LIVE UPDATES: Conflict in the Middle East (April 5, 2026)

US federal agents have detained the niece and grand-niece of late Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their lawful permanent resident status, the State Department said on Saturday.

"Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement," the State Department said in a statement, adding that Rubio revoked their residency status, also known as a green card.

The State Department did not say where the arrests occurred.

Soleimani was killed in a January 2020 US airstrike in Baghdad during President Donald Trump's first term in office.

US President Donald Trump said in an expletive-laden social media post on Sunday that the United States will target Iran's power plants and bridges on Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!" Trump said in a Truth Social post, referencing the key shipping lane that Tehran has effectively closed since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran more than a month ago.

"Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!," Trump said, ending his Easter morning post with: "Praise be to Allah."

Pope Leo urged global leaders in his Easter message on Sunday to end the conflicts raging across the world and abandon any schemes for power, conquest or domination.

The pope, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war, lamented in a special message to the thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square that people "are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent."

"Let those who have weapons lay them down!" the first US pope exhorted. "Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace!" 

The pope said that the story of Easter, when the Bible says Jesus rose from the dead three days after not resisting his execution by crucifixion, shows that Christ was "entirely nonviolent."

DUBAI - Several "flying objects" were destroyed during the US mission to find a stranded airman in Iran, the Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday according to Tasnim news agency.

"During a joint operation (Aerospace, Ground Force, Popular Units, Basij and Police command), enemy flying objects were destroyed," the group said after Iran's police command announced an American C-130 aircraft had been downed in the south of Isfahan.

The spokesperson of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of the Iranian armed forces, said the downed aircraft included a C-130 military transport plane as well as two Black Hawk helicopters.

Earlier on Sunday, Iran's army also said they had downed an Israeli drone in the same province. —Reuters

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Sunday warned the public against spreading fake news about energy security, supply, or pricing amid the soaring fuel prices caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“Any attempt to mislead the public about energy security, supply, or pricing to sow confusion will be treated as a serious offense,” PCO acting Secretary Dave Gomez said in a statement.

He added that publishing false news can lead to six months of imprisonment under Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code. If done online, the penalty is doubled under the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

PCO’s filing of charges will be in coordination with the Department of Justice.

Gomez also urged the public to rely on official briefings and verified information to avoid being victims of fake news.

“To every Filipino on social media: stop and think before you post or hit 'share.' In these difficult times, sharing unverified posts can cause public harm. So, always verify information through official government channels before you spread it,” Gomez said.

“We are intensifying monitoring of social-media and information ecosystems to detect and counter deliberate disinformation campaigns,” he added.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. earlier urged Filipinos to embrace “bayanihan” as the government provides measures to ease the burden of rising fuel prices amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

“Ngayon ang panahon para maipakita natin sa buong mundo ang katangian ng bayanihan na nasa puso ng bawat Pilipino,” Marcos said in his vlog.

(This is the time to show the world the spirit of bayanihan that lives in the heart of every Filipino.)

Bayanihan is a Filipino cultural tradition representing communal unity, voluntary cooperation, and community spirit, where people help neighbors without expecting anything in return.

Diesel prices are expected to rise this week by P17 to P19 per liter, with regular diesel potentially reaching ?165 per liter and premium diesel surpassing P170 per liter, as massive fuel price hikes due to the Middle East conflict are expected to continue. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/KG, GMA News

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Easter Sunday urged Filipino Catholics to take time to deepen their understanding of peace this Easter Season amid the ongoing conflicts around the world.

“[I]t is so sad that in the midst of this celebration, this Easter season, we experience war in Ukraine and Russia, Israel, US against Iran, Myanmar, Yemen, Sudan, or maybe we say it's also conflict within the family or maybe in communities,” CBCP President Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa said in his Easter message.

“So the spirit of Easter Sunday must be a moment for us to deepen our understanding of the gift of Jesus to us, which is peace,” he added.

Echoing Pope Leo XIV’s Easter message, Garcera said peace must be unarmed, disarming, humble, and preserving.

“[A]s we celebrate today, Easter Sunday. Let there be peace in our hearts and in our community,” the prelate said.

During the night vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Leo XIV urged people not to feel numbed by the scope of the conflicts raging across the world but to work for peace.

He said mistrust and fear have been allowed to "sever the bonds between us through war, injustice and the isolation of peoples and nations."

"Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed!" said the first US pope, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran, triggering retaliation from Iranian forces.

This resulted in over 3,000 deaths within a month and consecutive oil price hikes in several countries, as the war disrupted the shipment of petroleum products through the Strait of Hormuz, which is considered one of the world’s most crucial oil export routes.

Beginning on Palm Sunday and concluding on Easter Sunday, the Holy Week is the time to commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

Meanwhile, the Paschal Triduum or Easter Triduum refers to the last three days of Holy Week, which are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

Commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, and is often considered the birth of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday concludes the 50-day Easter Season.

This year, Pentecost Sunday will be on May 24. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA News

Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula on Sunday said the Easter Season urges Catholics to resist hatred and hostility amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“The Resurrection of Jesus is the most subversive and revolutionary message of Christianity. It is a call to resistance — to push back against the forces that ruthlessly seek to bury our joy and our future,” Advincula said in his Easter message.

“Easter is a nonviolent battle against hatred and hostility. Easter is a summons to all peoples to reject the "globalization of indifference" and the normalization of genocide,” he added.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran, triggering retaliation from Iranian forces.

The war has resulted in over 3,000 deaths within a month and consecutive oil price hikes around the globe, as the conflict disrupted the shipment of petroleum products passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most crucial oil export routes.

Advincula urged government officials to ensure accountability in addressing the suffering of those affected by the conflict.

“[L]et us not romanticize Easter. Let us not diminish the Resurrection of the Lord to mere sentimentality and routine greetings. Let us not reduce our "Salubong" to a lovely and arming tradition that fails to challenge our cynicism and apathy,” the prelate said.

“With my brother bishops, I appeal for accountability, for the relentless pursuit of justice in public governance, and for more urgent action to alleviate the agony of our people,” he added.

Engage in love to dispel darkness

During the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday, Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, archbishop emeritus of Cotabato, said humanity is currently facing darkness in the form of rising prices, the oil crisis, rampant corruption, and the suffering of the poor.

But the faithful can overcome this darkness by engaging in love and service.

“Love one another. Serve one another. And not only love and serve within your family and your friends, or your community, but especially the poor and the needy,” Quevedo said during his homily at the Manila Cathedral.

Lasting for 50 days, the Easter Season in the Catholic Church culminates on Pentecost Sunday.

It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and is often considered the birth of the Catholic Church.

This year, Pentecost Sunday will be on May 24. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA News

WASHINGTON - The United States rescued an airman caught behind enemy lines after Iran shot down his F-15 fighter jet, the US government said early on Sunday, resolving a major crisis for President Donald Trump with the war on Iran in its sixth week.

"Over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History," according to a statement from Trump posted by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on X.

Trump said the crew member was injured but "he will be just fine."

The airman, who Trump said held the rank of colonel, was the second member of a two-person crew of an F-15 that Iran said on Friday had been brought down by its air defenses. Reuters reported on Friday that the first member of the crew had been recovered, triggering a high-profile search for the remaining airman by both Iran and the United States.

Iranian officials had called on citizens to help locate the remaining American, hoping to gain leverage against Washington in the war Trump and Israel launched on February 28. He has threatened to escalate the conflict in the coming days with attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure.

A hostage crisis could have shifted American public perception of a conflict that, according to opinion polls, has already struggled to win popular support.

Trump did not provide details on the rescue but said it was the first time in memory that two U.S. pilots had been rescued, separately, deep in enemy territory.

The high-stakes US rescue effort, which involved dozens of military aircraft, encountered fierce resistance from Iran.

Reuters reported on Friday that two Black Hawk helicopters involved in the search effort were hit by Iranian fire but made it out of Iranian airspace. In a separate incident, an A-10 Warthog fighter aircraft was hit and crashed over Kuwait, with the pilot ejecting, the officials said. The degree of any injuries among the crew of the aircraft remained unclear.

Still, Trump was triumphant.

"The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies," he said in his statement. —Reuters

VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo led the world's Catholics into Easter at a Saturday night vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and urged people not to feel numbed by the scope of the conflicts raging across the world but to work for peace.

Leo, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war, said that mistrust and fear have been allowed to "sever the bonds between us through war, injustice and the isolation of peoples and nations."

"Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed!" the first US pope exhorted in a service for the holiest night in the Catholic calendar, when the Bible says Jesus rose from the dead.

Leo did not mention any specific conflicts during the service, at which he also baptized 10 adult converts to Catholicism.

In his homily to thousands in Christendom's largest church, the pope urged Catholics to follow the example of saints who he said struggled for justice so that "Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish everywhere."

Leo, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has been ramping up his criticism of the Iran war in recent weeks.

The pope said last Sunday that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have "hands full of blood." He made a direct appeal to US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, urging the president to find an "off-ramp" to end the war.

The pope will conclude his Easter celebrations on Sunday morning with a Mass in St. Peter's Square and will deliver a special blessing and message, which is usually a time when he makes a major international appeal. —Reuters

Kuwait Petroleum ?Corporation said a fire broke out in its Shuwaikh oil sector complex, which houses the oil ministry and KPC headquarters, after a drone attack, the Kuwaiti state news agency reported early on Sunday.

Kuwaiti state media, citing the finance ministry, said an Iranian drone hit an office complex for government ministries, causing significant material damage but no casualties.

Two power generation units were also taken out of service after Iranian drones targeted two power and water desalination plants, causing significant damage, Kuwait's electricity and water ministry said on Sunday.

No injuries were reported in any of the incidents, according to Kuwaiti state media.

The latest attacks come as the US-Israeli war on Iran, how in its sixth week, broadens, with Tehran striking Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting US military installations.

There was no official comment from Iran. —Reuters