In a fresh post on Truth Social, Donald Trump said that Iran’s New Regime President is “much less radicalised and far more intelligent” than its predecessors. The new regime has asked the US for a ceasefire, he claimed. “We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages,” he wrote.
Soon after, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson denied the claims by Trump for ceasefire, calling it false and baseless as reported by Press TV.
Israel iran war latest news: Here are the key developments on April 1, 2026
- In a fresh message, Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei extolled the sacrifice and martyrdom of senior Iranian armed forces leaders as the conflict in West Asia enters into its second month. He recalled the deaths of Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine to IRGC commanders like Qasem Soleimani as sacrifices against US and Israel.
- US Vice President JD Vance communicated with intermediaries from Pakistan about the Iran conflict as recently as Tuesday, Reuters reported, quoting a person briefed on the matter. At President Donald Trump’s direction, Vance signaled privately that Trump was open to a ceasefire as long as certain U.S. demands were met, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the source told Reuters on Wednesday.
- Roughly ten ballistic missiles were fired by Iran at Israel a short while ago. Most of them were intercepted by air defenses, according to the IDF. The military says some missiles were allowed to hit open areas, “according to protocol,” and one missile, apparently carrying a cluster bomb warhead, spread bomblets in central Israel.
- Earlier, Trump rattled NATO allies once again, suggesting that the US was deeply considering pulling out of the transatlantic military alliance. “I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration,” Trump told the Telegraph newspaper, when asked if he would think twice about the US’s membership of the alliance after the Middle East conflict is over.
- US crude stocks rose to their highest level since June 2023 last year, while fuel inventories fell last week as international demand picked up, driving product exports to a record high, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.
- Linking the conflict to rising fuel costs, Trump said gas prices would fall quickly once US forces exit Iran. “All I have to do is leave Iran… we will be leaving very soon,” he said, while also telling other countries to manage their own oil needs.
- The Strait of Hormuz remains tense, with no country ready to challenge Iran’s control. Even US warships have avoided direct confrontation so far.
- The UK is sending more troops and air defence systems to the region. These are meant for protection against possible Iranian attacks.
- Iran has threatened 17 major US tech companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, IBM, HP, Intel and Tesla. It claims these firms help in “tracking assassination targets.”
- The war continued with heavy strikes, including a massive blast in Isfahan and a Kuwaiti oil tanker catching fire in Dubai after a drone attack blamed on Iran.
India thanks Azerbaijan for evacuation support
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on Wednesday met India’s ambassador Abhay Kumar, with both sides discussing the evolving situation in West Asia amid ongoing regional tensions.
According to a statement from Azerbaijan’s foreign office, concerns were raised over the current instability in the Middle East, as the conflict continues to impact multiple countries and global dynamics.
During the meeting, the Indian envoy conveyed appreciation for Azerbaijan’s assistance in facilitating the evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran.
The statement noted that India expressed “deep gratitude to the Azerbaijani side for the support provided during the evacuation of Indian citizens from Iran,” highlighting the cooperation between the two countries during the crisis.
With the West Asia conflict stretching beyond a month, several Indian nationals have been crossing into Azerbaijan from Iran through land border points in recent weeks.
The movement is part of ongoing efforts to ensure the safe return of Indian citizens amid heightened tensions and security concerns in the region.
UK-owned oil facility targeted in Iraq
A drone has hit a UK-owned oil facility in Erbil, Iraq triggering a major explosion moments after an initial strike on the site.
Parts of Iraq have been heavily bombarded amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Over 1,150 Indians evacuated from Iran via land routes, says MEA
India has evacuated over 1,150 of its citizens from Iran through land routes since the escalation of the West Asia conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Indian missions have been actively coordinating safe exits for nationals, particularly students, via neighbouring countries.
Evacuation via Armenia, Azerbaijan continues
"Our embassy in Tehran has facilitated the movement of 1,171 Indian nationals, including 818 students, to exit Iran via the land borders into Armenia and Azerbaijan," Jaiswal said.
"From there, our nationals have been flying back to India," he added.
According to the MEA, 977 Indians crossed into Armenia, while 194 entered Azerbaijan as part of the evacuation effort.
Amazon's cloud business in Bahrain damaged in Iran strike, FT reports
Amazon's cloud computing operation in Bahrain was damaged after an Iranian strike, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Iran missile with cluster warhead spreads bomblets in central Israel
Roughly ten ballistic missiles were fired by Iran at Israel a short while ago. Most of them were intercepted by air defenses, according to the IDF. The military says some missiles were allowed to hit open areas, “according to protocol,” and one missile, apparently carrying a cluster bomb warhead, spread bomblets in central Israel.
US VP Vance spoke to 'intermediaries', says Trump was impatient
US Vice President JD Vance has been talking to "intermediaries" about the Iran conflict as recently as Tuesday, news agency Reuters reported, quoting a source. According to the report, President Donald Trump directed Vance to "communicate privately" that he was open to a ceasefire as long as certain US demands were met, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
"Absolutely" considering an attempt to withdraw the United States from NATO: Donald Trump
In a phone interview with Reuters, ahead of his scheduled primetime address to the citizens of the United States of America, President Trump said that he is "absolutely" considering an attempt to withdraw the United States from NATO, a treaty organization ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1949.
"They haven't been friends when we needed them," Trump said. "We've never asked them for much ... it's a one-way street."
United States will be "out of Iran pretty quickly": Donald Trump
The United States will be "out of Iran pretty quickly" and could return for "spot hits" if needed, President Donald Trump told Reuters on Wednesday, hours before he was scheduled to make a primetime address to the citizens of the United States of America.
As the wider Gulf war enters its fifth week, Trump is reportedly under pressure from the American public for rising gasoline prices, ICE raids and overzealous defence splurge.
Trump also gave Reuters a sneak peak into the contents of his upcoming speech. He told Reuters that in his upcoming speech would like to express his disgust with NATO for what he considers the alliance's lack of support for U.S. objectives in Iran.
He said he is "absolutely" considering an attempt to withdraw the United States from NATO, a treaty organization ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1949.
"They haven't been friends when we needed them," Trump said. "We've never asked them for much ... it's a one-way street."
Iran would welcome Russia as a mediator: TASS report
In another notable development, Russia's TASS news agency has recently published a report stating that members of the Iranian envoy would welcome Russia as a mediator of the ongoing West Asia conflict.
330 healthcare facilities damaged in Iran since war
Iran’s emergency chief recently issued a statement summing up the damage caused by the war on Iran's health sector. As per his statement, a total of 24 health workers have been killed while providing services during the war, as medical staff and infrastructure come under sustained attack.
The remaining victims were from across the health sector, including doctors, nurses, technicians, and staff working in medical and food services.
At least 114 healthcare workers have also been injured. Among them, 74 were EMS 115 responders who were wounded at the scene while treating war casualties.
Furthermore, more than 330 healthcare facilities have been damaged during the assaults marking a significant scar on Iran's health system
Iranian missile hit oil tanker in Qatari waters, Qatar says
An oil tanker leased to state-owned QatarEnergy was hit by an Iranian cruise missile on Wednesday in Qatari waters, the defence ministry said.
Over 115,000 Civilian Structures Damaged, 1,526 Rescued
Iran’s Red Crescent says more than 115,000 civilian units—including homes, medical facilities, schools and relief centres—have been damaged or destroyed in recent attacks.
A significant share of the damage has been reported in Tehran province. The organisation added that at least 1,526 people have been rescued from the rubble so far.
'Move will prevent potential industry-wide crisis': Civil Aviation official on partial ATF price hike
Civil Aviation Ministry Joint Secretary Asangba Chuba Ao on Wednesday said that the government's decision to allow only a partial increase of 25% on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices for domestic airlines provides "critical relief", and the move will "prevent a potential industry-wide crisis".
IRGC says latest wave of attacks used at least 100 missiles, attack drones
Iran’s IRGC and its allied “resistance fronts” used more than 100 heavy missiles and attack drones, along with at least 200 rockets, it said
Iran issues brutal last warning to Trump: Strait of Hormuz will be opened; but not for you
A day after US President Donald Trump said the United States will be done attacking Iran probably "in two to three weeks", and that the US “will not have anything to do with” what happens next in the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian lawmaker has issued a stark warning over access to the Strait, insisting that the crucial oil transit route would remain open only to those adhering to new rules set by Tehran.
Crude oil stock available for two months in the country, says government
The Centre has directed the states to take strict action against rumour-mongering over fuel supply in the country. Addressing a press briefing, senior government officials said that there is "crude oil stock for two months available in the country".
Want de-escalation, opening of Strait of Hormuz, says UK PM
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday said that the war in the Middle East was not theirs, and they will not be drawn into the conflict. Starmer in his address said that the "war will affect us", and that they have "a plan to emerge from it as a more secure nation". "It is not our war and we will not be drawn into conflict. We want de-escalation and opening of Strait of Hormuz," he said.
Trump says considering pulling out of NATO, calls alliance paper tiger
President Donald Trump has rattled NATO allies once again, suggesting that the US was deeply considering pulling out of the transatlantic military alliance. "I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration,” Trump told the Telegraph newspaper, when asked if he would think twice about the US’s membership of the alliance after the Middle East conflict is over.
PM Modi to chair key meet with CCS at 7 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to chair a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) at 7 pm today, to discuss the situation in West Asia amid Iran war. This is the second such meet in less than 10 days, with the previous one taking place on March 22.
Oil falls below $100 per barrel
Oil fell below $100 per barrel and Asian shares jumped Wednesday over renewed optimism about a de-escalation of the Iran war.
Brent crude, the international standard, was down 4.7% to $99.05 per barrel.
Benchmark US crude dropped 4% to $97.33 a barrel.
South Korea's Kospi recovered its losses from earlier this week, surging 8.4% to 5,478.70, while Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose 5.2% to 53,739.68.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 2.3% to 25,346.42, while the Shanghai Composite index was trading 1.5% higher at 3,948.55.
Iranian foreign minister signals willingness to keep fighting
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signalled Tehran's willingness to keep fighting no matter what Trump may threaten during an interaction with Al Jazeera. Trump's April 6 deadline for the Strait of Hormuz to open still stands --- otherwise he has threatened to hit power plants.
"You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines," Araghchi said.
Asked if the United States would launch a ground war in Iran, Araghchi dismissed the idea.
"I do not think they would dare to do such a thing. Very heavy casualties would await them," he said.
Asked about attacks across the Gulf Arab states, Araghchi again insisted Iran isn't targeting those states, despite repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure like airports, power plants and desalination facilities.
"In reality, they are using the people of the Persian Gulf as human shields," Araghchi said.
The state-run KUNA news agency said a drone had hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a “large fire” that crews were working to control. Videos shared online showed smoke and flames billowing out of the airport premises.
Two drones were also intercepted in Saudi Arabia, which has come under repeated Iranian attack, and air raid sirens sounded in Israel though there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
‘Missile from Iran’ hits oil tanker off Qatar coast - What we know so far
An oil tanker leased to QatarEnergy was attacked by missiles on Wednesday morning in the “northern territorial waters” of Qatar. The state-owned natural gas company said in a statement that the strike against the Aqua 1 crude oil tanker did not injure any crew members of have an impact on the environment.
Unexploded projectile found on tanker off Qatar
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported that a tanker off Qatar was hit by two projectiles. One caused a fire that has been extinguished, while the other remains unexploded in the vessel’s engine room.
Authorities are investigating the incident and have not confirmed the origin of the projectiles.
Bangladeshi man killed by falling drone debris in UAE
A Bangladeshi man died after debris from an intercepted drone fell on a farm in Al Rifa, Fujairah, the UAE authorities confirmed.
The Fujairah Media Office shared a statement on social media noting the man’s nationality. The UAE Ministry of Defence said the country has intercepted 1,977 drones and 433 ballistic missiles since the start of the conflict.
Oil prices dip as Trump signals war could end soon
Oil prices fell more than 3% on Wednesday, dropping just above $100 per barrel.
The slide comes after US President Donald Trump said in the Oval Office last night that America would be leaving Iran “very soon” and suggested military operations could end in two to three weeks.
Despite the decline, Brent crude remains 39% higher than it was on 28 February, when the conflict began and Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas shipments.
Houthis claim ballistic missile attack on Israel
Yemen’s Houthi group claimed on Wednesday that they launched ballistic missiles targeting Israel. This is the third attack by the Houthis since joining the Middle East war.
In a video statement, military spokesman Yahya Saree said, “We carried out the third military operation… targeting sensitive Israeli enemy targets… with a barrage of ballistic missiles. This operation was conducted jointly with our mujahideen brothers in Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
Israeli strikes kill seven in Beirut area
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported on Wednesday that Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut and a nearby town killed at least seven people. The strikes targeted senior Hezbollah members, according to Israel’s military.
The ministry said that in the Jnah area, which borders Hezbollah’s stronghold, five people died and 21 were wounded. A Lebanese security source added that four cars parked on a street were hit.
Residents heard several large explosions, and a column of smoke rose above the area, which is home to apartment buildings, cafes, and shops.
US Senator criticizes Israel’s death penalty law
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen slammed Israel’s new law allowing the death penalty for Palestinians—but not Jewish Israelis—in the West Bank.
“Just yesterday the Netanyahu government adopted a law to hang Palestinians who commit certain crimes in the West Bank but not Israeli settlers who commit the same crimes,” Van Hollen wrote on X.
He added, “Why are we sending a blank check of billions of dollars to a government that pursues these and other blatantly racist policies?”
The US provides billions of dollars in military assistance to Israel annually, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing an additional $4 billion in emergency military funding in March.
Bnei Brak hit as passover eve approaches
According to AlJazeera, sirens went off multiple times this morning across central Israel. In Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, shrapnel fell in 11 locations, prompting search and rescue operations by the Israeli ambulance service.
At one point, sirens blared across nearly all of Israel, warning of missiles from Iran and rockets from Hezbollah aimed at the north.
“These joint, coordinated attacks have sometimes overwhelmed Israel’s aerial defence systems,” the outlet noted. Cluster munitions are also being used, which can explode in multiple areas even if intercepted.
Israel expects heavy attacks today and tonight, especially with the eve of Passover, after 19 hours of relative calm were broken by intensified rocket and missile strikes.