Search This Blog

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Iran youth urged to form human chains around power plants as Trump warns of ‘complete demolition’

 Iran called on its youth Tuesday to form human chains around its power plants — after President Trump threatened to decimate the Islamic Republic’s energy infrastructure if Tehran fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“Power plants that are our national assets and capital, regardless of any taste or political viewpoint, belong to the future of Iran and to the Iranian youth,” Alireza Rahimi, secretary of the Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, said in a video aired on state TV.

Government officials have called on students, artists, and athletes to form the human shields from 2 p.m. local time — and video showed hordes of Iranians complying within hours, including on several bridges, waving the country’s red, white and green flag and unfurling a massive version across at least one span.

Iranians gathering at a power plant on April 7, 2026.Fars News Agency
The Iranian government called on young people to act as human shields for the country’s energy infrastructure.Fars News Agency
Children participated in the “human chain” in front of the power plant hours before President Trump’s deadline.Fars News Agency
“We hope that with the participation of young people across the country, this human chain will be formed around the power plants, and it will be a sign of the youth’s commitment to protecting the country’s infrastructure and building a bright future,” Rahimi said.

The bloodthirsty regime is already accused of recruiting children as young as 12 in a drive dubbed “Homeland Defending Combatants for Iran.”

Amnesty International said it had confirmed photos showing children wielding weapons such as AK-pattern assault rifles and standing alongside Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps military personnel at checkpoints and during rallies.

Iranians forming a human chain on a bridge in Ahvaz on April 7, 2026.
The gathering on the bridge comes after Alireza Rahimi, Iran’s secretary of the Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, called on young citizens to form human chains around power plants and other “national assets.”

The desperate calls come after Trump promised to obliterate Tehran’s energy infrastructure if a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reached by 8 p.m.

“We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again,” he told reporters Monday. 

“I mean complete demolition by 12 o’clock.”

Trump reiterated his threat to bomb Iran back to the Stone Age, but said he didn’t want to target the country’s infrastructure.

The order was in response to President Trump’s threats to take out Iran’s bridges and power plants if the country doesn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

“Do I want to destroy their infrastructure? No,” he said.

“It will take them 100 years to rebuild right now, if we left today, it would take them 20 years to rebuild their country, and it would never be as good as it was.”

Trump seemed downplay any claims that targeting power plants would amount to a war crime.

Young children acting as human shields on the bridge on Tuesday.
Iran has been accused of recruiting children as young as 12 in an effort to defend the country.

“You know what’s a war crime? Allowing a sick country with demented leadership to have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

With the clock ticking, Iran reportedly put forward a 10-point cease-fire plan, which one US official described as “maximalist,” Axios reported.

Trump branded it a “significant step” but said it was “not good enough,” the New York Times reported.

Tehran has threatened to retaliate if the US targets its energy infrastructure.

“The rulers of Arab countries should in order to prevent the region from going dark, make Trump understand that the Persian Gulf is not a place of gambling,” Aliakbar Velayati, a senior adviser to the ayatollah, wrote on X.

https://nypost.com/2026/04/07/world-news/iran-calls-on-its-youth-to-form-human-chains-around-power-plants-after-trump-warns-of-complete-demolition/

'Mamdani, Schumer, Worker's Justice Project Announce Nation's First Deliverista Hub'

 Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Sen. Chuck Schumer and the Worker's Justice Project announced the installation of the City Hall Park Deliverista Hub, the first worker-designed rest and e-bike charging hub for delivery workers in the United States.   

The City Hall Park Deliverista Hub will provide integrated services for the city's 80,000 app-based delivery workers, with separate modules for rest, bike repair and education and support services. Workers can access guidance on street safety, safe e-bike operation, wage theft and app deactivations. External battery charging cabinets at the rear of the hub will provide 24/7 app-based access to safe e-bike charging for delivery workers and the public. The hub will be staffed by the Worker's Justice Project five days per week and will also be open to the public.      

“Delivery workers keep this city running — through the cold, the rain and every storm that comes our way,” said Mayor Mamdani. “They make it possible for families across all five boroughs to sit down to a warm meal or get the groceries they need right on time. After long hours on the street, workers deserve a place to rest, access resources, charge their e-bike batteries safely and be in community. This space provides all that and more. In opening the Deliverista Hub, we're building a dedicated place for the City to take care of its own.”         

“For years, I’ve worked to bring critical infrastructure to the tens of thousands of app-based delivery workers who serve our city day and night,” said Senator Schumer. “I’m proud to have secured $1 million in federal funding for this first-of-its-kind deliverista hub, which will improve access to e-bike charging, shelter, bike repair and much more. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Ligia Guallpa of Worker’s Justice Project, Gustavo Ajche of Los Deliveristas Unidos, Mayor Mamdani, and many others, this hub is now a reality.”        

“Delivery workers have spent years powering this city while app companies have failed to provide even the most basic infrastructure needed to work safely and with dignity. This hub is the result of workers organizing, leading and building what companies would not. We are grateful to Mayor Mamdani and Senator Schumer for supporting worker-led innovation and helping turn this vision into reality. As the first deliverista hub of its kind in the nation, it marks a new beginning — giving immigrant workers the power to transform their industry and positioning them as leaders at the forefront of reshaping the gig economy, creating safer streets and advancing New York City's transition to a zero-emission delivery system,” said Ligia Guallpa, Executive Director of Worker's Justice Project & Co-Founder of Los Deliveristas Unidos.           

“At NYC Parks, we are always looking at how our public spaces can better serve New Yorkers, including the essential workers, commuters and recreational bikers who rely on them every day,” said NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. “This hub transforms an underused space into a vital resource for deliveristas, a place to take a break, recharge, access support and make basic bike repairs. It is a great example of how thoughtful design can meet real community needs.”          

“Every worker deserves a safe, welcoming workplace,” said NYC Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn. “NYC DOT is proud to partner in the construction of this first-of-its-kind hub as we work to build safer streets, create more public e-battery charging options and hold app companies accountable for unsafe practices.”     

“For years, we've been working on the streets without the most basic support — generating billions of dollars for app companies that exploit us in return and treat us as disposable. No matter the conditions — in the cold and snow, in heat and smoke, or rain and floods, with nowhere to rest and few places to charge safely — we keep this city running. Far too many of us have been injured on the job, with no support or protections from our employers. This hub started as an idea from workers who knew things had to change — and who organized to make that change real. It's not just about what this space provides today, but what it makes possible tomorrow: a future where delivery workers are organized, leading and transforming our industry into something safer, more innovative and more just,” said Gustavo Ajche, delivery worker and Co-Founder of Los Deliveristas Unidos.          

“The Deliverista Hub represents a transformative new typology of public infrastructure. Much like the first gas stations that emerged in early 20th century America, this mobility hub introduces a new kind of service station — one purpose-built for the e-mobility era — offering safe battery charging, free bike tune-ups and a welcoming, human-centered space for delivery workers and riders alike,” said  J. Manuel Mansylla, Principal, FANTÁSTICA, designer of the hub. “At a time when cities are being challenged from all sides — by extreme climate events, global pandemics and rapidly shifting technologies and commuting patterns — the pace of infrastructure adaptation simply isn’t keeping up. A customizable, prefab modular approach offers a faster, more flexible path forward, enabling cities to quickly scale a network that truly supports the deliveristas and e-bike riders who keep New York moving every day.”        

“Delivery workers need more than recognition, and more than a charged battery. They need real infrastructure, safe places to rest and practical solutions that support them throughout their workday,” said Thomas Duscha, CEO of Swobbee.         

Located at 249 Broadway, the City Hall Park Deliverista Hub was developed and built through the organizing of delivery workers alongside the Workers' Justice Project. The facility directly addresses safety risks in one of the city's most dangerous jobs, where one in five workers is injured on the job and the fatality rate is five times that of construction. NYC Parks provided the location at the site of a former newsstand near City Hall Park, and NYC DOT provided bike parking and a street access zone on Broadway near City Hall.           

The hub was designed by FANTÁSTICA, an urban design and street furniture company focused on sustainability and smart infrastructure, and built by Boyce Technologies, a local engineering and fabrication firm that has produced public infrastructure for the MTA and other New York City and State agencies.      

The hub's development is part of the City's commitment to improving worker conditions and advancing safe, sustainable e-bike delivery. Funding was provided by the Office of Sen. Schumer through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The project will serve as a model for future citywide infrastructure for New York City's rapidly growing delivery workforce. 

https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/04/mayor-mamdani--senator-schumer--worker-s-justice-project-announc

Iran’s president says Guards commanders are wrecking ceasefire chances

 A deepening rift at the top of the Islamic Republic has spilled into an unusually sharp confrontation, with President Masoud Pezeshkian accusing senior Guards commanders of unilateral actions that have wrecked ceasefire prospects and pushed Iran toward disaster.

Two sources close to the presidential office said a tense exchange took place on Saturday, April 4, between Pezeshkian and Hossein Taeb, a powerful figure close to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Those present described the conversation as unusually difficult and highly charged.

During the meeting, Pezeshkian accused IRGC chief commander Ahmad Vahidi and Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters – the country’s armed forces' unified command, of acting unilaterally and driving escalation through attacks on regional countries, especially against their infrastructure.

According to the sources, Pezeshkian said those policies had destroyed any remaining chance of a ceasefire and were steering the Islamic Republic directly toward “a huge catastrophe.”

He also warned that, based on what he described as precise assessments, Iran’s economy would not be able to withstand a prolonged war for much longer and that full economic collapse was inevitable under current conditions.

The confrontation comes amid mounting evidence of a broader power shift inside the Islamic Republic, with military and intelligence networks increasingly displacing both the elected government and the traditional clerical order.

Ideological collapse and hidden state

A regional source familiar with internal developments told Iran International in February that the model of velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurist) that has defined the Islamic Republic for more than four decades is now undergoing a fundamental transformation and even an “ideological collapse.”

According to that source, the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei to the leadership, despite lacking the traditional qualifications and legitimacy associated with the position, took place through an opaque process that in practice amounts to the sidelining of the traditional clergy and the consolidation of full control by the Guards’ military-intelligence apparatus.

The source said this process has strengthened what many insiders describe as the Islamic Republic’s “hidden state.”

Iran International has previously reported growing tensions between Pezeshkian and senior IRGC commanders, particularly Vahidi, over how the war should be managed and over its destructive impact on people’s livelihoods and the economy.

On March 28, informed sources said Pezeshkian had criticized the Guards’ approach to escalating tensions and continuing attacks on neighboring countries, warning that without a ceasefire the economy could collapse within three weeks to a month.

Subsequent reporting by Iran International showed that the president’s authority has continued to shrink.

Sources said the Guards have resisted Pezeshkian’s appointments and decisions, effectively stripped the government of executive control and erected a security barrier around the core of power.

According to those reports, Pezeshkian’s attempt to appoint a new intelligence minister collapsed under direct pressure from Vahidi, who rejected all proposed candidates, including Hossein Dehghan, and insisted that all key wartime positions must, for now, be chosen and managed directly by the Guards.

Iran International also reported that Pezeshkian was forced, under direct IRGC pressure, to appoint Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council

despite his dissatisfaction with the choice.

Logistical crisis

Alongside the political infighting, fresh field reports received by Iran International point to a worsening human and logistical crisis inside the Guards and the Basij.

Sources said that over the past 72 hours, operational forces have faced acute shortages of basic supplies, including edible food, hygiene facilities and places to sleep.

Recent strikes on infrastructure and bases have left many Guards and Basij personnel sleeping in the streets, and in some areas they have had access to only one meal a day.

According to informed sources, some personnel were forced to buy food from shops and restaurants with their own money after expired rations were distributed.

At the same time, disruptions affecting Bank Sepah’s electronic systems have reportedly delayed the salaries and benefits of military personnel, fueling fresh anger and mistrust within the ranks.

Iran International had previously reported similarly dire conditions in field units, including severe shortages of ammunition, water and food, as well as growing desertions by exhausted soldiers.

Even in the Guards’ missile units, which have historically received priority treatment, sources reported serious communications failures and food shortages. They said commanders were continuing to send only technical components needed to keep missile systems operational, rather than food or basic individual supplies for personnel.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604074692

AWS 'working 24/7' to keep Middle East services up

 Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Matt Garman told CNBC on Tuesday that the company's teams are "working 24/7" to keep the services running in the Middle East amid the raging war in Iran.

"It’s a really difficult situation, and we’re working incredibly hard," Garman told the outlet at the HumanX conference in San Francisco. Commenting on the economic implications of the war, he assessed that it is "obviously hugely disruptive for the global economy," but that "there's a willingness to invest ... and so our and my excitement about investing long term in that region is just as strong as it’s ever been."

Many AWS services in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates remain unavailable according to the company's status page.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/AWS-'working-247'-to-keep-Middle-East-services-up/66023876

'Politico: Israel said to push for longer campaign against Iran'

 The Israeli authorities are supposedly in favor of a longer campaign against Tehran in order to weaken the Iranian regime further amid United States President Donald Trump's deadline, Politico reported on Tuesday.

The media outlet cited sources familiar with the matter, who shared that Israel believes that it is "premature" for a ceasefire and that military operations against Iran could continue for "at least another month."

According to the sources, Israel aims to weaken the Iranian regime sufficiently to pave the way for its eventual collapse.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Israel-said-to-push-for-longer-campaign-against-Iran/66024236

New round of Iranian strikes target Gulf countries

 Iran launched another wave of attacks against Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar on Tuesday, as the conflict in the region escalated further.

The media said blasts were heard in Qatar's capital, Doha, while air defenses were activated in the skies of the UAE and Bahrain. Iranian news outlets reported that powerful explosions occurred in all three nations. There have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Earlier today, Kuwait warned its citizens to remain in their homes starting from midnight until 6 am on Wednesday local time.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/New-round-of-Iranian-strikes-target-Gulf-countries/66024269

Trump says US in 'heated negotiations' with Iran

 United States President Donald Trump told Fox News on Tuesday that he cannot comment on Pakistan's proposal for a two-week extension of his deadline to Iran, adding that the US is currently engaged in "heated negotiations" with Tehran.

The US leader added he would soon receive a full briefing on the proposal.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Trump-says-US-in-'heated-negotiations'-with-Iran/66024399