Iran on Thursday threatened "crushing" attacks on the US and Israel, firing missiles at Tel Aviv after US President Donald Trump vowed to bomb the Islamic republic "back to the Stone Ages". In a prime-time White House address, Trump said the US was "very close" to achieving its objectives but warned attacks would intensify if Iran did not reach a negotiated settlement. A day earlier, Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander, two sources told AFP, in a Beirut strike that the Lebanese health ministry said killed seven people. Authorities in Lebanon say Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,300 people in the country since war erupted between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah on March 2. Trump vowed the United States would not allow allies in the region -- Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain -- to "get hurt or fail in any way, shape or form".

Source: The Standard April 02, 2026 16:43 UTC