US and Iran agree to a two-week ceasefire
President Donald Trump said late Tuesday he’s pulling back on his threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran (AP Production: Marissa Duhaney)
Today’s live updates have ended. Follow more live coverage on the Iran war.
Major developments we’re following:
- The United States and Iran said Tuesday they have agreed to a two-week ceasefire in the war that includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump initially had said Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan that could help end the war launched by the U.S. and Israel in February. But he later called it fraudulent, without elaborating. Neither Iran nor the United States said when the ceasefire would begin.
- Trump said he’s pulling back on his threats to widen attacks on Iran. Trump’s latest threat over the Iran war hit a new extreme earlier Tuesday when he warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran failed to make a deal that included reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s threat did not seem to account for the harm to civilians, prompting Democrats in Congress, some U.N. officials and scholars in military law to say such strikes would violate international law.
- The two-week ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, a regional official said Wednesday on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The strait is in the territorial waters of both Oman and Iran. The world had considered the passage an international waterway and never paid tolls before.
- Israel is still attacking Iran, according to an Israeli military official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations Wednesday. Moments earlier, the White House said Israel had agreed to the terms of the two-week US-Iran ceasefire agreement. Iran also kept up fire on Israel.
Key bridge between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain reopens
The King Fahd Causeway, a key bridge linking Saudi Arabia and the island kingdom of Bahrain, reopened Wednesday morning after an hourslong closure over possible incoming fire from Iran.
The King Fahd Causeway Authority said in its announcement on X that vehicle traffic has resumed.
UN chief welcomes two-week ceasefire and urges end to hostilities
Secretary-General António Guterres calls on all parties “to abide by the terms of the ceasefire in order to pave the way towards a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region,” his spokesperson said.
Guterres also calls on the parties to comply with their obligations under international law, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement late Tuesday.
International law requires the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
“The secretary-general underscores that an end to hostilities is urgently needed to protect civilian lives and alleviate human suffering,” Dujarric said.
Jean Arnault, the secretary-general’s personal envoy, is in the region “to support efforts toward lasting peace,” the spokesperson said.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq says it will halt operations for two weeks
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias, said in a statement early Wednesday that it will halt its operations in Iraq and the region for two weeks.
The announcement came hours after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.
Iran-backed militias in Iraq have claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks on U.S. bases and other facilities in the country in solidarity with Tehran since the war began.
Israel says ceasefire with Iran doesn’t include war in Lebanon against Hezbollah
In a statement Wednesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it supports Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, but that it doesn’t include the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
It said the ceasefire is subject to Iran immediately opening the Strait of Hormuz and stopping all attacks on the U.S., Israel and countries in the region.
The statement said Israel also supports U.S. efforts to ensure Iran no longer poses a nuclear or missile threat.
JUST IN: Netanyahu says Israel backs US ceasefire with Iran but that deal doesn’t cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon
Governments in Asia and the Pacific welcome ceasefire
The Australian government says it “welcomes the agreement by the United States, Israel and Iran to a two-week ceasefire to negotiate a resolution to the conflict in the Middle East.”
“The Australian government has been calling for de-escalation and an end to the conflict for some time now,” Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a joint statement Wednesday.
“Iran’s de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with its attacks on commercial vessels, civilian infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities, is causing unprecedented energy supply shocks and impacting oil and fuel prices,” they added.
They said Australia had been working with international partners in support of diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz so critical supplies can flow to those who need it, including the most vulnerable.
In Japan Minoru Kihara, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said his nation “welcomes the announcement as a positive development. We hope they reach an agreement.”
Winston Peters, New Zealand’s foreign minister, said on X, that his nation welcomed the effort to end the war.
“While this is encouraging news, there remains significant important work to be done in the coming days to secure a lasting ceasefire,” he wrote.
Australia says Trump’s threat to Iranian civilization was not appropriate
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Trump’s threat to the Iranian population was not appropriate.
Albanese referred to Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran failed to make a peace deal that included reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to use language such as that from the President of the United States. And I think it will cause some concern,” Albanese told Sky News television on Wednesday.
“We’ve said very clearly that the conduct of any conflict must be within international law and that provides for making sure that civilians — who aren’t parties to the conflict — are given every protection possible,” Albanese added.
Albanese described the agreement reached by the United States, Israel and Iran to a two-week ceasefire to negotiate a resolution to the conflict as “positive news.”
Pro-government demonstrators take to the streets in Tehran
Pro-government demonstrators in the streets of Iran’s capital Wednesday morning after the ceasefire was announced screamed: “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!”
Organizers tried at one point to calm demonstrators, but they continued the chants.
They also burned American and Israeli flags in the street.
It shows the ongoing anger from hard-liners, who had been preparing for what many assumed would be an apocalyptical battle with the U.S.
JUST IN: Pro-government demonstrators in Iran’s capital scream: ‘Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!’
Iran includes ‘acceptance of enrichment’ in Farsi version of its ceasefire plan
Iran in the Farsi-language version of its 10-point ceasefire plan included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program, something that was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists.
It wasn’t immediately clear why that term was missing.
However, Trump had said ending Iran’s nuclear program entirely was a key point of the war.
Trump after Iran issued its 10-point plan had described it as fraudulent, without elaborating.
Iran’s mission to the U.N. declined to comment late Tuesday on discrepancies between English and Farsi versions of the ceasefire deal Tehran put out.
JUST IN: Iran includes ‘acceptance of enrichment’ in Farsi version of its ceasefire plan, something missing from English versions
Israel is still attacking Iran, says military official
The official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said early Wednesday morning that Israel was still attacking Iran.
Moments earlier, the White House said Israel had agreed to the terms of the two-week US-Iran ceasefire agreement.
Iran also kept up fire on Israel.
JUST IN: Israeli military official says the country is still attacking Iran, after White House said Israel agreed to ceasefire
Israeli strike kills at least eight people in southern Lebanese coastal city
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said another 22 people were wounded in the strike on Sidon.
The strike came without warning, and the Israeli military did not immediately specify who it was targeting.
At least 1,530 people have been killed in the latest war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group.
Pakistan invites Iran and the US to talks in Islamabad on Friday
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he is inviting Iran and the United States to meet in Islamabad and have further discussions.
In a post on X, Sharif said that both parties have agreed on the ceasefire.
“I warmly welcome the sagacious gesture and extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries,” he said. “And invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.”
There has been no public response from the U.S. or Iran to the invitation.
US confirms release of journalist kidnapped by Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in a statement that American journalist Shelley Kittleson, who was kidnapped last week in Iraq, has been released.
Kittleson was abducted by the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah from a street corner in Baghdad on March 31.
Rubio said in a statement posted on X, “We are relieved that this American is now freed and are working to support her safe departure from Iraq.”
He thanked Iraqi authorities, as well as the FBI and U.S. defense department and other U.S. agencies for their work toward securing Kittleson’s release.
Vance was involved in talks as deadline drew closer
As the clock inched closer to Trump’s proposed 8 p.m. deadline with no resolution in sight, U.S. Vice President JD Vance got roped into the conversation late Tuesday, according to an official from one of the mediating countries who was briefed on the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive diplomatic discussions.
Vance’s office did not immediately have a comment.
Vance is currently traveling in Hungary.
Neither Iran nor the United States has offered any time for the ceasefire to begin
But a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, said American forces had halted offensive operations.
Iran continued to fire at Gulf Arab states and Israel, despite Pakistan saying the ceasefire had taken hold immediately.
JUST IN: Abu Dhabi officials say its Habshan gas-processing facility is ablaze after earlier reporting incoming Iranian fire
Chinese officials encouraged Iran to find path to ceasefire with US, AP sources say
China, which is Tehran’s biggest trade partner, spoke with the Iranians to get them on board, according to two officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Chinese officials were in touch with Iranian officials to encourage Tehran to find a path to a ceasefire deal as the negotiations were evolving, the officials said.
Beijing primarily had been working with intermediaries, including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, as it tried to use its influence, said one of the officials, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the diplomatic matter.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier Tuesday, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said, “All parties need to demonstrate sincerity and quickly end this war that should not have happened in the first place.” She said China was “deeply concerned” about the impact the conflict has on the world economy and energy security.
JUST IN: Chinese officials encouraged Iran to look for a path toward a ceasefire in war with the US, AP sources say
Iran, Oman to charge for Strait of Hormuz passage
The two-week ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, a regional official said Wednesday.
The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction. It wasn’t immediately clear what Oman would use its money for.
The strait is in the territorial waters of both Oman and Iran. The world had considered the passage an international waterway and never paid tolls before.
The official, who had been directly involved in the negotiations, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Pentagon press briefing set for Wednesday morning
The announcement of the press conference with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, comes after the president announced the ceasefire agreement.
JUST IN: Pakistan, which brokered ceasefire between US and Iran, says it extends to Israel and Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon
Israel has agreed to the terms of the two-week US-Iran ceasefire agreement, White House official says
The official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
There are concerns in Israel about ceasefire agreement, says AP source
That’s according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media.
The person said Israel would like to achieve more in the war with Iran.
Leavitt says negotiations will continue
Asked for clarity on what Trump meant by the Iranian peace proposal being “workable,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “President Trump’s words speak for themselves: this is a workable basis to negotiate, and those negotiations will continue.”
“The truth is that President Trump and our powerful military got Iran to agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiations will continue,” Leavitt said in a statement.
Oil prices plunge after Trump pulls back on threats to widen attacks
Futures for U.S. crude oil sank 18% to around $92.60, while Brent crude oil futures fell about 6% to $103.40.
Both prices remain well above where they were at the start of the war.
Futures for the S&P 500 rose 2.4%.
US signaled to Israel that strikes were meant to show Iran what could come, official says
Some Israeli officials had begun speculating as Trump neared his self-imposed deadline that he was edging towards finding an off-ramp even as he offered increasingly menacing rhetoric toward, according to person privy to internal deliberations.
The U.S. administration had signaled to Israelis that the strikes on military assets on Kharg Island earlier Tuesday and the targeting of Iran’s two main petrochemical hubs, Mahshahr and Assaluyeh, were sending a clear message to Tehran of what would come if Trump chose to further intensify the bombardment, according to the person who requested anonymity to discuss the matter.
Israeli officials were skeptical and believed the apparent breakthrough could unravel and lead to further escalation if the Iranians don’t make good on quickly opening the Strait of Hormuz, the person added.
US military has halted all offensive operations against Iran, US official says
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive military operations, noted that defensive measures and operations would still be in effect.
It comes after President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire agreement with the Islamic Republic.
JUST IN: US military has halted all offensive operations against Iran, US official says, but continues defensive actions
JUST IN: Oil prices plunge and US stock futures jump after Trump pulls back on Iran threats for 2 weeks, pending a ceasefire
White House doesn’t immediately clarify what Trump meant by ‘workable’ Iranian plan
The White House on Tuesday night did not answer messages on why the president described Iran’s 10-point peace plan as “workable.”
Among the points communicated by Tehran were an easing of U.S. sanctions on Iran and “the withdrawal of United States combat forces from all bases and points of deployment within the region.”
In his social media post announcing a postponement of his threatened bombing campaign, Trump wrote: “We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.”
The White House did not immediately clarify what Trump meant or provide details on what a “basis” for future negotiations might entail.
Alerts come despite Iran and US saying they’ve reach a cease-fire
Israel and the United Arab Emirates both sounded missile alerts early Wednesday, despite Iran and the United States saying they had reached a two-week ceasefire in the war.
It wasn’t immediately clear what was being targeted in the two countries, which bore the brunt of the missile and drone fire during the war.
Throughout the war, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has called the shots in all decisions. Individual commanders have made decisions on what to strike and when, with the nation’s political leadership sidelined.
Whether they agreed to stop shooting with the declared ceasefire and negotiations being planned in Islamabad remained in question.
However, many Mideast wars see combatants launch last-minute attacks to be able to claim victory with their populations.
JUST IN: Israel says it detects an incoming Iranian missile barrage despite US, Iran saying 2-week ceasefire reached
It isn’t clear what was targeted in the United Arab Emirates
The missile alert sounded early Wednesday morning after the United States and Iran said they reached a two-week ceasefire in the war.
It wasn’t clear what had been targeted, but it showed the chaos of the unfolding diplomatic moves.
JUST IN: Missile alert sounds in the United Arab Emirates after Iran, US say they’ve reached a two-week ceasefire
Also not clear: What Iran means in referencing ‘withdrawal’ of US combat forces
In question is another of the points messaged by the Iranians -- “the withdrawal of United States combat forces from all bases and points of deployment within the region.”
The U.S. has maintained a network of military bases through the Persian Gulf for decades after the 1991 Gulf War with Iraq.
The bases have served as the region’s chief security guarantor and provided protection for the energy-rich Gulf Arab states.
Iran did not define, however, what it meant by “combat forces,” potentially giving wiggle room for those bases to remain.
But any step-down in troop levels in the region likely would anger the Gulf Arab states that have suffered through weeks of war.
It isn’t clear if Iran will loosen its chokehold on the waterway that’s crucial to global energy supplies
Iran’s foreign minister says that ships would be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, over the next two weeks under coordination from Iran’s military.
About a fifth of the world’s oil transits the strait in peacetime.
Araghchi wrote in a statement that: “For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”
Before the war, there were no “technical limitations.” Over 100 ships a day passed through the water in Iranian and Omani territorial waters in a decades-old traffic system.
The statement did not say whether Iran would seek to charge ships as it had been doing during the war.
JUST IN: Iran’s foreign minister says passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be allowed for next 2 weeks under Iranian military management
Iran’s explanation of its 10-point plan says Strait of Hormuz would be subject to ‘regulated passage’
Iran’s explanation of the 10-point plan included its claimed that the Strait of Hormuz would be subject to “regulated passage ... under the coordination of the Armed Forces of Iran.”
It added that would be “thereby conferring upon Iran a unique economic and geopolitical standing.” It also would receive full sanctions relief.
These terms would represent an extraordinary step down by the U.S. after 47 years of hostilities with Iran, starting from the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran says its acceptance of a ceasefire doesn’t mean an end to the war
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Wednesday it had accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war.
Its statement said it would negotiate with the United States in Islamabad beginning Friday.
“It is emphasized that this does not signify the termination of the war,” the statement said. “Our hands remain upon the trigger, and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy, it shall be met with full force.”
JUST IN: Iran’s Supreme National Security Council says it has accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war
Trump says talks with Pakistani officials helped lead to his decision to delay bombing campaign
In his social media post, Trump said he came to the decision to delay an expansion of U.S. strikes “based on conversations” with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Gen. Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief.
Sharif, in a post on X earlier Tuesday, urged Trump to extend his deadline by two weeks to allow diplomacy to advance. Pakistan has been leading negotiations.
Sharif used the same post to ask Iran to open the Hormuz Strait for two weeks.
Trump’s second term has largely been defined by his eagerness to make intimidating threats
And then to retreat if a backlash ensues — a phenomenon his critics have derided as “Trump Always Chickens Out,” or TACO.
The president backed off many of the sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs he first announced in April 2025 after they caused the financial markets to go haywire.
He also largely dropped threats to impose high levies on many imported products from China, Mexico, the European Union and Canada — among other trade partners.
Perhaps the most spectacular example came during a January meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Trump insisted that he wanted the U.S. to get Greenland “including right, title and ownership” only to switch course and abandon his threat to impose widespread tariffs on Europe to press his case.
Trump says Iran has proposed a ‘workable’ 10-point peace plan that could help end war
The president added in his social media post that Iran has presented “a workable basis on which to negotiate.”
“Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated,” Trump said in the post.
Trump says he’s pulling back on his threats to widen attacks
The president says that includes an array of bridges, power plants and other civilian targets — subject to Iran being ready for a two week ceasefire and to reopen Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on his social media site on Tuesday evening, Trump said Iran could agree “to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz” and said that he’d then “suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks.”
Since the war began in February, Trump has set a series of deadlines threatening escalation of the conflict, only to backoff just before they expire.
JUST IN: Trump says Iran has proposed a “workable” 10-point peace plan that could help end war
JUST IN: Trump pulls back on his Iran threats for two weeks, subject to Iran agreeing to ceasefire and to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Iran threatens to cut US and its allies off from the region’s oil and gas ‘for years’
Iran’s joint military command spokesperson made the warning in a statement responding to U.S.-Israeli attacks.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari said Iran will intensify its attacks on military, security, and economic infrastructure in Israel and on “centers related to” the U.S. in the region.
Zolfaghari said Iran’s continued attacks on the infrastructure of the U.S. and its allies aim to deprive them of the region’s oil and gas supplies “for many years” and “force them to leave” the Middle East.
White House insists that Trump stands with innocent civilians in Iran
That’s according to a statement by spokeswoman Anna Kelly in response to the criticism the president’s comments have received.
“As President Trump has said, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and the Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing,” the statement says.
“The President will always stand with innocent civilians while annihilating the terrorists responsible for threatening our country and the entire world with a nuclear weapon. Greater destruction can be avoided if the regime understands the seriousness of this moment and makes a deal with the United States.”
Four wounded in Qatar after interception of Iranian missiles
Qatar’s Interior Ministry said late Tuesday that falling debris hit a residence in the Muraikh area, moderately wounding four people, including a child, as the country responds to Iranian attacks.
Trump uses the language of annihilation to threaten Iran
President Donald Trump threatened to blow up every bridge and power plant in Iran, action that would be so far-reaching that some experts in military law said it could constitute a war crime.
The president who yearned for a Nobel Peace Prize and once reveled in the appearance of solving conflicts has turned to the language of annihilation as he struggles to find a resolution to his war of choice in Iran.
Donald Trump’s latest threat over the Iran war hit a new extreme Tuesday as he warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran fails to make a deal that includes reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz.
His comments were swiftly met with condemnation from Democrats, some “Make America Great Again” supporters who have since broken with Trump, and the first American pope. Some fellow Republicans suggested his comments were a negotiating tactic.
Pakistan’s foreigner minister briefs Saudi, Egyptian, Turkish counterparts on peace efforts
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar late Tuesday briefed his Saudi, Egyptian and Turkish counterparts on Islamabad’s efforts to promote dialogue and diplomatic engagement in pursuit of peace and stability in the region.
The Foreign Ministry says Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan discussed the regional situation and that Dar also spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Iranians fear power outages as Trump’s deadline nears
Three times a week, Asghar Hashemi undergoes dialysis treatment at a hospital in northern Tehran. He fears that if power stations are knocked out, as Trump has threatened, his life will be in danger.
Tehran residents rushed Tuesday to stock up on bottled water and charge cellphones, flashlights and portable power banks as the hours ticked down to Trump’s latest ultimatum.
“I am worried, but I am more worried about my fellow citizens,” Hashemi said, lying on his bed at Tajrish Martyrs Hospital for treatment. “Whatever happens, we will stand until the end.”
Alaska Republican senator says Trump’s Iran rhetoric ‘endangers’ Americans
Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Tuesday said President Trump’s threat “that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ cannot be excused away as an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with Iran.”
She said on social media that the rhetoric is an “affront” to ideas the U.S. has long sought to uphold and promote around the world.
“It undermines our long-standing role as a global beacon of freedom and directly endangers Americans both abroad and at home,” she said.
Murkowski, a centrist who at times has been critical of Trump, called on all those involved in the conflict — including Trump and Iran’s leaders — to “de-escalate their unprecedented saber-rattling before it is too late.”
US stocks swing from losses to a tiny gain as uncertainty builds ahead of Trump’s deadline for Iran
The S&P 500 fell as much as 1.2% Tuesday, hours ahead of a deadline by President Donald Trump to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges.
The S&P 500 fell as much as 1.2% after Trump’s threat, but stocks rallied at the end of trading after Pakistan’s prime minister urged Trump to extend his deadline for another two weeks and asked Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz during that time.
The S&P 500 erased all its losses and ended with a modest gain of 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 85 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.1%.
During just the first hour of Tuesday’s trading, the Dow careened between a gain of 74 points and a loss of 425.
Oil prices were likewise shaky. The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude to be delivered in May briefly climbed above $117 before settling at $112.95, up 0.5%.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, eased by 0.5% to $109.27. It’s still well above its roughly $70 level from before the war began in late February.
Jimmy Carter’s grandson says Trump’s Iran threat is dangerous and immoral
Jason Carter, president of the Carter Center’s governing board and former President Carter’s grandson, called Trump’s blanket threat against Iranian citizens and culture an “un-American” and “un-Christian” outrage.
“It violates every conceivable moral code,” Carter said in a video statement, and if carried out would violate U.S. and international law and all “accepted principles of human rights.”
The United States, Carter said, “must be better than Donald Trump’s unbridled and dangerous rhetoric.”
Jimmy Carter, who died in 2024, was in office during the 1979 Iranian revolution that ushered in the ayatollah’s government.
“The Islamist government of Iran has been our enemy, including an enemy of my family,” Jason Carter said, “but the people of Iran have never been our enemy.”
The younger Carter said his grandfather would urge “Democrats, Republicans and especially Christians who worship the prince of peace to stand up and say, ‘Enough is enough.’”
Federal authorities say pro-Iran hackers breached U.S. infrastructure
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI and the National Security Agency together issued the warning on Tuesday, reporting that hackers allied with Iran exploited vulnerabilities in internet-connected devices used to control machinery used in several important sectors.
They offered no details about the attacks but said they were intended to disrupt operations and cause financial harm. The bulletin urged any U.S. entity that uses the controllers to check their cyber defenses.
A number of cyberattacks targeting U.S. and Israeli entities have been attributed to pro-Iran hackers since U.S.-Israeli strikes began. Authorities say critical infrastructure like ports and water plants could be targeted by Iranian hackers or independent groups working on their behalf.
Trump says it’s ‘totally illegal’ for Iran to have young people surround power plants as human shields
The U.S. president threatening to destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure and bridges said the country can’t use its citizens as human shields.
“Totally illegal,” Trump said in a phone call with NBC News. “They’re not allowed to do that.”
Trump was also asked about his reasons for saying on social media that “a whole civilization will die tonight” and Trump answered by saying: “You’ll have to figure that out.”
White House aware of request by Pakistan’s prime minister for 2-week delay on Trump’s threats to Iran
Trump has yet to weigh in on the request for further negotiations with Iran made over social media by Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, but he plans to address the call to push back his deadline for attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure and bridges by two weeks.
“The President has been made aware of the proposal, and a response will come,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an emailed statement.
Gulf states take precautions as they brace for potential Iranian retaliation
Several Gulf nations remain on high alert as they face Iranian air attacks as Trump’s deadline gets closer.
Sirens sounded again in Bahrain on Tuesday evening, signaling another incoming Iranian attack, while the United Arab Emirates said at the same time that its defense systems were responding to a missile threat. In Qatar, authorities also said they intercepted a missile.
Authorities in Kuwait said all shops and commercial activity would close from midnight to 6 a.m. local time Wednesday as a precautionary measure, citing the regional situation.
Top Senate Democrats say Trump must not follow through on his threat
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and some of his colleagues are condemning Trump’s threat to kill Iran’s “whole civilization.”
The Democratic senators said that intentionally destroying the power, water and basic infrastructure upon which tens of millions of civilians depend upon would “constitute a war crime, a betrayal of the values this nation was founded on, and a moral failure.”
Democratic Sens. Jack Reed, Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Coons and Brian Schatz joined Schumer in issuing the joint statement.
The senators said Trump’s statement pushes the U.S. further away from the only viable solution to the war: a diplomatic one.
“President Trump’s reckless threat makes Americans less safe, further destabilizes our nation and economy, and puts at greater risk U.S. service members,” the senators said.
Pakistan urges Trump to extend deadline and seeks a 2-week pause in Mideast conflict
In a post on X, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, “diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future.”
“To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks.” he said. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the post.
“Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open the Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture,” he added. “We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region.”
JUST IN: Pakistan’s prime minister urges Trump to extend Iran deadline and for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz for 2 weeks.
A Jewish leader in the US decries Trump’s threat to destroy ‘a whole civilization’
“We know what it means when leaders call for communities and populations to be wiped out,” Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said in a statement. “Any suggestion that this advances Jewish or Israeli safety is simply an exploitation of our community to advance horrific war crimes and the President’s broader extreme anti-democratic agenda.”
Spitalnick’s council describes itself as a “mainstream Jewish organization.” It believes in the need for Israel to serve as a Jewish homeland, but often criticizes policies of the current Israeli government.
She urged people to recognize “multiple truths:" that Iran’s government is repressive and dangerous, and the Trump administration is increasingly flouting its constitutional and humanitarian obligations.
Fewer Americans have confidence in Trump on Iran decisions than last year, Pew poll finds
Americans are less confident in the president’s decision-making on Iran than they were last year, according to a new Pew Research Center poll, with drops among Republicans and Democrats.
About one-third of U.S. adults are “very” or “somewhat” confident Trump can make good decisions when it comes to U.S. policy toward Iran, according to the Pew poll conducted in late March. That’s down from 44% in August. Roughly two-thirds of Republicans have high confidence, down from 78% last year.
The poll also found about 7 in 10 Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about higher gas and fuel prices as a result of U.S. military action, with most Republicans and Democrats being worried. Majorities of Americans also worry about U.S. ground troops being sent into Iran, possible military casualties and potential terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.
Pope sharply criticizes Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization
Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization was “truly unacceptable” and said any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law.
“Today as we all know there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable,” Pope Leo XIV said, adding that any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law.
In some of his strongest comments yet against the war, Leo urged Americans and other people of good will to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives to demand they reject war and work for peace.
The remarks to reporters Tuesday came as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, just hours before Trump’s deadline for Iran to capitulate and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
JUST IN: Pope says Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization is ‘truly unacceptable’ as deadline approaches.
UN chief answers Trump: No military objective justifies destruction of a society’s infrastructure
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “deeply troubled” by the statement suggesting that an entire people or civilization may bear “the consequences of political and military decisions,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Guterres didn’t name Trump but was clearly referring to the American leader’s warning to Iran earlier Tuesday that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t opened.
“There is no military objective that justifies the wholesale destruction of a society’s infrastructure or the deliberate infliction of suffering on civilian populations,” Guterres’ spokesman said.
The secretary-general reiterates that leaders can still choose “dialogue over destruction” and the choice for talks must be made now, Dujarric said.
Guterres calls for stepped-up diplomacy to find a path to peace and appeals for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the spokesman said.
UN says initial findings show Israeli tank fire and a Hezbollah roadside bomb killed peacekeepers
In a statement released Tuesday, a U.N. official said that “based on available evidence,” a projectile fired from an Israeli tank on March 29 resulted in the death of one Indonesian peacekeeper.
“It is recalled that, to mitigate the risk to United Nations personnel, UNIFIL had again provided the Israel Defense Forces with the coordinates of all its positions and facilities on 6 March and 22 March,” the statement read.
Additionally, the March 30 episode that resulted in the death of two other Indonesian peacekeepers came after a improvised explosive device, most likely placed by Hezbollah, was discovered nearby.
“Allow me to reiterate that these are preliminary findings, based on initial physical evidence,” the statement continued, adding the full investigation processes of the U.N. will continue.
Israel says Iran has fired a new barrage of missiles
Israel’s military said Iran had launched missiles at the country Tuesday evening, the seventh time of the day.
Sirens sent people to shelters in the southern part of the country, while earlier salvos had been centered on the major metropolis of Tel Aviv, as well as central Israel and parts of the occupied West Bank.
Northern Israeli communities continued to come under fire from Hezbollah as well.
Sundown Tuesday marks the beginning of the last day of the Passover holiday, an especially important religious occasion in the Jewish calendar.
Earlier in the day, an elderly couple and their son, who were killed in a missile attack, were buried in Haifa.
Top House Democrats issue joint statement asking for Congress to be brought back into session to end war
House Democratic leaders in a joint statement called President Donald Trump “completely unhinged” and asked the House to be brought back immediately into legislative session.
“His statement threatening to eradicate an entire civilization shocks the conscience and requires a decisive congressional response,” said the joint statement from Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and four other top House Democrats.
“The House must come back into session immediately and vote to end this reckless war of choice in the Middle East before Donald Trump plunges our country into World War III,” the Democratic lawmakers said.
They called on House Republicans to put patriotic duty over party loyalty and “join Democrats in stopping this madness.”
Iranian envoy vows action if Trump follows through on threats
Amir-Saeid Iravani, Tehran’s representative at the U.N., said that Trump’s threats earlier Tuesday that a “whole civilization will die” if Iran does not make a deal “constitute incitement to war crimes and potentially genocide.”
During a Security Council session on the Strait of Hormuz, Iravani urged the international community to call out Trump’s rhetoric before it’s too late.
“Iran will not stand idle in the face of such egregious war crimes. It will exercise, without hesitation, its inherent right of self-defense and will take immediate and proportionate reciprocal measures,” he said.
JUST IN: Iranian envoy says Tehran will ‘take immediate and proportionate’ action if Trump follows through on attack threats
WHO warns about long-term impact of strikes near Iranian nuclear plant
Top World Health Organization official warned about the long-term health risks caused by the continued military activity near an Iranian nuclear power plant.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director general, wrote on X that more military operations near the Russian-built Bushehr power plant, where hundreds of workers were evacuated following a strike recently.
“Such actions could lead to a severe radiological accident, with serious and long-term health consequences for people now and for generations to come, while also harming the environment across Iran, the region, and beyond,” he wrote.
Tehran resident says attacks on power plants will plunge Iran into darkness and leave hundreds of thousands unemployed
An engineer in a construction company who lives in Tehran says hitting infrastructure, including some power plants, has already left many people unemployed.
“Because of this, workers and employees, and people who are losing their jobs and income are becoming against the war,” they said. “There is a huge amount of fear about tonight.”
Speaking to The Associated Press through a messaging app from Tehran, the engineer said only people who are financially able are buying generators to prepare for possible power outages. Just like the internet outage ... so they are less (doomed),” they said. But the fact is, everyone is impacted, the engineer added, speaking anonymously for his own safety.
The engineer said Trump’s threats still lack any clarity.
“People don’t know what his plan is.”
Trump phones into rally to praise Hungary’s Orban
Hours ahead of a deadline he imposed on Iran to capitulate, President Donald Trump boosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday when Vice President JD Vance dialed him into a rally in Budapest.
Trump told the crowd gathered ahead of Hungary’s weekend election that he loves their country and praised Orban.
“You have a man that kept your country strong,” Trump said.
Vance spoke at the rally for Orban in the Hungarian capital, defending Western civilization and criticizing “bureaucrats in Brussels.”
The vice president attempted to dial the president in front of the crowd and first got an automated message saying the voicemail box wasn’t set up, to laughter from attendees. Soon after, he got Trump on the phone and put him on speaker for the crowd.
Key bridge between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain closes
The King Fahd Causeway, a key bridge linking Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, closed Tuesday for the second time as a precautionary measure following alerts issued by the National Early Warning Platform in the Eastern Province.
The King Fahd Causeway Authority said on X Tuesday evening vehicle traffic has been suspended.
Bread and cash shortages leave Palestinians in Gaza struggling to feed their families
In Gaza City, dozens of people had to wade through flooded streets to reach a bread distribution point on Tuesday because of war-damaged drainage systems, AP footage showed.
A $1 bag of bread — about 15 loaves — is barely enough to feed large families, residents said.
Israel’s two-year war has been muted by a fragile ceasefire since October, but many in Gaza fear the Iran war is overshadowing urgent humanitarian needs and delaying reconstruction.
Jamal Hamad, a displaced resident from northern Gaza, said shortages of small bills are compounding the crisis, leaving many unable to pay. Digital options remain out of reach.
People waited for hours in the rain, pushing to reach the front as supplies ran low. Some resold bags for up to $6.
Iran-backed Iraqi militia releases American journalist Shelly Kittleson
American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped in Baghdad last week, has been released, an Iraqi official with direct knowledge of the situation said Tuesday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said Kittleson was freed in the afternoon. He did not share her current whereabouts but said that before her release, she was being held in Baghdad.
The powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement earlier Tuesday that it had decided to free the journalist, and officials with the militia told The Associated Press that members of the group previously detained by Iraqi authorities would be released in exchange.
JUST IN: American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped in Baghdad last week, has been released, an Iraqi official says.
Pope Leo expresses solidarity with Lebanese Christians facing ‘injustices’ as Israel invades
Pope Leo XIV addresses the faithful before delivering the Urbi et Orbi blessing - Latin for “to the city of Rome and to the world” - from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica at the end of Easter Mass he presided over in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
In an Easter message released Tuesday by the Vatican, Leo suggested a parallel between Christ’s crucifixion and the suffering of south Lebanese Christians.
“In your misfortune, in the injustice you endure, in the feeling of abandonment you experience, you are very close to Jesus. You are close to Him also on this Easter Day when He conquered the forces of evil, and which resonates for you as a promise of the future,” read the message.
The message was written in French, was signed by the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and was addressed to the residents of the village of Debel.
A convoy carrying over 40 tons of aid led by the Vatican was supposed to have reached the Christian village of Debel for Easter, but was canceled for what Lebanon’s Maronite Church said was “security reasons.”
Leo visited Lebanon late last year on his first international trip as pope.
US senators warn Britain against changes to Diego Garcia island base
Two Republican senators warned Prime Minister Keir Starmer that altering the status of the U.S. military base on the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia could harm U.S.-U.K. relations, as the base plays a key role in operations tied to the Iran war.
Sens. Ted Cruz and Tommy Tuberville urged Britain to halt a planned transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, saying it would undermine U.S. national security.
Passage of the deal through the U.K. Parliament is on hold until American support can be regained.
The Trump administration initially welcomed the deal, but the president changed his mind in January, calling it “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY.”
Iraqi militia says it will free a kidnapped American journalist
The powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militia known as Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement Tuesday that it will release American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped from a Baghdad street last week.
The group said its decision came “in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing Prime Minister” Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, without giving more details. It added that “this initiative will not be repeated in future.”
Kataib Hezbollah had not previously acknowledged that it was the group responsible for Kittleson’s abduction, although both U.S. and Iraqi officials had pointed fingers at the group.
JUST IN: Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah says it will release kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson.
Iran agrees to French prisoner swap deal
Iran’s state-run IRNA news outlet confirmed Tuesday that an agreement was reached with Paris for the release of two French citizens, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, held in Iran over alleged espionage, in exchange for Iranian woman Mahdieh Esfandiari, who was detained over her social media content. The French government will also drop its case against Iran.
The French citizens had been holed up in the country’s diplomatic premises there since their release from prison.
The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signaled how Iran is differentiating between nations, treating some favorably and others as foes, in the context of the Iran war.
Iranian diplomat responds to Trump’s latest threat
Responding to Trump saying “a civilization will die tonight,” an Iranian diplomat described the country’s civilization as a tree that nourished the West.
“Therefore, no fool would cut off the branch of a tree he is sitting on because he himself would fall first, and it is the sturdy tree that always stands, not the branches and appendages that have grown from it,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press.
Iran fires more missiles at Israel
Just before sunset on Tuesday — twice in less than half an hour — Israel’s military said it was working to intercept missiles launched from Iran.
Sirens went off in the Tel Aviv area as well as parts of the occupied West Bank.
Rubio accuses Iran of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday accused Iran of committing acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz by attacking commercial shipping vessels attempting to navigate the key waterway.
“The whole world has been impacted, unfortunately, because Iran is violating every law known by striking commercials vessels in the Straits of Hormuz,” Rubio told reporters at the State Department. “It’s a big problem for the world. I mean, this is a regime that doesn’t believe in laws and rules or anything like that. It’s a state sponsor of terrorism so it is not surprising that they’re now conducting terrorist operations against commercial vessels.”
He declined to respond to a question about what Trump meant when he threatened that “a whole civilization will end tonight” if Iran does not meet U.S. demands to reopen the strait.
Congress, away from Washington, watches and waits on Trump’s threat
Lawmakers are on a recess from Washington as Trump threatens to kill “a whole civilization” in the Iran war. So far, the reaction from Congress — which is supposed to have the ultimate say in matters of war — has drawn sharp rebukes from Democrats and mostly silence from Republicans.
Texas Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro called on Trump to immediately make it clear that he is not considering using nuclear weapons, and Colorado Democratic Rep. Jason Crow warned that “calling for the elimination of a civilization is a war crime.”
Most Republicans stayed away from the issue, though Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said he was “hoping and praying” that Trump’s threat is “bluster.”
“I do not want to see us start blowing up civilian infrastructure,” Johnson told the “John Solomon Reports” podcast.
Democrats intend to force further votes on legislation to rein in Trump’s ability to attack Iran, but not until Congress returns to Washington next week.
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Correction: This post has been updated to correct that Johnson’s comments were made on the “John Solomon Reports” podcast, not to CNN.
Russia and China veto a watered-down UN resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz
The vetoes by Russia and China came despite the resolution being repeatedly weakened in order to get the two countries to abstain.
The vote in the 15-member Security Council on the Bahrain-sponsored resolution was 11-2 with Pakistan and Colombia abstaining. It came hours before Trump’s 8 p.m. Eastern deadline for Iran to open the strategic waterway or face attacks on its power plants and bridges.
Bahrain’s initial proposal would have authorized countries to use “all necessary means” — U.N. wording that would include military action — to ensure transit through the Strait of Hormuz and deter attempts to close it.
The final text eliminated Security Council authorization for offensive or defensive action. Instead, it “strongly encourages” countries using the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate defensive efforts to ensure safe navigation through the waterway, where about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.
JUST IN: Russia and China veto a UN resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz as US deadline for Iran deal looms.
Canada’s prime minister urges US not to target Iran’s civilian infrastructure
“Canada expects all parties in this conflict to respect international laws, the rules of engagement, and that means not targeting certainly civilians or civilian infrastructure,”
Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “and we urge all parties in this war to follow those responsibilities.”
He made the comments Tuesday at an unrelated announcement outside Toronto.
Carney has at times been critical of Trump, who has previously threatened Canada’s sovereignty. Early in the war, Carney said he supported the strikes on Iran “with some regret” as they represented an extreme example of a rupturing world order.
Iraqi authorities say a drone fired from Iran hit a civilian home, killing two people
The authorities say the explosive-laden drone hit a home in northern Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
The drone dive-bombed and crashed into a house in the village of Zargazawi, in the province of Irbil, early Tuesday, killing a couple asleep in their bed. As the latest in a wave of Iranian bombardment of Iraqi Kurdistan, the attack underscored the rising danger to civilians in the area as the Islamic Republic retaliates against the United States and Israel by hitting their allies in neighboring countries.
The dead couple’s children, sleeping in a separate room, were unharmed. Surveying the damage to the home, Aladdin Jabbar, a cousin in the family, said the two bodies were torn beyond recognition.
“It was a huge injustice,” he said.
Regional authorities condemned the strike and urged the Iraqi government to do more to protect the Kurdish population.
Pakistan’s premier Sharif speaks to Saudi crown prince and briefs him on his peace efforts
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by phone Tuesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reaffirming Pakistan’s “unwavering solidarity” with the kingdom and condemning a strike on an oil facility in Saudi Arabia earlier in the day.
According to a government statement, Sharif praised Saudi restraint amid the current tensions and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advancing peace efforts aimed at de-escalating the region.
It said Sharif praised the “wisdom and sagacity” of Saudi leadership in exercising restraint during the ongoing conflict.
He also briefed the crown prince on the latest developments in Pakistan’s mediation efforts to ease the Middle East crisis. It said the crown prince appreciated Pakistan’s peace efforts.
Packing up to leave Tehran, a young designer says she’s ‘terrified’
Facing heavy bombardment, many middle-class residents of Iran’s capital have been waiting out the war in the country’s coastal north.
A young designer who lives in central Tehran said her parents left at the beginning of the war but she stayed behind to take care of her cat.
Now, she says she’s “terrified” by Trump’s threats and is planning to drive north with her cat to join her family — if the U.S. really does knock out power plants after Tuesday night’s deadline.
“If there is no electricity, there is no water because the water pressure in Tehran is low and all buildings have electric water pumps. You can’t cook either. In the north, you can at least do something in nature, like the ‘Stone Age’ that he promised,” she said.
The designer spoke on condition of anonymity for her safety.
Normally a popular vacation spot, the Caspian Sea coast is carpeted in forested mountains with plentiful water — unlike other areas which have suffered years of drought.
In Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Hezbollah militants, more than 1,500 have been killed
And more than 1 million people have been displaced, the country’s health ministry said.
Among the 1,530 killed are 102 women and 130 children are among the dead, as well as 57 paramedics, according to the government count.
The number of Hezbollah militants killed is unclear.
More than 4,800 people were also wounded in the war.
Eleven Israeli soldiers have died there.
This latest war was sparked after Hezbollah fired rockets towards northern Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran also at war with Israel and the United States.
Israel’s military says it struck eight ‘bridge segments’ in Iran
The military gave more details on the strikes following Netanyahu’s confirmation that he and Defense Minister Katz had ordered them.
In a statement, it said it struck bridges in Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Kashan, and Qom that were being used by Iranian forces to transport weapons and military equipment.
JUST IN: More than 1,500 people have been killed in Israeli strikes across Lebanon in war with Hezbollah, health ministry says
Top US Senate Democrat calls Trump ‘an extremely sick person’
Sen. Chuck Schumer responded to President Trump’s dire threat against Iran by calling on Republicans to vote against the war.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, has joined with others in his party in forcing votes on legislation that would halt Trump from ordering further attacks on Iran unless he received congressional approval. So far, though, just a few Republicans have voted to rein in Trump’s power to order the attacks.
Schumer said on social media that any Republican who declines to vote “against this wanton war of choice owns every consequence” of Trump’s actions.
Oil prices rise as US stocks dip, but markets hold mostly steady ahead of Trump’s deadline for Iran
Oil prices are rising and U.S. stocks are falling Tuesday, but the moves aren’t as dramatic as the dire talk coming from both sides in the war with Iran.
President Trump threatened that a “whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran doesn’t meet his latest self-imposed deadline at 8 p.m. Eastern time to open the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials, meanwhile, urged young people to form human chains to protect power plants Trump has threatened to bomb.
But the S&P 500 slipped just 0.5% as officials involved in diplomatic efforts said talks were ongoing, even though it was unclear if a deal would come in time to head off Trump’s threatened attacks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 271 points, or 0.6%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.6% lower.
Netanyahu confirms that Israeli warplanes struck bridges and railways in Iran
In a statement released by his office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was using them to transport materials to make weapons.
He said he approved the strikes with Defense Minister Israel Katz and said they weren’t meant to target Iranian civilians but the government.
“This is no longer the same Iran, nor is it the same Israel. We are changing the balance of power from one end to the other,” Netanyahu said.
Pakistan’s military backs mediation efforts, warns attacks on Saudi Arabia risk derailing diplomacy
Pakistan’s military on Tuesday voiced support for government efforts aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East, stressing the need for restraint and dialogue while warning that recent attacks on Saudi Arabia risk undermining ongoing diplomatic initiatives.
The remarks came during a meeting of top commanders chaired by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to a statement from the military.
It said the military strongly condemned recent attacks on Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical and industrial facilities, calling them an “unnecessary escalation” that could spoil “sincere efforts to resolve the conflict through peaceful means.”
The forum noted that Saudi Arabia’s restraint “despite grave provocations” had helped enable mediation and diplomatic options but warned that continued attacks risk damaging the “conducive environment” needed for negotiations.
US didn’t target oil infrastructure in Kharg Island strikes, US official says
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, described the strikes overnight as hitting targets previously struck and not directed at oil infrastructure.
The official didn’t clarify what was specifically hit on the island.
The U.S. has already struck various targets on the island, including air defenses, a radar site, the airport and a hovercraft base, according to satellite analysis by the Institute for the Study of War and American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project.
Iran has allowed two French former detainees to leave country, French President Emmanuel Macron says
They had been holed up in French diplomatic premises there since their release from prison.
“Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on route toward French territory, after three and a half years of detention in Iran,” Macron tweeted.
The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signaled how Iran is differentiating between nations, treating some favorably and others as foes, in the context of the Iran war. Macron has distanced France from the conflict, saying his country wasn’t consulted in advance about the U.S-Israel strikes and didn’t want the war.
Macron thanked Oman for playing a mediation role.
JUST IN: France’s president says Iran has allowed French former detainees Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris to leave the country
Vance seemed to confirm reports of US strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island
Responding to a question on the reported strike, he said it is “my understanding ... that we were to strike some military targets on Kharg Island. I believe we’ve done so.”
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted four drones over the past hours as it deals with Iranian attacks
US Vice President JD Vance says he’s ‘confident’ Iran will respond to US demands by evening deadline
“I hope they’re smart,” he said.
Speaking during a news conference in Hungary’s capital Budapest, Vance said the United States had already defeated Iran’s militarily and that Iran was now “trying to exact as much economic pain on the world as possible” by keeping the Straight of Hormuz closed.
The U.S., he said, “has the ability to extract much greater economic cost on Iran than Iran has an ability to extract cost on us or on our friends in the world.”
“We feel confident that we can get a response, whether it is positive or negative, by 8 o’clock tonight,” he said referring to the 8 p.m. ET deadline set by President Trump.
Israel’s military warns of an incoming Iranian missile barrage, the fourth of the day
US again strikes Kharg Island, a critical oil hub for Iran
That’s according to a White House official who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The U.S. hit military targets on the island, the official said Tuesday. The strikes came hours ahead of a deadline Trump set for Iran to capitulate to his demands or face a major attack. He said Tuesday morning that “’whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran did not make a deal.
Trump has threatened to deploy ground troops to seize critical oil infrastructure on the island, but experts warn such an operation would cost the lives of many U.S. military members and would not be a decisive move to ending the war.
The U.S. had earlier in the war struck several targets on the island, including air defenses, a radar site, an airport and a hovercraft base, according to satellite analysis by the Institute for the Study of War and American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project.
Earlier Tuesday, the semiofficial Mehr news agency put out a report saying there had been several explosions on Kharg Island, without elaborating.
JUST IN: US strikes Kharg Island again ahead of Trump deadline, AP source says; island is critical to Iran’s oil industry
Strikes on Iran’s railroads threaten to disrupt travel out of the country
Since the war shut Iran’s air travel, trains, along with buses and rented taxis, have ferried thousands of Iranians toward the Turkish border, carrying to safety those who’ve chosen to wait out the war abroad.
Passenger trains were booked through this week, one Tehran resident told The Associated Press shortly after he crossed into Turkey at the end of March. Speaking anonymously for his security, he said he had rented a taxi to travel roughly 545 miles (880 kilometers) west to the border. He planned on returning to Iran after a few months.
Earlier Tuesday, Israel’s military warned Iranians not to use train travel “for the sake of your security.”
Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the attack on its consulate in Istanbul
And the foreign ministry said it appreciated the action of Turkish security forces to combat it.
“Terror will not deter us,” the ministry wrote on X.
President Trump warns a ‘whole civilization’ could die but adds Iran still has time to capitulate
The American leader issued the stark threat Tuesday, about 12 hours ahead of his deadline for Iran to agree to a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz or face punishing strikes.
Trump wrote on his social media site: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”
He added: “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
But Trump’s statement nonetheless kept the possibility of an off-ramp open, saying that “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen.”
JUST IN: Trump warns a ‘whole civilization will die tonight’ but says Iran still has time to capitulate before 8 p.m. ET deadline
Missile strikes UAE telecommunications building, injuring 2
A telecommunications building in the United Arab Emirates was struck Tuesday by an Iranian ballistic missile, injuring two people, authorities said.
The missile hit an administrative building for the Thuraya Telecommunications Company in Sharjah, the medical office said.
The two Pakistani nationals injured in the strike were taken to a hospital, the office said.
Tehran resident fears Iran will be ‘destroyed’ by US infrastructure attacks
A northern Tehran resident says friends and family are storing water and charging phones over fears the U.S. will take out Iran’s energy infrastructure.
“By attacking infrastructure, the Islamic Republic will not be destroyed, only we will be destroyed,” the resident told The Associated Press, speaking anonymously for her safety.
The teacher in her 20s spoke to the AP in the weeks before the war when Iranians were reeling from the killing of thousands of anti-government protesters.
Many opponents of Iran’s government hoped a threatened U.S.-Israeli strike would quickly overthrow it, she said.
“Like the people who were desperate and were afraid of people getting killed again, I believed Trump’s words. I thought that he would kill a few leaders of the regime and the work of this regime would be finished,” she said Tuesday.
Now she fears U.S. and Israeli attacks will spread chaos: “If we don’t have the internet, and if we don’t have electricity, water, and gas, we’re really going back to the Stone Age, as Trump said.”
Iran’s internet remains largely blocked, throttling news as panic spreads that critical infrastructure will be destroyed in the next 24 hours.
Bridges hit by airstrikes in Iran
Iranian authorities said Tuesday that a series of airstrikes took out:
- A railway bridge in Kashan
- A train station in Mashhad
- A highway bridge near Tabriz on Tabriz-Tehran freeway
Neither the United States nor Israel immediately claimed the attacks.
Iran warns fuel will be cut off ‘for years’ if Trump carries out threat
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard warned Tuesday it would “deprive the U.S and its allies of the region’s oil and gas for years” if U.S. President Donald Trump carries out his threat to attack power plants and bridges if the Strait of Hormuz doesn’t open.
Multiple Iranian media outlets carried the statement.
It also issued a new threat to the Gulf Arab states.
“We have exercised great restraint and had considerations in choosing retaliatory targets, but from now on all these considerations have been removed,” the warning read.
1 wounded in northern Israel rocket attack
Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said a 20-year-old woman was taken to hospital with a mild head injury from shrapnel in the northern town of Nahariya.
Several cars burst into flames and buildings were damaged from a direct impact on a residential street, medics and Israel’s Fire and Rescue service said.
Rocket and drone attacks by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah have set off sirens throughout Tuesday in Israeli communities close to the Lebanon border.
Container ship hit in Persian Gulf
A container ship in the Persian Gulf has been hit by a projectile that caused damage, the British military said Tuesday.
The attack happened in international waters south of Iran’s Kish Island, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.
It said no one was hurt and there was no environmental impact from the apparent attack.
Over 20 ships have been attacked in the Mideast by Iran since the war began.
Gunmen attack building housing Israeli Consulate in Istanbul
Three assailants opened fire at police outside a building housing the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, sparking a gunfight that left one attacker dead, Turkish officials said. The two other assailants were captured with injuries.
Two police officers sustained slight injuries in the clash, Istanbul Gov. Davut Gul told reporters. The assailants were carrying long-barreled weapons.
Interior Minister Mustafa Cifti wrote on X that the attackers had traveled to Istanbul from the neighboring city of Izmit in a rented car. One of the assailants was linked to a group he described as “exploiting religion,” without naming the organization.
The Islamic State group has carried out deadly attacks in Turkey in the past.
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Correction: A previous version of this item incorrectly reported two assailants had been killed.
JUST IN: Clash erupts outside Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, Turkish media reports
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Correction: A previous version of this item incorrectly reported two assailants had been killed.
At least 4 Italian airports impose jet fuel restrictions
At least four northern Italian airports have imposed restrictions on jet fuel due to shortages, giving priority to long-haul and medical flights.
The restrictions at Milan Linate, Bologna, Venice and Treviso airports involve supplier Air Bp Italia, the British Petroleum group’s aviation division, and will remain until at least April 9.
Priority will be given to ambulance flights, state flights and flights of more than three hours, according to an official notice.
For nonpriority flights, the airports have imposed a supply ceiling of 2,000 liters (528 gallons) per aircraft.
The Venice airport has requested pilots ensure they have enough fuel from the previous airport for the following flight.
Iranians express fears, hopes ahead of US deadline
Ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Strait of Hormuz deadline, Iranians have expressed both their hopes and fears about the war.
“I had expected Trump would offer us something fancier than hell,” said Mahmoud Azimi, 35, who was carrying home milk and a sack of potatoes. “We have experienced an inferno because of many bad things like sanctions, assassinations and wars. So, at the end, hell is being replaced by hell!”
Reza Alaghemand 24, who runs an ice cream stall, urged Iran to keep fighting against Israel and the U.S.“
“If we stop the war, they soon wage another war,” he said. “Once and for all, we should teach them an unforgettable lesson not to attack us.”
Maryam Mehrabi, a 67-year-old retiree, recounted how it was the third war she’d seen in her life.
“There was the 1980s war that Iraq waged against Iran. Then the June war that the U.S. and Israel launched and I lost a close friend,” she said. “I have no idea what is waiting for us ahead of these threats.”
One young couple, in a coffee shop in central Tehran, offered their opinions on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
“I hate this situation. Why are officials on both sides only threatening to go into a deeper war with more damages?” the woman asked. “All night long, we hear the sound of strikes and bombings and then in the daytime, we are occasionally stopped by mushrooming checkpoints.”
Her partner shrugged.
“I feel we are stuck between the blades of a pair of scissors,” he said. “It is more than a month that we have had no Internet and now we are going to face a power cut.”
At least 18 people killed in airstrike targeting Iran’s Alborz province
An airstrike targeting Iran’s Alborz province northwest of Tehran killed at least 18 people, state media reported Tuesday.
The strike also wounded 24 people, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported.
It wasn’t immediately clear what had been targeted.
A series of intense airstrikes have pounded Iran’s capital, Tehran, including a possible weapons depot in the mountains and residential neighborhoods.
The Israelis have conducted a campaign of airstrikes killing top officials in the theocracy and its military.
JUST IN: At least 18 people killed in airstrike targeting Iran’s Alborz province to northwest of Tehran, state media reports
Iran’s president says 14 million have volunteered to sacrifice their lives
Facing a looming U.S. deadline, Iran’s president said Tuesday that 14 million Iranians, including himself, have volunteered to sacrifice their lives in the war.
President Masoud Pezeshkian made the comment on X just ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline to bomb power stations and bridges in Iran if it doesn’t loosen its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.
The figure is double other figures mentioned by state media in the past about volunteers the government had been soliciting by text messages and media as the war went on.
Iran is home to 90 million people. Many remain angry at the government over its bloody crackdown on nationwide demonstrations and the 14 million figure likely is aimed at trying to dissuade the promised American bombing campaign.
“More than 14 million Iranian people have declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives in the (self-sacrificing) campaign,” Pezeshkian wrote. “I too have been, am, and will remain ready to give my life for Iran.”
JUST IN: Iran’s president says 14 million Iranians, including himself, have volunteered to sacrifice their lives in the war
France dispatches fuel trucks as stations run dry
Nearly 1-in-5 service stations in France had run dry of at least one type of fuel Tuesday morning as motorists filled tanks after Easter weekend.
There is no risk of broader fuel shortages and “oil is arriving in France,” government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said, adding that shortages at some pumps resulted from transport difficulties that were being urgently addressed.
Around 18% of service stations were short of at least one fuel type, but 83% of those belong to TotalEnergies, which has capped prices. Weekend lines formed at some of the company’s stations because its fuels are often cheaper than other distributors.
Bregeon said about 900 trucks, hundreds more than a normal day, were traveling to Total stations with resupplies Tuesday.
“There are no problems at the refineries. When trucks go to depots, they can load up” with unleaded and diesel, Bregeon said. “We can expect a progressive improvement.”
Airstrikes hit Tehran
Airstrikes pounded sites across Iran’s capital, Tehran, on Monday, including residential areas. Strikes also were reported in Qom, the Shiite seminary city to the south of Tehran.
Iranian state television acknowledged the strikes in an online message, saying more details would be released.
Areas around Parchin, a military base associated with Iran’s ballistic missile program, and points south of downtown Tehran were struck.
Khorramabad International Airport also came under attack Tuesday, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported.
Video circulated online showing what appeared to be a cruise missile targeting one site in Iran.
Residential strikes in the past have targeted Iranian government and security officials.
King Fahd Causeway reopens after attack threats
The King Fahd Causeway, a key bridge linking Saudi Arabia and the island of Bahrain, reopened Tuesday morning after closing for hours over possible threats from Iran.
The King Fahd Causeway Authority made the announcement in a post on X, saying the only route by road between Bahrain and the Arabian Peninsula reopened.
Bahrain’s airport has been closed over the Iranian attacks for weeks.
The hourslong closure came after a ballistic missile attack from Iran targeted Saudi Arabia and may have done damage to energy infrastructure there.
The kingdom has not elaborated on damage from that attack.
JUST IN: King Fahd Causeway, a key bridge linking Saudi Arabia to the island of Bahrain, reopens
France warns of ‘vicious circle’ of escalation
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said attacks targeting civilian and energy infrastructure “are barred by the rules of war, international law” and would surely trigger reprisals from Iran.
He spoke ahead of the Tuesday evening deadline for possible strikes against Iran set by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“In the framework of the war in Iran, they would without doubt trigger a new phase of escalation, of reprisals, that would drag the region and the world economy into a vicious circle that would be very worrying and, most of all, very damaging to our own interests,” the minister said Tuesday morning on France Info television.
“We’re already seeing a surge of fuel prices. If energy facilities in Iran were struck, we can expect reprisals from the Iranian regime that would further worsen an already worrying situation,” he said.
Pakistan and Egypt urge de-escalation as Trump deadline nears
Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke early Tuesday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty about the latest regional developments in the face of an approaching deadline for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz set by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the leaders “underscored the need for de-escalation and dialogue” and agreed to remain closely engaged as the situation evolves.
Pakistan, with the support of regional countries, has been engaged in diplomatic efforts to bring the U.S. and Iran to the negotiating table.
Abdelatty also spoke with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein.
The calls included “an assessment of the rapidly evolving situation and the efforts ... to reach understandings between the U.S. and Iran to achieve de-escalation and reduce tensions,” the Egyptian foreign ministry said.
WHO suspends Gaza medical evacuations after contractor killed
The United Nations health agency has suspended evacuations from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing with Egypt after the death of one of its contractors.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a social media post that the contractor was killed Monday in what he described as a “security incident.”
Two WHO staffers were present but were not hurt, he said without elaborating.
The incident is being investigated and the evacuations of patients and wounded people will be halted until further notice, Tedros said.
The Rafah Crossing was reopened in February after long delays in a key but mostly symbolic step in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.
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Correction: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated that two WHO staffers were wounded in the incident.
Iran reports fatalities in 2 cities
Iran has reported fatalities from airstrikes overnight into Tuesday.
At least nine people were killed in the city of Shahriar, west of the capital, Tehran, Iranian media reported.
In the city of Pardis, east of Tehran, at least six people were killed in a strike and recovered from buildings, Iranian media reported.
Iran general says: ‘Moms, dads, at night send your kids to man checkpoints’
A Revolutionary Guard general in Iran has urged parents to “send your kids to man checkpoints.”
Gen. Hossein Yekta, previously identified as leading plainclothes units of the all-volunteer Basij force, made the comments on an Iranian state television channel.
“Moms, dads, take your kids hands and go out on streets,” he said. “Do you want your kid to become a real man? Let him feel like a hero standing right at the heart of the battlefield. Moms, dads, at night send your kids to man checkpoints. They become men!”
Basij checkpoints have been repeatedly targeted in airstrikes.
The Basij has been accepting children as young as 12 to man checkpoints. Amnesty International has warned some even carry firearms, calling their recruitment a war crime.
During nationwide protests in January, Yekta warned parents to keep their children home or they would be shot.
UAE presidential adviser says Iran’s government can’t be trusted
An adviser to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, says they have lost trust in the Iranian government after its attacks on Arab neighbors.
“We are facing a perfidious regime that cannot be trusted,” Anwar Gargash wrote in a social media post Tuesday, adding that his country had sought to avoid the war.
He also claimed the UAE’s position toward Iran’s attacks in the Gulf Arab countries is appreciated across the region.
Iranian state television claims 14 million people have volunteered to fight
Iranian state television on Tuesday claimed 14 million people had volunteered to fight for the country if there is a ground invasion by the United States and Israel.
The claim by state TV, which included no other information, doubles an April 2 claim by Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf that 7 million had volunteered.
Iran is home to some 90 million people. Iran had conducted a bloody crackdown on nationwide demonstrations in January that killed thousands and saw tens of thousands detained.
State media and text message campaigns have urged people to volunteer. The government also has called on retired soldiers to express their interest in fighting, while the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force has begun accepting children as young as 12 into its ranks.
After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, for instance, called for a 20-million Basij force.
Synagogue damaged in airstrike in Iran’s capital
Iranian media reported Tuesday that a synagogue in the capital, Tehran, was damaged in an airstrike.
They identified the house of worship as the Rafi Niya Synagogue.
Video from the site showed rescuers moving around and what looked like a book of Hebrew scripture in the rubble.
Iran has a small Jewish population still living in the country. Many fled during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Israeli issues warning to Iranians to avoid taking trains
Likely signaling a new target for their airstrikes, the Israeli military warned Iranians in Farsi on Tuesday to avoid taking trains until at least 9 p.m. local time.
“Your presence puts your life at risk,” the warning posted on X read.
Iran has shut off access to the internet for weeks, making it difficult for the average Iranians to see these warnings. However, Farsi-language satellite news networks abroad report them, allowing the information to make its way back into the Islamic Republic.
JUST IN: Israeli military issues warning in Farsi to Iranians to avoid taking trains until at least 9 p.m. local time
Latest reports of live fire
- A missile alert alarm sounded Tuesday afternoon in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Israel’s military warned of an incoming Iranian missile barrage Tuesday morning, the third of the day.
- Heavy airstrikes began again Tuesday afternoon in Iran’s capital, Tehran.
- Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens again Tuesday.
South Korean presidential official to visit Kazakhstan, Oman and Saudi Arabia to secure oil
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is dispatching his chief of staff as a special envoy to Kazakhstan, Oman and Saudi Arabia in a diplomatic push to secure more fuel and mitigate the energy crunch caused by the war in the Middle East.
Kang Hoon-sik said he will depart Tuesday evening, with the visits aimed at securing additional sources of crude oil and naphtha, a key petroleum product used in plastics manufacturing.
South Korea last month reached an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to receive 24 million barrels of crude from that country and initial shipments have arrived in recent weeks.
More than 60% of crude and 50% of naphtha supplies imported by South Korea last year passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that’s now largely blocked by Iran as it seeks to exert leverage against the United States and Israel.
Key bridge linking Saudi Arabia to the island of Bahrain closes over threats from Iranian attacks
The King Fahd Causeway, a key bridge linking Saudi Arabia to the island kingdom of Bahrain, closed early Tuesday over threats from Iranian attacks.
The King Fahd Causeway Authority made the announcement in a post on X.
It said vehicle movements had been “suspended as a precautionary measure” over Iranian attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
The 25-kilometer (15.5-mile) bridge is the only connection by road for Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, to the Arabian Peninsula.
While there’s been no formal threat against the King Fahd Causeway, some hard-liners within Iran have increasingly identified it as a possible target.
That risk likely would grow if Trump carries out his threatened strikes against bridges in Iran.
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