US-Israel-Iran War News Live Updates: 'Can’t comment, hope that’s not going to happen' — Trump on missing pilot reports in Iran

The Israeli military announced it has launched attacks on Hezbollah infrastructure sites in Beirut, escalating the conflict hours after the Lebanese militant group claimed missile strikes on Israeli troops and positions at three locations in southern Lebanon.

The IDF said the strikes targeted command centers, weapons depots, and other militant assets in the heart of the Lebanese capital, signaling a sharp expansion of Israel's campaign against Tehran's most powerful regional proxy.

This major development follows Hezbollah's Saturday claims of hitting Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the al-Sadr area of Ainata, artillery positions near Maroun al-Ras, and forces in al-Malikiyah—persistent pressure points along the tense Israel-Lebanon border known as the Blue Line. Israel's decision to strike deep into Beirut marks a significant intensification, moving beyond border skirmishes into urban terrain where Hezbollah maintains political and military strongholds.

US President Donald Trump refused to detail response plans if Iran captures or harms the missing F-15 crew member forced to eject after their jet was shot down over Iranian territory, heightening fears of a high-stakes hostage crisis in the escalating Middle East war.

In a brief interview with The Independent, Trump evaded a direct question on the pilot's fate, saying only: “Well, I can’t comment on it because — we hope that’s not going to happen,” before abruptly ending the call.

The F-15 downing marks the first US combat aircraft lost directly over Iran since late February’s US-Israeli strikes ignited the conflict, with the crew's status uncertain amid ongoing search-and-rescue operations. Iran followed up Friday by claiming a second kill—an A-10 Warthog near the Strait of Hormuz—though that pilot ejected safely into Kuwaiti airspace and was rescued after the plane crashed there. Tehran’s army took responsibility for both shootdowns, framing them as defensive triumphs against American aggression.

Trump separately told NBC News the jet losses constitute “war” but won’t derail ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations: “No, not at all. No, it’s war. We’re in a war.” He declined to share rescue operation details, venting frustration at media coverage while leaving the door open to unspecified escalation if the F-15 crew—potentially downed in hostile territory—is seized by Iranian forces or proxies.

The missing pilot has rocketed to the top of U.S. command priorities, evoking memories of past Gulf hostage crises that tested American resolve. Pentagon data already lists 247 troops wounded and 13 dead across Gulf bases; a captured airman would force Trump’s hand between diplomacy and decisive retaliation, just as Tehran rejects ceasefire bids and barrages Israel with missiles. With the crew's survival uncertain, Trump’s tight-lipped stance signals operational security but fuels speculation of impending special forces action if Iran moves to detain the downed flyer.

The Israeli military announced Saturday that it had detected a new wave of missiles launched directly from Iranian territory, prompting the activation of multi layered defensive systems to intercept the incoming threats as Tehran sustains its relentless retaliatory campaign against the country. This latest salvo continues a pattern of crossfire that has defined the past five weeks, ever since the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign targeting Iranian military installations, nuclear facilities, and command infrastructure began at the end of February 2026.

"Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) stated via its official Telegram channel, providing real-time updates on the live air defence operations unfolding over Israeli airspace. The message, accompanied by alerts urging civilians to seek shelter, signalled the full mobilization of Israel's Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow interceptors—battle-tested systems now operating at peak capacity amid the sustained Iranian onslaught. Preliminary reports indicated multiple launches detected from western Iran, with trajectories aimed at central and southern Israel, though exact targets remained unspecified.

Tehran has fired hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles since the conflict's outset, often in coordinated salvos with drone swarms, testing the limits of Israeli defences while aiming to overwhelm through sheer volume. The attacks come even as Iran grapples with US naval superiority in the Strait of Hormuz—now largely shuttered to commercial traffic—and faces mounting pressure from American strikes on its Gulf Coast bases and proxies in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

Hezbollah announced a series of new missile attacks Saturday targeting Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in the al-Sadr area of Ainata town in southern Lebanon, a strategically sensitive zone near the Israeli border that has seen repeated clashes over the past month. The Lebanese militant group also claimed direct strikes on Israeli artillery positions and troop concentrations both within and around the border town of Maroun al-Ras, a historic flashpoint from the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. Further south, Hezbollah said it shelled Israeli forces deployed in al-Malikiyah, another frontline village along the volatile Blue Line—the UN-demarcated boundary separating Lebanon and Israel.

These coordinated assaults mark a significant intensification of Hezbollah's cross-border operations, which have persisted at a low but steady boil since the broader Middle East conflict erupted in late February 2026. The group explicitly framed the attacks as retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets, positioning itself as Tehran's most capable regional proxy in a multi-front campaign against shared adversaries. Hezbollah's military statement detailed precision-guided missiles and artillery barrages aimed at disrupting Israeli ground maneuvers and supply lines, signaling a deliberate effort to stretch Israel's defenses across multiple northern outposts.

The timing of these strikes aligns with heightened Iranian missile activity detected over Israel earlier Saturday, as well as ongoing U.S.-Iran naval and air clashes in the Strait of Hormuz. While the primary theater of the war remains the Persian Gulf—where Iran has downed U.S. jets and targeted shipping—Hezbollah's actions force Israel to maintain significant troop commitments along its northern frontier, diverting resources from potential escalations elsewhere. The group's sustained pressure exploits terrain familiar from past conflicts, with Ainata, Maroun al-Ras, and al-Malikiyah offering elevated positions for rocket launches and observation posts overlooking Israeli positions in the Galilee and Golan Heights.

No immediate Israeli military comment or casualty reports were available following Hezbollah's claims, though the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) routinely activate air defense systems and conduct counter-strikes in response to such barrages. Past patterns suggest artillery duels and targeted drone strikes on Hezbollah positions could follow, potentially displacing civilians on both sides of the border. The engagements underscore the risk of the Iran-U.S. war expanding into a full-spectrum regional conflict, with Iran's "Axis of Resistance"—including Hezbollah, Iraqi militias, and Yemen's Houthis—activating simultaneously to overload Western and Israeli defenses. As the Blue Line heats up, international mediators face growing urgency to contain spillover that could engulf Lebanon in renewed full-scale war.

Pentagon data released Friday shows 247 American service members wounded in the ongoing Iran conflict, with breakdowns by branch: 200 Army soldiers, 63 Navy sailors, 19 Marines, and 36 Air Force airmen.

Most of the wounded—200—are mid- to senior-level enlisted troops, followed by 85 officers and 80 junior enlisted personnel. It remains unclear whether the figures include any service members involved in the downing of two US combat aircraft reported earlier Friday near the Strait of Hormuz.

The current death toll stands at 13 service members killed in combat since the conflict erupted in late February after US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The data, available on a Pentagon website, reflects mounting casualties as Tehran continues missile, drone, and air attacks on American positions across the Middle East, including bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Syria. The wounding patterns suggest heavier exposure among experienced enlisted ranks, likely on the front lines of base defense and air operations. No updates on the status of pilots from the downed jets have been provided.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call that Turkey does not approve of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran or Tehran’s retaliation against neighbouring Middle East countries, according to a statement from Erdogan’s office. The remarks reflect Ankara’s push to remain neutral in the escalating Iran-US conflict while positioning itself as a mediator amid fears of wider regional war.

“We are continuing peace and stability-focused contacts with all parties to prevent the war from spiralling further out of control,” the Turkish presidential office said, summarising the leaders’ discussion. The call underscores Turkey’s delicate balancing act—maintaining ties with Nato ally Washington while preserving relations with Moscow and avoiding entanglement in the Gulf fighting that has disrupted global energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

The conversation comes as Turkey ramps up shuttle diplomacy with Iran, Gulf states, Russia, and the US following the late February US-Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered Tehran’s missile and drone attacks on American assets and regional bases. Erdogan’s rejection of both sides’ actions aligns with Ankara’s long-standing policy of avoiding direct military involvement in Gulf conflicts while seeking influence as a diplomatic broker. Putin, whose Russia has deepened military and energy ties with Iran, likely welcomed the signal of Turkish non-alignment as a counterweight to Western pressure in the Security Council and beyond.

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte will visit the United States from April 8 to 12, 2026, to hold meetings with President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and secretary of war Pete Hegseth amid rising alliance frictions over the escalating Iran conflict, according to an official Nato announcement.

The visit schedule includes high‑level talks focused on transatlantic security and Nato’s role in the Middle East crisis, which has intensified since US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. On April 9, Rutte will deliver a speech and participate in a discussion hosted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. From April 10 to 12, he will attend the Bilderberg Meeting, a high‑profile gathering of political, business, and media leaders.

The trip comes as Nato members grapple with divisions over the U.S.-led campaign against Iran, including concerns about energy security, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and potential alliance involvement in Gulf operations. Trump has vowed to continue strikes on Iran while pushing for diplomatic off‑ramps, but European allies have urged restraint to avoid a wider war. Rutte’s meetings are expected to address these strains, Nato burden‑sharing, and the alliance’s posture in a volatile region.

The United Nations Security Council is now expected to vote next week on a Bahrain‑sponsored resolution aimed at protecting commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats said Friday. The meeting was initially set for Friday, then shifted to Saturday, and has now been postponed again with no new date announced, underscoring the intense negotiations over the text.

Bahrain, the current council president, finalized a draft Thursday authorizing “all defensive means necessary” to safeguard vessels in the strategic chokepoint for at least six months and until the council decides otherwise. The Strait, through which roughly a fifth of global seaborne oil passes, has been largely shut to normal traffic since the U.S. and Israel struck Iran in late February, sparking a month‑long conflict that has driven up oil prices and strained regional security.

China has made clear its opposition to any authorization of force, with its U.N. envoy Fu Cong warning that such a move would “legitimize the unlawful and indiscriminate use of force” and risk deepening the war. Russia and some non‑permanent members have also pressed to dilute the resolution, prompting Bahrain to soften earlier language on binding enforcement. The latest draft was placed under the council’s “silence procedure,” which was broken by China, France and Russia, but a final text has since been agreed and “put in blue,” meaning it can go to a vote.

The resolution needs at least nine votes and no veto from the five permanent members—Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S.—to pass. With China and Russia wary of militarized language, Bahrain and its Gulf and Western allies are trying to strike a narrow balance between deterrence and restraint.

Meanwhile, Britain hosted a meeting with more than 40 countries to discuss a coalition to secure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, signaling broad support for Bahrain’s push. If adopted, the resolution could become a key legal and political tool to reopen the vital waterway and curb escalation in one of the world’s most volatile flashpoints.