Satellite Image. Tehran
According to Reuters, the US has asked satellite imaging companies to temporarily halt the publication of materials related to conflict zones in Iran and the Middle East.
Planet Labs, a satellite imaging company, confirmed that following a request from the White House, it decided to suspend the publication of aerial photographs related to the war with Iran after successful missile and drone operations by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard against the US and Israel.
As a result of intense fire from Iranian armed forces during a rescue operation, two C-130s and two Black Hawk helicopters belonging to the US Army were destroyed, according to pro-government media. However, the Pentagon claims that it made the decision to destroy its aircraft to prevent the Iranians from studying them.
US special forces were sent to Iran to rescue two American soldiers who ejected from a downed F-15. Initially, it was planned that they would be evacuated by two aircraft, but they became blocked.
To rescue their pilots, the US Air Force sent three new aircraft to Iran. Two previously sent transport planes were destroyed to prevent them from being captured by Iranian authorities.
According to President Donald Trump, both pilots have already been rescued and evacuated from Iranian territory, although Tehran denied reports of the second pilot's rescue.
However, neither side has provided photographic evidence of either the rescue or the capture of American servicemen.
The airstrike carried out by US-Israeli forces also resulted in damage to the Iranian Institute of Laser and Plasma Research, which is part of Shahid Beheshti University. The institute building sustained direct hits from projectiles.
Tehran also reported the destruction of another drone — Hermes 900 — in the Isfahan area, bringing the total number of destroyed drones to 162.
Pro-Iranian media report that a US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down, but the Pentagon has not confirmed this fact. Later, photographs of the aircraft wreckage emerged, showing part of the emblem of the 494th Fighter Squadron based in the UK.
This is already the fourth loss of an American F-15E Strike Eagle, some of which were shot down over Kuwait.
According to Tasnim, Iran has announced permission for vessels carrying humanitarian aid and essential goods to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Vessels with essential goods and humanitarian aid can pass through the Strait of Hormuz to ports in Iran or the Gulf of Oman,” Iranian authorities stated.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has dismissed two army generals: Major General David Hoden, responsible for army transformation and training, and Major General William Green Jr., one of the commanders. Earlier, Army Chief of Staff General Randy George also resigned, but the reasons for the dismissals have not been disclosed.
US allies are discussing the possibility of restoring shipping in the Strait of Hormuz without Washington's involvement, Bloomberg reports. A virtual meeting initiated by the UK brought together more than 40 countries from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as Australia and Canada.
Participants in the meeting concluded that it is necessary to solidify the decision regarding the Strait of Hormuz in potential ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran. At the same time, the coalition has begun developing a plan of action without America's involvement, and the role of the UN in this process was also discussed.
Earlier, Donald Trump urged countries dependent on oil and gas supplies through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure its security independently, noting that it does not represent an interest for the US.
With the start of the military operation by the US and Israel, Iran closed the route through which up to 20% of the world's oil and more than 30% of liquefied natural gas passed. Against this backdrop, oil prices have significantly increased and could reach $200 per barrel in the event of a prolonged blockade.
Since March 1, Iran has begun attacks on American data centers in the Persian Gulf countries. Previously, such attacks had not occurred, and they affect public cloud infrastructure, which had only been subjected to attacks in cyberspace before. Strikes on Amazon and Oracle centers in the UAE and Bahrain have been reported, causing significant economic damage — the cost of a large data center is about $6 billion.
Iran has stated that it will destroy one such center for each "terrorist attack" from the US and Israel.
It is worth noting that since the beginning of the 2020s, Microsoft, Google, Oracle, and IBM have begun investing in building data centers in the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, drawing attention to promising markets with favorable tax regimes and convenient locations between Europe and Asia. The exact number of data centers in the Persian Gulf is currently unknown.
The first wave of Iran's attacks occurred on April 1, when two Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE and one in Bahrain were hit. There were also reports of a strike on an Oracle data center in Dubai, although city authorities denied it.
The day before, Iran also struck the Bapco Energies refinery in Bahrain, which is the country's key energy company. Company representatives confirmed damage to a tank, but no one was injured, and the fire was extinguished. An assessment of the damage is currently underway.
With the help of this company, Bahrain controls oil and gas production, making it an important source of foreign currency revenue for the state.
