April 5 — What Matters Today (Live Updates)

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Latest updates at the top:

IRGC: “ACCORDING TO ACCURATE REPORTS” 25 U.S. CASUALTIES

International diplomacy in 2026 summed up in two sentences
Trump: “Open the fucking strait you crazy bastards.”
Iran: “We’ve lost the keys.”

Iran says the next phase of its attacks on the US and Israel will be much more forceful.

Iran fires cluster missiles at Israel.

US stock market futures fall at the open as President Trump declares Tuesday as “Power Plant and Bridge Day” in Iran:

1. S&P 500: -0.7%
2. Nasdaq 100: -0.8%
3. Dow Jones: -0.7%
4. WTI Crude: +3.0%
5. Natural Gas: +1.0%
6. Gold: -0.9%
https://x.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2040917082343194857

Iran and Oman are jointly drafting new maritime traffic rules for the Strait of Hormuz

President Trump’s deadlines to Iran:

• March 21st: 48 hours
• March 23rd: Postponed for 5 days
• March 26th: Postponed for 10 days
• April 4th: 48 hours
• April 5th: Postponed to April 7th, 8 PM ET
https://x.com/BRICSinfo/status/2040911891741004143

Tori Spelling and 4 kids in hospital after car crash.

IRGC Navy Command: “The Strait of Hormuz will never return to its former state, especially for America and Israel.”

Acting AG Todd Blanche says ‘DOJ has now released all files with respect to the Epstein saga.’

Whispers are surfacing that Tehran is preparing to shift its blockade focus from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The chatter suggests the IRGC believes Hormuz is now too “saturated” with U.S. assets. By moving the pressure to the Red Sea chokepoint, they could theoretically bypass the Tuesday “Power Plant Day” ultimatum while still holding 20% of global oil demand hostage. If tankers start rerouting away from the Horn of Africa tonight, the “Monday Deal” is dead.

Trump just told Fox News there is a “good chance” of a deal tomorrow (Monday), even as he maintains the Tuesday 8:00 PM ET “Power Plant Day” deadline. This is classic high-stakes friction. The “negotiations” are happening against a backdrop of Israeli defense officials confirming they are simply awaiting a “green light” from Washington to hit Iranian energy facilities. The Monday window is the final off-ramp before a combined US-Israeli infrastructure wipeout.

Ahwaz International Airport in Iran takes third shelling in one day.
Local official confirms repeated attacks on the site.

JUST IN: Iran is reportedly taking payment in the form of cryptocurrency as a toll for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

ISRAEL SEES LOW CHANCE OF IRAN DEAL, PREPARES FOR MAJOR STRIKES ON IRANIAN ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING NEW FACILITIES – CHANNEL 14

JUST IN: Iran rejects US proposal to open Strait of Hormuz in exchange for temporary ceasefire, Wall Street Journal reports.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Asks War Secretary Hegseth To Release 46 US Gov’t Secret UFO Videos:Congresswoman”aliens’ are actually ‘inter dimensional beings’ that she called ‘demons.’

Trump: ‘Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!’

Iranian leader issues fiery warning claiming U.S. policies will plunge region into “living hell”

Space mission hits unexpected snag as astronauts lose access to Microsoft Outlook in orbit

Iran signals Hormuz closure tied to war damage compensation demands

Kuwait reports heavy damage to oil and petrochemical facilities after Iranian drone strikes, with KPC confirming fires at PIC and KNPC units. The IRGC has claimed responsibility for the attacks, though current reporting shows the strikes focused on energy and government sites rather than military logistics or command centers.

Second chokepoint enters geopolitical pressure zone https://twitter.com/BRICSinfo/status/2040848742253756771

Artemis II: Crew set for historic Lunar Flyby Monday.
NASA confirms the Orion capsule is on track. The four astronauts will be the farthest from Earth any human has ever traveled and will witness a total solar eclipse during the loop.

The Trump Administration has launched a new White House mobile app aimed at bypassing traditional media filters by delivering real‑time updates and messaging directly to users. The app centralizes live streams, announcements, and official content, but there’s no indication it uses any proprietary or unusual tech stack.

British warship sank by Hezzbollah missile off Lebanon. Unverified.

Zelensky in Syria next, handshake. Zelensky meets with Erdogan in Istanbul, here’s the handshake.

Ireland starts public testing of Government Digital Identity Wallet app.
Citizens test secure document storage and age verification features ahead of 2026 mandates.
Digital ID and privacy tech names catch flows on accelerated rollout.

Russia reports drone damage at Primorsk fuel port and fire at NORSI refinery.

OPEC+ eight member group reportedly agrees to increase output by 206k barrels per day.

59 People Injured, Including 4 Children, Following Major Train Derailment

Trump extends Iran deadline to Tuesday 8pm ET for power plants and bridges.
Trump tells WSJ he will hit every power plant and bridge if no deal by Tuesday evening.

New deadline

Trump urges allies to buy U.S. jet fuel as Strait of Hormuz disruption hits Europe supply lines

GDPNow shows 1.6% growth as real final sales weaken to 1.1% in latest nowcast

• Trump mulling taking over oil if no Iran deal: maybe
• Trump says could get deal by tomorrow: unlikely
• Negotiators for Iran granted amnesty for now: no proof
• Trump mulls “blowing everything up” if no deal fast: likely

Financial stress among US consumers is intensifying: The delinquency rate on subprime loans is up to 10% of total outstanding debt, the highest in 11 years

American drivers have paid an additional $8.4 billion in fuel costs since the Iran War began on February 28th

The Philippines stands at the precipice of an unprecedented national crisis

TRUMP TO WSJ: GIVES NO TIMELINE FOR END TO IRAN WAR

IRGC claims U.S. rescue operation failed and multiple American aircraft were destroyed

The diplomatic floor is gone.
Trump is now signaling a “good chance” for a deal by tomorrow morning, but the threat remains absolute.
The 8 PM ET deadline tonight is the hard stop for the 10 day grace period.
Washington is now cleared hot for strikes against Iranian infrastructure if the Strait remains blocked.
Israel is reportedly awaiting final U.S. approval to target Iranian energy facilities within the next week.

The United States sent guns to the Iranian protesters through the Kurds, President Trump told Fox News.

Average 15‑year fixed refinance rates eased to about 5.75 percent today, slipping roughly eight basis points from the prior reading. The 30‑year fixed rate also edged lower, landing near 6.80 percent as of Sunday morning.

Artemis 2 crew enters “Flight Day 5” as they speed toward a Monday moon flyby.
NASA confirmed a successful crew wake-up at 11:50 AM ET; the Orion spacecraft enters the moon’s sphere of influence at 12:41 AM ET tomorrow.

“If they don’t make a deal and fast, I’m considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil”, Trump tells FOX

Trump to Axios: Deal with Iran possible by Tuesday, or else “I’ll blow everything up”

TRUMP SAYS HE BELIEVES HE CAN GET A DEAL WITH IRAN BY MONDAY, IRAN NEGOTIATING NOW -FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

National average gas prices hit $4.110 this morning, a steady climb from Saturday’s $4.104.
Every U.S. state now averages above $3.27, with the highest state averages nearing $5.92.
Consumer sentiment is hitting a “breaking point” just as the White House SPR cushion is being vaporized.

Zelensky claims Russia provided Iran with satellite intelligence for strikes on Israel’s energy grid.

GOP senator calls to end Iran operations without formal declaration of war

Libya oil output climbs back toward 1.4 million bpd.
National Oil Corporation signals production near multi-year highs as fields come back online.
Flows remain volatile, but output is tracking strongest levels in over a decade on recent prints.

Kuwait confirms Iranian drone strikes hit two power and desalination plants overnight.
Critical generation units taken offline after significant material damage.
Energy infrastructure across multiple sites reported fires and disruptions amid ongoing Gulf escalation.
No confirmed casualties in the latest wave, but system strain on water and power supply is now real.

Report lists F-15E, A-10, C-130s and drones destroyed during alleged Iran CSAR mission.

Serbia confirms explosives discovered near key gas pipeline to Hungary.
President Vučić says two backpacks containing explosives and detonators were found close to critical infrastructure feeding the Hungary gas link, with security forces securing the area and launching an investigation.
Authorities have not confirmed motive or attribution, but the incident triggers renewed attention on European energy infrastructure risk.
European gas markets show localized sensitivity to supply security headlines, though no broader systemic disruption has been confirmed at this stage.

Trump signals Iran “negotiating now” while warning of force and oil seizure if deal fails

Microsoft’s AI in its own terms: “use Copilot at your own risk”

Reporter: What’s the plan to bring gas prices down?
Trump: All I have to do is leave Iran and we’ll be doing that very soon.

Recent executive surveys covering roughly 6,000 leaders across multiple countries suggest that most firms have not yet seen measurable productivity or employment gains from AI, despite widespread adoption.
The findings point to a gap between rapid AI deployment and its translation into firm-wide output metrics.
However, this reflects early-stage integration rather than evidence that AI has no economic impact, as controlled studies still show meaningful productivity gains in specific tasks and roles.

A U.S. F-15E crew member who was shot down over Iran has been successfully rescued in a U.S. special operations mission.
President Trump confirmed the recovery on Truth Social, stating the airman was injured but safe.
Multiple reports indicate the operation involved significant air and ground support under hostile conditions.
Details on force size and operational scope remain partially undisclosed, and broader geopolitical implications are still developing.

Another country joins growing list turning to WFH amid fuel crisis
https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/trends/malaysia-joins-growing-list-of-countries-turning-to-wfh-amid-fuel-crisis/news-story/b5c6e56d5ad04ef88240e2199abccad9

Iran state TV airs footage of burned US aircraft wreckage after alleged special forces extraction inside Iran

PRESIDENT TRUMP ISSUES STATEMENT ON RESCUE. https://twitter.com/TrumpDailyPosts/status/2040643924562243704

Reports are coming in that Pentagon Pete is about to be fired for losing the Iran war!

Trump vows to bomb Iran into a living HELL in expletive-laden Easter Sunday threat that he ends with ‘praise be to Allah’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15707803/trump-iran-bomb-easter-sunday-threat.html

IRAQ THANKS IRAN OVER ALLOWING IRAQI TANKERS TO TRANSIT STRAIT OF HORMUZ – IRAQ’S STATE NEWS AGENCY

BREAKING: Trump schedules news conference with military brass for 1 PM ET Tuesday. The briefing follows the expiration of the warning by exactly 15 hours. Tuesday is officially declared power plant and bridge day. The president is signaling a shift from naval targets to total infrastructure blackout. Operation Epic Fury is moving from the water to the grid.

SpaceX 1.75 trillion IPO valuation remains unconfirmed. Reports of a secret filing under Project Apex are widespread. Elon Musk calls the 2 trillion valuation claims BS. The market is using the 1.75 trillion figure as the baseline. June is the only fixed date for the banks. The banks are locked into a June launch.