Category: News

U.S. President Donald Trump will address the nation Wednesday night to deliver an “important update” on the war in Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on social media.

Trump discussed the war in a phone interview with NBC News on Tuesday morning, saying that “we’re doing great” and that the conflict is “coming to an end.” 

He later told reporters that he expects the U.S. to “leave” Iran within two or three weeks, adding that Iran does not have to make a deal with the U.S. for the war to end, NBC News reported.

Still, that came a day after Trump said that the U.S. was negotiating with Iran and that there had been progress, while he also threatened Iranian infrastructure if a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz was not reached. Iran has said there are no negotiations with the U.S.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington could see the “finish line” in the Iran war, which is now in its fifth week, and the U.S. will have to reexamine ties with NATO after the conflict.

“We can see the finish line. It’s not today, it’s not tomorrow, but it is coming,” Rubio told Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” show.

Rubio said there were messages being exchanged between Iran and the U.S. and there is the potential to have a “direct meeting at some point” between the two sides.

“There are messages being exchanged, there are talks going on. There is the potential for direct meeting at some point,” Rubio said.

Rubio said “that there’s nothing any government is doing, or any country in the world is doing now to help Iran that is in any way impeding our mission.”

He added Washington will have to reexamine its relations with NATO after the ⁠Iran war.

“Ultimately, that’s a decision for the president to make, and he’ll have to make it,” Rubio said.

“But I do think, unfortunately, we are going to have to reexamine whether or not this alliance that has served this country well ⁠for a while is still serving that purpose, or has it now become a one-way street where America is simply in a position to defend Europe, but when we need the help of our allies, ⁠they’re going to deny us basing rights, and they’re going to deny us overflight,” he added in reference to use of military bases.

European leaders have refused to get directly involved in military attacks against Iran.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posed a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed that messages had been exchanged with the United States, either directly or through countries in the region, amid the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran, Al Jazeera reports.

During an interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi said that the contacts with the US did not mean that Tehran was in negotiations with Washington.

“I receive messages from [US special envoy Steve] Witkoff directly, as before, and this does not mean that we are in negotiations,” he said.

“There is no truth to the claim of negotiations with any party in Iran. All messages are conveyed through the Foreign Ministry or received by it, and there are communications between security agencies,” he said.

Araghchi explained that they have never had a “good experience” negotiating with the US, adding that one time years ago they secured a deal, only for the US to withdraw from it, alluding to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“We do not have any faith that negotiations with the US will yield any results. The trust level is at zero”, he said, adding: “We don’t see honesty.”

Amid reports of a possibility of a US ground operation in the country, the Iranian official reiterated that Tehran was not scared.

“We are waiting for them,” he said, adding: “I don’t think they’d dare to do such a thing. There will be a lot of strength waiting for them.”

“We know very well how to defend ourselves. In a ground war, we can do it even better. We are completely ready to confront any sort of ground attack. We hope they do not make such a mistake,” Araghchi said.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posed a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.

More than 800 strike sorties have been carried out by the Israeli Air Force using approximately 16,000 different munitions thus far in the attacks on Iran, which Israel calls Operation Roaring Lion, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posed a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged Australians to use public transport due to fuel supply uncertainties created by the Iran war, the Associated Press reports.

Albanese said in a statement broadcast Wednesday by major television and radio networks that “the months ahead may not be easy.”

“You should go about your business and your life as normal. Enjoy your Easter,” Albanese said.

“And over the coming weeks, if you can switch to catching the train or bus or tram to work, do so,” he added.

Australia slashed fuel taxes from Wednesday in a bid to curb price rises at the pump, according to AP.

The government maintains that Australia has all the fuel it needs, but panic buying and distribution problems have created regional shortages.

China’s Finance Ministry said on Wednesday that Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne would visit China this week, a trip his office said ‌aimed to build closer strategic and economic ties.

The finance ministry said the visit would take place from April 1 to April 4, according to Reuters.

Champagne’s office said in a statement on Monday that the visit would build on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s trip to China in ⁠January, the first by a Canadian prime minister since 2017.

China is Canada’s second‑largest single‑country trading partner. Two‑way merchandise trade between the two countries totalled $124.8 billion in 2025, Reuters reported.