Iron Iran

In the fourth week of the war on Iran, the issue has moved from regime change to the territorial integrity of the nation

- Seema Guha

ON the ground it is pitch-dark. But the skies light up every once in a while as incoming missiles are intercepted and the debris scattered through the night sky. The deafening sound of explosions—as bombs drop on strategic targets—convulse and shake the ground around. Bunker buster bombs target nuclear sites in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan.

In the distance, flames from gas fields, refineries and oil depots flare and noxious smoke spreads through the region. Taps run dry as water desalination plants across West Asia are destroyed. The glittering cities built on oil wealth—Dubai, Doha, Riyadh and Muscat—are dark silhouettes. Around the Strait of Hormuz, the fighting rages. If Iran’s largest nuclear-powered Bushehr electricity plant is hit, it would be a catastrophe and the radiation will not be confined to Iran, but will spread across West Asia. Even the risk of damage to such a site would send waves of panic across the region, raising the spectre of a nuclear disaster. For now, this is only a doomsday scenario that will send the global economy into convulsion.

US President Donald Trump has extended his self-imposed deadline for a diplomatic breakthrough by 10 days. This does not mean that the war is over, just that energy hubs will not be targeted till April 6. “As per the Iranian Government's request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 PM, Eastern Time,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.