Israel strikes nuclear sites, FBI chief hacked as Iran defies ‘bullies’

President Donald Trump has stepped back from his promise to resume strikes on the Islamic Republic’s power facilities when a five-day pause expires on Friday, and extended the deadline for another ten days.

“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time. Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well,” Tump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said it is “intensifying strikes” on Iranian weapons production industries, with more than 1,000 production-related targets struck so far since the start of its Operation Roaring Lion, conducted in coordination with the US’s Operation Epic Fury.

In a statement, the IDF said the Israeli Air Force, Intelligence Directorate and Operations Directorate are leading an ongoing effort to “degrade” Tehran’s industrial capabilities.

“This effort includes the systematic targeting of production lines, with the aim of degrading the regime’s manufacturing, development, and research capabilities across its military industries,” it said.

The IDF claimed that “much of Iranian development is carried out in cooperation with private companies operating in coordination with the regime’s security apparatus, led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).”

The IDF has detected a new wave of missiles fired by Tehran at Israel, shortly after it bragged about the destruction of “more than 1,000 production-related targets” across Iran.

“Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the military said in a statement, warning residents to seek shelter in a protected space and remain there until further notice.

The US Central Command has shared several photos showing US soldiers maintaining Patriot mobile interceptor missile systems, which it called a part of “the most extensive air defense umbrella in the Middle East.”

The continuing US-Israeli regime change efforts in Iran have led to rapid consumption of munitions and interceptors by the attackers and Washington’s regional partners enduring Iranian retaliation, raising concerns in Ukraine about the continuity of Western military support.

READ MORE: US weighing diversion of Ukraine-bound arms for Iran war – WaPo

The US could redirect arms supplies originally designated for Ukraine to America’s own war with Iran, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with discussions on the matter. According to the WaPo, internal discussions within the Department of War are focused on determining the appropriate level of Ukraine supplies. While deliveries are expected to proceed, Patriot interceptors may be excluded. In certain scenarios, shipments could be redirected entirely, sources indicated.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has recently emphasized that replenishing US arsenals for conducting American military operations takes precedence over supplying Kiev.

President Trump has claimed that his unnamed contacts in Tehran initially asked him to pause US strikes on the city’s energy infrastructure for seven days, and were “very thankful” after he instead gave them ten.

“They said to me very nicely, through my people, ‘Could we have more time?’ Because we’re talking about tomorrow night, which is pretty quick, and if they don’t do what they have to do, I will knock out their power plants,” Trump told Fox News.

READ MORE: Iran says Indian and Russian ships allowed through Strait of Hormuz

“They asked for seven, and I said, ‘I’m going to give you 10,’ because they gave me ships,” he said, adding that Iranian officials were “very thankful” about that.

The US president claimed earlier in the day that Iran had gifted him ten “big boats” of oil, allowing the tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in a show of goodwill. Tehran insists that the strategic waterway is and has always been open for passage for all vessels unaffiliated with “hostile” nations.

Tehran has not requested a pause to US strikes on its energy infrastructure, and has yet to deliver a final response to Washington’s 15-point ultimatum to end the war, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing mediators in the indirect talks.

Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has warned that the military will “collapse in on itself” due to a mounting manpower shortage as it fights on multiple fronts. Speaking at a security cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Zamir said he was “raising 10 red flags” before ministers, according to Israeli media reports.

He reportedly stated that the military requires a conscription law, a reserve duty law and a law to extend mandatory service, warning that before long the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would be unable to perform its routine missions and the reserve system “will not hold.”

The IDF has again instructed residents to seek shelter amid a new wave of Iranian missile attacks, just 90 minutes after permitting them to leave protected spaces.

The UN nuclear watchdog has expressed “deep concern” about the US-Israeli strikes “reportedly occurring” near Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant following the latest attack earlier this week.

“Given that it is an operating nuclear power plant with a large amount of nuclear material, DG Grossi warns that damage to the facility could result in a major radiological accident affecting a large area in Iran and beyond,” the IAEA said in a statement, calling for “maximum restraint to avoid the risk of such a nuclear accident.”

READ MORE: Russia condemns strike on Iranian nuclear power plant

The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, said Wednesday that the situation at Bushehr is developing along a “worst-case scenario.” The strike, which caused no casualties, occurred at around 1800 GMT on Tuesday and hit an area near an operational power unit, Likhachev said. Rosatom has begun a third phase of personnel evacuation. Until the situation stabilizes, the corporation is temporarily reducing the number of staff at the plant to a minimum.

Bushehr, Iran’s first nuclear power plant, was built with Russian assistance. Its first 1,000 MW unit was commissioned in 2013, with construction of a second and third phase beginning in 2016. The facility remains a critical piece of energy infrastructure in the region.

President Donald Trump’s approval rating has hit its lowest across both of his terms, according to a new Fox News poll. The survey found that 59 percent of registered voters do not approve of Trump’s handling of the presidency – while 64 percent specifically said they do not approve of his handling of the war with Iran.

“I hate Fox polls,” Trump told the network’s The Five show on Thursday. “Honestly, whoever does your polls are terrible.”