Key points recap: Donald Trump’s address to the nation on Iran
On Wednesday night President Donald Trump delivered a 17-minute national address on Iran.
Here’s a recap of key points in case you missed it:
Trump announced that the U.S. military’s “core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” though offered no further information on those objectives. The president appeared to slur his words on several occasions during the speech. He claimed the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury,” had “delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield, victories like few people have ever seen before.” Trump repeated many of his same justifications for the month-old bombing campaign against Iran, including his claim there was an imminent threat of Tehran producing a nuclear weapon.He paid tribute to the 13 U.S. service members killed in the conflict and claimed their families had all told him to “finish the job.”Trump also once again blamed the rise in gas prices in the U.S. on the Iranian conflict and boasted the economy he had cultivated was strong enough to withstand it.Read more
Mike Bedigan2 April 2026 03:33
Kremlin says its ready to help end the war in Iran
Russia is ready to contribute to resolving the Iran conflict and President Vladimir Putin is continuing to talk with regional leaders, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
“The president is continuing these contacts, and if our services are somehow required, we are, of course, ready to make our contribution to ensuring that the military situation transitions to a peaceful course as soon as possible,” Peskov told reporters.
Peskov was responding to a question about U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech to the nation about the Iran war and his separate comment that he was considering pulling the United States out of NATO.
James Reynolds2 April 2026 10:28
Ships being asked to pay Hormuz toll in Chinese currency: report
Ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz are being asked to pay a toll in Chinese yuan, according to a report.
Bloomberg reports that Iran is offering different terms for safe passage to ships according to a 1-5 grading scale, in which friendlier countries get a better deal.
Sources told the outlet that approved oil tankers pay a fee starting at $1 per barrel of oil, paid in yuan or cryptocurrency.
The IRGC then gives the tanker a passcode and route instructions, allowing them to be escorted through the strait by a patrol boat.
Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, March 11 (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
James Reynolds2 April 2026 10:00
Trump shares op-ed arguing benefits of war outweigh costs
Donald Trump on Thursday shared an opinion piece on Truth Social arguing the benefits of “defanging” Iran still outweighs the cost of the war.
The article was written by Mark Penn, a pollster and former adviser to the Clintons.
The editorial concluded: ”In short — the price of the Iran war is much, much less than the benefits it provides. A temporary increase in oil prices has been overblown and in the end will be worth it compared to crippling one of the worst regimes in history.”
Donald Trump shared an opinion piece on Truth Social arguing the benefits of the war still outweigh the costs (Truth Social)
James Reynolds2 April 2026 09:17
IRGC base and leaders’ hub in Tehran struck by Israel
Israel has claimed attacks on a base linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and a mobile HQ for regime leaders in Tehran.
IDF spokesperson Ella Waweya said on Wednesday the Defense Army carried out a wave of strikes on infrastructure across Tehran.
“As part of this wave, the Air Force, directed by the Military Intelligence Directorate, struck a base affiliated with the Ground Forces of the Revolutionary Guard, which serves as a central unit within the terror regime’s forces,” she said.
“Throughout Operation ‘Lion’s Roar,’ the Defense Army systematically attacked hundreds of headquarters affiliated with the Iranian terror regime across Iran, which were taken out of service.”
People stand near damaged buildings in Tehran, Iran, on April 1, 2026 (via REUTERS)
James Reynolds2 April 2026 08:56
Iran ‘will not tolerate’ going back to cycle of war, talks, ceasefire
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson says in response to Trump’s speech that Iran will not tolerate going back to the position they were in with the US before the war.
“We will not tolerate this vicious cycle of war, negotiations, ceasefire, and then repeating the same pattern,” Esmail Baghaei said.
He said the ongoing conflict was “catastrophic not only for Iran, but for the entire region and beyond”, stressing that Iran does not consider its Gulf neighbours as enemies.
“The problem is that the United States and Israel are exploiting their territories to carry out their military aggression against Iran.
“This is an unjust war that has been imposed on the Iranian people. We have no choice but to fight back strongly,” he added.
Smoke rises following a reported strike in Baharestan, Isfahan province, Iran (SOCIAL MEDIA via REUTERS)
James Reynolds2 April 2026 08:27
Graph: Brent crude prices climb following Trump address
Benchmark Brent crude prices climbed some 6-7% on Thursday, reflecting pessimism in the market for a quick end to the war in the Middle East.
Stocks took a hit following the rambling address to the nation, with US index futures down 1.3% and European futures sinking over 2%.
“If he (Trump) was trying to inspire confidence in the markets, he has not done that,” said Russel Chesler, Head of Investments and Capital Markets at Vaneck Australia.
“The key question in all investors’ minds is ‘When is this going to be over?'”
(Reuters)
James Reynolds2 April 2026 08:13
European shares fall with hopes of quick end to Iran war
Futures tracking Europe’s main stock indexes fell more than 1 per cent on Thursday, in step with hopes of a quick end to the Middle East conflict after Donald Trump vowed to keep up strikes on Iran.
Futures tracking the pan-European STOXX 600 index slid nearly 2% by 6:36 GMT, with contracts tracking Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 index down 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively.
Brent crude shot past $100 a barrel, up nearly 7%.
Market sentiment weakened after Trump said, “we’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong.”
James Reynolds2 April 2026 08:03
Iraq expecting attacks from ‘terrorist militias’, US says
The US has told its citizens in Iraq to leave the country “immediately”, warning of possible attacks in the capital within the next 24 to 48 hours.
A statement said that Iraqi “terrorist militias” aligned with Iran “may be planning attacks” in central Baghdad.
James Reynolds2 April 2026 07:55
What happens if Trump exists Iran without reopening the Strait of Hormuz?
In his first address to the nation since the start of the war, Trump claimed that the U.S. had decimated Iran and would strike the Islamic Republic “extremely hard” for the next two to three weeks.
He claimed that almost all of the American military’s objectives in Iran had been met.
But the Strait of Hormuz has become a central anxiety for Washington’s allies since Tehran forced its effective closure with strikes on commercial shipping.
With the U.S. now said to be considering a “no deal” exit strategy, focus turns to what would be the outcome of it leaving with the Strait of Hormuz issue unresolved. Here are three ways it could play out:
James Reynolds2 April 2026 07:30