Updated April 1, 2026 at 8:23 AM PDT
President Trump is set to address the nation on the Iran war at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday night, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying he would be providing "an important update," without providing further details.
On Tuesday, Trump said he expected the conflict to be over in two to three weeks, adding, "we'll be leaving very soon," and promising gas prices would then "come tumbling down."
Trump shrugged off what would happen to the largely blockaded Strait of Hormuz — where about a fifth of the world's oil typically passes — saying, "we're not going to have anything to do with it." He said that it wouldn't affect the U.S. and would be something for other countries to deal with.
"They'll be able to fend for themselves," he said, having previously told European allies who have refused to enter the war to "go get your own oil!"
In an interview with Britain's Telegraph newspaper published Wednesday, Trump said he was considering pulling the U.S. out of NATO.
Here are more updates on Day 33 of the Iran war:
Fighting overnight | World leaders | Iran | American journalist kidnapped| Aid hold up | Peace plan
Regional fighting overnight
The Israeli military said it hit 230 targets in Iran while also widening an invasion into Lebanon. Meanwhile, Iran is striking back at Gulf neighbors, especially military bases used by the U.S.
Since the war began over a month ago, 13 U.S. service members have been killed. Iran says more than 1,700 of its people have been killed.
Also overnight Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed missile attacks on Israel, which the Israeli military intercepted. The Houthis have vowed an "escalation" in attacks.
Israel's emergency services reported Iranian missiles fired at central Israel had injured 14 people, including children.
At Kuwait's international airport, Iranian drones hit fuel depots, causing a huge fire, a day after a Kuwaiti oil tanker off Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was hit.
In Qatar on Wednesday, a missile launched by Iran hit an oil tanker leased to QatarEnergies, which said no one was injured and reported no environmental impact.
Leaders of the U.K. and Australia speak
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the nation on Wednesday about how the rising cost of living caused by the conflict will affect British citizens and what his government is doing to try to mitigate that.
He repeated a previous vow that the U.K. will only take "defensive" action against Iranian attacks in the Middle East and would not get drawn into the war. He also announced his foreign secretary would organize an international summit on the Strait of Hormuz aimed at restoring freedom of navigation.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also gave a national address on the war on Wednesday.
Earlier this week Albanese announced his government would halve the fuel tax for three months to give Australians some respite from the rising costs.
He urged Australians to use public transport and not to hoard fuel. He also warned that "the reality is, the economic shocks caused by this war will be with us for months."
"Hospitality" is over, says Iran
Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee, said on social media in a message to Trump that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen "but not for you."
Referring to the period since Iran's 1979 revolution, he added: "47 years of hospitality are over forever."
Iran this week approved a bill to charge vessels for crossing the vital economic waterway.
"Trump has finally achieved his dream of 'regime change' — but in the region's maritime regime!" Azizi said.
It's not just vessels that are now trapped near the Strait of Hormuz.
An estimated 20,000 seafarers are onboard, in an active war zone. Most seafarers are from the Philippines, Bangladesh and India, and some vessels are reportedly running low on food and water.
The U.N. International Maritime Organization is negotiating with all sides to try to evacuate them.
American journalist kidnapped in Iraq
American freelance reporter Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad Tuesday, according to Al-Monitor, a Middle Eastern news site for which she has written.
Iraqi security forces said they intercepted a vehicle that crashed and arrested one of the suspected kidnappers, but are still searching for the kidnapped journalist and other suspects.
U.S. officials say they're working to get her released.
"The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible," Dylan Johnson, the assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, said on social media.
He said Americans, including media workers, have been advised not to travel to Iraq and should leave the country. The statement did not condemn the kidnapping or express concern for reporter taken captive.
Johnson said Iraqi authorities apprehended a suspect associated with Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, believed to be involved in the kidnapping.
Press freedom organizations expressed deep concern. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on "Iraqi authorities to do everything in their power to locate Shelley Kittleson, ensure her immediate and safe release, and hold those responsible to account."
Based in Rome, Kittleson has reported on Iraq, as well as Syria and Afghanistan, for years, according to Al-Monitor.
Reporters Without Borders said she is "very familiar with Iraq, where she stays for extended periods."
"RSF stands alongside her loved ones and colleagues during this painful wait," the organization said.
Al-Monitor said in a statement it is "deeply alarmed" by her kidnapping. "We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work," it said.
Aid hold up
The World Food Programme says tens of thousands of tons of food aid are stuck in ports as a consequence of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
The United Nations' food agency says carriers are not able to use the Strait of Hormuz and choosing not to use the Suez Canal through Egypt out of concerns of attacks there, too.
This is adding a month to shipping time and costing more because of spikes in fuel prices from the war, the agency says. As people around the world pay more for fuel, more families will struggle to put food on the table.
"This is a whole disruption of the global supply chain," said Corinne Fleischer, the World Food Programme's director of supply chain. "What we've seen after COVID is that it took four to five months to get back into place once the situation stabilized. We're looking at a longer‑term situation where we will be impacted by higher costs and longer lead times."
The food agency predicts 45 million additional people will fall into acute hunger around the world if current conditions continue through June — reaching 363 million globally.
Pakistan and China release a joint statement
The foreign ministers of Pakistan and China issued a joint statement on Tuesday calling for talks as part of a broader peace plan to end the conflict in the Middle East. The statement called for a halt to fire, an end to attacks on civilian infrastructure and reopening of the State of Hormuz.
Pakistan has been relaying messages between the U.S. and Iran but there are conflicting reports from both sides about talks, with President Trump repeating that negotiations are progressing while Iranian officials deny this.
The joint statement with China came as Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Beijing for talks with his Chinese counterpart. That followed a flurry of meetings Dar has held with other countries working to mediate in the conflict.
China's Foreign Ministry has applauded Pakistan's mediation effort. China is a leading customer of Iran's oil and is seen as sympathetic to the country.
Jane Arraf in Amman, Jordan, Diaa Hadid in Mumbai, India, Quil Lawrence in New York, Michele Kelemen in Washington, Emily Feng in Van, Turkey, Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to reporting.
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