The Latest: Trump addresses the nation on the US war effort in Iran

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U.S. President Donald Trump’s prime-time address at 9 p.m. EDT offers an update on the progress made toward achieving his goals in the war with Iran, which are to destroy the country’s missile production and Navy, ensure its proxies can no longer destabilize the region and guarantee Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

Trump earlier Wednesday claimed Iran’s president wanted a ceasefire ahead of his speech to the American people. Trump made the claim on his Truth Social website. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Trump’s remarks were “false and baseless.”

The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush is slated to go to the Middle East along with three destroyers, two U.S. officials said. The carrier strike group consists of more than 6,000 sailors. It comes as thousands of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division have also begun arriving in the Middle East, according to two other U.S. officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

Meanwhile, U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 on Tuesday, as the Iran war continues to push fuel prices higher worldwide. Analysts say those high fuel costs will trickle into groceries as businesses’ transportation and packaging costs pile up.

Here is the latest:

Trump has set an early April deadline for Tehran to open the strait, or face attacks from U.S. forces on its energy infrastructure.

Last week, as the first deadline approached, Trump said he would delay a threatened strike until April 6, saying talks to end the war were “going very well.” That announcement on social media came after U.S. stocks fell sharply and oil prices rose, as doubt took over again on Wall Street about a possible end to the war.

But in a social media post earlier Wednesday before his speech, Trump demanded that Iran stop blocking the Strait of Hormuz, or the U.S. would bomb the Islamic Republic “back to the Stone Ages.”

Less than half an hour after Trump’s speech, Israel said its military was working to intercept a missile launch from Iran — the third on Thursday.

Sirens went off across northern Israel, from the city of Haifa on the Mediterranean coast to the Sea of Galilee.

Stressing his view of the strength of the U.S. economy under his leadership, Trump sought to allay fears about rising gas prices as the war has gone on.

Arguing that the U.S. has plenty of its own fuel stores because of his “drill baby, drill” attitude on domestic oil production, Trump said that the country produces more oil and gas than Saudi Arabia and Russia combined.

The U.S. was the leading oil producer in the world in 2025, pumping more than 13 million barrels per day. Russia and Saudi Arabia ranked second and third globally, each producing more than 9.5 million barrels per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

This week, U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022, as the Iran war continues to push fuel prices higher worldwide. The last time U.S. drivers were collectively paying this much at the pump was nearly four years ago, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Thousands of additional U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East this week, but there was no mention of them — or the thousands more who have already begun arriving there.

Trump also didn’t talk directly about NATO, at whose members he has fumed over refusal to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump said he was strongly considering pulling the United States out of NATO, ratcheting up his criticism of European leaders.

The war has sent petroleum prices soaring as Iran has effectively shut the strait, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.

On Wednesday night, Trump said Americans “don’t need” the strait and that the countries who do “must grab it and cherish it.”

The Republican president said that Iran’s various nuclear sites are under “intense satellite surveillance and control” by the U.S. as both Israeli and American forces have targeted the areas repeatedly, first last June, and more recently in the last month.

Despite saying that the joint strikes last summer had “obliterated” the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, Trump has made conflicting statements about the status of Tehran’s activity in the last several months.

“If we see them make a move, even a move for it, we will hit them with missiles very hard again,” Trump said.

As part of his plea for patience from U.S. voters, the president ticked through the timeline of American involvement in earlier conflicts.

“World War I lasted one year, seven months and five days,” he said. “World War II lasted for three years, eight months and 25 days.” He added references to Korea, Vietnam and Iraq — noting Vietnam’s nearly 20-year U.S. commitment.

Action in Iran has spanned 32 days by comparison, Trump said, and been “so powerful, so brilliant” that “one of the most powerful countries” is “really no longer a threat.”

A recent AP-NORC poll found that 6 out of 10 U.S. adults said Trump’s actions in Iran had gone too far.

While Trump again claimed “Iran has been essentially decimated” and that efforts by other nations to secure the Strait of Hormuz “should be easy,” data from independent observers does not support this claim.

While there’s been a slowdown in Iranian strikes, a degraded Iranian military nonetheless remains a stubborn foe.

Iran went from almost 100 strikes on March 1, the second day of the war, to no more than 50 strikes on any given day since March 6, according to independent data from Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, or ACLED, a U.S.-based group that tracks conflicts worldwide. A “strike,” in the group’s methodology, can include multiple individual strikes in the same location on the same day.

Experts say any short-term decline could be a sign that Iran is deliberately rationing its missiles and drones as opposed to running out of firepower.

The president spoke of the decades-long history of tensions between the U.S. and Iran, saying the dynamic should have “been handled” before his arrival at the White House. But he was particularly critical of President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal, reiterating his longstanding derision of that framework.

“His Iran deal would have led to a colossal arsenal of massive nuclear weapons for Iran,” Trump said.

Iran long has insisted its nuclear program was peaceful. It had, however, been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels.

Before the war, U.S. intelligence agencies assessed that Iran had yet to begin a weapons program, but had “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.”

Trump and members of his administrations have cited many reasons and rationales for why the U.S. joined Israel on Feb. 28 in launching a war against Iran. In his first address to the nation since the start of the Iran war, Trump says the military action is not for getting any of the country’s vast resources, including oil, but instead to help America’s allies.

“We’re now totally independent of the Middle East, and yet we are there to help,” he said. “We don’t have to be there. We don’t need their oil. We don’t need anything they have.”

But, he added, “we’re there to help our allies.”

Speaking in the Cross Hall at the White House, Trump said Wednesday night that Operation Epic Fury’s actions over the past month meant that Iran’s “ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed, and their weapons factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces.”

Trump also said that the country’s “navy is gone, their air force is in ruins,” and the country’s leaders, “are now dead.”

He also said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “is being decimated as we speak.”

In his private remarks at an Easter lunch at the White House, the president seemed to reflect the domestic pressure he’s feeling to wrap up the war. He said that the U.S. could “very easily” take Iran’s oil but said it “is unfortunate” that there did not seem to be patience among the American people for such an effort.

“They want to see it end,” he said.

Trump said he would prefer to take Iran’s oil “but people in the country sort of say, ‘Just win. You’re winning so big. Just win. Come home.’ And I’m OK with that too,” he said.

Video of the speech was posted online by a Business Insider reporter who said he noticed the White House had uploaded video of the closed-press event and downloaded it before it was later made private. The White House did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on why it took the video down.

A series of blasts could be heard in Dubai as air defenses worked to intercept the Iranian barrage.

The attack happened just before U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech to the American people about the war.

The president has previously directed much of his anger at NATO allies for their reluctance to get involved in securing the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S. and Israel finish prosecuting their war against Iran.

But in his remarks at the private Easter lunch he hosted at the White House on Wednesday, Trump also expressed frustration with some Asian countries that are more reliant on Gulf oil than the U.S.

“Let South Korea, you know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm’s way over there, right next to a nuclear force — let South Korea do it,” Trump said. “Let Japan do it. They get 90% of their oil from the strait. Let China do it.”

“NATO treated us very badly, and you have to remember it because they’ll be treating us badly again if we ever need them,” Trump fumed anew about the alliance. “And hopefully, we’re never going to need them. I don’t think we’ll need them. I don’t think they can do very much.”

Trump added, “NATO won’t be there if we ever have the big one.”

The president’s scathing comments came during remarks at a private lunch on Wednesday at the White House that Trump hosted to mark the coming Easter holiday. Video of the speech was posted online by a Business Insider reporter who said he noticed the White House had uploaded video of the closed-press event and downloaded it before the White House later made it private.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on why it took the video down.

Israel’s emergency services say a 12-year-old and two 7-month-olds were mildly injured from shattered glass in central Israel in the first launch of missiles Thursday from Iran.

A 24-year-old was also mildly injured in the same overnight incident in Bnei Brak, a city east of Tel Aviv that’s been struck repeatedly during the war, according to Magen David Adom rescue services. On Wednesday morning there, an 11-year-old girl was injured by shrapnel in another missile strike and she remained in critical condition, the medical service added.

Israel’s military said it was working to intercept another missile launch from Iran early on Thursday morning.

Very early on Thursday, Israel’s military said Iran had launched missiles at the country, the first time of the day.

Sirens sounded the alert in Tel Aviv, central Israel and parts of the occupied West Bank.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is scheduled to visit Washington next week as Trump continues to lash at members of the military alliance for rejecting the U.S. leader’s call to help open up the Strait of Hormuz.

The visit by Rutte was confirmed by a White House official who was not authorized to comment on the yet to be formally announced visit and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Trump and Rutte have a good relationship, but the president has sounded increasingly annoyed with alliance members as the Iran war grinds on, particularly the United Kingdom and France.

The dynamic is creating uncertainty and concern over the future of the alliance, whose value Trump has long called into question.

— Aamer Madhani

Iran launched approximately 10 missiles, one right after the other, targeting central Israel in the early evening of Wednesday, Israel’s military said. The siren alerts in rapid succession sent millions of residents into shelters about an hour before sundown — when Jews were getting ready to celebrate the first night of Passover, one of the holiest times of the year.

The holiday, commemorating the ancient Israelites’ Exodus from slavery in Egypt, is celebrated around family dinner tables and at communal banquets. In Ramat Gan, just outside Tel Aviv, some families set up long, festive tables for the traditional Seder meal in an underground shelter, next to sleeping tents.

“Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war? Was there any objective threat from Iran to justify such behavior?” President Masoud Pezeshkian said in the letter that he posted in English on his X account on Wednesday.

He said that, in its modern history, Iran never chose aggression “despite possessing military superiority over many of its neighbors.”

Further, the Iranian president signaled that the U.S. has entered the war as a proxy for Israel, and insisted that what Iran continues to do in its attacks against neighboring countries is a “measured response grounded in legitimate self-defense.”

“Is ‘America First’ truly among the priorities of the U.S government today?” he asked.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is tentatively set to testify April 29 before the House Armed Services Committee, where he’ll likely face lawmakers’ questions for the first time since the Iran war began, according to a congressional staffer with knowledge of the matter.

The meeting will serve as the annual Pentagon budget hearing and will include Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the staffer, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm the hearing.

Hegseth and Caine are expected to get questions about the war’s objectives, costs and casualties.

— Ben Finley

President of the International Rescue Committee David Miliband made these remarks during an online briefing with journalists after visiting Syria and war-torn Lebanon.

Over $100,000 worth of IRC humanitarian aid for lifesaving initiatives is trapped in its hub in Dubai.

Iran has been cementing its chokehold the Strait of Hormuz in the ongoing war with the United States and Israel, the world’s most important artery for oil shipments.

“Thirty percent of the world’s fertilizer goes through there,” said Miliband, fearing a food security crisis in many vulnerable countries where the organization works. “We are advocating that all the goods in that hub be given safe passage immediately.”

Traffic through the strait has fallen by 90% since the start of the Iran war, sending global oil prices skyrocketing and inflicting alarming shortages on the Asian nations that get their oil from Persian Gulf countries via the strait.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres set up an initiative to allow humanitarian assistance to move through the strait in a bid to prevent a global food crisis.

The president’s prime-time address will offer an update on U.S. progress toward achieving his goals in Iran, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly ahead of the address.

The official said those goals are to destroy Iran’s missile production, destroy its Navy, ensure its proxies can no longer destabilize the region, and guarantee Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

Trump is also expected to reiterate his estimated timeline of concluding operations within two to three weeks.

— Collin Binkley

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian in a message to American people said both confrontation and engagement between Iran and the U.S. are accessible, adding that Iran will endure any aggression by the U.S.

“Today, the world stands at crossroads. Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before. The choice between confrontation and engagement is both real and consequential; its outcome will shape the future for generations to come,” Pezeshkian said. “Throughout its millennia of proud history, Iran has outlasted many aggressors. All that remains of them are tarnished names in history, while Iran endures — resilient, dignified, and proud.”

Pezeshkina did not mention a ceasefire offer last week by President Trump, though he accused Israel of dragging the U.S. into a war against Iran.

“Is it not also the case that America has entered this aggression as a proxy for Israel, influenced and manipulated by that regime? ” asked Pezeshkian.

David Miliband, President of the International Rescue Committee made these remarks during an online briefing with journalists after visiting Lebanon and Syria.

More than one million Lebanese were displaced during the past month in the latest conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group. Israel has issued evacuation orders for large swaths of southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs. Only a small portion of them are staying in government-run public schools turned-shelters, while others stay with family or even in tents on the streets.

“There is nothing like driving in front of the Lebanon yacht club and in front of it are Lebanese in tents who are displaced,” said Miliband, who decried the tiny country’s situation as a “silent emergency that is getting very little attention.”

China on Wednesday said it would stay in “close communication with Pakistan and relevant parties” on the Iran war and “play a constructive role in promoting the end of hostilities.”

It comes a day after China’s foreign minister met Pakistan’s top diplomat in Beijing and said China supported efforts to de-escalate tensions.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar that it would not be an easy task and that China would be “willing to work with Pakistan” to end the “flames of war” as soon as possible and open the “window to peace talks.”

Wang said Pakistan’s efforts were in the interest of all sides, including averting spillover effects, preventing further casualties, stabilizing international energy security and protecting supply chains.

Following their meeting Tuesday, the two governments put forward a five-point proposal, including ceasing hostilities, starting peace talks, protecting civilian targets and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

NATO is getting defended on a bipartisan basis by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., ahead of Trump’s address to the nation on Wednesday night.

Trump is expected to criticize NATO members for not joining the U.S. in its war with Iran.

McConnell and Coons said in a joint statement that “NATO is the most successful military alliance in history” and stressed how its members “fought and died,” along with U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Americans are safer when NATO is strong and united,” the statement said. “The Senate will continue to support the alliance for the peace and protection it provides America, Europe, and the World.”

The National Defense Authorization Act in 2023 has provision that requires a two-thirds approval from the Senate in order to leave NATO or a separate measure by Congress, limiting the president’s ability to do so unilaterally.

Bahrain’s U.N. Ambassador Jamal Alrowaiei accused Iran of “economic terrorism” and violating international law. And he urged adoption of a U.N. resolution that would authorize countries “to use all necessary means” to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

He expressed hope at a U.N. news conference that the Security Council will adopt the resolution “as soon as possible,” and as early as Thursday. But Russia, China and France objected to the latest draft, and negotiations were continuing.

Alrowaiei, the Arab representative on the council and its president for April, said Gulf countries had tried “to build bridges of peace with Iran,” and the attacks they were subjected to immediately after the Israeli-U.S. airstrikes on Feb. 28 were “shocking and premeditated.”

He said Bahrain, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, has been targeted by 186 missiles and 419 drones and has suffered damage to desalination plants, hotels, the airport and other civilian infrastructure.