Donald Trump is expected to use his primetime address to the nation to announce that the war in Iran, which has now lasted over a month, is winding down – as a new poll shows the president’s approval ratings continue to drop.
The speech, airing at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday, will claim that all of America’s military objectives have been met, despite White House officials consistently being cagey over specifics, sources told Politico.
Trump also intends to double down on his criticism of NATO allies and blame them for the ongoing issues in the Strait of Hormuz – which is still marred by shipping restrictions imposed by Iran.
It comes after a new poll by CNN and SSRS found just one third of Americans approve of the ongoing military action in the Middle East, with 67 percent saying they don’t believe Trump has a clear plan for handling the situation.
The president previously said that the U.S. would be “blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages” if the vital shipping artery was not reopened.
Earlier Wednesday, in a letter addressed to the American people, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his country has no hatred for ordinary Americans.
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Key Points
- Trump set to declare war in Iran is winding down
- Iran's president says his country is not a threat
- Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s Iran war and don’t think he has a ‘clear plan’: poll
- Kuwait airport on fire after drone attack
- UAE bars Iranian passport holders from entry and transit
Watch: White House uses Seinfeld clip to affirm its Iran narrative
01:55 , Mike BediganUS moves troops to hotels in Middle East – seemingly in violation of its own rules of war: report
01:40 , Mike BediganThe Pentagon may have violated its own rules of war by moving troops from U.S. bases, targeted by Iran, to hotels and other civilian locations in the Middle East region, the New York Times reported.
Ariana Baio has the full story:
US moves troops to hotels in Middle East – violating rules of war: report
Bannon says Trump will 'declare victory' in speech to nation
01:25 , Mike BediganSteve Bannon has said that Donald Trump will be using his 9 p.m. address to the nation to “declare victory” in Iran.
Bannon, the president’s former White House chief strategist, said that Trump will announce what he plans to do while U.S. forces remain in Iran as well as “dumping on the NATO allies,” Politico reported.
“Two, three weeks, definable objectives. ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ — and we are hanging around a couple of weeks to conquer some more — maybe even then a ceasefire, while reiterating that the Hormuz situation is the Gulf Emirates’ and the Europeans’ to solve, and declare victory,” Bannon said.
Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s Iran war and don’t think he has a ‘clear plan’: poll
01:05 , Mike BediganMore than a month into the U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran that has upended the global economy and sent fuel prices soaring, a new poll from CNN and SSRS finds just one third of Americans approve of the ongoing military action.
The 34 percent of respondents who said they approved at least somewhat of President Donald Trump’s war represents a seven-point decline from a similar poll taken just after the start of the bombing campaign on February 28.
The results of the poll come as the president prepares to give a speech at 9 p.m. Wednesday, announcing the winding down of the war, and boast of his achievements.
In the meantime, here’s the full story from Andrew Feinberg:
Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Iran war and doubt Trump has ‘clear plan’: poll
Trump to use speech to announce winding down of Iran war
Thursday 2 April 2026 00:46 , Mike BediganDonald Trump is expected to use his primetime address to the nation to announce that the war in Iran, which has now lasted over a month, is winding down.
Sources told Politico that the speech, airing at 9 p.m. ET, will claim that all of America’s military objectives have been met, despite White House officials consistently being cagey over specifics.
Trump also intends to double down on his criticism of NATO allies and blame them for the ongoing issues in the Strait of Hormuz – which is still marred by shipping restrictions imposed by Iran.
In pictures: Tehran funeral procession turns into anti-US rally
Thursday 2 April 2026 00:00 , Jane Dalton US officials prepare for ‘nightmare scenario’ of oil at $150 a barrel
Wednesday 1 April 2026 23:30 , Jane Dalton Trump officials prepping for ‘nightmare scenario’ at gas pumps: reports
Trump claims he 'doesn't need' NATO and hints at Oval Office address in speech
Wednesday 1 April 2026 23:00 , Rebecca WhittakerIn a speech at an Easter Lunch at the White House president Donald Trump hit out at NATO claiming he “didn’t need them”.
“We've got some very bad allies in NATO. We blasted the hell out of Iran, the last thing I needed was NATO stepping in our way,” he said.
The president also hinted at tonights Oval Office address, claiming he will be speaking out how “great” he is.
He said: “Tonight I'm making a little speech at 9 o'clock. And basically I'm gonna uhh tell everybody how great I am. Whatta phenomenal job I've done.”
Unclear how Trump has 'stopped nuclear weapon development'
Wednesday 1 April 2026 23:00 , Jane DaltonPresident Trump says he has achieved one of his primary goals of the war – to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, although it isn't clear how.
Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium that could potentially be used to build nuclear weapons is believed to be buried under the rubble of a mountain facility that was hit during strikes last June — and that hasn't changed since the war with Iran began this year.
Mr Trump has said the US would move to take the uranium if it reached a deal with Iran.
But he said on Wednesday that the uranium is "so far underground, I don't care about that".
"We'll always be watching it by satellite," he said.
He said Iran was now incapable of developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran's president says his country is not a threat
Wednesday 1 April 2026 22:46 , Rebecca WhittakerIran’s president has hit out at “unprovoked military aggression” in a letter addressed to the American people.
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said that his country harbours no enmity towards ordinary Americans.
He added that portraying Iran as a threat was "neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts".
To the people of the United States of America pic.twitter.com/3uAL4FZgY7
— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) April 1, 2026
US journalist kidnapped in Baghdad after receiving threats
Wednesday 1 April 2026 22:30 , Jane Dalton US journalist kidnapped in Iraq had been warned of threats in days prior
Analysis: Trump scrambles to reclaim narrative on his weakest issues
Wednesday 1 April 2026 22:10 , Jane Dalton Trump scrambles to reclaim the narrative on his weaknesses: Iran war and immigration
Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s Iran war and don’t think he has a ‘clear plan’: poll
Wednesday 1 April 2026 22:07 , Rebecca WhittakerJust a third of the US public approves of President Donald Trump’s handling of the situation in Iran, a CNN poll conducted by SSRS has revealed.
While only 33 per cent of the public thought he had a clear plan to handle the situation in Iran, 36 per cent approve of his foreign policy.
Plus about six in 10 say he has gone too far in trying to expand America’s power over other countries.
Disapproval of military action in Iran has grown since the start of the war, with just 34 per cent of Americans saying they approve at least somewhat of the US decision to take military action in Iran, down seven points from a CNN poll conducted just after the start of the war.
Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Iran war and doubt Trump has ‘clear plan’: poll
Trump to declare war in Iran is winding down
Wednesday 1 April 2026 21:54 , Rebecca WhittakerPresident Donald Trump is set to declare that the war in Iran is winding down in an Oval Office address tonight.
He also intends to scapegoat NATO allies for Iran’s ongoing restrictions of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Politico reported.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House chief strategist, said the president will lay out what he has achieved in Iran and what he want’s to do before he leaves.
“Two, three weeks, definable objectives. ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ — and we are hanging around a couple of weeks to conquer some more — maybe even then a ceasefire, while reiterating that the Hormuz situation is the Gulf Emirates’ and the Europeans’ to solve, and declare victory,” He said.
Trump says King Charles would have taken ‘different stand’ on Iran war to Starmer
Wednesday 1 April 2026 21:50 , Rebecca WhittakerDonald Trump has appeared to suggest the King would have backed him over the war in Iran, saying Charles would have taken a “very different stand” to Sir Keir Starmer.
Charles and Camilla’s state visit to the US was confirmed to be going ahead this week despite calls for it to be postponed or even cancelled because of the conflict in the Middle East.
The US president was asked about the King’s visit in an interview with The Telegraph.
“I like him. I always liked him as a prince. He’s a good man, a great representative for your country,” Mr Trump said.
He added: “I think he would have taken a very different stand (on the war in Iran) but he doesn’t do that. I mean, he’s a great gentleman.”
We're no threat to American people, Iranian president says
Wednesday 1 April 2026 21:31 , Jane DaltonIranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said in a letter addressed to the American people that his country harbours no enmity towards ordinary Americans, Press TV has reported.
He said in his letter that portraying Iran as a threat was "neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts".
Countries to discuss how to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Wednesday 1 April 2026 20:59 , Jane DaltonUK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper is set to host an international meeting on Thursday to "assess all viable diplomatic and political measures" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after 35 countries signed up to a statement expressing willingness to contribute to efforts to ensure safe passage for shipping.
Following the meeting, military planners will consider how to make the strait "accessible and safe" after the fighting has stopped, although this is not expected to involve the deployment of Royal Navy warships to police the waterway.
Trump threatens to quit Nato in fresh attack on allies - full report
Wednesday 1 April 2026 20:35 , Jane Dalton Trump threatens to pull out of Nato and warns he’ll bomb Iran ‘back to the Stone Age’
French navy chief urges China to engage more in Strait of Hormuz discussion
Wednesday 1 April 2026 20:10 , Rebecca WhittakerThe French navy chief has said China will need to engage more in discussions on the Strait of Hormuz.
Admiral Nicolas Vaujour told the War & Peace security conference in Paris that the number of vessels China has going through is probably insufficient.
"We have not seen China’s navy step in to reopen the strait. On the other hand, there is direct political dialogue between Chinese and Iranian authorities to ensure that a certain number of vessels can pass. Will that be enough to restore normal traffic flows? I don’t believe so," he said.
"As a result, China will probably have to engage more directly in the debate and show its impatience with the fact that the strait remains closed."
Vaujour said France was working to bring a number of countries around the table at a political level first to determine the conditions under which the strait could be reopened in a lasting way.
King would have backed me up on Iran, Trump claims
Wednesday 1 April 2026 19:55 , Jane DaltonDonald Trump has claimed the King would have backed him up over the war in Iran when Sir Keir Starmer did not.
The US president told The Telegraph the King would have taken a “different stand” from the prime minister.
“I like him. I always liked him as a prince. He’s a good man, a great representative for your country,” Mr Trump said when asked about the King’s forthcoming US state visit.
“I think he would have taken a very different stand [on the war in Iran] but he doesn’t do that. I mean, he’s a great gentleman.”
Referring to the breakdown in US-UK relations over the war, Mr Trump acknowledged that the King had “nothing to do with this”.
“He’s a wonderful and brave man, to be honest with you. He’s been through a lot, in many ways,” he said.
Watch: Pope Leo makes rare direct appeal to Trump to find Iran war ‘off-ramp’
Wednesday 1 April 2026 19:50 , Rebecca WhittakerIt's 'vital' freedom of navigation is restored in Strait of Hormuz, leaders say
Wednesday 1 April 2026 19:30 , Rebecca WhittakerDowning street has said it is “vital that freedom of navigation” is restored in the Strait of Hormuz in a meeting with Nato.
Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Nato secretary general Mark Rutte this afternoon about the Middle East conflict and updated him on plans for a virtual meeting of foreign ministers tomorrow.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The leaders began by discussing the situation in Ukraine, and the progress being made on peace talks.
“The leaders underlined their unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and reiterated that Ukraine’s future was for its people to decide.
“Turning to the Middle East, the leaders reflected on the Prime Minister’s speech this morning, and the Prime Minister updated on plans for the virtual meeting of foreign ministers tomorrow.
“It was vital that freedom of navigation was restored in the Strait of Hormuz, and that all countries played their part in a viable plan to ensure the free flow of trade, the leaders agreed.”
Comment: Without the US, can Nato deter Putin and keep Gulf oil flowing? We may soon find out…
Wednesday 1 April 2026 19:10 , Rebecca WhittakerWith Trump’s dismissal of the Western alliance as a ‘paper tiger’ – and his unflinching declaration that he is considering abandoning it – it’s about time European leaders started preparing for ‘the day after Nato’, says Mark Almond.
Without the US, can Nato deter Putin and keep Gulf oil flowing? We may soon find out…
Ryanair may be forced to cancel summer flights if war Iran continues
Wednesday 1 April 2026 18:50 , Rebecca WhittakerJet fuel supply to Europe could be disrupted from June if the Middle East conflict does not end in the next month, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary warned.
He added that it could mean the airline and rivals will need to consider cancelling summer season flights.
O'Leary said the airline company is holding daily calls with all of its fuel suppliers across Europe to assess the situation, which the suppliers say will remain stable until the end of May.
"If this (the conflict) continues through to the end of April, we're looking at a risk to supplies in early June. If it runs into May, then we don't know what goes on," O'Leary said.
"If there's a risk to 10% or 20% of the fuel supply in June or July or August, then we and other airlines will have to start looking at cancelling some flights or taking some capacity out."
Trump threatens to blast Iran ‘back to the Stone Ages’ ahead of primetime address on war tonight
Wednesday 1 April 2026 18:30 , Rebecca Whittaker Trump threatens to blast Iran ‘back to the Stone Ages’ ahead of primetime address
Supermarkets working to keep costs down as food set to soar by 10%
Wednesday 1 April 2026 18:17 , Rebecca WhittakerChancellor Rachel Reeves and supermarkets are working to keep costs down and boost supply chains, as food bills are set to soar as much as 10 per cent this year as a direct consequence of the Iran war.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Morrisons, Lidl, Co-Op, M&S, Iceland and Ocado were represented at the meeting with the Chancellor, as well as the British Retail Consortium.
A Government spokesperson said: “The Chancellor and Environment Secretary had a positive meeting with Britain’s leading supermarkets to discuss the economic impacts of the war in the Middle East.
“They agreed to work together to explore what more can be done to ease the cost of living for consumers and strengthen supply chains.”
Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers had a constructive meeting with the Chancellor.
“Supermarkets are doing everything they can to keep food prices affordable and maintain the ongoing resilience of their supply chains.
“While the conflict in the Middle East means some inflation is inevitable, there are domestic policy levers that Government can pull in order to mitigate some of the inflationary pressures.
“Industry is committed to working with Government to consider these further and on ways it can continue to support British households.”
It comes as the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which represents 12,000 food and drink manufacturers, has hiked its inflation forecast for the year from 3.2 per cent to between nine and 10 per cent.
Watch: Former US Embassy building in Tehran targeted in attack, Iranian media report
Wednesday 1 April 2026 18:00 , Rebecca WhittakerRAF shot down 10 Iranian drones overnight
Wednesday 1 April 2026 17:36 , Rebecca WhittakerBritish RAF Regiment gunners have shot down 10 Iranian drones overnight.
The specialist soldiers shot down the aerial robot weapons as part of their duties while protecting British bases in the Middle East.
Elsewhere overnight into Wednesday, UK fighter jets, including Typhoons and F-35s, as well as Wildcat helicopters, have continued defensive missions in Cyprus, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Three possible scenarios if Trump leaves Iran without reopening the Strait of Hormuz
Wednesday 1 April 2026 17:09 , Daniel Keane Three possible scenarios if Trump leaves Iran without reopening the Strait of Hormuz
Qeshm: Iran’s fortress island with an underground ‘missile city’ threatening US troops in Hormuz
Wednesday 1 April 2026 16:32 , Maira ButtDonald Trump has kept the world guessing with his war in Iran, rushing thousands of troops to the region in a show of force while boasting of progress in talks that Tehran denies are happening.
The US says it has destroyed more than 10,000 targets and over 100 Iranian ships since its war began in February, but the Strait of Hormuz remains under Iran’s grip, causing a crisis in global markets and weakening US leverage.
A large island housing anti-ship missiles in the Strait has been briefed as a possible target of a ground offensive to break Iran’s grip, alongside key oil export hub Kharg Island.
James C Reynolds reports:
Inside Qeshm: How Iran’s fortress island holds the key to the Strait of Hormuz
Discussions taking place on a potential ceasefire in exchange for reopening Strait of Hormuz, says Axios
Wednesday 1 April 2026 15:58 , Maira ButtTalks of a potential ceasefire are taking place in exchange for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reporter Barak Ravid has reported on Wednesday.
It comes as sources said US vice president JD Vance has been talking to “intermediaries” about the Iran conflict as recently as Tuesday, according to Reuters.
He is reported to have delivered a “stern” message that Trump was impatient and warned of growing pressure on Iranian infrastructure.
Earlier we reported that Iran had denied talks of a ceasefire, calling the false and baseless according to Iranian state media.
Iran says Trump's ceasefire statements are false and baseless
Wednesday 1 April 2026 15:45 , Maira ButtIran’s foreign ministry spokesperson has said that President Donald Trump’s statements on Tehran requesting a ceasefire are false and baseless, Iranian state TV reported on Wednesday.
Iran would welcome Russia as mediator, says Tass agency
Wednesday 1 April 2026 15:40 , Maira ButtIran has said it would welcome Russia as a mediator to help resolve the conflict with the United States and Israel, according to Russia's state‑run TASS news agency citing Iran's envoy to Moscow, Kazem Jalali.
Pakistan had most recently taken a lead on negotiations after Gulf countries who had led peace talks prior to the outbreak of war were forced to rebuff Iranian attacks on their territory instead.
Watch: ‘We depend very little on it’: Rubio non-committal on US helping reopen Strait of Hormuz
Wednesday 1 April 2026 15:20 , Maira ButtHolly Bishop reports:
Marco Rubio has said that the US is not concerned about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally accounts for around a fifth of the world’s oil trade.
Appearing on Fox News on Tuesday (31 March), the secretary of state was questioned on whether the US will ensure the Strait is reopened as part of its conditions on leaving Iran.
Mr Rubio responded that the US “depends very little on the Strait”.
“This is a problem for the world. It’s countries around the world that should be stepping up and dealing with that and saying that’s intolerable and that’s what we’ve encouraged them to do.”
Iranian missile hits oil tanker in Qatari waters, says Qatar
Wednesday 1 April 2026 15:00 , Maira ButtAn oil tanker leased to state-owned QatarEnergy was hit by an Iranian cruise missile on Wednesday in Qatari waters, the defence ministry said.
Qatar was targeted by three cruise missiles coming from Iran. Two were intercepted while the third hit the Aqua 1 fuel oil tanker, but caused no casualties.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they had targeted the oil tanker because of what they said were its ties with Israel.
"Aqua One was precisely targeted in the central region of the Persian Gulf in a missile battle," state media quoted the IRGC as saying.
Trump reiterates 'disgust' with Nato and doubles down on claims he is considering withdrawing US from the alliance
Wednesday 1 April 2026 14:35 , Maira ButtDonald Trump has doubled down on comments that the US will consider withdrawing from Nato following a lack of support over Iran.
The American president is due to address the nation in a scheduled speech this evening.
He promised he would “express my disgust” with Nato in his speech and said he is “absolutely” considering withdrawing the US from the alliance.
US will 'come back' to do 'spot hits' in Iran if they have to, says Trump
Wednesday 1 April 2026 14:26 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump has said that the United States will be returning to Iran to do “spot hits” if they need to after the conflict ends in new comments to Reuters on Wednesday.
“We have some more targets left,” he said.
“They won't have a nuclear weapon because they are incapable of that now, and then I'll leave, and I'll take everybody with me, and if we have to we'll come back to do spot hits.”
He added that he “does not care about nuclear material” and that the US would be out of Iran “pretty quickly” signalling that the country would be wrapping up its military operations in the region soon, contrary to reports of a ground invasion.
Trump claimed that “we’ve had full regime change in Iran”.
At least 5 killed by Israeli strike in Beirut neighbourhood
Wednesday 1 April 2026 06:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAt least five people were killed in a Beirut neighbourhood following an Israeli airstrike, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
It added that 21 people were also wounded in the strike in Jnah.
The strike came without warning, and Israel did not declare the target. When it does, it often says it is targeting operatives from the Hezbollah militant group.
Emergency workers rushed to the scene to search for victims.
