US-Israel War On Iran LIVE Update: Omani Ships Exiting Strait Of Hormuz Without Using Iranian Corridor

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the West Asia crisis is a “shared concern” for Russia and Egypt, telling Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty that Moscow stands ready to assist in stabilising the situation.

“We all hope that the ongoing conflict will be promptly resolved. As you know, President Trump also addressed this issue yesterday. Let me reiterate that we are prepared to make every effort to help stabilise the situation and, as they say in such cases, return it to normal,” Putin said during a meeting at the Kremlin, according to a Russian readout.

-Al Jazeera

After US President Donald Trump said on Thursday (April 2, 2026) that Iran’s tallest bridge had been destroyed, Iran FM Araghchi said, “Striking civilian structures, including unfinished bridges, will not compel Iranians to surrender.”

The UN Security Council’s vote on a proposal to ensure the safety of ships in the Strait of Hormuz has been rescheduled from Friday to Saturday, according to media reports.

The council’s 15 members are set to vote on a resolution from Bahrain aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the critical waterway, which usually carries about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supplies.

The Associated Press and Reuters news agencies have reported that a draft resolution includes text authorising countries “to use all defensive means necessary” to protect commercial shipping.

US President Donald Trump ‌warned on Thursday (April 2) ⁠about striking and destroying bridges and ‌electric power plants ‌in ‌Iran ⁠in his ⁠latest threat to hit the country’s infrastructure.

The ‌US military “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left ‌in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric ⁠Power Plants,” Trump wrote ‌on social media.

His post said that Iran’s leadership “knows ‌what has to be done, and has ⁠to be done, ⁠FAST!”

Source: Reuters

Three Omani ships appear to be transiting the Strait of Hormuz outside Iran’s “approved corridor” near Larak Island, according to tracking data monitored by shipping journal Lloyd’s List.

The convoy consists of two large oil supertankers and one liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier that are sailing “unusually close to the Omani coast,” according to the UK-based outlet.

Source: Aljazeera

Some of Asia’s major stock markets are having a strong start to the day after stocks on Wall Street were largely flat overnight.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose more than 1 percent on Friday morning, while South Korea’s KOSPI climbed more than 2 percent.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index bucked the rally, dropping about 0.7 percent.

The Lebanese group says its fighters have detonated an explosive device targeting an Israeli force in the Deir Hanna area of Biyyada in southern Lebanon.

The group also said it targeted a gathering of Israeli troops in the Malkia settlement, and another gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Dishon settlement. Both gatherings were targeted with rocket barrages.

Iraqi armed group Saraya Awliya al-Dam says it has carried out five attacks targeting US bases in the past 24 hours.

The group of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq also said its fighters have carried out 23 operations targeting US bases both within Iraq and across the broader region in the past 24 hours, confirming the deployment of dozens of drones to carry out the strikes.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the Army's top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, to step down, the Pentagon said Thursday, as the United States wages a war against Iran.

A Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, confirmed that George has been asked to take early retirement from the post of Army chief of staff, which he has held since August 2023.

The ouster of George is just the latest of more than a dozen firings of top generals and admirals by Hegseth since he first took office last year.

Source: Aljazeera