the strike demolished the factory’s raw material production units and its research and development unit, per the NYT.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi lambasted the strike on social media, saying Israel is now “openly and unashamedly bombing pharmaceutical companies”.
Rachel Dobkin1 April 2026 03:30
CENTCOM shares video of US forces striking targets ‘deep inside Iran’
Rachel Dobkin1 April 2026 03:15
UAE bans Iranian travelers: report
The United Arab Emirates has banned Iranians from entering or traveling through the country amid the ongoing war, according to three major UAE airlines.
Emirates, Etihad and FlyDubai announced the travel ban on their websites, the Associated Press reported. There is an exception for travelers with a 10-year Golden Visa residency permit, per the AP.
Rachel Dobkin1 April 2026 03:00
