BSS
  06 Apr 2026, 09:14

War in the Middle East: latest developments

PARIS, France, April 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- UAE air defences respond to attack -

The United Arab Emirates said Monday its air defences were responding to a missile and drone attack.

Air defence systems "are actively engaging with missiles and UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) threats," the defence ministry (MOD) posted on X.

- Oil benchmarks open above $110 -

Crude oil prices opened higher on Monday as the war in the Middle East continues to squeeze global energy supplies.

North Sea Brent crude increased 1.16 percent to $110.30 a barrel, while the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was up 1.86 percent to $113.62 a barrel.

- Israel strikes on Lebanon kill at least 15 -

Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed at least 15 people Sunday and wounded 39, Lebanese officials said.

One of Israel's strikes in Beirut Sunday killed at least five people and wounded 52 in the Jnah neighbourhood, according to the Lebanese health ministry, while a strike targeting an apartment building in Ain Saadeh town east of Beirut killed three people and injured three others.

A strike in the southern town of Kfar Hatta, far from the border with Israel, killed seven people including a four-year-old girl, the ministry added.

- Trump deadline -

US President Donald Trump appeared to extend by 24 hours his deadline for Iran to make a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating infrastructure attacks.

"Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!" he simply said on his Truth Social platform.

- Israeli residential building hit -

The Israeli military and medics said a missile fired from Iran hit a residential building in the northern city of Haifa, injuring four people.

The building was hit by a "direct impact of a missile", the military told AFP.

- Trump threatens 'hell' -

Trump threatened "hell" if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, vowing in an expletive-laden social media post to strike its bridges and power plants.

Iran's powerful parliament speaker warned Trump in response that his "reckless moves" would mean "our whole region is going to burn".

- US rescue mission -

Trump said a missing airman from a downed US F-15 fighter jet had been found in a "daring" and "miraculous" rescue, but Iran's military said the American operation had been "completely foiled".

Trump, in a social media post, said "dozens" of US aircraft took part in the rescue operation and that the crew member was "seriously wounded".

- 'Deep' op -

US news outlets reported that American commandos had deployed deep into Iranian territory to rescue the downed airman.

The Iranian military said the US operation had used an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan province.

Two planes meant to transport the airman and his rescuers to safety were stuck in Iran and had to be destroyed to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands, The New York Times and CBS reported.

- OPEC+ hikes quotas -

The OPEC+ oil cartel agreed to again increase oil production quotas, by 206,000 barrels per day from May.

It warned that repairing energy facilities damaged in recent attacks is costly and "takes a long time", potentially hitting global oil supplies well into the future.

- Iran airport hit -

A US-Israeli airstrike hit the Qasem Soleimani international airport in southwestern Iran, state media reported.

- Pope urges peace -

Pope Leo XIV urged "those who have the power to unleash wars" to "choose peace", in his first Easter blessing as pontiff.

"We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent. Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people," he told a crowd in St Peter's Square.

- Holy Sepulchre restrictions -

Israeli security forces imposed restrictions on access to the Holy Sepulchre in occupied east Jerusalem, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and rose from the dead.

The usually lively alleyways of Jerusalem's Old City were unusually quiet on Easter Sunday, the holiday overshadowed by the war.