The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued an evacuation order for Tehran on June 16, 2025, as the conflict with Iran escalated into a wider exchange of missile strikes and cross-border attacks that has now spread into the Gulf. On April 2, 2026, former US President Donald Trump claimed Iran was "no longer a threat" even as Iran launched a major missile salvo toward Israel, while the Israel Air Force (IAF) struck 400 Iranian targets over two days.
Who Decided
The IDF issued the evacuation order for Tehran on June 16, 2025, in anticipation of potential strikes. On April 1, 2026, US intelligence assessments indicated Iran was unwilling to negotiate an end to the war. Trump spoke about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington.
The same day, Iran fired a major missile salvo ahead of the Passover holiday. Initial reports indicated approximately 10 ballistic missiles were fired, marking one of the most significant barrages from Iran in recent weeks. Israel reported the aftermath of an Iranian rocket attack against Israel on April 1, 2026.
What the Attacks Hit
Iran’s attacks also caused fires in Kuwait and Bahrain on April 2, 2026. A drone attack sparked a fire at Kuwaiti Airport, and a tanker off Qatar was hit as Iran struck Gulf states on April 1, 2026. Iran also launched attacks against Qatar and Bahrain. Birds were seen flying near the Jag Vasant vessel transferring LPG at a port after transiting the Strait of Hormuz amid supply disruptions linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Mumbai, India, on April 1, 2026.
The UAE denied a Wall Street Journal report on April 1, 2026, that it was preparing to help the US and allies open the Strait of Hormuz by force. Officials told the Wall Street Journal that the nation had already conducted an internal assessment of its capabilities to help secure the strait, including its ability to clear mines.
The Military Exchange
The IAF struck 400 Iranian targets over two days, and the IDF chief warned of a manpower crisis. The IDF killed a senior Quds Force operative and struck an Iranian regime chemical manufacturer on April 1, 2026. The IDF also struck a factory that transferred chemical substances used in the Iranian regime’s development of chemical weapons on Tuesday, April 1, 2026.
Iran expressed fears of Israel’s "new strategy" following major strikes on its steel industry on April 1, 2026. Mobarakeh, described as the largest industrial company in Iran and the biggest steel complex in the Middle East, was considered a cornerstone of the country’s economy. A funeral ceremony for Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in strikes amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, took place in Tehran, Iran, on April 1, 2026.
Regional Fallout
Planes of Kuwait Airways and Qatar Airways were seen through the window of a Middle East Airlines aircraft at Cairo International Airport amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Cairo, Egypt, on March 31, 2026. An Apache helicopter fired a missile toward Lebanon near the Israeli-Lebanese border in northern Israel on March 30, 2026.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke in February 2026 on the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, urging Americans to reject "propaganda" on Iran and calling the US Israel's proxy. Iran denied a claim by Trump on April 1, 2026, that Iran's new leader had asked for a ceasefire. Trump had stated in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, that Iran's new leader had just asked the United States for a ceasefire.
The conflict has also intersected with broader regional dynamics. The Jerusalem Post's Middle East section situates the event within concerns about the Iranian threat and related developments involving ISIS, Palestinians, and Israeli-Arab cooperation.