Iran war day 104: Iran says it attacks US bases after American strikes

In the Gulf and Jordan

• Flights diverted in Kuwait: Kuwait’s civil aviation authority temporarily closed the country’s airspace as a precaution amid the escalating conflict, citing “Iranian aggressions”. Authorities said flights would be diverted to other airports in line with approved emergency procedures. Kuwait Airways announced a shut down of all of its flights.
• US issues alert for Jordan: The US State Department urged people in Jordan to seek overhead cover and shelter in place immediately, warning that reports indicated missiles, drones or rockets had entered Jordanian airspace amid the escalating regional conflict.

In Israel

• Projectiles land near Israeli troops: The Israeli military said sirens that sounded across parts of northern Israel were triggered after two projectiles launched from Lebanon fell near Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon. The army reported no casualties or damage to military equipment.

In the US

• Trump details latest strikes: Speaking to Fox News, Donald Trump said the US fired 49 Tomahawk missiles at targets inside Iran, some as close as 40 miles (64km) from Tehran, while US fighter jets targeted radar and air defence systems near the Persian Gulf. Trump also warned that if Iran did not accept a deal proposed by US negotiators, the US would bomb the country again “tomorrow night”. According to Fox, he further claimed that senior Iranian officials had contacted him to ask Washington to halt the attacks — a claim Iranian officials have rejected.
• “Using bombs” to force talks: Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said Trump had signalled earlier that another US attack on Iran was likely, arguing Tehran was “stringing the US along” in negotiations despite previously saying the two sides were close to a deal. Fisher noted that Hegseth later indicated CENTCOM would be “busy tonight”, describing the strikes as an effort to “expand the diplomatic field” for Trump’s negotiators by “using bombs to get Iran back to the negotiating table”.
• Diplomacy through coercion: Retired US General Mark Kimmitt told Al Jazeera that Washington’s latest strikes appear to stem more from frustration with stalled diplomacy than from any new Iranian battlefield provocation. Making comparisons with the Vietnam War, Kimmitt said the US had previously used heavy bombardment to “bring them back to the negotiating table”. But he questioned whether the same approach would work with Tehran. “The Iranians use patience as one of their greatest tools,” he said.

In Lebanon

• Deadly strike in Sidon: An Israeli attack on a vehicle in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon killed two people and set nearby cars ablaze. Israel has continued carrying out strikes in Lebanon despite the US-announced ceasefire that took effect on April 16.