Trump claims he’s nearly ready to end war as airstrikes batter Tehran (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
Welcome to RT’s live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran and the wider turmoil across the Middle East, which continues to be affected by missile and drone strikes from both sides.
As the war on Iran entered day 32, missiles struck an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar as well as Kuwait’s airport on Wednesday, while US and Israeli airstrikes relentlessly pounded Tehran. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has announced that he’s nearly ready to end the war.
Trump claimed that Iran’s president wanted a ceasefire ahead of his speech to the American people, scheduled for Wednesday. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, however, had earlier stated that the US suggestions for halting the conflict contain “largely excessive, unrealistic, and unreasonable demands,” contradicting Trump’s earlier claims that Iran had agreed to “most of” the requests on the list.
Trump also suggested that the US is considering leaving NATO over what he cast as its lackluster military support for the Iran war.
Here are the latest developments:
- US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has claimed that “regime change in Iran has occurred,” telling reporters that “if Iran is not willing, then the US War Department will continue with even more intensity.”
- Echoing Trump’s criticism of NATO members, Hegseth remarked that “you don’t have much of an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you when you need them.”
- Iran and the US are engaged in “exchanges of messages” but are not holding any talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi has said.
- The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush is slated to go to the Middle East along with three destroyers, two US officials said, as quoted by Associated Press. 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 US officials.
Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.
01 April 2026
15:28 GMTRepublicans are considering cuts to US federal health spending to help fund a budget bill that includes up to $200 billion for the Iran war and immigration enforcement, Axios has reported. The proposals, still in their early stages, are expected to focus on reducing fraud and costs in healthcare programs, but could face political pushback ahead of elections, the outlet wrote.
- 15:12 GMT
Footage published by the Iranian Red Crescent on X shows the aftermath of a US-Israeli strike on a residential area in Tehran. Aid workers from the organization are attempting to rescue people buried under the rubble.
- 15:01 GMT
Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton has told CBS News that Trump “wants out” of the Iran war but “doesn’t know what to do.” He also cast doubt on Trump’s claims of “regime change” in Iran, saying there is no evidence the new leadership has changed its core policies.
- 14:58 GMT
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has refuted Trump's claims that Iran's president wanted a ceasefire. “No ceasefire proposal has been made by Iran. The five-point plan allegedly proposed by Iran is media speculation,” Araghchi said as cited by IRIB.
The war will continue until the aggressor is punished and full compensation is paid to Iran, he added.
- 14:58 GMT
At least 1,318 people have been killed and 3,935 injured in the Israeli invasion and attacks on Lebanon since March 2, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
- 14:45 GMT
Russia’s ban on gasoline exports has come into force, following a government decision approved last week.
The measure is aimed at “stabilizing” domestic fuel prices and “ensuring priority supply to the internal market.” Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak cited volatility in global oil markets due to the Middle East crisis, while noting strong external demand for Russian energy resources.
- 14:13 GMT
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has defended Donald Trump’s decision to launch military action against Iran, saying “they were bad” and posed a longstanding threat. In an interview with Axios, Dimon expressed hope the conflict would “turn out well” and lead to “permanent” peace in the Middle East.
- 14:11 GMT
The UK’s Royal Navy is not fully ready for war, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Gwyn Jenkins has reportedly said, admitting the force still has “work to do.”
His remarks come as US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth criticized the “big, bad Royal Navy” for not deploying ships to support operations in Iran, while President Trump called on Britain to buy jet fuel from the US or source it directly from the Strait of Hormuz.
- 14:04 GMT
A broker for US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth sought to make a multi-million dollar investment into defense companies prior to the start of US-Israeli strikes on Iran, the Financial Times has reported, citing sources.
However, the request was reportedly flagged in the BlackRock investment company and was not fulfilled. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has dismissed the report as “entirely false and fabricated.”
- 13:57 GMT
Steve Bannon, a former White House adviser and one of the architects of the MAGA movement, has urged US authorities to deport Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son, Yair, and send him to the war with Iran.
Yair Netanyahu, 34, has lived in Florida since 2023 and completed his mandatory service in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
“Netanyahu's kid down in Miami, turf him out tomorrow,” Bannon said. “Where’s DHS when you need them? Get him back there. Put a uniform on him. Let's have him in the first wave.”
Some of Netanyahu’s relatives, however, served in the military. Netanyahu's brother Yonatan was a legendary commando officer who died in a counterterrorism mission in Uganda in 1976. His bona fide hero reputation is widely regarded as a key catalyst behind Netanyahu’s ascent to power.
