Trump says Iran requested ceasefire

The U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Iraq issued a warning Thursday urging U.S. citizens to immediately depart the country as the conflict with Iran continues.

The embassy said in a security alert that Iraq-based terrorist groups aligned with Iran may conduct new attacks in central Baghdad within the next 24 to 48 hours, noting that Iran-aligned militias have previously carried out attacks against U.S. citizens and U.S.-linked targets throughout Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region.

Additionally, the embassy warned that Iran-aligned militias have targeted Americans for kidnapping.

U.S. citizens are urged not to travel to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad or the Consulate General in Erbil due to security concerns surrounding missiles, drones and other projectiles in Iraqi airspace.

The embassy reiterated that the U.S. State Department has issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory: “Do Not Travel” for Iraq.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday evening posted on X, “Back to the Stone Age,” echoing comments made by President Donald Trump.

Earlier that night, Trump said in remarks addressing the conflict in Iran that the U.S. was going to hit Iran “extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.”

“We’re going to bring them back to the stone ages where they belong,” he said.

On Wednesday morning, Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran had asked the U.S. for a ceasefire and again suggested sending Iran “back to the Stone Ages.”

"Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!" Trump said in the post.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Wednesday she would oppose any additional U.S. military aid to Israel.

Ocasio-Cortez said the Israeli government is able to fund its defense systems, including the Iron Dome, on its own, allowing it to protect its citizens from incoming missile attacks.

“Consistent with my voting record to date, I will not support Congress sending more taxpayer dollars and military aid to a government that consistently ignores international law and U.S. law,” she said in a post on X.

The New York congresswoman said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political allies approved a $45 billion defense budget, adding that he said in January he was interested in withdrawing from a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S.

“Our allies who need our military aid must understand that we will provide it consistent with the Leahy Amendment and the Foreign Assistance Act,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Democratic leaders quickly slammed President Donald Trump following his speech Wednesday evening addressing the conflict in Iran.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer posted on X, “Has there ever been a more rambling, disjointed and pathetic presidential war speech?”

“Donald Trump’s actions in Iran will be considered one of the greatest policy blunders in the history of our country, failing to articulate objectives, alienating allies, and ignoring the kitchen table problems Americans are facing,” he said.

Schumer added that Trump is unfit to be commander in chief.

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that the American people are “sick and tired of the chaos, high costs and extreme Republican agenda.”

He called on the president to end “his reckless war of choice in the Middle East.”

In a video message posted on X, Kamala Harris said she would not watch the president’s speech before asserting that he “brought America into a war that people do not want.”

“He has put American troops in harm’s way,” she said. “Costs are rising by the day, and meanwhile he has done nothing to address the needs of the American people.”

Harris asserted that Trump would try to “claim victory” during his address.

“But the reality is, we’re watching what he does instead of listening to what he says,” she said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacted to President Donald Trump’s address on the conflict in Iran, calling it a “powerful speech” that laid out U.S. objectives.

The objectives in Iran, Rubio said, were to destroy the country’s weapons production facilities, navy and air force, as well as its ability to obtain a nuclear weapon.

“The President’s leadership sends a message to the world that the United States will defend its people and its interests, and uphold peace through strength,” Rubio added.

Oil prices increased and Asian stocks fell shortly after President Donald Trump’s address Wednesday evening regarding the conflict in Iran.

Following the president’s remarks, Brent crude rose 5% to $106.22 per barrel, while benchmark U.S. crude climbed more than 4% to $104.36 per barrel.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 was down roughly 1.5% in early trading Thursday.

South Korea’s Kospi lost 3.4%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.8%.

Additionally, U.S. futures were down more than 0.7%.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Several members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet attended his address Wednesday evening.

In the audience in Cross Hall at the White House were Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, among others.

Multiple members of the military also attended the address.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Americans to keep the timeline of the ongoing conflict in Iran in perspective, noting that prior wars lasted much longer.

“It’s very important that we keep this conflict in perspective,” he said. “American involvement in World War I lasted one year, seven months and five days. World War II lasted three years, eight months and 25 days.”

Trump continued that the Korean War lasted more than three years, the Iraq War lasted more than eight years, and the Vietnam War lasted more than 19 years.

In comparison, the president said the current conflict with Iran has lasted 32 days, describing the military operation as “so powerful” and “so brilliant.”

Iran, he added, has “been eviscerated and is essentially no longer a threat.”

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said U.S. military strikes had dismantled Iran’s weapons capabilities, declaring Iran is no longer “the bully of the Middle East” amid a looming nuclear threat.

In remarks outlining “Operation Epic Fury,” Trump said Iran had been “right at the doorstep” of developing a nuclear weapon and argued that years of warnings meant little without action.

“We are systematically dismantling the regime's ability to threaten America,” he said.

He described Iran as having once been “the bully of the Middle East,” but added, “the bully is no longer.”

Trump concluded his address by praising the U.S. military’s “power, strength and brilliance” and cast the operation as an investment in long-term security, saying it would leave the U.S. “safer, stronger, more prosperous, and greater than it has ever been before.”

“The whole world is watching and they can't believe the power, strength and brilliance,” he said.

“They just can't believe what they're seeing — the brilliance of the United States military,” Trump added.

President Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. military is on track to complete its objectives soon.

“We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” he said, adding that "discussions" are ongoing.

Trump said regime change was not the goal but has effectively occurred because the country’s original leaders are dead.

He described the new leadership as “less radical and more reasonable,” but warned that if no deal is reached, the U.S. could strike key targets, including electric generating plants.

“Regime change was not our goal. We never said regime change,” he added.

“We have not hit their oil… because it would not give them even a small chance of survival or rebuilding,” he added.

Trump also said nuclear sites struck by B-2 bombers were “obliterated” and are under close satellite surveillance.

“If we see them make a move, we’ll hit them with missiles very hard,” he said.

President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday, providing an update on Operation Epic Fury in Iran. He warned that the Iranian regime would have committed mass murder “behind a nuclear shield” if left unchecked.

Trump focused on what he described as a “murderous regime,” claiming it had recently killed 45,000 of its own citizens during protests in Iran.

“45,000 dead,” Trump said.

“For these terrorists to have nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat,” he continued.

“The most violent and thuggish regime on earth would be free to carry out their campaigns of terror, coercion, conquest, and mass murder from behind a nuclear shield.”

“I will never let that happen, and neither should any of our past presidents,” Trump added before stating that "No one would dare stop them, so we had to do it."

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi has been seriously wounded in a strike that also killed his wife, Iranian media reported Wednesday.

According to The Times of Israel, newspapers Shargh, Etemad and Ham Mihan reported that his home in Tehran was targeted in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike. Kharazi was badly injured in the attack and has been hospitalized.

Kharazi was a moderate politician and had served as an adviser to former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Feb. 28.

High oil and gas prices in Europe stemming from the Iran war will not return to normal levels soon, and even if it ends tomorrow, the European Union’s energy commissioner said Tuesday.

Dan Jørgensen said that, although there are no immediate oil and gas supply shortages in the EU bloc, there is pressure on diesel and jet fuel supplies, as well as “increasing constraints” in global gas markets that are resulting in higher electricity prices.

“What I find extremely important is to state as clearly as I can that, even if that peace is here tomorrow, still we will not go back to normal in the foreseeable future,” Jørgensen told a news conference after a meeting of EU energy ministers, the Associated Press reported.

Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel late Wednesday, while Hezbollah fired rockets from Lebanon, forcing millions of Israelis into bomb shelters as they were beginning Passover observances.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warned that a missile attack was likely, noting the timing coincided with one of the most widely observed Jewish rituals of the year, the Times of Israel reported.

According to the IDF, around 10 ballistic missiles were fired toward central Israel in what it described as the largest Iranian salvo targeting the area since the early stages of the war.

Minutes later, sirens sounded again across central and northern Israel as the military reported another round of Iranian missile launches — marking the sixth such barrage that day.

In the early hours of Thursday, the IDF also said its air defense systems were working to intercept further incoming threats.

“A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel.

Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the military said in a statement posted to its official Telegram channel.

Official inflation data from Iran shows prices rising sharply again amid the war with the U.S. and Israel.

According to a new report, costs are now more than five times higher than in 2021, with food prices increasing even faster and hitting poorer, rural households hardest.

The Statistical Center of Iran reported a Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 542.3 for March 2026 (base year 2021 = 100), indicating a cumulative price increase of about 442% over four years. Year-on-year inflation reached 71.8%, while annual inflation rose to 50.6%.

The biggest increases are in food and essential goods, piling pressure on lower-income households where expenses make up a large share of Iranian's spending, Iran International reported.

French prosecutors are looking to detain four people suspected of “terrorist criminal conspiracy,” with possible links to Iran, after police foiled a bomb attack outside a Bank of America building in Paris.

One suspect was arrested early Saturday outside the bank, where officers found a homemade device made from a gasoline-filled container taped to a powerful firewor, the Associated Press reported.

The bomb contained about 650 grams (23 ounces) of explosives — an unusually large amount — and could have caused a major fireball and blaze.

Prosecutors have asked for all four suspects, including three minors, to be held pending trial as a formal investigation continues.

Authorities are also examining a potential link to a pro-Iran group, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, after a propaganda video circulated before the planned attack that named the bank as a target.

The group has claimed responsibility for other incidents across Europe, including a recent attack in London.

Prosecutors say the Paris plot appears “likely linked” to the group, though the connection has not yet been formally confirmed.

The White House on Wednesday released a Seinfeld-style video clip on X featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio, just hours before President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on Operation Epic Fury.

The edited video cuts back and forth between Rubio and comedian Jerry Seinfeld, echoing the tone and style of the sitcom.

Alongside the clip, the White House posted a message framing the administration’s military campaign against Iran.

“For decades, Iran has targeted Americans and destabilized the world,” the White House said. “Day One of Operation Epic Fury: the mission was clear. Tonight, President Trump addresses the nation. Let’s go over it again.”

In a separate press release also issued Wednesday, the White House outlined the objectives of the “decisive campaign of American strength” aimed at dismantling Iran’s ability to threaten the United States and its allies.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. military is executing this mission with unmatched power and precision,” the statement said.

The administration listed its objectives as eliminating Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production capabilities, destroying its naval forces, cutting off support for terrorist proxy groups, and preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“Since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, the Trump Administration has repeatedly and unambiguously reaffirmed these core objectives,” the statement said.

The release also cited Trump’s framing of the mission: “First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities and their capacity to produce new ones. Second, we’re annihilating their navy. Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon. And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”

Statements from Vice President JD Vance, Rubio, and U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper were also included.

The U.S. Air Force may be preparing to deploy a significant number of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft across the Atlantic, according to recent flight-tracking data.

The potential movement would involve a flight of A-10s linking up with three KC-135 Stratotankers that have already departed RAF Mildenhall in England.

These are expected to meet with “TABOR 71,” a formation of eight A-10 Warthogs currently heading in the opposite direction.

Additional indicators suggest a larger buildup may be underway, with reports pointing to as many as 20 A-10C aircraft gathering at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease in New Hampshire, a well-established staging point for trans-Atlantic deployments.

From there, aircraft typically proceed to RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, which has seen a surge in U.S. combat aircraft in recent weeks following the start of Operation Epic Fury.

Former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday called for “fundamental reforms” in the country’s policymaking, while urging officials to prepare for what he described as an honorable end to the war, even as resistance continues.

“Alongside heroic resistance, we must be prepared to bring the war to an honorable end in the interest of the country and the people,” Rouhani said, according to Iran International.

Speaking before the Supreme National Security Council, Rouhani emphasized the need to evaluate multiple scenarios for both continuing and ending the conflict and to place those options within a formal legal decision-making framework.

“Preserving the country and the system requires immediate fundamental reforms in policymaking; the people have made their position clear to the authorities,” he said.

Rouhani also stressed the importance of coordinating national resources to prevent attacks in the Persian Gulf region and to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz.