Here's the latest
• A new timeline: President Donald Trump will deliver an address to the nation on Wednesday night regarding Iran, the White House announced. It comes after Trump said Tuesday the US could be done with its war with Iran within two to three weeks. Washington will have “nothing to do with” the closed Strait of Hormuz, he added, telling other countries to “go get your own oil.”
• Energy costs: The average US gas price hit $4 a gallon, the highest since 2022. Trump said Tuesday that gas prices will quickly go down once the US completes its operation in Iran. CNN has reported how an end to the war will not mean immediate savings at the pump.
• US tech companies threatened: Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, IBM, HP, Intel and Tesla are among the 17 American companies Tehran has threatened to attack if more Iranian leaders are killed, according to the semi-official outlet Fars.
Asian stocks track US rally on new hopes for end of war
Asian stock benchmarks jumped on Tuesday, following US markets’ rally to their best trading day in nearly a year on comments from the Trump administration about potentially ending the war soon.
Japan’s benchmark index Nikkei 225 soared 4% at 10:57 am local time, while South Korea’s Kospi surged 6.4%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 1.9%.
Rubio says "messages are being exchanged" with Iran
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said tonight that “messages are being exchanged” with Iran and teased the potential for a future meeting between US and Iranian leaders.
The US top diplomat noted, however, that President Donald Trump will not allow “fake negotiations” to be used as a “delay tactic” by the Iranian leaders to buy more time and space.
Some context: American and regional sources have told CNN the Trump administration has been indirectly exchanging messages with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the latter being seen by officials as someone — potentially the only one — who could have influence with new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Meanwhile, Araghchi told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that Iran is not currently in negotiations with the United States, though Iran has received messages from the Trump administration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says US "can see the finish line" in Iran war
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said tonight that the US is achieving its objectives in the Iran war earlier than planned, echoing President Donald Trump’s remarks earlier today that an end to the war would come within weeks.
Rubio said that the US had largely destroyed the Iranian navy and air force, and was well on its way to destroying a “significant” percentage of missile launchers and wiping out the country’s missile and drone factories.
He continued: “We’re going to get to the point where our military will have achieved all of its objectives in this mission, and they are doing so with extraordinary efficiency.”
US Central Command releases new video of military operations in Iran
US Central Command has released a video of what appears to be its military operations targeting Iran, showing munitions exploding against a grainy, black and white backdrop.
“US forces drop precision munitions on underground military targets deep inside Iran to further degrade the Iranian regime’s ability to project power in meaningful ways beyond its borders,” reads the caption on the video posted on X Tuesday.
Tanker reportedly struck near Doha, UKMTO says
A tanker was reportedly hit by an “unknown projectile” 17 nautical miles north of Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, according to UK’s maritime authority.
The tanker was struck on its port side, causing damage to the hull above the water line, according to the report. The crew are safe and there is no environmental impact.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has received 26 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in and around the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman since the war began on February 28.
A Kuwaiti tanker laden in with oil in Dubai waters was hit by what Kuwaitis said was an Iranian drone on Tuesday, igniting a fire which was later extinguished. No injuries or oil spills were reported.
Reopening Strait of Hormuz will take longer than Trump's bullish timeline
US President Donald Trump may say the US could end its military campaign against Iran in the next two to three weeks, but it will take far longer for ships to pour back back through the Strait of Hormuz.
Global shares are rebounding on hopes the war is nearing an end. Even if fighting were to end and crude prices fall, it will take time for gas prices at the pump to unwind and shipping to stabilize through the strategic waterway.
Shipping insurance remains sky high after risk premiums have been baked in, and maritime workers are less willing to make the journey after bearing witness to a conflict that has taken the lives of seafarers.
“Seafarers are the backbone of the trade,” said Angad Banga, CEO of Hong Kong-based Caravel Group. His company oversees Fleet Management Ltd., the world’s second-largest ship management company.
“After something like this happens, there will be ripple effects and the seafarer challenge of convincing them to go will continue to cause challenges for the supply chain.”
The shipping industry transports 90% of all manufactured goods, making seafarers vital to global trade.
Iran’s selective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has impacted thousands of vessels operating in the Middle East. The waters are now exposed to mines and explosive drones, underscoring the risks facing commercial shipping in the area.
The danger became clear when the Thai cargo ship Mayuree Naree was hit by a projectile earlier this month, causing a fire on board and forcing the crew to evacuate. Some of the rescued crew members later returned to Thailand, but three remain missing.
Since the start of the conflict, there have been at least seven seafarer deaths and more than a dozen vessels attacked near Iran.
Trump to deliver "important update" on Iran in address to nation tomorrow night
President Donald Trump will deliver an address to the nation on Wednesday night regarding Iran, the White House press secretary said.
“Tomorrow night at 9PM ET, President Trump will give an Address to the Nation to provide an important update on Iran,” Karoline Leavitt posted on X.
Earlier today in the Oval Office, Trump said he foresees a conclusion to the war “within maybe two weeks,” emphasizing a potential deal could be reached.
Rare glimpse inside Iran as photojournalist describes "dead city"
Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery, speaking to CNN from Inside Iran, described a country gripped with both fear and hope as the war enters its second month.
In a rare opportunity to hear directly from someone inside Iran witnessing what his happening in the country, Moaiery told CNN’s Jim Sciutto, that Iran now feels like a “dead city.”
“We do not know if we have water or electricity… the sounds of the bombs, the smokes are everywhere. People are really tired of this,” she said.
When asked if she sees a possibility for the Iranian people to rise up against their government, Moaiery said that is simply not realistic under current conditions. “No, it’s not possible at all. A lot of gunmen are in the streets with their guns and weapons… you cannot do anything against them… it’s complete nonsense.”
Moaiery also pushed back on the idea that the Iranian regime has been weakened. “Nothing has changed… I don’t know how Donald Trump says he can change the regime. I cannot really understand it.”
Despite this, Moaiery said many Iranians are supporting the war and are still holding onto hope that the regime wall fall.
But Moaiery herself expressed more skepticism than her fellow Iranians. “I don’t think so… I don’t see any evidence,” she said.
US will be "finished" with Iran conflict in the next 2-3 weeks, Trump says
The United States could be done with its war with Iran within two to three weeks, President Donald Trump said today.
The president added that it’s possible the war will end sooner if a deal is reached.
“It’s possible that we’ll have a deal because they want to make a deal. They want to make a deal more than I want to make a deal. But in a fairly short period of time, we’ll be finished,” Trump said.
“Now we have a group of people that’s very — that are very different.
They’re much more reasonable,” he said, projecting optimism about talks.
Trump reiterated that the reopening the Strait of Hormuz should be other countries’ problem, saying it’ll be up to them to secure the critical waterway.
“If France or some other country wants to get oil or gas, you go up through the strait and — the Hormuz Strait — they’ll go right up there and they’ll be able to fend for themselves,” he said.
“What happens in the strait, we’re going to have nothing do with,” he added.
Iran threatens to target American tech firms if more leaders are killed
Iran has threatened to attack American tech firms if more of its leaders are killed, the semi-official outlet Fars reported.
Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, IBM, HP, Intel, Tesla, Boeing and JP Morgan are among the 17 companies the IRGC threatened to target.
The IRGC called on the employees of American tech firms in the region to “immediately distance themselves from their workplaces” and for residents living near offices of those companies to move away to a safe place.
“Companies that actively participate in terrorist designs will be subject to reciprocal action in response to each assassination,” the IRGC said.
“These companies, starting from 20:00 on Wednesday, April 1 (Tehran time), should expect the destruction of their relevant units in return for each assassination in Iran,” the IRGC said, according to Fars.
Gas prices will come “tumbling down” once US leaves Iran, Trump says
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that gas prices will quickly go down once the US completes its operation in Iran.
The average US gas price has hit $4 a gallon, the highest since 2022.
The president also touched on today’s stock market rally, which came after The Wall Street Journal reported Trump told White House staff that he’d be open to ending the war with Iran even without reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump claimed stock prices rose for two reasons: “We have a safe country” and that there was regime change in Iran.
Some context: As CNN has reported, an end to the war doesn’t mean immediate savings at the pump.
“There’s an old expression — gas prices go up like a rocket and come down like a feather,” said Tom Kloza, an independent oil analyst and adviser to major oil company Gulf Oil.
Iran's president says country willing to stop fighting if not attacked again
Iranian state media reported Tuesday that Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country is ready to stop fighting, provided it knows it won’t be attacked again.
“We have never sought tension or war at any stage, and we have the necessary resolve to end this war if the required conditions are met, especially the necessary guarantees to prevent a recurrence of aggression,” Pezeshkian said, according to Press TV.
Press TV reported Pezeshkian’s remarks in an article about the Iranian president’s conversation with European Council President António Costa.
Reports of comments along those lines sent stocks higher around midday today after an earlier rebound from comments by Trump administration officials on ending the war.
Costa’s readout of the call made no mention of the purported comments by Pezeshkian. A European Union official told CNN that “the Iranian president followed the same line during his conversation with the president of the European Council earlier today.”
Press TV reported that Pezeshkian criticized the European Union during the call for not being vociferous enough in its criticism of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
“The EU should calibrate its policies and stances based on international law and in line with the rules of constructive and professional interaction with other parties,” Pezeshkian said.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that Iran is not currently in negotiations with the United States, though Iran has received messages from the Trump administration.
Why the war in Iran is likely to end in some kind of compromise
Talks between the United States and Iran “are continuing and going well,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this week. While President Donald Trump asserted that the US and Israel are winning and Iran wants to make a deal, he and his administration increasingly believe that they can’t promise to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as a prerequisite to declaring “mission accomplished,” sources tell CNN.
As the conflict passes the month mark, CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh explains why it is more likely to end in some sort of compromise, not unconditional surrender by Iran.
Amid the White House showing signs it wants an end to the war with Iran, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh breaks down why the conflict might be resolved with a compromise rather than unconditional surrender.
CNN’s Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak and Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting to this post.
US journalist kidnapped in Iraq was warned of threats from Iranian proxy, sources say
Kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson had been warned of threats, including abduction, from an Iranian proxy in recent weeks, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Kittleson was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday.
Kataib Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed militia group that has repeatedly targeted Americans.
According to one source familiar with the warning, the US government recently warned Kittleson of a Kataib Hezbollah plot to kidnap or kill her. The warning came while she was already reporting in Iraq.
Another source said that US and Iraqi officials had been tracking threats by an Iranian proxy against Kittleson, including threats to abduct or kill her, and had warned her to leave multiple times in recent weeks.
“The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible,” Johnson said on Tuesday, without elaborating on the threats.
The US Embassy in Iraq has repeatedly warned US citizens to leave the country since the conflict with Iran began in late February, cautioning that Iran-backed militias could attempt to kidnap Americans.
American journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Baghdad, Al-Monitor confirms
Al-Monitor, a US-based news organization, confirmed the kidnapping of American journalist Shelly Kittleson in Baghdad, Iraq, earlier today and called for her “safe and immediate release.”
Al-Monitor said it was “deeply alarmed” by the abduction of Kittleson, who works as a contributor for the news outlet.
“We call for her safe and immediate release. We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work,” the statement added.
Iraq’s Ministry of Interior said in an earlier statement that a female foreign journalist was kidnapped in central Baghdad by unknown individuals Tuesday evening and that security forces have launched an operation to track down those responsible and secure her release.
Two interior ministry officials told CNN, on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case, that the kidnapped journalist was Kittleson.
A US official told CNN that they are tracking Kittleson’s kidnapping and is working with Iraq to try to secure her release.
A State Department official said that they “are (closely) tracking these reports,” but declined to comment further “due to privacy and other considerations.” “The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans,” the State Department official said.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said it was “deeply concerned” by reports of Kittleson’s abduction and urged Iraqi authorities to do everything in their power to locate her and “hold those responsible to account.”
Kittleson is a journalist specializing in the Middle East and Afghanistan, with work published in international, US and Italian outlets, according to Al-Monitor.
CNN’s Dalia Abdelwahab contributed reporting.
Pope Leo tells CNN he hopes Trump “is looking for an off-ramp” to end war with Iran
Pope Leo XIV told CNN today that he hopes US President Donald Trump “is looking for an off-ramp” to end the war with Iran.
“I would certainly continue to give this call to all leaders of the world and say, come back to the table to dialogue,” Pope Leo continued. “Let’s look for solutions to problems. Let’s look for ways to reduce the amount of violence that we’re promoting. That peace, especially at Easter, might reign in our hearts.”
Since he became Bishop of Rome in May, Pope Leo has often spoken out against war, urging dialogue and reconciliation.
Two days ago, on Palm Sunday, the pope told a crowd of worshippers that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them.”
The White House, in response to a question about the pope’s Palm Sunday remarks, said that there isn’t anything “wrong” with praying for US troops.
“In fact, I think it’s a very noble thing to do,” said spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. “And if you talk to many service members, they will tell you they appreciate the prayers and support.”
Tehran warns Europe against intervening in war, cites “dangerous consequences”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned European leaders that any intervention in the war would have “dangerous consequences,” according to an Iranian readout of a phone call with António Costa, the president of the European Council.
In the call, Pezeshkian criticized what he described as a “negative and biased” European Union stance toward US and Israeli military action against Iran, saying the attacks were a serious violation of international law and principles Europe claims to defend.
European nations have until now distanced themselves from the war, refusing to take part in offensive actions, though some are providing defense support to Gulf states. US President Donald Trump took to social media this morning to once again criticize them for not stepping up more.
Pezeshkian also said Iran had entered negotiations with the United States “in good faith,” but was attacked again during the talks — which he argued showed Washington had no genuine commitment to diplomacy.
He warned that “any further foreign intervention” in the conflict “under any pretext” would have dangerous consequences, the Iranian account said.
Costa said in a post on X Tuesday that he urged for “de-escalation and restraint,” during the phone call with Pezeshkian.
“There must be space for diplomacy,” he said, while “addressing the broader security concerns posed by Iran,” Costa added.
State Department warns Americans in Saudi Arabia that hotels, other locations may be targeted
The US State Department warned US citizens in Saudi Arabia that it is “tracking reports of threats against locations where American citizens gather,” noting that “hotels and other gathering points including U.S. businesses and U.S. educational institutions may be potential targets.”
Tuesday’s security alert reiterated that US government employees have been instructed to shelter in place and advised US citizens to do the same.
Previous security alerts had warned of “threats against locations where American citizens gather,” including hotels, but Tuesday’s was more specific in also listing businesses and educational institutions as potential targets.
Iran has retaliated for US and Israeli military action by targeting US facilities. The US State Department ordered non-emergency personnel to depart from Saudi Arabia earlier this month.
How European allies are resisting involvement in Iran war even as Trump ramps up pressure
US President Donald Trump had some choice words for European countries today in his latest round of criticism for not stepping up more in the war with Iran, including that they need to “start learning how to fight for yourself.”
So far, European allies have been hesitant to get involved with the conflict:
Italy: In recent days, a US aircraft bound for the Middle East was prohibited from landing at a military base in Sicily, according to Italian media. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office said Italy was “acting in full compliance with existing international agreements.” US forces have permission to use military bases in Italy for standard logistics flights, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency, which these were not.
Spain: Yesterday, defense minister Margarita Robles announced the country would not authorize the use of its military bases or airspace for any activity relating to the US-Israeli operation in Iran, calling it “profoundly illegal.”
France: Paris did not allow Israel’s aircraft laden with “munitions” to traverse French airspace. This became one of the factors for why Israel decided to halt defense purchases from France. Trump in a Truth Social post this morning complained about France having been “very unhelpful.”
United Kingdom: King Charles’ first state visit to the US will go ahead next month despite Trump repeatedly criticizing the UK for not stepping up more in the war with Iran. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer underscored his position yesterday: “This is not our war and we’re not going to get drawn into it.” The UK said today it is sending additional air defense systems to Persian Gulf nations to support the “collective defense of allies.”
CNN’s Antonia Mortensen, Sana Noor Haq, Aileen Graef, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Charlotte Reck, Eugenia Yosef, Max Saltman, Sharon Braithwaite and Billy Stockwell contributed reporting to this post.
The fight for Iran’s oil reserves began more than 100 years ago
Iran holds about 12% of the world’s proven oil reserves, and it is located near key global shipping routes. CNN’s Leila Gharagozlou provides the context how the fight for Iran’s oil reserves has a century-long history.
CNN’s Leila Gharagozlou explains the more than 100-year history of Iran’s oil reserves
