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.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan released a statement on March 31, falsely accusing what it described as “Armenian groups” of carrying out “genocide” against Azerbaijanis in 1918.

In an interview with Armenpress, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan responded to the statement.

Armenpress: How would you comment on the March 31, 2026 statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan?

Badalyan: During the decades-long conflict, a number of hostile and unfounded narratives had taken shape which, unfortunately, continue to be used in Azerbaijan, even at the state level.

We hope that the peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan will not only contribute to stable, peaceful coexistence and the development of good-neighborly relations between the two states and societies, but will also put an end to fabricated claims and rule out hate speech. We recall that the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan reached an agreement on this in Washington, where the declaration signed on August 8, 2025, clearly states in its fifth point the intention to close the chapter of hostility between the two peoples and to embark on building good-neighborly relations following a conflict that caused immense human suffering.

Armenian Ambassador to Argentina Hovhannes Virabyan met with Argentina’s Minister of Defense, Carlos Presti.

“During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for the development of sectoral bilateral cooperation, emphasizing their mutual interest in strengthening dialogue and expanding areas of cooperation,” the Armenian Embassy in Argentina said in a press release.

Ambassador Virabyan and Minister Presti also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, highlighting the importance of promoting joint initiatives that contribute to the strengthening of bilateral relations.

The sports school, which will be named in honor of retired Armenian-German professional boxer Arthur Abraham, is under construction in Yerevan.

The school will be located in the Charbakh neighborhood of the Shengavit district.

Abraham posted a video from the construction site, thanking the Armenian government for building the school named after him.

Arayik Harutyunyan, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office, said that by naming the school after Abraham, the government is paying tribute to the renowned athlete.

“In the Charbakh district of Shengavit, the magnificent school named after Arthur Abraham is being built. Beyond expressing our appreciation for our renowned boxer, we are also constructing a sports complex unlike anything the Shengavit administrative district has ever seen. Let us value our athletes,” Harutyunyan wrote on social media.

Arthur Abraham held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the IBF middleweight title from 2005 to 2009, and the WBO super-middleweight title twice between 2012 and 2016.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan released a statement on April 1 congratulating the country’s Assyrian community on Kha b-Nisan, the Assyrian New Year.

“Dear representatives of the Assyrian community of the Republic of Armenia, I warmly congratulate you on the occasion of the New Year, Kha b-Nisan,” Pashinyan said in a statement published by his office.

“This holiday symbolizes the awakening and fertility of nature, and I wish that it brings joy, love, and happiness to Assyrians who are citizens of the Republic of Armenia. May the coming year be one of productive endeavors, success, abundance, and well-being for you.

Dear members of the Assyrian community of the Republic of Armenia, I would also like to thank all of you for your efforts, work, and dedication to the development of our state.

Happy Kha b-Nisan!”