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Trump is giving an "important update" on Iran, the White House said.
Last Updated: April 1, 2026, 9:33 PM EDT
President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes, with his son Mojtaba Khamenei later chosen to succeed him. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Iran is also attempting to block some shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and expanding its ground operations in the south of the country.
Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Key Headlines
Apr 01, 2026, 9:31 PM EDT
Apr 01, 2026, 7:54 PM EDT
Apr 01, 2026, 5:08 PM EDT
Apr 01, 2026, 4:55 PM EDT
Here's how the news is developing.
Apr 01, 2026, 9:31 PM EDT
US to hit Iran 'extremely hard' in next few weeks, Trump says
President Donald Trump said that the U.S. is going to hit Iran "extremely hard" over the next two weeks.
He then followed that by saying discussions with Tehran are ongoing.
Trump's nearly 20-minute White House address reiterated much of what the president has been saying since the strikes began, with little new light shed on the operation or a specific timeline for when the war would end.
Apr 01, 2026, 9:23 PM EDT
Trump calls on other countries to 'protect' Strait of Hormuz
Regarding the trade disruptions from the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said he has two suggestions to impacted countries: buy oil from the U.S., and "build up some delayed courage" and "protect" the passageway themselves.
"Iran has been essentially decimated. The hard part is done, so it should be easy," he said in his address.
President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation about the Iran war at the White House in Washington, April 1, 2026.
Alex Brandon/AP
"And in any event, when this conflict is over, the strait will open up naturally, it'll just open up naturally," he claimed.
Apr 01, 2026, 9:15 PM EDT
Trump says US objectives in Iran 'nearing completion'
While addressing the nation from the White House, President Donald Trump said the U.S.' "core strategic objectives" in Iran are "nearing completion."
"We are going to finish the job. And we're going to finish it very fast. We're getting very close," he said.
President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation about the Iran war at the White House in Washington, April 1, 2026.
Alex Brandon/via Reuters
Apr 01, 2026, 7:54 PM EDT
Trump, NATO chief to meet at White House next week
President Donald Trump will meet with NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House next week, a White House official confirmed.
The meeting comes as Trump's criticism of the alliance has reached a fever pitch. Earlier Wednesday, the president said in a phone interview with Reuters that he is "absolutely" considering trying to withdraw the U.S. from NATO.
The president's current frustration stems from European nations who did not respond to his calls for help in securing the Strait of Hormuz amid the war in Iran.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte gives a press conference about NATO's general annual report in Brussels on March 26, 2026.
Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty Images
Trump and Rutte have enjoyed a warm relationship in the past. Rutte visited the White House in 2025, shortly after Trump was sworn back into office and the leaders showered each other in praise.
-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart
