Iran live updates: Trump to address nation with 'important update' on Iran

DAVID BRENNAN, EMILY SHAPIRO, MEREDITH DELISO, JON HAWORTH and NADINE EL-BAWABWed, April 1, 2026 at 2:09 AM UTC

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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.

Latest Developments

Mar 31, 10:09 PM'Why the attack now?' Marco Rubio continues to make case for war in social media video

Secretary of State Marco Rubio continued to make the case for the U.S. war with Iran as Americans prepare to hear from President Donald Trump in a primetime address to the nation on Wednesday night.“Many Americans are asking, 'Why did the United States have to attack Iran now?'" Rubio said in a video posted by the White House on Tuesday. "Well, let me explain. Iran wants to have nuclear weapons. Of that, there is zero doubt."Rubio said Iran was "trying to build a conventional shield, in essence have so many missiles, have so many drones that no one could attack them and they were well on their way."

ABC News - PHOTO: Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with ABC News on Good Morning America, March 30, 2026.

He added, "We were on the verge of an Iran that had so many missiles and so many drones, that no one could do anything about their nuclear weapons program in the future. That was an intolerable risk."Regarding the U.S. decision to launch strikes on Feb. 28, Rubio said: "This was our last best chance to eliminate that conventional threat -- that conventional shield that they were trying to build -- and the president made the right decision to wipe it out now. That is the goal of this operation."-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr

Mar 31, 8:03 PMTrump to address nation on Wednesday with 'important update' on Iran

President Donald Trump will address the nation with "an important update on Iran" at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Mar 31, 7:21 PMTrump says Iran doesn't need to make a deal for US to leave

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Iran doesn't need to make a deal with the U.S. as a prerequisite to stopping the ongoing U.S. military operation."Iran doesn't have to make a deal, no," he told reporters during an executive order signing about elections in the Oval Office. "I've spoken to a lot of people. It's a new regime. They are much more accessible.""When we feel that they are for a long period of time put into the stone ages and they won't be able to come up with a nuclear weapon, then we'll leave," he said. "Whether we have a deal or not, it's irrelevant."

Alex Brandon/AP - PHOTO: President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, March 31, 2026.

Pressed on his timeline for ending the war, Trump speculated that it could be "two or three weeks."The president also again seemed to indicate that the Strait of Hormuz will be left for other nations to handle after the U.S. leaves."If France or some other country wants to get oil or gas, they'll go up through the Strait and -- Hormuz Strait -- they'll go right up there and they'll be able to fend for themselves. I think it would be very safe, actually, but we have nothing to do with that," Trump said.-ABC News' Meghan Mistry, Nicholas Kerr and Michelle Stoddart

Mar 31, 4:06 PMIraq arrests one suspect involved in American journalist's abduction

One suspect involved in the abduction of American journalist Shelly Kittleson was arrested on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry of Iraq confirmed Tuesday, adding that efforts to locate her continue. In another statement the ministry shared details of their pursuit which resulted in the seizure of a car belonging to the kidnappers. A car overturned while kidnappers were trying to escape and the security forces arrested one of the suspects, according to the ministry. -ABC News' Somayeh Malekian, Bader Katy and Ghazi Balkiz

Mar 31, 3:39 PMState Department 'tracking reports of threats' against gathering spots for US citizens in Saudi Arabia

The U.S. mission to Saudi Arabia is tracking “reports of threats against locations where American citizens gather," according to an security alert. "We advise U.S. citizens that hotels and other gathering points including U.S. businesses and U.S. educational institutions may be potential targets,” the alert said. The U.S. embassy in Riyadh is continuing to direct American government employees remaining in the country to shelter in place. Non-emergency U.S. personnel were ordered to depart on March 8. -ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

Mar 31, 2:52 PMNearly 350 American troops wounded in Iran

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At least 348 U.S. troops have been wounded in the war with Iran. Of those wounded, 315 have been listed as “returned to duty.” In some cases, that designation reflects a change in medical status, no longer requiring in-patient care, rather than a full recovery and some troops may still be dealing with significant injuries. The data shows nearly 11 troops are wounded each day on average. -ABC News' Steven Beynon

Mar 31, 1:07 PMIRGC issues warning to US companies it says were used in assassinations

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has issued a warning to American companies in the Middle East, saying they are "considered legitimate targets." The companies named by the IRGC include Cisco, HP, Intel, Oracle, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, Dell, Planter, Nvidia, J.P. Morgan, Tesla, GE, Spire Solutions, G42 and Boeing. "The IRGC warns the ruling regime of aggressive America: You ignored our repeated warnings about the necessity to stop terrorist operations, and today, in your terrorist attacks and those of your Israeli allies, several Iranian citizens were martyred," the IRGC said in a statement in Farsi. "Since the main element in designing and tracking assassination targets are American ICT and AI companies, in response to this terrorist operation, from now on the main institutions involved in terrorist operations will be considered legitimate targets," the IRGC said.

Mar 31, 12:46 PMTrump thinks Strait will 'automatically open' when US leaves

President Donald Trump said he believes the Strait of Hormuz will “automatically open” when the U.S. exits, he said in a phone interview with the New York Post on Tuesday.

“We’re not going to be there too much longer. We’re obliterating the s--- out of them right now, it’s a total obliteration,” he told the Post.

Asked about the Wall Street Journal report that indicated he was considering ending the war without opening the Strait of Hormuz, Trump sidestepped but argued that the Strait will “automatically open” when the U.S. leaves Iran.

Elke Scholiers/Getty Images - PHOTO: A police speed boat patrols the port as oil tankers and high speed crafts sit anchored at Muscat Anchorage near the Strait of Hormuz, March 30, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. r

“I don’t think about it, to be honest,” Trump said, according to the NY Post. “My sole function was to make sure that they don’t have a nuclear weapon. They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. When we leave the strait will automatically open.”

Trump continued to shrug off responsibility to other countries to open the Strait.

“Well, I think it’ll automatically open, but my attitude is, I’ve obliterated the country. They have no strength left, and let the countries that are using the strait, let them go and open it… because I would imagine whoever’s controlling the oil will be very happy to open the strait," he said.

Altaf Qadri/AP - PHOTO: Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026.

His remarks come despite his threats on Monday to bomb power plants, oil wells, Kharg Island and possibly, all of the country’s desalinization plants if the Strait of Hormuz did not “immediately” open.

“If for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately 'Open for Business,' we will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!)" Trump wrote on social media.

Mar 31, 11:19 AMPakistan-China offer peace proposal to end Iran war

Pakistan and China released a five-point peace proposal to end the war with Iran aimed at "restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry released in post on X. The plan includes a call for an immediate ceasefire, starting peace talks immediately and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The initiative come hours after Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar arrived in Beijing and met with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi Tuesday. -ABC News' Othon Leyva Jr.

Mar 31, 9:56 AMIsrael gives another Beirut neighborhood 1 hour to evacuate as death toll surpasses 1,200

The Israel Defense Forces issued a second warning to Beirut residents living in another neighborhood in southern Beirut. This comes hours after ordering another neighborhood to evacuate before strikes began.The IDF said it is targeting Hezbollah there.

Raghed Waked/Reuters - PHOTO: Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in Beirut's southern suburbs, March 31, 2026.

At least 1,268 people have been killed and 3,750 have been injured in Lebanon since Israeli strikes began on March 2, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

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