Iran War Day 28 Updates: US, Israel strike Iran nuclear sites; Tehran says 'no entry' to Hormuz

As the Iran-Israel war entered its 28th day, US President Donald Trump’s decision to delay military strikes and extend a key deadline linked to the Strait of Hormuz brought a fragile diplomatic opening into focus, even as intense fighting continued across multiple fronts.

The conflict remains deeply volatile, with Iran stepping up attacks, Israel striking deep inside Tehran, and the strategic oil artery of the Strait of Hormuz continuing to shape both military calculations and global economic concerns.

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Trump delays strikes, ties war trajectory to Hormuz crisis

At the centre of the latest developments is Trump’s decision to pause a threatened escalation against Iran’s energy infrastructure.

“I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” Trump said, adding that “talks are ongoing… and they are going very well.”

The move comes after days of escalating rhetoric in which Trump had warned of strikes on Iran’s power plants if Tehran did not restore normal operations in the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global oil chokepoint.

The deadline extension is widely seen as linked to backchannel negotiations, even as Iran has publicly pushed back on claims of active talks.

- US, Israel strike Iran nuclear sites

US-Israeli strikes hit a uranium processing facility in central Iran, the country's atomic energy organisation said.

Israel's army confirmed it had struck the facility and also a heavy water reactor in central Iran.

Iran vows 'heavy price' for plant strikes

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would exact a "HEAVY price for Israeli crimes", after attacks on two of the country's largest steel factories and nuclear sites.

"Israel has hit 2 of Iran's largest steel factories, a power plant, and civilian nuclear sites among other infrastructure. Israel claims it acted in coordination with the US," said Araghchi in a social media post.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards also warned employees of the region's industrial sites "that have American shareholders as well as heavy industries allied with the Zionist regime... to leave their workplaces immediately" as they vowed to carry out retaliatory attacks.

G7 calls for Hormuz reopening

G7 foreign ministers urged an "immediate cessation" of attacks against civilians in the war and urged Iran to immediately restore freedom of navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

A joint statement, released in the name of all G7 members, including the United States, "reiterated the absolute necessity to permanently restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz".

Rubio said after the G7 meeting there was "a lot of buy-in" from allies on opposing Iranian threats to impose tolling in the strait.

Strait of Hormuz emerges as central flashpoint

The Strait of Hormuz has become a defining element of the war, shaping both military escalation and global economic anxiety.

• Iran has effectively restricted access to the narrow waterway — through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply passes — targeting vessels and limiting transit to what it calls “non-hostile” ships.
• The disruption has triggered a sharp drop in shipping traffic and fears of a prolonged energy crisis, with oil markets reacting sharply to developments around the strait.
• The crisis began soon after the war erupted, with Iran warning against maritime movement following joint US-Israeli strikes, leading to a near halt in shipping and damage to multiple vessels.
• Trump has repeatedly pushed for international involvement to secure the route, even urging allies to send warships to keep the passage “open and safe,” though responses have been limited.

Iran expands attacks beyond Israel

Amid the Hormuz standoff, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli positions as well as US-linked military facilities in the Gulf.

A maintenance facility supporting the US Patriot air defence system in Bahrain was among the targets, according to Iranian statements.

The strikes reflect Tehran’s widening operational scope — signalling that the conflict is no longer confined to direct Iran-Israel exchanges but now involves US-linked assets and regional infrastructure.

Israel strikes ‘heart of Tehran’

Israel, meanwhile, intensified its offensive, carrying out what it described as a major strike operation in Iran’s capital.

• The military said it launched “a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran,” marking one of the most direct attacks on Iran’s core administrative and military centres.
• The strikes underline Israel’s strategy of targeting high-value infrastructure deep within Iranian territory.
• Beirut front heats up as Hezbollah conflict deepens
• The war’s regional spillover was evident in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs — a Hezbollah stronghold.
• Explosions were heard across the area, with visuals showing smoke billowing after the attack. The Lebanon фронт has remained active since Hezbollah began launching rockets on March 2, opening a parallel theatre of conflict.

Israel’s continued operations in Lebanon have stretched its military across multiple fronts.

Israeli army faces strain, political backlash

The Israeli military acknowledged it is under pressure, particularly in southern Lebanon where it is attempting to establish a “buffer zone.”

“On the Lebanese front, the forward defensive zone that we are creating requires additional (Israeli army) forces,” spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said.

The strain has also triggered political criticism at home.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the government of pushing the country towards a “security disaster,” saying it had committed forces to a multi-front war “without a strategy, without the necessary means and with far too few soldiers.”

“The (Israeli army) is stretched to the limit and beyond,” he said.

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Casualties rise as fighting intensifies

On the ground, losses continue to mount.

The Israeli army reported the death of another soldier in southern Lebanon, bringing the total number of troops killed in that фронт to four since early March.

The fighting in Lebanon remains closely tied to the broader Iran-Israel conflict, with Hezbollah attacks framed as retaliation linked to earlier escalations.

Global response and economic alarm

As the war drags on, international concern is growing — not just over security, but also economic fallout.

The World Bank said it was ready to provide support “at scale” to countries affected by the crisis, combining financial relief with policy and private sector assistance.

Meanwhile, US allies such as Australia have defended their role, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying his country had agreed to all requests made of it and was assisting Gulf partners.

War at a critical juncture

At Day 28, the Iran-Israel war is no longer a contained bilateral conflict. It has evolved into a multi-front, multi-actor confrontation where military escalation, economic disruption, and fragile diplomacy intersect.

Trump’s pause on strikes and the unresolved crisis in the Strait of Hormuz now stand at the centre of the conflict’s next phase — determining whether it edges toward de-escalation or spirals into a wider regional war.