US President Donald Trump has announced a 10-day extension of his pause on threats to attack Iran's energy infrastructure, moving the deadline to 6 April. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed the delay was made at the request of the Iranian government, stating that talks are 'going very well' despite denials from Tehran and criticism of the 'fake news media'.
The threat originally came last Saturday, when Trump warned he would strike Iranian energy infrastructure if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, he postponed the threat for five days, citing productive conversations, a claim Iran dismissed as 'fake news' aimed at manipulating oil markets.
Meanwhile, blasts were heard in southern Beirut early on Friday, reported as another Israeli strike on a Hezbollah stronghold. The area, usually densely populated, has been largely emptied since hostilities resumed on 2 March. Hezbollah said it continued attacks on Israeli troops in south Lebanon, while Israeli strikes since March have killed at least 1,116 people, including 121 children, and displaced over one million.
In Israel, the IDF chief of staff warned that the military faces a manpower shortage and risks collapse under the strain of multi-front operations. General Eyal Zamir told ministers that new conscription and reserve duty laws are urgently needed. Opposition leader Yair Lapid echoed the warning, accusing the government of sending troops into war without sufficient strategy or resources.
