Morning Briefing: April 6, 2026

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Monday, including 15 ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours after obtaining permission from Iran, a social media post by US President Donald Trump raising speculation about a possible announcement on Iran, and Iranian media claiming that clashes broke out between Iranian forces and US troops during a rescue operation of an American pilot.

TOP STORIES

• 15 ships cross Strait of Hormuz over past 24 hours after obtaining permission from Iran: Report

Fifteen ships transited the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours after obtaining permission from Iran, Iranian media reported.

The semi-official Fars News Agency said the vessels were allowed to pass through the strategic waterway after receiving authorization from Iranian authorities.

The news agency said that ship traffic through the strait remains 90% lower than before the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February

• 'Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time': Trump's post sparks speculation about possible announcement on Iran

US President Donald Trump posted on social media "Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time" without elaborating, sparking speculation about a possible announcement on Iran.

The post on his social media platform Truth Social, which indicates 0000GMT on Wednesday, came after he told the Axios news outlet that a deal with Tehran could be reached by Tuesday.

"There's a good chance tomorrow," Trump told Fox News earlier, and later told Axios an agreement could come by Tuesday. He has also warned that he was considering "blowing everything up" and "taking over the oil" if Iran failed to move fast enough

• Iranian media claims clashes with US forces during rescue of American airman

Clashes broke out between Iranian forces and US troops during a rescue operation of an American pilot in which a US C-130 support aircraft was reportedly downed, Iranian media claimed.

According to the Defa Press Agency, Iranian law enforcement special units destroyed several US assets, including a special operations aircraft HC-130, two Black Hawk helicopters and multiple drones.

Following the clashes, fighting reportedly continued on the ground between Iranian units and surviving or supporting US personnel, it added.

​​​​NEWS IN BRIEF

• Employees at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv were evacuated after the detection of smoke from an unidentified package, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported.
• Iran claimed that it shot down a US C-130 support aircraft in the southern area of Isfahan.
• President Donald Trump said the US rescued a military officer, identified as a colonel, in "one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US history."
• At least 70 people went missing after a migrant boat capsized in the Mediterranean, said an Italian NGO.
• Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened “more devastating” attacks on US economic interests in the region if Iranian civilian facilities are attacked again.
• President Donald Trump said the US has rescued a “seriously wounded, and really brave" F-15 crew member "from deep inside the mountains of Iran."
• Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Damascus for his first official visit to Syria, the SANA news agency reported.
• The Strait of Hormuz will reopen for transit only when transit revenues are used to compensate for damages from the war, Iran’s presidential office said.
• The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait said their air defense systems intercepted missiles and drones launched from Iran.​​​​​​​
• The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt and Pakistan are working to broker talks between Iran and the US, but their efforts have so far failed to produce results, several American media outlets reported.
• Three people were killed, including a 10-month-old baby, when a tree fell during an Easter egg hunt in northern Germany, police said.
• Ukraine and Syria agreed to reopen embassies in Kyiv and Damascus in the “near future,” said the Ukrainian foreign minister.
• Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov agreed in a phone call to "uphold fairness on matters of principle and adopt an objective and balanced approach" as permanent members of the UN Security Council while discussing the impending vote on a draft resolution on the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
• Eleven Israelis were injured and four others were missing following an Iranian missile strike in Haifa in northern Israel, said the country’s national emergency service.
• A Palestinian was killed and five others were injured by Israeli army fire in the Gaza Strip in continued violations of a ceasefire in place since October 2025, medical sources said.
• The Jerusalem Governorate said that seven documented attempts were made during this year’s Jewish Passover to bring sacrificial animals into Al-Aqsa Mosque, the highest number recorded since 1967.
• At least eight people were killed and 55 injured in Israeli airstrikes in areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs and northeast of Lebanon’s capital, according to Lebanese authorities.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Nepal extends 1-day weekly holiday to include Sundays as fuel crisis deepens

Nepal announced the extension of a one-day weekly holiday at government offices and academic institutions to two days as a measure to cope with the deepening fuel crisis in the country amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has disrupted energy flows into Asian countries.

In an emergency Cabinet meeting on Sunday, the government decided to extend weekly holidays to cover both Saturdays and Sundays.

“Government offices and academic institutions will remain closed for two days in a week – Saturday and Sunday,” government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel told reporters after the meeting.

• Fuel restrictions in place at several Italian airports

A leading supplier of aviation fuel issued a bulletin over the weekend to airlines that their distribution will be rationed until April 9 at several Italian airports amid Easter traffic and Middle East tensions.

Air BP announced limitations on refueling at four airports including Bologna, Milan Linate, Treviso and Venice, according to the ANSA news agency.

It noted that priority in refueling will be given to air ambulance flights, state flights and flights lasting more than three hours, while for others, distribution will be rationed at least until April 9.