11.11pm
World’s largest warship returns to Middle East
The USS Gerald R Ford has departed Split, Croatia after a five days after it underwent repairs and received supplies and will rejoin Operation Epic Fury.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier “remains poised for full mission tasking in support of national objectives in any area of operation,” according to the US Navy.
The carrier played a major role in the US-Israeli air campaign against Iran but sailed to Crete and then Croatia after a laundry fire broke out aboard on March 12.
The Ford has been at sea for more than nine months — a deployment that has already seen it take part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington’s forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized the Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
10.29pm
Netherlands pledges millions in aid to Lebanon
The Dutch prime minister Rob Jetten and the Lebanese president Joseph Aoun have discussed the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah over the phone, with Jetten announcing €13.5 million (£12 million) in humanitarian aid and support for the Lebanese armed forces in a post on X.
“Hezbollah must immediately cease all its activities and disarm, and Israel must prevent any further escalation of the conflict,” Jetten posted.
“All parties must comply with international law. I emphasised the importance of de-escalation and direct diplomacy between Lebanon and Israel, which could help achieve a lasting resolution to this conflict.
“The Netherlands supports the Lebanese government’s efforts to restore full control over the country’s territory. To that end, I announced that the Netherlands will provide €13.5 million in humanitarian aid and support for the Lebanese armed forces.”
10.12pm
US army chief of staff ousted
Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of war, has asked the army chief of staff, General Randy George, to step down.
A war department official told CBS News: “We are grateful for [George’s] service, but it was time for a leadership change in the army.”
The Pentagon later confirmed the news in a statement on X: “General Randy A George will be retiring from his position as the 41st chief of staff of the army effective immediately. The Department of War is grateful for general George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement.”
The army chief of staff typically serves a four-year stint. George was appointed under Biden, meaning he was expected to stay in position until 2027.
Hegseth has fired more than a dozen senior military officers over his tenure under President Trump.
9.44pm
Iranian minister: Every bridge will be built back stronger
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said “every bridge and building will be built back stronger” after the bombing of the B1 bridge between Tehran and Karaj.
“Striking civilian structures, including unfinished bridges, will not compel Iranians to surrender,” he posted on X.
“It only conveys the defeat and moral collapse of an enemy in disarray. Every bridge and building will be built back stronger. What will never recover: damage to America’s standing.”
9.30pm
Israel and Hezbollah urged to stop fighting
Eighteen European countries urged Israel and Hezbollah to end hostilities as their latest conflict reached the one-month mark, while criticising Israeli plans to occupy part of southern Lebanon.
“Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s attacks must cease,” said a joint statement from foreign ministers representing countries including Italy, Spain, Belgium, Poland, and Ireland.
“We urge Israel to fully respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and call on all parties, both Hezbollah and Israel, to halt military action,” the statement added.
9.15pm
Iran strikes UAE, Bahrain, and Israel in retaliation for attacks on steel plants
Iran launched a wave of strikes against the UAE, Bahrain, and Israel on Thursday, claiming the attacks were direct retaliation for recent US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic’s two largest steel facilities.
“In response to attacks on Iranian steel industries, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a new wave of attacks this morning,” the military’s central command, Khatam al-Anbiya said in a statement carried by state TV.
“American steel industries in Abu Dhabi, American aluminium industries in Bahrain, and the Rafael arms factories of the Zionist regime” were among a number of targets, it said.
Quoting the IRGC’s navy command, Tasnim News Agency said the data centres of two US firms — Oracle in Dubai and Amazon in Bahrain — were also targeted.
8.31pm
IRGC targets Oracle’s Dubai data centre
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said it has targeted Oracle’s data centre in Dubai, according to state media.
It comes after Iran’s armed forces spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi said the Strait of Hormuz will be closed “long term” to the US and Israel. The IRGC previously threatened to strike American tech companies in the Middle East.
8.00pm
Argentina expels Iranian diplomat
Argentina has expelled Tehran’s diplomatic envoy after a war of words with the government of President Milei.
The Iranian charge d’affaires, Mohsen Soltani Tehrani, was given 48 hours to leave the country after what Argentina’s foreign ministry called “false, offensive and baseless accusations” by Tehran against the South American country.
The expulsion came two days after Argentina — led by Milei, who is a top ally of President Trump and of Israel — designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a “terrorist organisation.”
Iran’s foreign ministry accused Argentina in a statement of “siding with the aggressors” in a “clear violation” of international law.
7.47pm
Former ambassador: UK must stand up to ‘bully’ Trump
Sir Peter Westmacott, a former UK ambassador to the US, has called for countries including the UK to stand up to the “cruel” and “rather unpleasant” President Trump.
Westmacott told Times Radio that America’s allies had not made “a very firm stand against the playground bully in ways that make him stand back — like the Chinese did over limiting exports, sensitive technologies and critical minerals and so on. Trump, of course, stood down on his threats to do huge tariffs against China. The UK hasn’t done that.”
He added: “But as this goes on, we are going to have to find more ways of standing up for ourselves. It’s important, I think, politically, but it’s also important to stand up to the bully. You can’t let them carry on doing this indefinitely.
“President Macron has made his views plain without having to reply to the specifics of, frankly, really rather disgusting and unworthy language for the president of the United States. But he is, I’m afraid, at times a cruel and rather unpleasant head of state.”
7.35pm
Trump fires Pam Bondi as attorney-general
President Trump has fired Pam Bondi as US attorney-general after his frustration grew over the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein files and its failure to prosecute his political foes (George Grylls writes).
In a Truth Social post Trump described Bondi as “a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend”, saying she did a “tremendous job … We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.”
He said that Todd Blanche, Bondi’s deputy, would serve as acting attorney-general after The New York Times reported that he had lined up as her replacement Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. He previously described Zeldin as his “secret weapon”.
7.16pm
Strait of Hormuz is ‘open for Russia’
President Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said the Strait of Hormuz was open for Russia, according to state media.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, discussed the situation around the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Thursday, Russian state news agencies reported.
6.58pm
IDF detected missile launched at Israel ‘from Yemen’
The Israel Defence Forces said it had detected a missile launched from Yemen towards Israeli territory, the fourth time it has detected such an attack since the start of the Middle East war.
“The IDF has identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defence systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the military said in a statement on Thursday.
On Wednesday Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed a missile attack on Israel that was intercepted, their third such claim since the war started.
6.43pm
US embassy in Baghdad ‘may face imminent attack’
The US embassy in Baghdad has warned that pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq may attack the city in the coming one or two days.
Iraq has been dragged into the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, after strikes targeted both US interests and pro-Iran groups in the country.
The US embassy in Baghdad, located in the centre of the city, has been repeatedly targeted, and on Thursday it warned of more attacks in central parts of the capital.
“Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may intend to conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours,” the embassy said in a statement on X.
It repeated earlier advice for Americans in Iraq to leave. It comes after an American freelance journalist, Shelly Kittleson, was kidnapped in Baghdad by two men on Tuesday. She remains missing.
6.11pm
Trump calls on Iran to make a deal ‘before it’s too late’
President Trump has said there’s “much more to follow” after the destruction of Iran’s tallest bridge.
He also called on Iran to make a deal “before it is too late” in a Truth Social post, while sharing a video of the bridge’s destruction.
“The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again — Much more to follow! IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
6.08pm
Macron loses patience with Trump
Donald Trump has been mocking Emmanuel Macron for months but the French president’s patience has finally snapped with the latest insult, suggesting that his wife abuses him (Charles Bremner writes).
Macron had shrugged off a series of Trump jibes that began soon after an incident in May last year when a news camera caught Brigitte Macron shoving her husband near an open aircraft doorway as they arrived in Vietnam. “Make sure the door remains closed,” the US president advised Macron after the footage appeared.
At the time, Macron denied any “domestic dispute” with his wife, saying that they were “joking as we often do”.
6.05pm
Trump mocks Starmer and Macron
President Trump put on a weak-sounding voice to mock Sir Keir Starmer at a White House event.
The video, which was posted on X by the White House before being deleted, showed the US president recalling a phone call he had with Starmer, asking if the UK could send “two old, broken-down aircraft carriers”.
Trump mocked Starmer’s reply with a whiney: “No, no, no, I have to ask my team, president. My team has to meet, we’re meeting next week.”
It comes after Starmer said the situation in the Middle East was “not our war”.
Trump also mocked President Macron, saying “his wife treats him very badly”, drawing a laugh from the crowd.
5.52pm
UK and allies discussed sanctions on Iran if Strait stays closed
The United Kingdom and its allies have discussed “sanctions to bear down on Iran” if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, said after chairing a meeting of more than 40 countries.
5.38pm
GCC calls for UN to authorise force to protect Strait
The secretary-general of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) called for the UN security council to authorise the use of force to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks.
Jassem al-Budaiwi said: “Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, prevented commercial vessels and oil tankers from transiting and imposed conditions on some to pass through the strait.”
He spoke in New York at the first security council meeting on co-operation with the GCC, which comprises Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.
“We call upon the security council to assume its full responsibility and take all necessary measures to protect maritime routes and ensure the safe continuation of international navigation,” al-Budaiwi said.
Bahrain has proposed a draft resolution that would greenlight states to use “all necessary measures” to assure free transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
5.10pm
Ceasefire is urgently needed, says Finnish president
Alexander Stubb, the president of Finland, has called the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, to discuss the situation in the Middle East.
“We discussed the situation in Iran and the Middle East. A ceasefire and a diplomatic solution are urgently needed,” Stubb posted on X.
“I emphasised the need to end the strikes on neighbouring countries and restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Despite the disagreements, it is important to maintain dialogue.”
4.51pm
Chinese foreign minister: US and Israel ‘clearly violated international law’
China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, has said that US and Israeli attacks on Iran were a violation of international law.
“The military attack launched by the United States and Israel against Iran was not authorised by the [United Nations security council] and clearly violated international law,” Wang told his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, in a phone call on Thursday, CCTV reported.
Beijing is a close partner of Tehran and the main buyer of Iranian oil, most of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
4.41pm
Century-old medical centre in Tehran hit by strikes
A 105-year-old medical centre in Tehran suffered extensive damage in a strike, the Iran’s health ministry has said.
Dr Hossein Kermanpour, the health ministry spokesman, wrote on X: “The aggression against Pasteur Institute of Iran — a century-old pillar of global health and member of the international Pasteur Network — is a direct assault on international health security.”
4.36pm
IRGC targets Amazon cloud computing centre
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said it targeted an Amazon cloud computing centre in Bahrain in retaliation for attacks on Iran, according to a statement carried by state media.
Earlier this week, the IRGC said it would target leading American technology firms if the US continued to target Iranian leaders.
4.23pm
Middle East’s highest bridge hit by US-Israel
A bridge that is said to be the highest in the Middle East has been struck twice by US-Israeli forces, Iran’s Fars news agency has reported.
The B1 bridge is part of a vital highway that links the capital Tehran to the western city of Karaj.
The bridge, which is 156 metres (512 feet) high, was only inaugurated earlier this year.
The B1 bridge in Karaj
3.48pm
‘Europe should take Trump’s Nato stance seriously’
Trump’s stance on Nato is “pretty clear”, a former foreign policy adviser to George W Bush has warned.
Richard Haass told Times Radio: ” If you look at everything he’s been saying about Europe, about Ukraine, about the allies, the message is pretty clear. And he’s limited in what he can do formally. Congress would have to get involved if it were formal but he can withdraw American troops from Europe.
“He can create doubts about our fidelity or commitment to Article 5. He’s already done that.
“I also think that Europe ought to take this somewhat seriously and think about what is it they might want to do in the way of some operation to deal with freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. I would think that would be a smart thing to do, both in Europe’s own interest, as well as to signal to the United States.”
3.45pm
Calls for Strait to open to alleviate food crisis in Africa
Humanitarian organisations are calling for an agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping that would alleviate looming crises in Africa linked to shortages of food, fertiliser, medicine and other goods (Jack Denton writes).
A petition led by the International Crisis Group (ICG) this week proposed an initiative to allow critical supplies through the strait based on a previous deal that allowed goods to flow from Ukrainian ports despite the war there.
Iran has blockaded most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of a conflict with the US and Israel on February 28. The effect has been felt in oil and gas markets — but also fertilisers, with about a third of all supplies originating in the Gulf.
3.39pm
‘Bring it on,’ says Speaker of Iranian parliament
The Speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has posted a confrontational message on X, saying that “Iranians don’t just talk about defending our country, we bleed for it. We’ve done it before and we are ready to do it again”.
He added: “You come for our home… you’re gonna meet the whole family. Locked, loaded and standing tall. Bring it on.”
3.19pm
UN chief calls for immediate halt to hostilities
António Guterres, the secretary-general of the UN, has warned that the Middle East conflict risked spiralling into a wider war, and he called for an immediate halt to US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian attacks on its neighbours.
“We are on the edge of a wider war that would engulf the Middle East with dramatic impacts around the globe,” Guterres told reporters in New York.
3.15pm
Austria rejects American overflight requests
Austria has rejected US requests for military overflights of its territory since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, in line with its policy of neutrality.
“There have indeed been requests and they were refused from the outset,” Colonel Michael Bauer told AFP, adding that every time a similar request “involves a country at war, it is refused”.
Austria has been a neutral country since 1955. It is surrounded to the north, south, and east by Nato members, with neutral Switzerland to the west.
President Trump has criticised European members of the trans-Atlantic alliance, such as France and Spain, which refused to allow their airspace to be used for the war against Iran.
In mid-March, Switzerland, also invoking its neutrality, said it had refused the use of its airspace.
3.11pm
Defence investment plan delay is ‘criminal’
The government’s failure to publish its defence investment plan is “indefensible” and “criminal,” a former Labour defence secretary has claimed, as he called on Sir Keir Starmer to fix the issue.
Speaking to Times Radio, Lord Hutton said: “I find it indefensible that we’re in this position, but it can be fixed with the leadership and the clear set of priorities that I think only the prime minister can bring to bear. I think all of us want to see that happen pretty quickly, because we really are running out of time to do something effective.
“The best way to defend yourself against war is to deter it in the first place, rather than have to fight it. I think we’re running the danger now of having to fight a war rather than effectively spend our money now to deter it, and that’s criminal.”
3.07pm
Donald Tusk: world events look like ‘Putin’s dream plan’
The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, has claimed that current world events look “like Putin’s dream plan”.
In a post on X, Tusk wrote: “The threat of Nato’s break-up, easing sanctions on Russia, a massive energy crisis in Europe, halting aid for Ukraine and blocking the loan for Kyiv by [Hungarian leader Viktor] Orban — it all looks like Putin’s dream plan.”
His post drew a response from Orban, who said Europe “is heading toward one of the most severe economic crises in its history” and the only way out was to immediately lift sanctions imposed on Russia’s energy sector because of the invasion of Ukraine.
“We must think not about Putin, but about our own country and our peoples,” Orban said. “Instead of warmongering, love and save your country, Donald!”
3.00pm
Russia pushes for ceasefire to evacuate staff
Russia will ask the United States and Israel to ensure a ceasefire while it evacuates more Russian staff from the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran, RIA news agency reported.
Alexei Likhachev, the head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, said: “The travel routes will be communicated to the relevant authorities in Israel and the United States, and we will use all channels to request strict adherence to the ceasefire during the convoys movement.”
Likhachev added that a “final wave of evacuation” involving about 200 people was tentatively scheduled for next week.
Russia built the Iranian nuclear reactor at Bushehr and Rosatom staff are working there on construction of additional units.
2.50pm
Iranian human rights lawyer taken by regime
Nasrin SotoudehAFP
Iranian authorities have arrested the prize-winning human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, as activists accuse the Islamic Republic of cracking down on civil society during the war.
Mehraveh Khandan, her daughter, wrote on Instagram: “Mum was arrested last night while she was alone at home.”
Sotoudeh, who won awards including the 2012 Sakharov Prize of the European Parliament and the 2020 Right Livelihood award, has been repeatedly arrested in the past for her work. Her husband and Mehraveh’s father, Reza Khandan, has been held in prison since December 2024.
2.40pm
Israel issues Passover warning to Hezbollah
Israel’s defence minister has threatened that the chief of Hezbollah will pay an “extraordinarily heavy price” for escalating attacks during the ongoing Jewish holidays.
Israel Katz said: “I have a clear message for Naim Qassem … you and your associates will pay an extraordinarily heavy price for the intensified rocket fire directed at Israeli citizens as they gathered to celebrate Passover Seder.
“You will be consigned to the depths of hell alongside Nasrallah, Khamenei, Sinwar and the other fallen figures of the axis of evil,” he said, referring to the former leaders of Hezbollah, Iran, and Hamas, who have been assassinated by Israel. “The Hezbollah terrorist organisation you now lead, and its supporters in Lebanon, will bear the full and severe consequences.”
Hezbollah claimed it carried out a series of rocket attacks on northern Israel.
2.30pm
Teenager executed for role in Iranian protests
Iranian authorities have executed a teenager convicted of setting fire to a security forces base during January protests.
Amir Hossein Hatami, 18, was sentenced to death in February along with six others by a Tehran revolutionary court and was hanged at dawn in the Ghezel Hesar prison outside the capital, according to Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights.
The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan Online website said he acted “against national security” on behalf of Israel and the United States by breaking into “a military centre and destroying it in order to seize the weapons stored there” during the protests.
He is the fourth man to be executed over protests that broke out in Iran in late December against the rising cost of living before evolving into nationwide anti-government demonstrations. The protests peaked on January 8 and 9 and were met with a crackdown that activists say left thousands dead.
2.18pm
Scorn in the USA
President Trump has avoided talking about the war in Iran by attacking rock star — and critic of the US president — Bruce Springsteen for having bad plastic surgery and called on people to boycott his concerts.
Bruce Springsteen performs at Target Center in Minneapolis, MinnesotaGetty
“Bruce Springsteen, who looks like a dried up prune who has suffered greatly from the work of a really bad plastic surgeon, has long had a horrible and incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, sometimes referred to as TDS,” he wrote.
“The guy is a total loser who spews hate against a President,” he wrote. “MAGA SHOULD BOYCOTT HIS OVERPRICED CONCERTS, WHICH SUCK. SAVE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. AMERICA IS BACK!!!”
1.56pm
RAF gunners down Iranian drones
RAF regiment gunners have downed multiple Iranian drones overnight, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The gunners were operating in a high-threat area, understood to be Iraq.
UK Typhoons and F-35 jets, together with Wildcat helicopters, have also been involved in defensive missions across the Middle East region overnight.
1.41pm
Pope to vent war opposition in Easter address
The Pope’s sessions in the gym will pay off on Good Friday, when he will carry a large wooden cross around the Colosseum. Leo, 70, will carry it throughout all 14 Stations of the Cross at the ancient Roman arena, symbolising Jesus’s last hours before his crucifixion.
This Easter, the pontiff is expected to not only flex his muscles but also his political clout. On Easter Sunday, when the American Pope will deliver the traditional Urbi et Orbi address at St Peter’s Square, he is likely to give full vent to his opposition to the Iran war.
His remarks could exacerbate tensions with the White House on the most important day in the Catholic calendar, and antagonise conservative American Catholics.
1.20pm
Restrain Israel to end Iran war, says former Trump official
Kent, who was sworn in last year, previously said Trump had been deceived into believing Iran posed an “imminent threat”Tom Williams/Getty images
Donald Trump’s former counterterror chief, Joe Kent, who resigned last month, has claimed that a first step to ending the war with Iran is “restraining Israel”.
Kent said that Israel was deliberately targeting Iranian negotiators so there was no one to negotiate a peace with.
“Israel is targeting the negotiators to ensure we can’t end the war and to ensure that the Iranian leaders who come next will be more extreme, thereby ensuring that the war goes on,” he wrote on X.
“The first step to end the war must be restraining Israel.”
In his resignation letter, Kent claimed Trump’s administration had started the war “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby“.
1.15pm
US–Israeli strikes cripple Iranian steel production
Iran’s two largest steel plants have been forced out of action by several waves of United States and Israeli attacks, the affected companies have said.
“Our initial estimate is that restarting these units will take at least six months and up to one year,” Mehran Pakbin, deputy head of operations at the Khuzestan Steel Company, was quoted as saying by the Mizan Online website.
Mobarakeh Steel Company in the central province of Isfahan said that its “production lines have completely shut down following the high volume of attacks”.
Both plants have suffered repeated strikes since last week.
“All modules and steelmaking furnaces of this industrial complex have been damaged,” Mehran Pakbin, deputy for operations at Khuzestan, was reported to have said.
Mobarakeh said late Wednesday on its website that after the attacks, “continuation of operations is not possible”.
1.10pm
Paris Citigroup staff to work remotely after bomb threat fears
Citigroup staff in Paris and Frankfurt are working from home “as a precautionary measure” after a thwarted attack against another United States bank at the weekend, a spokeswoman said.
“The safety of our employees is our number one priority, and we are taking the necessary measures to keep our employees safe,” she said. “Employees in Paris/Frankfurt are working remotely, as a precautionary measure.”
French authorities have charged a young adult and three minors and placed them in pre-trial detention after an explosive device was placed outside a Bank of America branch in Paris before dawn on Saturday.
Police at the scene in central Paris on SaturdaySEBASTIEN DUPUY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The foiled plot came more than a month after US–Israeli strikes on Iran sparked a regional war, sending energy markets into a tailspin.
France’s National Counterterrorism Prosecutor’s Office said the incident could be linked to a little-known Islamist group with possible links to Iran, though no firm link had yet been established.
The emergent Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya group, meaning “The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand”, claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Jewish communities in the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands.
1.00pm
Analysis: Iran war quickens looming crisis in Africa
Calls are mounting for an agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping that would alleviate looming humanitarian crises in Africa linked to shortages of food, medicine and other goods (Jack Denton writes).
A petition led by the International Crisis Group proposed this week an initiative to allow critical supplies through the strait based on a deal that allowed goods to flow from Ukrainian ports despite the war there.
Iran has blockaded most shipping through the strait since the start of the war. Much of the effect has been felt in oil and gas markets but also fertilisers, with about a third of all supplies originating in the Gulf.
Dwindling fuel is already choking the likes of Ethiopia, which recently put non-essential state workers on leave amid a national transportation crisis. Africa imports about 80 per cent of its fertiliser, with shortages causing nitrogen-based urea prices to jump 50 per cent.
12.50pm
Arrested to spy for the other side
An Iranian-American dual national who once ran for local election in the United States as a Republican candidate has told how he was arrested by the Iranian security services and forced to sign a document stating that he would spy for them.
Born in Iran but raised in the US, Rouzy Vafaie returned to the country of his birth in 2021 to help look after his father, but decided to leave the country last month after the start of the war with Israel and America.
With the airspace closed, he joined thousands of others attempting to flee across the Armenian border, but was detained en route by members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Vafaie told Suzanne Kianpour on Times Radio.
12.40pm
UAE begins denying entry to Iranians
The United Arab Emirates is banning Iranians from entry, with some exceptions, severing a lifeline to the beleaguered country after it conducted daily attacks on the UAE.
UAE airlines have reported that Iranian nationals will not be allowed to travel to the country unless they hold “golden visas”, which are granted to high earners and property owners, or are married to Emirati nationals or born of an Emirati woman.
“Nationals of Iran are not allowed to enter and transit,” Emirates, one of the UAE’s flag-carrier airlines, said on its website. Athletes, bank executives, and several other categories will also be exempted from the ban.
12.30pm
Ministers to discuss demining of the Strait
Military planners are being convened to look at how to demine the Strait of Hormuz as part of efforts to reopen the vital sea passage.
Yvette Cooper stressed “diplomatic and international planning measures” were the focus of the meeting between foreign ministers at Downing Street this afternoon.
The foreign secretary said: “We are focusing on the diplomatic and international planning measures, including collective mobilisation of our full range of diplomatic and economic tools and pressures, reassurance work with industry, insurers and energy markets, and also action to guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers, and effective co-ordination that we need across the world to enable a safe and sustained opening of the Strait.”
12.25pm
Cooper condemns ‘Iranian recklessness’
Yvette Cooper at a virtual summit at the Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeLeon Neal/Getty Images
Yvette Cooper condemned “Iranian recklessness” for damaging global economic security as she addressed a virtual meeting of more than 40 countries aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The meeting will discuss ways to make the strait, through which about 20 per cent of the world’s oil supplies pass, “accessible and safe after the fighting has stopped”. Military planners will also meet this week to discuss naval options to protect shipping.
Other countries, including France and the Gulf states, have already been involved in private discussions over what naval assets they would be willing to provide to any potential coalition. Military escorts, minesweeping operations and other defences against possible attacks by Iran are all under consideration.
12.20pm
Iranian airport hit by strikes
An airport in Isfahan province, central Iran, had been attacked by US-Israeli strikes, Iranian media has reported.
Akbar Saleh, Isfahan’s deputy governor, said the Kashan airport in the province was targeted, according to IRNA, Iran’s official news agency.
He added that the cities of Shahreza, Aran, Bidgol and Najafabad had also been targeted.
12.10pm
Extent of US military damage revealed
That the US has been stuck for too long in “forever wars” is one thing on which both sides of the country’s political divide seem to agree.
Yet both sides — if not the military itself — may have overlooked one important aspect that makes its war with Tehran different from the rest. For the first time in decades, the US has found itself fighting a fully functioning state, rather than guerrillas and jihadists it can dismiss as “ragtag”.
The effect has been dramatic. Rather than a slow bleed to roadside mines and suicide bombs, the might of the American military has suffered the sort of losses to be expected of more conventional wars.
12.00pm
Operation to liberate Strait ‘unrealistic’
President Macron and his wife arrive at Seoul airport in South KoreaLee Jin-man/AP
President Macron said a military operation to liberate the Strait of Hormuz would be “unrealistic”.
“There are those who advocate for the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz by force through a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States,” Macron said after he arrived in South Korea for his two-day visit.
“It is unrealistic because it would take an inordinate amount of time and would expose anyone crossing the strait to coastal threats from the [Iranian] Revolutionary Guards, who possess significant resources, as well as ballistic missiles, [and] a host of other risks.”
11.50am
‘US taking soldiers to their graves, not Iran’
A commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has criticised the US secretary of war for claiming America could bomb Iran “back to the Stone Age”.
Seyed Majid Mousavi, the commander of IRGC Aerospace Force, said: “It is you who are taking your soldiers to their graves, not Iran, whom you seek to drag back to the Stone Age.
“Hollywood delusions have so poisoned your minds that, with your paltry 250-year history, you threaten a civilization over 6,000 years old.”
11.40am
UK businesses hit by inflation
Inflation expectations among British businesses have climbed to their highest level in over two years as companies grapple with the surge in energy prices resulting from the war in the Middle East.
Figures published by the Bank of England on Thursday revealed that in March businesses expected inflation would be 3.5 per cent in a year’s time, up from the present rate of 3 per cent.
That marked the highest year-ahead inflation forecast since December 2023 and was a significant increase from February’s prediction of 3 per cent. The Bank of England data also showed that firms thought there would be just two rate cuts by 2029 and possibly only one over the next 12 months.
11.30am
Macron: Trump’s remarks neither elegant nor up to standard
President Macron with Brigitte Macron and Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at Tokyo’s Imperial PalaceAFP
President Macron has criticised Trump’s remarks about his marriage, claiming they were “neither elegant nor up to standard”.
Trump mocked Macron’s marriage, claiming his wife, Brigitte, “treated him extremely badly”, to laughs from the assembled audience.
The US leader also referenced an incident last year when video emerged of the French first lady appearing to push her husband, later laughed off as a “joke” by the Élysée Palace.
“He’s still recovering from that right to the jaw,” said Trump.
The French leader arrived in South Korea this morning for a two-day visit, where he will meet with Lee Jae Myung, the South Korean president, for talks to strengthen political and economic ties.
11.20am
Philippines granted safe passage through Strait
Iran pledged to allow safe passage for shipments of oil to the Philippines through the Strait of Hormuz, Manila said.
Ferdinand Marcos, the president of the Philippines, declared a state of national energy emergency, and said “nothing was off the table”, as fuel prices hit historic highs.
On Thursday, the country’s department of foreign affairs said a “productive phone conversation” between Theresa Lazaro, its foreign secretary, and her Iranian counterpart had opened the door to crucial oil shipments.
“The Iranian foreign minister assured the secretary that Iran will allow the safe, unhindered, and expeditious passage through the Strait of Hormuz of Philippine-flagged vessels, energy sources, and all Filipino seafarers,” it said.
11.10am
Strike on nuclear plant would be war crime, insists Iran
A strike on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant would constitute a “war crime” under international law, Tehran’s envoy to the United Nations’ atomic agency claimed.
Reza Najafi said: “Even during the war, it is prohibited to attack the facilities for use of the civilians, and such an attack would be a very big crime, a crime against humanity, a war crime.”
He also denied that Tehran had “restarted enrichment” of radioactive uranium after the US-Israeli strikes in June 2025.
“We didn’t restart enrichment, and it was a lie, a very big lie, like the other lies,” the Iranian envoy said in an interview with AFP.
Israel and the US have long accused Iran of having ambitions to build a nuclear weapon, with President Trump claiming the threat as a justification for both the 12-day conflict last year and the ongoing war.
11.00am
The State of It: Foreign policy by tantrum
10.50am
Trump faces backlash over Macron mockery
Trump mocked the president at an Easter lunch event
French politicians have rallied to defend their president after Trump mocked the leader and claimed Brigitte Macron punched her husband.
Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of France’s lower house of parliament, said: “Honestly, it’s not up to par. We are currently discussing the future of the world.
“Right now in Iran, this is having consequences for the lives of millions of people, people are dying on the battlefield, and we have a president who is laughing, who is mocking others,” she told franceinfo.
Even political rival, Manuel Bompard, co-ordinator of the hard-left France Unbowed party, said: “You are aware of the extent of my disagreements with the president, but for Donald Trump to speak to him like that and to speak of his wife in such a manner, I find that absolutely unacceptable.”
10.40am
US insiders ‘profiting’ from war
It was an unusual time to be trading more than half a billion dollars in oil futures. Yet between 6.49am and 6.50am last Monday, business was brisk.
The price of oil had been yo-yoing for weeks. Even experienced traders struggled to make sense of the contradictory statements coming from the White House.
Amid the confusion, on the morning of March 23, someone appeared remarkably certain about what would happen next. Betting the price of oil would collapse, they gambled $580 million on Brent and West Texas Intermediate futures.
10.30am
Russia ‘ready to make contribution’ in Iran
Russia is ready to contribute to resolving the Iran conflict, a Kremlin spokesman has said.
Dmitry Peskov added that President Putin was continuing to talk with regional leaders.
“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,” he said.
10.20am
What is Trump’s plan for Iran?
One reason no one can tell whether the war on Iran is really nearing its conclusion is because Washington has not been clear about what it is trying to achieve.
A close reading of President Trump’s speech on February 28, the day the bombing started, would seem to reveal a list of objectives that has since shrunk by the week. On Wednesday in his new address to America he specifically ruled out regime change, while even Iran’s enriched uranium will be left in place.
“That’s so far underground, I don’t care about that,” he said in an interview with Reuters just beforehand. “We’ll always be watching it by satellite.”
10.02am
Trump’s Iran speech fails to reassure voters
President Trump attempted to reassure American voters that oil prices would soon come down in a primetime speech on the Iran War delivered in the wake of record poor polling.
The White House had promised an “important update” from the president on Wednesday evening after his approval rating sank to its lowest level of his two terms.
Trump repeated many of the arguments he has made in recent weeks, saying that the US needed to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and claiming that Tehran had been building missiles “that could reach the American homeland”.
9.52am
‘No enemy troops should survive’
Iran’s operational headquarters must monitor “enemy movements with utmost pessimism and accuracy” and be ready to counter any attack including a ground invasion, the country’s army commander-in-chief has said.
Iranian state media quoted Amir Hatami as saying: “No enemy troops should survive if adversaries attempt a ground operation.”
President Trump said the Iran conflict was nearing completion and could end within weeks, but a parallel build-up of additional US troops in the Gulf has raised concerns that preparations may be underway for potential ground operations.
9.42am
Trump: Support my coalition or I’ll stop aiding Ukraine
Trump threatened to stop supplying weapons for Ukraine in an attempt to get European countries to join a coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports.
The US president was said to have demanded that Nato allies’ navies help to reopen the crucial trade waterway last month, the Financial Times reported. However, his demands were rejected, with several leaders telling him the conflict in the Middle East was “not our war”.
Trump responded by threatening to stop supplies to Purl, Nato’s weapons procurement initiative for Ukraine funded by European countries, three officials familiar with discussions told the FT.
Subsequently, a group of countries including key alliance members France, Germany and the UK issued a hastily agreed statement on March 19 that read: “We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait [of Hormuz].”
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9.32am
Trump compared to Christ in Easter event
Trump’s spiritual adviser has compared the US president to Jesus Christ.
Paula White, speaking at the Easter lunch event, said that like Christ, Trump had been betrayed, arrested and falsely accused, and had overcome every challenge.
“Jesus taught so many lessons through his death, burial and resurrection,” she said. “He showed us great leadership; great transformation great sacrifice.”
The turning to the president directly, she added: “Mr President, no one has paid the price like you have paid the price. It almost cost you your life. You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our Lord and Saviour showed us. But it didn’t end them for him and it didn’t end there for you.”
9.21am
Israelis celebrate Passover in an underground car park
Jews in Tel Aviv marked the holiday last night in an underground car park, repurposed to shelter residents
9.10am
Trump takes swipe at Macron’s marriage
President Trump has mocked President Macron’s marriage, claiming his wife “treated him extremely badly”.
At an Easter event at the White House, the US leader referenced an incident in Vietnam last May, when video emerged of Brigitte, the French first lady, appearing to push her husband, later laughed off as a “joke” by the Élysée Palace.
“He’s still recovering from that right to the jaw,” said Trump, before going on to berate the French lack of help in the war.
Mimicking a phone conversation the pair had, Trump said: “I say, ‘Emmanuel, we’d love to have some help in the Gulf … if you could please send ships immediately?’”
Then, in a fake French accent, he added: “No, no, no, we cannot do that Donald, we can do that after the war is won.”
9.00am
China blames US for blockage of the Strait
China has blamed US and Israel solely for the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.
Mao Ning, Beijing’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, said: “The root cause of interruptions to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is the United States and Israel’s illegal military operations against Iran.”
On Wednesday, President Trump said countries that received oil through the key waterway, which included many Asian nations, “must take care of that passage”, urging them to “just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves”.
8.48am
Bhutan latest to feel Iran’s fuel squeeze
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has raised its fuel prices as a result of the war in Iran.
Carbon-negative Bhutan has aggressively promoted hydropower projects, earning substantial revenue by exporting electricity to energy-hungry neighbour India. However, the landlocked nation imports its fuel via India.
The price of petrol at the pump has shot up by more than 60 per cent since war began and shortages have caused long queues at filling stations in the capital Thimphu.
“I don’t know what to say. It’s not like our government is responsible, they are trying their best despite the war in the Middle East and price hike in India,” said Karma Kalden, 40, a resident of Thimphu. “We are helpless.”
8.38am
British allies meet to discuss reopening Strait
The foreign secretary will host a virtual meeting with 35 British allies today on measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The prime minister said yesterday: “Today I can announce that later this week the foreign secretary will host a meeting that brings those nations together for the first time where we will assess all viable diplomatic and political measures we can take to restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers and to resume the movement of vital commodities.
“Following this meeting, we will also convene our military planners to look at how we can marshal our capabilities and make the Strait accessible and safe after the fighting has stopped.”
8.28am
Starmer calls for plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to the president of the European Commission about the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz ahead of a meeting of international allies.
The prime minister spoke to Ursula von der Leyen last night and “agreed allies must come together and work on a viable plan for full freedom of navigation to resume when circumstances allow”, Downing Street said.
The pair also discussed closer ties between the UK and Europe, an ambition that Starmer set out at his Downing Street press conference on Wednesday.
A spokesman said: “They then discussed their shared ambition to further strengthen the partnership between the UK and the European Union, and the need to continue strong support to Ukraine.
“They agreed to keep in close contact as this important work progresses in the lead-up to the next UK-EU Summit.”
8.22am
Saudis intercept fresh wave of drone attacks
Saudi Arabia has intercepted and destroyed four unmanned drones, its ministry of defence said.
The ministry said it had also downed a ballistic missile heading to the eastern region of the country.
8.18am
South Korea’s economy on ‘wartime footing’
South Korea’s economy was on a “wartime footing” because of the Iran war, its president said, after the government proposed a $17.2 billion supplementary budget to tackle the crisis.
Seoul is heavily reliant on Middle Eastern crude for around 70 per cent of its imports.
“Our government is treating the economy as being on a wartime footing and is making all-out efforts to overcome the crisis,” Lee Jae Myung said in a budget speech to the National Assembly.
“The current crisis is not like a passing shower that will stop, but rather like a massive storm that could last indefinitely,” he added, asking lawmakers to swiftly pass the budget.
The plan allocates 4.8 trillion won ($3.1 billion) in cash handouts for the bottom 70 per cent of income earners, with payments scaled by income.
8.08am
Trump recycles war rhetoric
President Trump and Pete Hegseth’s phrase “back to the stone age” has been recycled from previous US military campaigns.
During the Vietnam war, US Air Force General Curtis LeMay was credited with using it ahead of a carpet bombing campaign in the north of the country. LeMay subsequently denied saying it, claiming he only said the US had “the capability” to do it.
In 2006, Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistan president, claimed George W Bush’s administration threatened to bomb Pakistan “back to the stone age” if the country did co-operate with the US war on Afghanistan.
7.58am
Pro-Iran groups could attack Baghdad
The US embassy in Baghdad has warned that pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq may attack the city in the coming days.
“Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may intend to conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours,” it wrote on X, urging Americans in the country to leave immediately.
7.48am
War will continue until US humiliation, Iran says
Iran’s military has vowed to carry out “crushing” attacks against the United States and Israel until they surrender.
Khatam al-Anbiya, the military’s operational command, said: “With trust in Almighty God, this war will continue until your humiliation, disgrace, permanent and certain regret, and surrender. Await our more crushing, broader and more destructive actions.”
The statement came after hours after President Trump threatened to bomb Iran into the “Stone Ages” in the coming weeks.
7.26am
Trump’s speech causes shares to fall
Oil prices climbed sharply and stock markets fell after President Trump dashed hopes of a de-escalation in the Middle East conflict.
The benchmark Brent crude price rose $6.56 to $107.76 a barrel after falling below $100 at one stage on Wednesday when the president suggested the war could be over soon.
A relief rally in global stock markets yesterday has ended. Japan’s Nikkei lost 2.5 per cent, South Korea’s Kospi fell 5 per cent, and the UK’s FTSE 100, which closed up 1.9 per cent for its best daily gain since April 14 last year, is expected to open 0.9 per cent lower.
6.46am
Israel hits Iran with ‘extensive wave of strikes’
The IDF has launched 400 strikes on Iran since Tuesday in an effort to destroy weapons manufacturing sites.
A plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran on ThursdayAP/Mohsen Ganj
An “extensive wave of strikes overnight” targeted “the heart of Tehran”, a spokesman for the IDF wrote on Telegram messaging app.
They added: “The IDF intensified its strikes against the Iranian regime’s military manufacturing industries and attacked approximately 15 weapons production sites, including a central complex of the Iranian Ministry of Defense.
“This complex housed facilities for the production and development of advanced missiles designed to target fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles.
“Additionally, air defence systems, launch sites and facilities for the production and storage of ballistic missiles and anti-aircraft missiles were attacked. The strikes that were carried out are part of an effort to intensify the damage to the core systems and foundations of the Iranian terrorist regime.”
6.33am
Watch: Trump says Iran ‘has essentially been decimated’
5.53am
Iran responds to Trump speech with more missiles
Israel’s military said that air defences responded to waves of Iranian missile fired early on Thursday, including at least two attacks after President Trump’s speech.
Police said officers were called to “several” impact sites in central Israel, with media reports putting the number at nine. Four people were lightly wounded in the Tel Aviv area, the reports said.
Within about six hours of the first attack, the military announced it had again “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the state of Israel” three more times, triggering air raid sirens across much of northern and central Israel.
On Wednesday, as Jewish Israelis were preparing to celebrate the Passover holiday, emergency services said Iranian missile fire wounded 14 people, including an 11-year-old girl.
A communal Passover seder in an underground car park in Tel AvivAlexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
5.26am
Hezbollah fires fresh missiles at northern Israel
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said its fighters launched drones and rockets at northern Israel on Thursday, with the Israeli military’s Home Front Command saying air raid sirens were activated across the border.
In separate statements, the Iran-backed group claimed rocket fire targeting Israeli troops in border areas and a drone attack targeting a village.
Sirens were activated in those areas, according to the command, with no reports of any casualties or damage.
5.18am
Oil price rises after Trump speech
The price for Brent crude has risen more then 5 per cent past $106 a barrel after Trump’s speech, as stocks fell when the president said there could be further escalation in the war in Iran.
Oil was trading as low as $99.08 prior to the primetime speech on Wednesday night.
Japan’s Topix and South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.3 per cent and 2.1 per cent. Both indices opened trading higher but dropped after the remarks.
Futures for the S&P 500 and Stoxx Europe 600 fell 0.7 per cent and 1 per cent, respectively.
4.52am
Albanese calls for ‘de-escalation’
Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, said that his country supported the prevention of Iran getting a nuclear weapon, but added that Trump’s intervention had left the situation unclear as to “what more needs to be achieved or what the end point looks like”.
“Australia wasn’t consulted before this began”, he said in a speech. “What I have said very clearly is that we do want to see a de-escalation and I want there to be recognition, greater clarity about how this ends.”
Yesterday, he warned Australians that “the months ahead may not be easy”. He added: “Australia is not an active participant in this war. But all Australians are paying higher prices because of it.”
Anthony Albanese LUKAS COCH AUSTRALIA/EPA
He announced that the Australian government would be providing A$1 billion ($693 million) in interest-free loans to critical businesses, including transport operators and fertiliser producers, as they struggle with surging fuel costs.
4.05am
‘Back to the Stone Age’
During Trump’s speech he threatened to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages where they belong”.
Reacting to his address on X, the US secretary of war Pete Hegseth wrote: “Back to the Stone Age.”
Yassamin Ansari, a Democrat representative, wrote: “He’s talking about a country of 90 million people. Vile, horrifying, evil.”
3.30am
Israel reports three Iranian attacks within hours
Israel’s military said air defences responded to three waves of Iranian missile fire early on Thursday, with media reporting several light injuries in the Tel Aviv area.
The third reported salvo came shortly after President Trump delivered an address to the American public about the Middle East war.
After the first attack, police said officers were called to “several” impact sites in central Israel, with media reports putting the number at nine.
Four people were lightly wounded, the reports said, citing medics.
3.00am
Trump gives little information about next steps
Thousands of additional US troops are heading to the Middle East. Gulf allies are urging Trump to finish the fight, arguing that Tehran hasn’t been weakened enough. And yet Trump himself has predicted the US will be done “within maybe two weeks”.
He said the “core strategic objectives are nearing completion” and did not signal any preparations for a ground invasion by American troops — to retrieve Iran’s enriched uranium or secure the Strait of Hormuz, where a chokehold by Iran has sent energy prices soaring.
AP/Alex Brandon
But Trump offered few details about next steps. At one point he told allies to simply reopen the waterway critical to oil shipments themselves — “take it,” he implored.
Trump is fast approaching the 60-day mark when he must seek approval from Congress under the War Powers Act to continue any military operations.
He did not announce the imminent start of peace talks or any other diplomatic effort to end the war.
2.35am
‘Just take it’, Trump says of Middle East oil
President Trump has repeated his call for countries besides the US to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“The countries that do receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of it,” he said. “They should take the lead.”
“They must grab it and cherish it … They can do it easily. We will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on.
“So to those countries that can’t get fuel, many of which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran… build up some delayed courage,” he said.
He also doubled down on his message for countries like the UK to seize the oil directly from the Middle East. “Just take it,” he said. “Use it for yourselves.”
Watch: Trump criticises Nato and allies over support during Iran war
2.28am
Trump: This is no Vietnam
President Trump has compared the length of the war in Iran to previous conflicts like Vietnam and Iraq as he sought to reassure American voters.
He said the US and Israel had only been attacking Iran for 32 days — while saying the Vietnam War lasted 19 years.
He said Iran had been “eviscerated” in that time.
2.17am
Trump: We’ll hit them hard in coming weeks
President Trump has said the US will hit Iran “extremely hard” over the coming weeks.
“We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.
He said the US would complete its military objectives “very shortly” and reiterated his threat to hit Iran’s energy infrastructure if Tehran refused to make a deal.
“We have our eyes on key targets,” he said. “We have not hit their oil.”
2.18am
‘Gas prices will go down’
President Trump has told American voters that high oil prices will be “short term”.
Speaking ahead of November’s midterms, he tried to reassure voters concerned about the cost of living.
“The gas prices will rapidly go down and the stock prices will rapidly go up,” he said. “We had to take that little journey to Iran to get rid of this horrible threat.”
2.14am
War objectives are ‘nearing completion’
President Trump said the core objectives of the Iran war are “nearing completion”.
He said the US must “honour” the 13 American soldiers who have died during the war by “completing the mission”.
“These core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” he said.
“We are going to finish the job and we’re going to finish it very fast. We’re getting very close.”
2.13am
Iran’s nuclear facilities ‘obliterated’
Trump said that Operation Midnight Hammer, which he launched last summer, had completely “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities.
He then said that the Iranian regime had rebuilt their nuclear centres “at a different location”.
“Making it clear they have no intention of abandoning their pursuit of nuclear weapons,” Trump added.
The president said he would “never let” Iran obtain a nuclear weapon.
2.10am
‘Iran was at the doorstep of a nuclear weapon’
President Trump has said Iran was trying to build missiles “that could reach the American homeland”.
“They had some weapons that nobody believed they had — we just took them out,” he said.
He said Iran was “right at the doorstep” of obtaining nuclear weapons.
2.10am
Trump: Iran war is necessary
President Trump has said the war in Iran is “necessary for the safety of America and the security of the free world”.
He praised the “tremendous progress our warriors have made in Iran”.
He said the US had enough oil that it was “now totally independent of the Middle East and yet we are there to help”.
2.04am
Trump begins address
The US president has kicked off his primetime address by congratulating the astronauts who took off on Artemis II in a historic space flight to the moon on Wednesday.
He went on to say that no enemy has ever been defeated as swiftly or vigorously as Iran throughout Operation Epic Fury.
“Never in the history of warfare has an enemy suffered such clear and devastating large scale losses in a matter of weeks,” he said.
1.54am
Trump address to begin soon
The president is about to deliver his first primetime, live address to the nation since the start of the war.
1.54am
Catch up on our latest Iran coverage
Read our live reporting of the day’s events here: We’ll blast Iran if they don’t open Strait, Trump says
1.33am
Iran: Washington’s demands are irrational
Iran has branded Washington’s demands “maximalist and irrational” and again denied that ceasefire negotiations were taking place, according to media there.
“Messages have been received through intermediaries, including Pakistan, but there is no direct negotiation with the US,” said the foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, quoted by the ISNA news agency.
He accused Washington of making “maximalist and irrational” demands, and said in comments carried on state television that Iran was ready for any attack, including an invasion by ground forces.
1.30am
PM calls for greater co-operation with Europe
Sir Keir Starmer said that global instability means Britain must align closer with Europe.
He said: “It is increasingly clear that as the world continues down this volatile path, our long-term national interest requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe.
“As the chancellor has rightly pointed out, Brexit did deep damage to our economy, and the opportunities to strengthen our security and cut the cost of living are simply too big to ignore.”
Starmer added that a summit in the coming weeks with the EU would “not just ratify existing commitments made at last year’s summit”. He said: “We want to be more ambitious, closer economic co-operation, closer security co-operation, a partnership that recognises our shared values, our shared interest and our shared future.”
Watch: Starmer insists he will not change the UK’s position on involvement in the war
1.30am
Iran denies sending US ceasefire request
Iran has said that President Trump’s claim that Tehran has requested a ceasefire was “false” and “baseless”.
Trump made the claim a few hours ago in a Truth Social post.
The comments were carried by Iranian state TV, Reuters reported.
1.30am
Iran has asked for a ceasefire, Trump claims
Smoke billows from an oil warehouse in Erbil, Iraq, after a suspected drone strikeAFP/Getty Images
President Trump has said that Iran “just asked for a ceasefire” but he would not consider one until the Strait of Hormuz was open.
“Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”
It was not clear who Trump meant by a new president because there has been no change this year from President Pezeshkian, one of the Iranian leaders who has survived the US and Israeli attacks.