Middle East, April 7, 2026: A series of military escalations has swept across the Middle East following US President Donald Trump’s repeated deadlines to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
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On March 21, Trump gave Tehran 48 hours to comply, warning of strikes on energy facilities. Deadlines were later extended multiple times amid “productive talks,” while hostilities intensified.
On March 29, a US E-3 Sentry aircraft was damaged at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. April saw further escalation: US-Israeli strikes targeted the B1 Bridge linking Tehran and Karaj; multiple F-15E and A-10 aircraft were downed; and C-130 aircraft were destroyed during a rescue operation.
Energy infrastructure came under attack across the Gulf, including the Borouge petrochemical facility in Abu Dhabi and oil facilities in Kuwait. Iranian targets, including petrochemical complexes in Asaluyeh and Shiraz, as well as Kharg Island and an Isfahan railway bridge, were also struck, injuring US personnel and escalating regional tensions.
The rapid succession of attacks underscores the widening conflict across Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE.
