President Donald Trump said on Thursday the the U.S. has “already won” the war in Iran, even as he continues to pressure Tehran to make a deal with the U.S.
During an interview with Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren, the president declared that the U.S. had already achieved victory, but said he wanted to win by a “bigger margin.”
“We’ve already won, but I want to win by a bigger margin,” he said. “But we have. We have destroyed their navy, destroyed their air force, destroyed all of their — if you look at their anti-aircraft equipment, their radar equipment, their leadership, their leadership is destroyed.”
Despite his insistence that Iran is already beaten, the president is continuing his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, convinced that Tehran will soon buckle to economic pressure and make a deal with the U.S.
On Sunday, Trump told Fox News that Iran’s oil wells were three days away from “exploding.”
“They say they have only three days left before that happens. When it explodes, you can never rebuild it the way it was,” he said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked Trump’s prediction on Thursday.
“3 days in, no well exploded. We could extend to 30 and livestream the well here,” he wrote on his X account.
Trump has previously insisted that Iran “badly wants a deal” but that the peace process is being stalled as they “don’t know who their leaders are.”
Key Points
- Trump declares U.S. has 'already won' in Iran
- Oil prices soar past $123 a barrel
- US war in Iran has cost $25bn so far
- Briefing: What we know on 62nd day of Iran war
- Pete Hegseth to face second day of grilling from Democrats
- Commanders expected to brief Trump on new military options, including ground forces
- Khamenei statement says US has 'no place except in depths of the waters'
Iran has enough enriched uranium for 10 nuclear bombs, says United Nations watchdog
03:40 , Graig GraziosiThe majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is believed to remain at its Isfahan nuclear complex, a site that has endured airstrikes last year and further attacks during this year's U.S.-Israeli conflict, according to the head of the U.N. nuclear agency.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated in an interview on Tuesday that the agency possesses satellite images illustrating the impact of the recent U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran, and that "we continue to get information." IAEA inspections at Isfahan ceased in June 2025, when Israel initiated a 12-day war that saw the United States bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.
This stockpile could potentially enable Iran to construct as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it choose to weaponize its program, Grossi told The Associated Press last year.
Read more from reporter Edith M Lederer below:
WATCH: California gas prices top $6 as Iran war drives oil surge.
03:20 , Graig GraziosiBahrain’s decision to strip dozens of citizenship for ‘sympathising with Iran’ will set precedent, rights group warns
03:00 , Holly EvansBahrain’s decision to strip dozens of its nationals of citizenship after accusing them of sympathising with Iran during the ongoing Middle East war will leave Shia Muslims with Iranian heritage at risk, a human rights group has warned.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry announced on social media this week the 69 people whose citizenship have been revoked included accused individuals and their family members – an act that critics termed as “collective punishment”. They affected people are all of non-Bahraini origin.
The announcement came as the Gulf kingdom continues to navigate the fallout from the regional war triggered after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran in February, and Tehran retaliated across the region.
Read the full article here:
Bahrain strips dozens of people of citizenship for ‘sympathising with Iran’
Trump declared favorite to win Nobel Peace Prize despite starting the Iran war, bookmaker claims
02:55 , Graig GraziosiPresident Donald Trump has been declared the favorite to win the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, according to a U.K. betting company, despite starting the Iran war.
Trump’s war with Iran began February 28, and there is still no end in sight for the conflict. But now, a spokesperson for U.K. bookmaker William Hill says his odds to win the prize are on the rise.
“Although the Norwegian Nobel Committee have not confirmed that Donald Trump is among the 287 candidates for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, we make Trump the leading contender to take this year’s award,” spokesperson Lee Phelps said, according to Mediaite.
Read the full article from Katie Hawkinson below:
Trump declared favorite to win Nobel Prize despite starting Iran war, bookmaker says
Expert: Iran isn't in 'the mood to surrender'
02:40 , Graig GraziosiRobin Mills, the CEO of Qamar Energy who formerly worked as a consultant for the European Union in Iraq, told Politico that Trump administration predictions that Iran will soon fold under economic pressure are likely incorrect.
“They’re not in a mood to surrender,” he said. “They know the clock is ticking not just for them, but for the U.S. and the rest of the world economy, too, and they think their clock is ticking slower.”
President Donald Trump and his officials have insisted that Iran’s oil storage is running out, and that once it reaches capacity the economic strain from the lack of revenue will force Tehran to make a deal. On Wednesday, Trump said that Iran’s oil wells were “getting close to exploding.”
On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Iran’s oil storage was reaching capacity, and that the nation would soon feel the economic blow of its lost revenue.
“Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export terminal, is soon nearing storage capacity, which will force the regime to reduce oil production, resulting in an additional approximately $170 million per day in lost revenue, and causing permanent damage to Iran’s oil infrastructure,” he said in a post on X.
Iranian officials have shrugged off the Trump administration’s claims concerning the nation’s oil storage capacity.
The nation’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked Trump’s prediction on Thursday.
“3 days in, no well exploded. We could extend to 30 and livestream the well here,” he wrote on his X account.
Senator spots $6 per gallon gas in Michigan: 'Trump’s war is ruining our economy'
02:30 , Graig GraziosiSenator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said on Thursday that he spotted a gas station selling fuel for $6 per gallon while he was visiting Detroit, Michigan.
“Just landed in Detroit to campaign for @MalloryMcMorrow and stopped at a gas station. $6 A GALLON,” he wrote in a post on X. “Trump’s war is ruining our economy - in Connecticut, Michigan and all over the country.”
Just landed in Detroit to campaign for @MalloryMcMorrow and stopped at a gas station.
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 30, 2026
$6 A GALLON.
Trump’s war is ruining our economy - in Connecticut, Michigan and all over the country. pic.twitter.com/7IxANr06kl
The national average cost of a gallon of gas in the U.S. on Thursday was $4.30 per gallon.
California Governor Gavin Newsom shared a similar sentiment about the war in response to a CBS News story reporting that the true cost of the war in Iran is close to $50 billion.
“Trump has no plan in Iran. Hegseth doesn’t even know the cost. The American people are paying for their incompetence — every day at the pump,” he wrote on X.
Trump says U.S. has 'already won' in Iran but he wants to win by a 'bigger margin'
02:05 , Graig GraziosiOn Thursday, President Donald Trump told Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren that the U.S. has “already won” the war in Iran, but that he wants to continue the conflict to win by a “bigger margin.”
“We’ve already won, but I want to win by a bigger margin,” he said. “But we have. We have destroyed their navy, destroyed their air force, destroyed all of their — if you look at their anti-aircraft equipment, their radar equipment, their leadership, their leadership is destroyed.”
Trump continued, insisting that U.S. had “destroyed everything.”
“If we leave right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild if they ever could rebuild,” he said. “But it’s actually not good enough. We have to have guarantee they will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Analysis: US blockade is squeezing Iran's all-important oil industry
02:00 , Holly EvansEven as Iran squeezes world energy supplies with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, its own oil industry is increasingly being threatened by an American blockade.
With no way to export the oil it is pumping out and diminishing room to store it at home, Iran may be forced to dramatically reduce or cease production from some of its wells, perhaps beginning in as little as two weeks, experts say.
The situation likely isn’t as dire as U.S. President Donald Trump recently described, colorfully suggesting pipelines could start exploding within days. But once shut down, production from the aging wells may not be restarted so easily, if at all, undermining Iran’s future oil output. Iran appears to have begun dialing back production already, analysts say, to avert outright shutdowns.
Read the full analysis here:
Analysis: US blockade is squeezing Iran's all-important oil industry
Senator Richard Blumenthal: 'imminent military strike' against Iran is 'very much on the table'
01:59 , Graig GraziosiSenator Richard Blumenthal told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Thursday that he believes “an imminent military strike is very much on the table” based on briefings he has received about the state of the Iran war.
When asked if he believed there is a “coherent strategy” in place moving forward, he said there was not.
“Erin, there is really no coherent strategy, which came across very vividly and graphically today with Secretary Hegseth and it comes across in the president’s comments, which oscillate between seeming open to negotiations and then foreclosing it entirely and threatening the destruction of civilizations, ” he said.
European Parliament member says trust in White House is not the same as it was during Obama and Bush presidencies
01:40 , Graig GraziosiGerman member of the European Parliament Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann told CNN on Thursday that the trust Europeans have in the White House under the Trump administration is not the same as they had during previous presidential administrations.
“The trust in this White House is not the same like under Biden, under Obama … under Clinton,” she said.
Her comments were a response to a question about whether or not Germans believe they can rely on the U.S. to help keep them safe.
On Wednesday, Trump told reporters he was considering reducing the number of U.S. troops stationed in Germany.
Nevada senator accuses Hegseth of being ‘antisemite’ in Iran-heavy budget hearing — and he doesn’t refute it
01:20 , Graig GraziosiNevada Sen. Jacky Rosen labeled the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, an “antisemite” during a charged hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday that saw the former Fox News chief spar with senators over allegations of spreading a Christian nationalist agenda and leading America into an unpopular conflict with Iran.
The moment came after Hegseth remarked to another senator that he sometimes referred to members of the press as “Pharisees”, a term referring to a sect of Jewish thought active thousands of years ago that has come to be used occasionally by non-Jews as a kind of slur meant to describe someone as hypocritical or litigious. During the 2020 presidential campaign, Pete Buttigieg faced criticism from some Jewish figures for using the term.
Hegseth remarked to a senator during the hearing, “I looked out at our press corps at the Pentagon and called them the Pharisees in the press, because they look for every problem.”
Read the full article from reporter John Bowden below:
Nevada senator accuses Hegseth of being ‘antisemite’ in Iran-heavy budget hearing
Pete Hegseth lost his cool in front of Congress. It was a dramatic unraveling
01:00 , Holly EvansPete Hegseth is struggling: that much has been clear for a while.
When it comes to the Iran war and the updates he is tasked to provide, he’s most comfortable in front of a journalistic audience, where he can yell and berate people for “being negative” any time they ask anything that sounds too much like an actual question. But today, poor old Pete had to testify in Congress before the experts on the House Armed Services Committee. It’s a place where questions aren’t just allowed, but also follow-up questions.
And this is where he completely unraveled. Because follow-up questions really are Pete Hegseth’s kryptonite.
Read the full analysis from Holly Baxter here:
Pete Hegseth lost his cool in front of Congress. It was a dramatic unraveling
Wingstop saw its sales drop as company blames Iran war and high gas prices for customer decrease
Friday 1 May 2026 00:40 , Graig GraziosiThe CEO of Wingstop, a popular chicken wing fast-food restaurant, has blamed rising gas prices caused by the war in Iran on a drop in its sales.
Michael Skipworth, the company's CEO, made the comments during the chain's first-quarter earnings call on Wednesday. He said that a drop in visits from lower-income customers paired with some temporary store closures due to winter weather contributed to an 8.7 percent decline in same-restaurant sales during its first quarter.
He noted that the company experienced a similar pull-back amongst its lower-income customer base in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, Restaurant Dive reports. The invasion triggered a spike in gas prices.
Read more from reporter Graig Graziosi below:
Wingstop blames Iran war and high gas prices for sales slump
Trump backs Iran’s participation at World Cup: ‘Let them play’
Friday 1 May 2026 00:20 , Graig GraziosiUncertainty surrounding Iran’s participation in this summer’s World Cup on United States soil has been clarified after United States President Donald Trump gave his approval, stating, "Let them play."
Iran’s place in the finals had been in doubt following air strikes launched by the US and Israel against the country on February 28.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino had consistently maintained Iran would compete as scheduled, with all three group matches taking place in the US, a position he reiterated at FIFA’s Congress on Thursday.
Read more from reporter Jamie Gardner below:
Trump backs Iran’s participation at World Cup: ‘Let them play’
How Iran’s mosquito fleet is skirting Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade
Friday 1 May 2026 00:00 , Holly EvansSkirting around the vast oil tankers anchored patiently in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s “mosquito fleet” is locking down the critical waterway that is stuck under a double blockade.
Last Wednesday, small boats belonging to the navy of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard attacked three large container ships, two of which were forced to head to Iranian ports for allegedly trying to pass through the Strait without Tehran’s permission.
Donald Trump said Iran’s navy is “lying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated”, but that “what we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, ‘fast attack ships,’ because we did not consider them much of a threat”.
Read the full article here from our reporter Alex Croft:
How Iran’s mosquito fleet is skirting Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade
Trump again criticizes Germany's Merz, tells him to stop interfering over Iran
Thursday 30 April 2026 23:30 , Holly EvansDonald Trump has again continued his attacks on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, saying he was "doing a terrible job" with his own country and should spend "less time on interfering" with Washington's effort to tackle "the Iran nuclear threat."
Trump has been sparring with Merz over the war in Iran in recent days. On Tuesday, he said Merz didn't know what he was talking about after the German leader said the Iranians were humiliating the US in talks to end the two-month-old war.
On Wednesday, during an Oval Office event, he said Merz was struggling at home with energy and immigration issues, and had failed to help resolve the Ukraine war.
"He's doing a terrible job," he said. "And he's got a big problem with Ukraine, because they're in that mess."
Merz, speaking at a military base, underscored the importance of the transatlantic partnership but did not mention Trump's comments about troop reductions. He said Berlin remained in "trusting contact" with partners and reaffirmed Germany's openness to taking part in a military mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once conditions were met.
Trump has a new wishlist project to slap his name on: He now wants the Strait of Trump in the Middle East
Thursday 30 April 2026 23:00 , Holly EvansPresident Donald Trump has found something else he seems to want to slap his name on: The Strait of Hormuz.
The 79-year-old president reshared what appeared to be an AI-generated map on Truth Social Wednesday night, showing the shipping route between Iran and Oman labeled as the “Strait of Trump.”
The vital route typically sees over 20 million barrels of petroleum and crude oil — roughly 25 percent of the world’s maritime oil trade — pass through each day.
Read the full article here:
Trump congratulates Zaidi on his nomination to be next Iraqi prime minister
Thursday 30 April 2026 22:53 , Holly EvansDonald Trump congratulated Ali al-Zaidi on his nomination to be next prime minister of Iraq on Thursday, saying that he looked forward to a highly productive new relationship.
Iraq's alliance of Shi'ite political blocs, the Coordination Framework, on Monday named Zaidi as its nominee for the post of prime minister, a coalition statement said.
"We wish him success as he works to form a new Government free from terrorism that could deliver a brighter future for Iraq," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"We look forward to a strong, vibrant, and highly productive new relationship between Iraq and the United States."
Trump also invited Zaidi to visit Washington after forming a government during a phone call on Thursday in which he congratulated him on his nomination, according to a statement from the Iraqi prime minister's media office.
'They are not representing Iran': Protesters urge FIFA to ban Iran from World Cup
Thursday 30 April 2026 22:01 , Holly EvansIran's soccer team represents the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), not the people of Iran, and FIFA should ban the team from participating in the upcoming World Cup, protesters gathered outside the FIFA Congress in Vancouver said on Thursday.
"This is not Iran, this is the Islamic Republic's team. This is IRGC's team," said Pouria Mahmoudi, an organiser with Mission for My Homeland, which brought together about 30 protesters draped in Iranian flags and holding signs supporting Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi.
"They're here not to represent Iran. They're here to normalise what's happening in Iran, the massacre in Iran. So, no, they should not be in the World Cup," he told Reuters.
Trump says 'probably' when asked if he might pull US troops out of Italy and Spain
Thursday 30 April 2026 21:31 , Holly EvansDonald Trump on Thursday said "probably" when asked whether he would consider pulling US troops out of Italy and Spain, a day after announcing that Washington was looking at reducing the number of military personnel in Germany.
Trump has harshly criticized NATO allies for not sending their navies to help open the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed to global shipping following the start of a US-Israeli air war against Iran on February 28. He has also said that he is considering withdrawing the United States from the alliance.
An internal Pentagon email, reported by Reuters last week, outlined options for the United States to punish NATO allies it believes failed to support US operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain from the alliance.
Trump, who discussed the possibility of removing some US troops from Europe earlier this month, on Wednesday said his administration was looking at cuts to US forces in Germany and a decision would be made soon.
Asked on Thursday if he would also consider pulling US troops out of Italy and Spain, two countries that have also been critical of the Iran war, Trump said, "Probably ... Look, why shouldn't I? Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible."
Air defence sounds heard in Tehran
Thursday 30 April 2026 21:11 , Holly EvansAir defence sounds were heard in some areas of Iran's capital Tehran, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Thursday, with no immediate details on the cause.
UAE bans citizens from travel to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq, urges those there to leave
Thursday 30 April 2026 21:04 , Holly EvansThe United Arab Emirates has banned its citizens from travelling to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq, and urged Emiratis currently in those countries to leave immediately and return home, citing regional developments, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.
Trump says Iran 'badly wants a deal'
Thursday 30 April 2026 21:00 , Daniel KeaneDonald Trump has said that Iran “badly wants a deal” but that the peace process is being stalled as they “don’t know who their leaders are”.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the President repeated his claim that Iran’s military capability had been wiped out and that the regime was urgently seeking a peace agreement.
“They want to make a deal badly. We have a problem, because nobody knows for sure who the leaders are. A little bit of a problem. The leaders have been wiped out, along with their military, almost all of their military,” he said.
Trump claims gas prices will 'drop like a rock' when war ends
Thursday 30 April 2026 20:46 , Daniel KeanePresident Donald Trump on Thursday told reporters that gas prices would "drop like a rock" as soon as the Iran war ended.
Global oil prices earlier hit a four-year high of more than $126 a barrel over concerns that the conflict could lead to a prolonged crisis.
Trump tells Merz to ‘fix your broken country’ in new rant after threatening to reduce US troop numbers in Germany
Thursday 30 April 2026 20:20 , Holly EvansPresident Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on the German chancellor, after saying that his administration will review the possible reduction of US troops in Germany amid an escalating dispute with Berlin over the Iran war.
On Thursday, the US president wrote on social media that Friedrich Merz should be spending more time on ending the Ukraine war, “where he has been totally ineffective”, and on “fixing his broken Country”.
He added that the chancellor should focus on his immigration and energy issues and “spend less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat”.
Read the full article here:
Iran will be at World Cup and will play in the US, says FIFA boss
Thursday 30 April 2026 20:00 , Holly EvansFIFA president Gianni Infantino insisted Iran would play World Cup matches in the United States, as the soccer governing body's Congress opened on Thursday without the country’s delegation, its absence highlighting tensions and challenges surrounding the tournament.
"Let me start at the outset. Of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026. And of course Iran will play in the United States of America," Infantino said.
"And the reason for that is very simple, we have to unite. It is my responsibility, our responsibility."
Iranian football federation officials, including president Mehdi Taj, were due to attend the gathering but turned back at Toronto airport after what Tehran described as “unacceptable behaviour” by Canadian immigration authorities, despite travelling with valid visas.
ANALYSIS: Pete Hegseth looked bad in the House. He looks even worse in the Senate
Thursday 30 April 2026 19:40 , Holly EvansThere are two versions of Pete Hegseth. There is the one who comes to press conferences, where questions are brief, interruptions are plentiful, and confidence is easily mistaken for competence. And then there is the one who appears before Congress, where the questions are longer, the pauses are quieter, and someone will, eventually, ask him to try again.
The second version is much harder to watch. We saw it with the House on Wednesday, when he got sweaty and angry at the harsh words of the lawmakers pressing him on inconvenient issues like the actual cost of the Iran war, the projected amount of time it might continue, and the effects on both the national and international economies. At one, embarrassing point, he really tried to shut a congressman’s questioning down with: “Whose side are you cheering for?!”
Today, in the Senate, it looked a little different. The talk was slower and the questions were more probing. Once again, however, Hegseth came up short.
Read the full analysis here:
Pete Hegseth looked bad in the House. He looks even worse in the Senate
Hegseth refuses to back down from 'no quarter' statement
Thursday 30 April 2026 19:25 , Holly EvansSenator Mark Kelly, a Democrat of Arizona, questioned Pete Hegseth on whether he stands by his statement of “no mercy, no quarter” for US enemies, which he said in March in relation to the Iran war.
Mr Kelly argued that the defense secretary’s vow to take “no quarter” implies the US will show no mercy, pity, or clemency toward an enemy, specifically by refusing to take prisoners and killing defeated combatants, a war crime under the Hague Convention of 1899.
When asked to clarify his statement, Hegseth said: “We have untied the hands of our warfighters. We fight to win and we follow the law.”
“You’re not clarifying your statement,” Mr Kelly said. “You’re the secretary of defense. The things you say matter and your response right here, right now, makes it clear to the American people why you’re not right for this job.”
Soccer-Two of Iran delegation could have attended FIFA congress but chose not to, source says
Thursday 30 April 2026 18:39 , Holly EvansThe FIFA Congress opened on Thursday without Iran, its delegation's absence underscoring the geopolitical tensions and logistical fault lines hanging over the upcoming World Cup.
Iranian football federation officials, including president Mehdi Taj, were due to attend the gathering but turned back at Toronto airport after what Tehran described as “unacceptable behaviour” by Canadian immigration authorities, despite travelling with valid visas.
A source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters two members of the delegation could have attended the FIFA congress but chose not to after one of their delegation was denied entry into Canada.
No seats were set up for Iran at the Vancouver Convention Centre, a Reuters reporter witnessed, as 210 of the 211 member associations were shown as present.
Hegseth criticises 'defeatist Democrats' for 'clouding minds of American people'
Thursday 30 April 2026 18:22 , Holly EvansPete Hegseth has criticised “defeatist Democrats” for the negative characterisation of the war in Iran and for its impact on Americans.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat of Connecticut, asked the defense secretary if he agreed with the president’s assessment that Iran has been “military defeated”.
However, Mr Hegseth failed to show any discord with Donald Trump and said: “The negative nature in which you characterized the incredible and historic effort in Iran is part of the reason, senator, why the American people view it the way they do.
“It’s why I looked at the press corps at the Pentagon and called them pharisees in the press. It’s because they look for every problem that exists.”
He added: “Its defeatist Democrats like you that cloud the minds of the American people and would otherwise fully support preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon.”
Senator disputes Hegseth’s reading of War Powers Act
Thursday 30 April 2026 18:10 , John BowdenVirginia Sen. Tim Kaine told the Secretary of Defense at Thursday’s hearing that the administration’s reading of the War Powers Act was incorrect, leading to the possibility that the Pentagon will violate the 60-day rule of the War Powers Act.
Under the War Powers Act, the president and the military are required to terminate any offensive operations that last longer than 60 days unless congressional approval is sought and received.
Hegseth was asked by Kaine about a number of US military operations launched by the White House in the last year, and noted that the Pentagon and White House’s legal opinion was that the president could essentially hit the pause button by declaring a “ceasefire” with Iran, even as boats continue to be intercepted in the contested Strait of Hormuz.
“Ultimately, I would defer to the White House and White House counsel on that however, we are in a cease fire right now, which our understanding means the 60 day clock pauses or stops in a cease fire,” Hegseth told the senator. “That's our understanding, just so you know.”
Kaine fired back: “Okay, well, I do not believe the statute would support that. I think the 60 days runs maybe tomorrow, and it's going to pose a really important legal question for the administration there.”
“We have serious constitutional concerns, and we don't want to layer those with additional statutory concerns,” he advised the secretary.
UK refineries told to ramp up jet fuel production as summer looms
Thursday 30 April 2026 17:54 , Holly EvansThe government is moving to reassure holidaymakers that their summer flights will not be cancelled by the fallout from the Iran war.
Energy minister Michael Shanks said he is working with airlines to maximise the supply of jet fuel and prevent disruptions.
Oil prices topped $125 (£92) on Wednesday, which will affect jet costs if the military fallout continues.
He said: “Airlines UK have stated that ‘UK airlines continue to operate normally and are not experiencing issues with jet fuel supply’. The government continues to work with partners to monitor and mitigate potential disruptions.”
Read the full article here:
UK refineries told to ramp up jet fuel production as summer looms
Watch: Hegseth challenged over 'imminent threat' used to justify Iran war
Thursday 30 April 2026 17:45 , Holly EvansPivotal US-Iran war deadline approaches with no end in sight for conflict
Thursday 30 April 2026 17:38 , Holly EvansDonald Trump faces a deadline on Friday to end the Iran war or make the case to Congress for extending it, but the date is most likely to pass without altering the course of a conflict that has lapsed into a standoff over shipping routes.
Instead, analysts and congressional aides said they expect the president to either notify Congress that he plans a 30-day extension or disregard the deadline, with his administration arguing that a current ceasefire with Tehran marked an end to the conflict.
Like most policies in a bitterly divided Congress, war powers have become deeply partisan, with opposition Democrats calling for Congress to reassert its constitutional right to declare war and Republicans accusing Democrats of trying to use War Powers law to weaken Trump.
Democrats have tried repeatedly since the war began on February 28 to pass resolutions seeking to force Mr Trump to withdraw US forces or obtain congressional authorization. But Mr Trump's Republicans, who hold slim majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives, have voted them down almost unanimously.
Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the US president can wage military action for only 60 days before ending it, coming to Congress for authorization or seeking a 30-day extension due to "unavoidable military necessity regarding the safety of United States Armed Forces."
Heckler interrupts Hegseth's opening statement
Thursday 30 April 2026 17:19 , Holly EvansA protester disrupted defense secretary Pete Hegseth’s opening remarks, before being removed from the room.
“We appreciate the first amendment rights of Americans to express themselves but disruptions of this hearing will not be tolerated,” said committee chair Roger Wicker, before inviting the defense secretary to continue his testimony.
Iran threatens 'long and painful strikes' on US positions if Washington reopens conflict
Thursday 30 April 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsIran said on Thursday it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on US positions if Washington renewed attacks as Trump reportedly considers options to reopen the war.
Any attack on Iran, even if limited, will usher in "long and painful strikes" on US regional positions, a senior Revolutionary Guards official said.
"We've seen what happened to your regional bases, we will see the same thing happen to your warships," Aerospace Force Commander Majid Mousavi was quoted by Iranian media as saying.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written message to Iranians that Tehran would eliminate "the enemies' abuses of the waterway" under new management of the strait, indicating that the country intended to maintain its hold over it.
"Foreigners who come from thousands of kilometres away...have no place there except at the bottom of its waters," he said.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump was slated to receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for a series of fresh military strikes on Iran to compel it to negotiate an end to the conflict, a US official said.
Democrat criticises Trump and Hegseth for 'unwisely' leading US into war
Thursday 30 April 2026 16:59 , Holly EvansThe ranking Democrat on the Senate armed services committee has criticised Donald Trump and Pete Hesgeth for “unwisely” taking the US into a war with Iran.
Senator Jack Reed told the defense secretary: “American families are bearing the cost of a war they wanted nothing to do with and have gained nothing from.”
He argued that the US are now in a worse strategic position with 13 military members killed and the strait of Hormuz closed, with negotiations to alleviate this global burden stalling at each opportunity.
“Mr Secretary, I am concerned that you have been telling the president what he wants to hear instead of what he needs to hear,” he told Hegseth. “Military force without sound strategy is a path to defeat.”
He added that the Trump ally had often made “dangerous statements” that included boasts days after over a hundred school girls were killed in an airstrike,“troubling statements of no mercy”, and orders that “would constitute war crimes”.
“My colleagues and I have heard from countless service members throughout the ranks, many of whom will be watching right now, who are confused and disturbed by your actions. Hopefully you can explain them today,” he said.
Watch: Iran issues new warning to Trump on ‘a future without America’ in the Gulf
Thursday 30 April 2026 16:30 , James ReynoldsUS seeks to loan up to 92.5 million barrels from Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Thursday 30 April 2026 16:28 , Holly EvansThe Trump administration said on Thursday it is seeking to exchange up to 92.5million barrels of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as it seeks to calm oil markets that have spiked due to the war with Iran.
The US agreed earlier this year to loan 172 million barrels from the SPR as part of a wider agreement with more than 30 countries in the International Energy Agency to release about 400 million barrels.
The US has so far offered 126 million barrels of crude in three batches of crude, but oil companies only took less than 80 million barrels or about 63% of what was offered.
The new offer, if all of it is taken by oil companies, would fulfill the US goal to loan 172 million barrels.
Trump administration 'weighing measures to increase US oil output'
Thursday 30 April 2026 16:15 , James ReynoldsThe Trump administration is talking to oil companies and considering measures to increase production in the United States "really soon", White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told reporters on Thursday.
Inside the power struggle reshaping Iran as talks stall
Thursday 30 April 2026 16:00 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran wants to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as it “figures out its leadership situation”.
The regime lost its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a strike on the first day of the conflict, on 28 February.
Since its creation in 1979, the Islamic Republic has revolved around a supreme leader with final authority on key state matters. But insiders say Khamenei’s death and the elevation of his wounded son have enabled a new order dominated by leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
What is the IRGC?
The elite guards were set up shortly after the 1979 revolution to protect the clerical ruling system and provide a counterweight to the regular armed forces.
The IRGC also commands the Basij religious militia used to crack down on anti-government protests. Its Quds Force influences allied militias across the Middle East, handling relations with Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, among others.
How is the IRGC vying for power?
Filling the vacuum left by Khamanei, Iranian officials and analysts told Reuters that the IRGC now dominates both military strategy and key political decisions.
People familiar with the internal deliberations say that Mojtaba Khamenei’s role has been reduced to mostly signing off on decisions made by his generals. A senior Pakistani government official said there is “apparently no one decision-making command structure”, with responses sometimes taking three days.
Iran International, with reported links to Saudi Arabia, reported earlier this month that the IRGC had taken “de facto control” of the Iranian government amid a deepening power struggle.
Unnamed ‘informed sources’ told the outlet that a ‘military council’ of IRGC officers now exercises full control over the core decision-making structure, blocking government reports on the country’s situation from reaching Khamenei. The government has been “effecively sidelined” from executive control, they said.
Already strengthened by war, the Guards’ growing dominance signals a more aggressive foreign policy and tighter domestic repression, sources familiar with the country's inner policy-making circles told Reuters.
Trump tells Merz to stop 'interfering' and focus on fixing his 'broken country'
Thursday 30 April 2026 15:01 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump told German chancellor Friedrich Merz to spend less time “interfering” on Iran and more time “fixing his broken country” in a post on social media on Thursday.
“The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!), and fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy, and less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat, thereby making the World, including Germany, a safer place!” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Watch: JD Vance denies claim he's worried about U.S. ammo stockpiles in Iran war
Thursday 30 April 2026 15:00 , James ReynoldsRecap: US military commanders to brief Trump on military options against Iran
Thursday 30 April 2026 14:42 , James ReynoldsTop US military leaders will brief President Donald Trump later on Thursday on potential military action against Iran, a US official told Reuters.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are expected to participate in the briefing, alongside Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command.
Hegseth and Caine will be testifying before the Senate at 11am, with questions expected to focus on the conflict. The White House briefing is expected to take place after.
Axios reported on Thursday that Central Command had prepared a plan for a "short and powerful" wave of strikes on Iran, likely including infrastructure targets as well as another one for taking over part of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen it to commercial shipping.
Analysis: US blockade is squeezing Iran's all-important oil industry
Thursday 30 April 2026 14:28 , James ReynoldsEven as Iran squeezes world energy supplies with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, its own oil industry is increasingly being threatened by an American blockade.
With no way to export the oil it is pumping out and diminishing room to store it at home, Iran may be forced to dramatically reduce or cease production from some of its wells, perhaps beginning in as little as two weeks, experts say.
The situation likely isn’t as dire as U.S. President Donald Trump recently described, colourfully suggesting pipelines could start exploding within days. But once shut down, production from the ageing wells may not be restarted so easily, if at all, undermining Iran’s future oil output.
Iran appears to have begun dialling back production already, analysts say, to avert outright shutdowns.
Here’s how the US blockade is squeezing Iran’s vital oil industry:
Analysis: US blockade is squeezing Iran's all-important oil industry
Iran will ensure future free from US interference, says parliament speaker
Thursday 30 April 2026 13:55 , James ReynoldsIran’s parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf writes on social media to mark Persian Gulf Day that Iran, through management of the Strait of Hormuz, will ensure a future free from US interference.
Iran has floated controlling the Strait after the war ends. Under international law, neither Iran nor the US can limit passage through the strait.
در سال ۱۶۲۲ میلادی، پس از ۱۱۵ سال اشغال، استعمارگران اروپایی را از خلیج فارس بیرون انداختیم و روز خلیج فارس را به افتخار این پیروزی جشن میگیریم.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 30, 2026
امروز نیز ایران با اعمال مدیریت بر تنگهٔ هرمز، خود و همسایگان را از نعمت ارزشمند آیندهای بدون حضور و دخالت آمریکا برخوردار خواهد کرد.
Watch: Trump says Iran will 'cry uncle' to open 'genius' blockade of Strait of Hormuz
Thursday 30 April 2026 13:30 , James ReynoldsHow Iran’s mosquito fleet is skirting Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade
Thursday 30 April 2026 13:00 , James ReynoldsSkirting around the vast oil tankers anchored patiently in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s so-called ‘mosquito fleet’ is locking down the critical waterway stuck under a double-blockade.
Tehran’s ‘second navy‘ remains a serious concern for vessels seeking transit through the waterway.
Here’s how the fleet is causing havoc in the Strait of Hormuz:
How Iran’s mosquito fleet is skirting Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade
Iranian diaspora split over US intervention in the Middle East
Thursday 30 April 2026 12:30 , James ReynoldsWith fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran at a fragile standstill, Iran's large North American diaspora is divided over what should come next.
Demonstrators at a rally in Toronto on Sunday said they hope Donald Trump will continue with military intervention aimed at regime change in Tehran. Others, while opposed to the Islamic Republic, said the war has only deepened suffering in Iran without delivering democracy.
The split highlights a long-running debate among Iran's diaspora over whether foreign military pressure can and should help dismantle Iran’s decades-old clerical leadership given the potential costs to friends and family still in Iran, or whether political change must come from within.
Up to 5 million Iranians live abroad, the majority of them in North America and Western Europe, according to Iranian government data. Iranian media has put their numbers closer to 10 million. People who have fled Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution are overwhelmingly opposed to its clerical rulers, but opinions over foreign military involvement diverge.
“The Islamic regime is our main enemy. We want countries like the U.S. and Israel to help us bring this regime down,” said Ali Daneshfar, an operations coordinator with Cyrus the Great, a Toronto-based Iranian group. Daneshfar said repeated protests inside Iran had been violently crushed, leaving Iranians with few options.
Nasser Sharif, president of the California Society for Democracy in Iran, expressed a sharply different view, saying: “We believe that bombing the regime is not going to bring democratic change in Iran. The regime is using the war to suppress more, execute more people and terrorise the population inside the country.”
Khamenei statement says US has 'no place except in depths of the waters'
Thursday 30 April 2026 12:19 , James ReynoldsA statement attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei - who has not been seen since the start of the war - and published on National Persian Gulf Day threatens the US and insists Iranian management of the Strait of Hormuz will be to the benefit of the region.
“Today, with two months having passed since the world's tyrants' largest military mobilisation and aggression in the region and America's humiliating defeat in its own scheme, a new chapter for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is taking shape,” the statement reads.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, through the practical gratitude of managing the Strait of Hormuz, will secure the Persian Gulf region and dismantle the enemies' exploitative schemes in this waterway. The legal frameworks and implementation of new management for the Strait will bring peace and progress to the benefit of all the region's nations, and its economic benefits will gladden the hearts of the people.”
Iran has floated future control of the waterway, which legal experts have warned could breach international law.
The statement continues: “Those foreigners who, from thousands of kilometers away, greedily sow mischief in that [expanse of the blue waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman], have no place there except in the depths of its waters.”
Recap: IDF chief says there is no ceasefire in southern Lebanon
Thursday 30 April 2026 12:00 , James ReynoldsThe IDF’s chief of staff said during a visit to troops in southern Lebanon on Wednesday that there “is no ceasefire”, amid continued clashes between Israel and Hezbollah despite a truce.
Speaking in the southern town of Taybeh, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told soldiers that the Israeli military “will not tolerate” Hezbollah’s attacks, according to the Times of Israel.
“On the combat front, there is no ceasefire; you continue to fight, to remove direct and indirect threats from the northern communities, to thwart terror infrastructure, to locate and kill terrorists,” he said.
Gulf will have 'bright future' without US presence, says Iranian supreme leader
Thursday 30 April 2026 11:40 , James ReynoldsIran’s supreme leader said the Gulf region will have a “bright future” without the presence of the US, according to State TV.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen since the start of the war amid reports he was seriously injured in a strike, said in a statement that Tehran shares a common fate with its neighbours, and that “foreigners who commit evil” have no place but in the “depths of water”.
He insists Tehran will secure the Gulf region and eliminate “the enemy’s abuses of the waterway”, referring to the continued US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
New management of the channel “will bring calm and progress” as well as “economic benefits” to all Gulf nations, he was reported to have said.
The moments when Hegseth lost his nerve during Congress questions on the Iran war
Thursday 30 April 2026 11:32 , James ReynoldsUS defence secretary Pete Hegseth faced intense scrutiny from furious Democrats on Wednesday during his first congressional appearance since the Trump administration initiated military action against Iran.
Lawmakers grilled Hegseth over the costly conflict, which has proceeded without congressional approval and has already amounted to $25 billion, according to Pentagon figures presented to the House Armed Services Committee.
The contentious hearing, ostensibly focused on the administration’s proposed 2027 military budget of a historic $1.5 trillion, saw Republicans largely supporting the Iran operation and focusing on financial details.
The moments Hegseth lost his nerve during Congress questions on the Iran war
Inside the power struggle reshaping Iran as talks stall
Thursday 30 April 2026 11:01 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran wants to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as it “figures out its leadership situation”.
The regime lost its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a strike on the first day of the conflict, on 28 February.
Since its creation in 1979, the Islamic Republic has revolved around a supreme leader with final authority on key state matters. But insiders say Khamenei’s death and the elevation of his wounded son have enabled a new order dominated by leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
What is the IRGC?
The elite guards were set up shortly after the 1979 revolution to protect the clerical ruling system and provide a counterweight to the regular armed forces.
The IRGC also commands the Basij religious militia used to crack down on anti-government protests. Its Quds Force influences allied militias across the Middle East, handling relations with Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, among others.
How is the IRGC vying for power?
Filling the vacuum left by Khamanei, Iranian officials and analysts told Reuters that the IRGC now dominates both military strategy and key political decisions.
People familiar with the internal deliberations say that Mojtaba Khamenei’s role has been reduced to mostly signing off on decisions made by his generals. A senior Pakistani government official said there is “apparently no one decision-making command structure”, with responses sometimes taking three days.
Iran International, with reported links to Saudi Arabia, reported earlier this month that the IRGC had taken “de facto control” of the Iranian government amid a deepening power struggle.
Unnamed ‘informed sources’ told the outlet that a ‘military council’ of IRGC officers now exercises full control over the core decision-making structure, blocking government reports on the country’s situation from reaching Khamenei. The government has been “effecively sidelined” from executive control, they said.
Already strengthened by war, the Guards’ growing dominance signals a more aggressive foreign policy and tighter domestic repression, sources familiar with the country's inner policy-making circles told Reuters.
Recap: Trump posts extraordinary picture holding assault rifle in new threat to Iran
Thursday 30 April 2026 10:28 , James ReynoldsPresident Donald Trump has issued an astonishing new threat against Iran, posting a mocked-up picture of himself brandishing an assault rifle with the strapline: “No more Mr Nice Guy!”
“Iran can’t get their act together,” the President wrote on Truth Social early Wednesday morning. “They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!”
The threat was accompanied by a meme of Trump, stood against a Middle Eastern backdrop of explosions devastating a hillside, wearing a dark suit and sunglasses and holding the firearm.
Gun-toting Trump posts extraordinary new threat to Iran: ‘No more Mr Nice Guy!’
Commanders expected to brief Trump on new military options, including ground forces
Thursday 30 April 2026 10:00 , James ReynoldsPresident Trump is expected to be briefed on new military options for his war in Iran on Thursday, according to a report.
US Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper will present plans to the president aimed at breaking the deadlock, sources told Axios.
Centcom is said to have mocked up options including a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iran, likely including infrastructure, sources said.
Another plan could see the deployment of ground forces in a bid to take over part of the Strait of Hormuz and reopen it to commercial shipping, one source told the US outlet.
A third option reportedly under consideration was using special forces to seize the stockpile of highly enriched uranium inside Iran.
Trump told Axios yesterday that he still sees the naval blockade on Iran as “somewhat more effective than bombing”.
Iran has enough enriched uranium for ten nuclear bombs, says United Nations watchdog
Thursday 30 April 2026 09:30 , James ReynoldsThe majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is believed to remain at its Isfahan nuclear complex, a site that has endured airstrikes last year and further attacks during this year's U.S.-Israeli conflict, according to the head of the U.N. nuclear agency.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated in an interview on Tuesday that the agency possesses satellite images illustrating the impact of the recent U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran, and that "we continue to get information."
Recap: IDF chief says there is no ceasefire in southern Lebanon
Thursday 30 April 2026 09:10 , James ReynoldsThe IDF’s chief of staff said during a visit to troops in southern Lebanon on Wednesday that there “is no ceasefire”, amid continued clashes between Israel and Hezbollah despite a truce.
Speaking in the southern town of Taybeh, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told soldiers that the Israeli military “will not tolerate” Hezbollah’s attacks, according to the Times of Israel.
“On the combat front, there is no ceasefire; you continue to fight, to remove direct and indirect threats from the northern communities, to thwart terror infrastructure, to locate and kill terrorists,” he said.
In pictures: Destruction at a Lebanese village amid Israeli military campaign
Thursday 30 April 2026 08:45 , James Reynolds
Recap: Tehran mocks rising oil price
Thursday 30 April 2026 08:23 , James ReynoldsIran’s parliament speaker mocked rising global oil prices on Wednesday as the regime maintains its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
“3 days in, no well exploded,” wrote Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf on social media yesterday.
“We could extend to 30 and livestream the well here. That was the kind of junk advice the US admin gets from people like [Scott] Bessent who also push the blockade theory and cranked oil up to $120+. Next stop:140.
“The issue isn't the theory, it's the mindset.”
Watch: Trump says Iran 'will cry uncle' to open 'genius' blockade of Strait of Hormuz
Thursday 30 April 2026 08:20 , James ReynoldsNew: Commanders expected to brief Trump on new military options, including ground forces
Thursday 30 April 2026 07:50 , James ReynoldsPresident Trump is expected to be briefed on new military options for his war in Iran on Thursday, according to a report.
US Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper will present plans to the president aimed at breaking the deadlock, sources told Axios.
Centcom is said to have mocked up options including a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iran, likely including infrastructure, sources said.
Another plan could see the deployment of ground forces in a bid to take over part of the Strait of Hormuz and reopen it to commercial shipping, one source told the US outlet.
A third option reportedly under consideration was using special forces to seize the stockpile of highly enriched uranium inside Iran.
Trump told Axios yesterday that he still sees the naval blockade on Iran as “somewhat more effective than bombing”.
Trump says Putin offered to help US handle Iran’s enriched uranium
Thursday 30 April 2026 07:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDonald Trump has claimed that Russia's Vladimir Putin renewed his offer for Moscow to serve as a third country that could deal with Iran’s 970 pounds of enriched uranium that the US leader is demanding Tehran must surrender.
“He told me he’d like to be involved with the enrichment – if he can help us get it,” Trump said Putin told him over the call yesterday.
“I said, ‘I’d much rather have you be involved with ending the war with Ukraine.’ To me, that would be more important."
Oil prices top $125 as US considers military options
Thursday 30 April 2026 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe price of Brent crude oil surged past $125 a barrel early this morning as stalled US-Iran talks raised doubts over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a permanent end to the Iran war.
Brent crude to be delivered in June jumped 6.2 per cent to $125.36 early Wednesday. Brent to be delivered in July rose 3.1 per cent to $113.85.
Before the start of the war in late February, Brent crude was trading around $70 per barrel.
More here.
Oil prices top $125 as US considers military options to break Iran deadlock
US seeks new coalition to get ships moving again in Hormuz
Thursday 30 April 2026 07:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump's administration is seeking the participation of other countries to form an international coalition to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a State Department cable.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio approved the creation of the Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC), the cable dated 28 April said, which it described as a joint initiative by the state department and the Pentagon.
"The MFC constitutes a critical first step in the establishment of a post-conflict maritime security architecture for the Middle East. This framework is essential to ensuring long-term energy security, protecting critical maritime infrastructure, and maintaining navigational rights and freedoms in vital sea lanes," the cable said.
The component of the initiative led by the state department would serve as the diplomatic hub between partner countries and the shipping industry, while the Pentagon component operating out of CENTCOM headquarters in Florida would coordinate real-time maritime traffic and communicate directly with vessels transiting the Strait, the cable said.
US aircraft carrier to depart Middle East region
Thursday 30 April 2026 06:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUSS Ford aircraft carrier to leave Middle East after a record-breaking deployment.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier had been at sea for more than 300 days, including participating in the war against Iran and capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
The Ford will be leaving the Middle East in the coming days and returning to its home port in Virginia in mid-May, according to two US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military movements.
The ship broke the US record this month for the longest post-Vietnam War deployment, a nearly 10-month span after leaving Naval Station Norfolk in June.
Pete Hegseth to face second day of grilling from Democrats
Thursday 30 April 2026 06:37 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDefence secretary Pete Hegseth will face a second day of grilling from Democrats on Capitol Hill, with senators getting their first opportunity today to confront or praise the Pentagon chief over his handling of the Iran war.
Hegseth battled with Democrats – and some Republicans – a day earlier during a nearly six-hour House Armed Services Committee hearing, where he faced sharp questioning over the war's costs in dollars, lives and the diminishing stockpiles of critical weapons.
The Senate Armed Services Committee will hear a similar presentation on the Trump administration's 2027 military budget proposal, which would boost defence spending to a historic $1.5 trillion.
Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Dan Caine, will again stress the need for more drones, missile defence systems and warships.
They are now also likely to face tough questions about American troop levels in Europe after President Donald Trump on Wednesday levelled a new threat against Nato ally Germany, suggesting he could soon reduce the US military presence in the country as he feuds with chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war.
Trump reshares post that says 'storm is coming'
Thursday 30 April 2026 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDonald Trump has reshared an image on Truth Social bearing the message “The Storm is Coming,” alongside the phrase “Nothing can stop what is coming".
In a separate post, he cited a Harvard Harris poll, which allegedly claimed that a strong majority of Americans supported his stance on stopping Iran’s nuclear program.
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116491457397348713
Oil prices soar past $123 a barrel
Thursday 30 April 2026 05:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices rose today on a report the US is considering potential military action against Iran to break the deadlock in negotiations to end the war, increasing concerns of more supply disruptions to already curtailed Middle East exports.
Brent crude futures for June rose $5.27, or 4.5 per cent, to $123.30 a barrel after gaining 6.1 per cent in the previous session.
The June contract, which has increased for a ninth day, expires today and the more active July contract was at $113.10, up $2.66, or 2.4 per cent, after gaining 5.8 per cent in the previous session.
Trump summoned oil and gas execs to White House as Americans pay the highest price at the pump in four years
Thursday 30 April 2026 05:28 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump and his top officials met with oil and gas executives, including Chevron CEO Mike Wirth, at the White House on Tuesday.
The meeting, reported by Axios on Wednesday, addressed the energy fallout of the Iran war and other topics.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were among the officials present.
More here.
Trump threatens to reduce US troop numbers in Germany after clash with Merz
US war in Iran has cost $25bn so far
Thursday 30 April 2026 05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDonald Trump's war in Iran has cost the US military $25bn so far, a senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday, providing the first official estimate of the price tag for the conflict.
Jules Hurst, who is performing the duties of the comptroller, told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee that most of that money was for munitions.
Hurst did not detail what that cost estimate included and whether it took into account the projected costs of rebuilding and repairing base infrastructure in the Middle East damaged in the conflict.
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that the cost was justified given the US goal of ensuring Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.
"What would you pay to ensure Iran does not get a nuclear bomb? What would you pay?" Hegseth asked.
Iran's highly enriched uranium 'likely still at Isfahan site'
Thursday 30 April 2026 04:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe majority of Iran's highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, which was bombarded by airstrikes last year and faced less intense attacks in this year's US-Israeli war, the UN nuclear agency's leader said.
Rafael Grossi said that the International Atomic Energy Agency has satellite images showing the effects of the latest US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran and that "we continue to get information.
"IAEA inspections ended at Isfahan when Israel last June launched a 12-day war that saw the US bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.
The UN nuclear watchdog believes a large percentage of Iran's highly enriched uranium "was stored there in June 2025 when the 12-day war broke out, and it has been there ever since," Grossi said.
"We haven't been able to inspect or to reject that the material is there and that the seals — the IAEA seals — remain there," he said. "I hope we'll be able to do that, so what I tell you is our best estimate."
US central command leader to brief Trump on new Iran military options
Thursday 30 April 2026 04:14 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUS president Donald Trump is slated to receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action in Iran on Thursday from the leader of the US Central Command, Brad Cooper, Axios reported.
On Wednesday, Trump discussed how to mitigate the impact of a possible months-long US blockade of Iran's ports with oil companies, as he urged Tehran to "get smart soon" and sign a deal.
Iranian parliamentary speaker mocks Trump admin as oil prices soar
Thursday 30 April 2026 03:50 , Rachel DobkinIranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has mocked the Trump administration as oil prices soar.
Ghalibaf wrote in an X post early Thursday morning, local time, that US President Donald Trump was getting “junk advice” from people like Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who pushes the “blockade theory and cranked oil up to $120+”.
After the US and Israel began striking Iran about two months ago, Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, and the US subsequently imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Ghalibaf suggested oil prices will reach $140 in the conflict, writing, “Next stop:140. The issue isn't the theory, it's the mindset.”
'Strait of Trump' image shared by president
Thursday 30 April 2026 03:20 , Rachel DobkinUS President Donald Trump has shared an image on social media, depicting a map of the Strait of Hormuz with the words, “Strait of Trump” across the vital oil passageway.
Trump posted the image on Truth Social Wednesday night, local time, as Washington and Tehran remain at an impasse in negotiations.
After the US and Israel began striking Iran about two months ago, Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, and the US subsequently imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
US military shares promo-style video of its naval blockade against Iran
Thursday 30 April 2026 02:50 , Rachel DobkinFor 2+weeks, U.S. forces have successfully enforced the blockade, cutting off economic trade going into and out of Iran. pic.twitter.com/enCwgN4moo
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 29, 2026
US aircraft carrier to return home after deployment in Middle East: report
Thursday 30 April 2026 02:20 , Rachel DobkinThe USS Ford aircraft carrier will return home after it was deployed in the Middle East, helping with President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, according to a new report.
The aircraft carrier, which is the largest in the world, will leave the Middle East in the next few days and return to its home port in Virginia by mid-May, two US officials told the Associated Press.
US military says it has redirected over 40 ships trying to pass its naval blockade
Thursday 30 April 2026 01:50 , Rachel DobkinThe US military has announced it has redirected 42 ships trying to pass its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
“Right now there are 41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can’t sell”, US Central Command said in a statement. “That’s an estimated $6 billion-plus from which Iran’s leadership cannot financially benefit”.
Statement from Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander on the success of the U.S. blockade against Iran: pic.twitter.com/78OL04k5cZ
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 29, 2026
Briefing: What we know on 62nd day of Iran war
Thursday 30 April 2026 01:26 , Rachel Dobkin- A surveillance drone flying near the US Embassy in Baghdad was reportedly shot down early Thursday, local time.
- US President Donald Trump urged Tehran on Wednesday to "get smart soon" and sign a peace deal as his military announced it has redirected 42 ships since its naval blockade of Iranian ports was put into effect.
- Oil prices rose more than 6 per cent Wednesday as Washington and Tehran continue their impasse in negotiations
Trump says US is considering reducing troops in Germany
Thursday 30 April 2026 01:20 , Rachel DobkinTrump has announced that the US is considering reducing troops in Germany amid growing tensions between the two countries over the Iran war.
“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time”, Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday that Iran was “humiliating” the US by “letting the Americans travel to Islamabad [for peace talks] and then leave again without any result”.
“I hope that this ends as quickly as possible”, the chancellor said about the Iran war while speaking with students in Marsberg.
Watch: Trump claims King Charles would have probably helped with military strikes against Iran
Thursday 30 April 2026 00:52 , Rachel DobkinMajor revelation from Hegseth testimony was price tag of Iran war
Thursday 30 April 2026 00:00 , Rhian LubinOne of the biggest revelations to emerge from Wednesday’s congressional hearing was that the war in Iran has so far cost an estimated $25 billion.
“Approximately, of this day, we're spending about $25 billion on Operation Epic Fury,” Jules Hurst, a Pentagon budget official, told the hearing.
Most of that has been spent on munitions, he said.
ICYMI: Trump posts extraordinary picture holding assault rifle in new threat to Iran
Wednesday 29 April 2026 22:45 , Rhian LubinPresident Donald Trump issued an astonishing new threat against Iran Wednesday, posting a mocked-up picture of himself brandishing an assault rifle with the strapline: “No more Mr Nice Guy!”
“Iran can’t get their act together,” the President wrote on Truth Social. “They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!”
The threat was accompanied by a meme of Trump, stood against a Middle Eastern backdrop of explosions devastating a hillside, wearing a dark suit and sunglasses and holding the heavy-duty firearm.
Trump claims King Charles 'probably would've helped' US with Iran
Wednesday 29 April 2026 22:00 , Rhian LubinPresident Donald Trump has claimed that King Charles “probably would have helped us” in Iran as he launched another attack on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO.
Speaking during the King’s state visit, the president said the royal was a “phenomenal representative for his country” and suggested he would have differed in his approach to the conflict from the prime minister.
“The King loves his country, and he's a great king, and he's a great friend of mine. And I think if that it were up to him, he would have probably helped us with Iran,” Trump said.
Read more...
Trump claims King Charles ‘would probably have helped us with Iran’
Pictured: Hegseth grilled by lawmakers for six 6
Wednesday 29 April 2026 21:15 , Rhian LubinDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth was grilled by lawmakers for six hours, mostly about the war in Iran.
Hearing is adjoured
Wednesday 29 April 2026 20:54 , Rhian LubinThe hearing is now adjourned after nearly six hours.
Trump gives rambling answer on whether Ukraine or Iran war will end first
Wednesday 29 April 2026 20:37 , Rhian Lubin, Andrew FeinbergOver in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump couldn’t say whether the 60-day-old war he launched against Iran in February would end before the four-year-old Russian war against Ukraine.
As Hegseth was testifying, Trump appeared to confuse the two countries as he turned an Oval Office meeting to honor the Artemis II lunar mission crew into a wide-ranging media session with reporters.
After four minutes of remarks to honor the NASA crew that traveled to the Moon for the first time since the Nixon administration, the president immediately launched into a question-and-answer session in which he told reporters a recent conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin had focused on the Ukraine and Iran wars.
“I talked about Ukraine, and I talked a little bit about Iran. I talked about few different subjects, mostly about Ukraine, and we had a very good conversation. I think we're going to come up with a solution relatively quickly,” he said Wednesday.
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Trump rambles on whether Ukraine or Iran war will end first — confusing the countries
