Oil prices climbed more than $4 on Thursday after president Donald Trump said the US will continue to attack Iran, including energy and oil targets, over the next few weeks.
Brent crude futures rose $4.88, or 4.8 per cent, to $106.04 per barrel by 2am GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up $4.17, or 4.2 per cent, to $104.29 per barrel.
In his address to the nation, Trump said almost all of America’s military objectives had been met, while rehashing many of his previous talking points about the conflict.
“Tonight, I'm pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” he said, though he offered no further information on what the objectives had been.“As we celebrate this progress, we think especially of the 13 American warriors who have laid down their lives in this fight to prevent our children from ever having to face a nuclear Iran,” he added.
It comes after a new poll by CNN and SSRS found just one-third of Americans approve of the ongoing military action in the Middle East, with 67 per cent saying they don’t believe Trump has a clear plan for handling the situation.
Key Points
- Key points of Donald Trump's address to the nation on Iran
- Reactions to Trump's address to nation on Iran
- Oil jumps over 4% after Trump's speech on Iran war
- Iran's president says his country is not a threat
- Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s Iran war: poll
Key points recap: Donald Trump's address to the nation on Iran
03:33 , Mike BediganOn Wednesday night President Donald Trump delivered a 17-minute national address on Iran.
Here’s a recap of key points in case you missed it:
- Trump announced that the U.S. military’s “core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” though offered no further information on those objectives.
- The president appeared to slur his words on several occasions during the speech.
- He claimed the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury,” had “delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield, victories like few people have ever seen before.”
- Trump repeated many of his same justifications for the month-old bombing campaign against Iran, including his claim there was an imminent threat of Tehran producing a nuclear weapon.
- He paid tribute to the 13 U.S. service members killed in the conflict and claimed their families had all told him to “finish the job.”
- Trump also once again blamed the rise in gas prices in the U.S. on the Iranian conflict and boasted the economy he had cultivated was strong enough to withstand it.
Iran's president says the world 'stands at crossroads' between diplomacy and confrontation
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran's president Masoud Pezeshkian earlier issued his own message to the American people, warning that Iran can endure any aggression from the US."Today, the world stands at crossroads.
Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before. The choice between confrontation and engagement is both real and consequential; its outcome will shape the future for generations to come," Pezeshkian said.
"Throughout its millennia of proud history, Iran has outlasted many aggressors. All that remains of them are tarnished names in history, while Iran endures – resilient, dignified, and proud."
Pezeshkian did not mention a ceasefire offer made last week by Donald Trump, as he accused Israel of dragging the US into its war against Iran."Is it not also the case that America has entered this aggression as a proxy for Israel, influenced and manipulated by that regime?" asked Pezeshkian.
The country that could be the first to run out of fuel due to US-Iran war
05:55 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarMajid Ali, who commutes 22km every day for work, has to stand in a queue for two hours to get the fuel he needs for his bike.
He is one of millions of people in Bangladesh who have been lining up outside petrol stations day and night amid concerns over the country’s declining fuel reserves triggered by Donald Trump's month-long war on Iran.
“This motorcycle is the only convenient way for me to commute, but without the octane, how will I continue,” the 33-year-old private sector employee tells The Independent.
"I was lucky, I got the fuel. Dozens of motorists behind me were forced to return as the station ran out of fuel," he adds. These days there are fewer vehicles spotted on the capital Dhaka’s otherwise overcrowded streets.
More here.
The country that could be the first to run out of fuel due to US-Iran war
Israeli military 'intercepting new missile launch'
05:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Israeli military said it was working to intercept a missile launch from Iran, less than half an hour after Donald Trump's address to the nation.
Sirens went off across northern Israel, from the city of Haifa on the Mediterranean coast to the Sea of Galilee.
Democrats slam Trump speech for failing to offer answers
05:13 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDemocrats have criticised Donald Trump’s prime-time address to the American people on the war in Iran as “incoherent” and as doing little to answer “the most basic questions".
Senator Mark Warner noted that Trump owed Americans more answers about a conflict that has driven up prices on gas “alongside rising prices for diesel, fertiliser, aluminium, and other essentials, with consequences that will continue to ripple through the economy for a long time to come” in his statement.
Senator Chris Murphy released a statement that said the “speech was grounded in a reality that only exists in Donald Trump’s mind".
Murphy said that “no one in America, after listening to that speech, knows whether we are escalating or de-escalating.”
Ex-counterterrorism chief says best time to end war is 'now'
05:06 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarTrump’s former counterterrorism chief, Joe Kent, has warned that the best time to get out of the Iran war "is now".
President Donald Trump said US forces will “finish the job” in Iran soon as “core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” offering a defence of the war on Wednesday night in his first national address since the conflict began more than a month ago.
“As we celebrate this progress, we think especially of the thirteen American warriors who have laid down their lives in this fight to prevent our children from ever having to face a nuclear Iran,” he added.
Mr Kent in a post on X said: "We do not honor our fallen by getting more of our best men & women killed in the Middle East.
"We honor our fallen by learning from our past & only shedding American blood in defense of our nation. The best time to get out of a war of choice is now, before we lose more lives."
Oil jumps over 4% after Trump's speech on Iran war
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices climbed more than $4 this morning after president Donald Trump said the US will continue to attack Iran, including energy and oil targets over the next few weeks, and did not commit to a specific timeline to end the war.
Brent crude futures rose $4.88, or 4.8 per cent, to $106.04 per barrel by 2am GMT.
US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up $4.17, or 4.2 per cent, to $104.29 per barrel.
Trump said in a televised speech to the nation that the US military had nearly completed its goals in its war with Iran, and that the conflict would soon end, but gave no specific timeline.
Trump criticised over Iran war address to nation
04:28 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarMembers of congress and military experts have started expressing their reactions to Donald Trump's address to the nation on his Iran war.
Brett McGurk, a former senior national security adviser under presidents George W Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, said: "I think this war is going to continue for some time."
Trump staunchly defended his handling of the month-old war on Iran, saying the US military was nearing completion of its mission while also reinforcing his threats to bomb the Islamic Republic "back to the Stone Age".
Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene in a post on X said: "I wanted so much for President Trump to put America First. That’s what I believed he would do. All I heard from his speech tonight was WAR WAR WAR."
"Nothing to lower the cost of living for Americans. Nothing to reduce our near $40 trillion in debt. Nothing to save Social Security, which goes bankrupt in just a few years. Nothing to lower the cost of insurance. Nothing to address jobs for Americans. Nothing about education for our children. Nothing about our children’s future. Nothing for America’s future. I’m so beyond done," she said.
I wanted so much for President Trump to put America First.
— Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@FmrRepMTG) April 2, 2026
That’s what I believed he would do.
All I heard from his speech tonight was WAR WAR WAR.
Nothing to lower the cost of living for Americans.
Nothing to reduce our near $40 trillion in debt.
Nothing to save Social Security,…
Senator Chuck Schumer asked: "Has there ever been a more rambling, disjointed, and pathetic presidential war speech?"He added: "He is completely unfit to be Commander-in-Chief and the whole world knows it."
Has there ever been a more rambling, disjointed, and pathetic presidential war speech?
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 2, 2026
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… https://t.co/3An0nd3h1y
In pictures: Donald Trump address nation on Iran
04:00 , Mike Bedigan
Trump blames 'short term increase' of gas prices on Iran's 'deranged terror attacks'
03:45 , Mike BediganDonald Trump once again blamed the rise in gas prices in the U.S. on the Iranian conflict, and once again boasted that the economy he had cultivated was strong enough to withstand it.
“This short term increase has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime launching deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers and neighboring countries that have nothing to do with the conflict,” he said.
“This is yet more proof that Iran can never be trusted with nuclear weapons. They will use them, and they will use them quickly. It would lead to decades of extortion, economic pain and instability, worse than we can ever imagine.”
He added: “The United States has never been better prepared economically to confront this threat. You all know that we built the strongest economy in history.
“In one year, we've taken a dead and crippled country, I hate to say that, but we were a dead and crippled country after the last administration, and made it the hottest country anywhere in the world, by far.”
Trump delivers jaw-dropping and slurred Iran address that offers no end in sight to unpopular war
03:15 , Mike BediganAnalysis: Andrew Feinberg delivers his verdict on Donald Trump’s address to the nation:
Trump slurs his way through jaw-dropping Iran war address with no clear end in sight
UAE says it is engaging with missile and drone attacks from Iran
03:00 , Mike BediganMoments before Donald Trump began his remarks, officials from the United Arab Emirates revealed that its defense systems were engaging with drone and missile attacks originating from Iran.
“The Ministry of Defense confirms that the sounds heard in various parts of the country are the result of the UAE air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones,” the UAE Ministry of Defense wrote online.
“UAE Air Defences system are actively engaging with missiles and UAV threats MOD asserts that the sounds heard across the country are the result of ongoing engaging operations of missiles and UAV's.”
The MOD also warned civilians not to approach, touch or photograph debris that had fallen onto the ground as a result of any interceptions.
تتعامل حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية مع اعتداءات صاروخية وطائرات مسيرة قادمة من ايران وتؤكد وزارة الدفاع أن الاصوات المسموعة في مناطق متفرقة من الدولة هي نتيجة تعامل منظومات الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية للصواريخ الباليستية، والجوالة والطائرات المسيرة.
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) April 2, 2026
UAE Air Defences system… pic.twitter.com/FLl6y8v41t
Obama's speech writer blasts Trump's national address
02:47 , Mike BediganBarack Obama’s former speech writer Jon Favreau blasted the rambling and self-aggrandizing nature of Donald Trump’s remarks Wednesday night.
“I'm actually quite glad that primetime viewers are being exposed to the insane Truth Social rants the rest of us have been reading,” referring to the president’s frequent posts on his social media website, that often boast of his own achievements.
I'm actually quite glad that primetime viewers are being exposed to the insane Truth Social rants the rest of us have been reading.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) April 2, 2026
Watch: Trump slurs his way through address to nation on Iran war
02:39 , Mike BediganTrump says his 'first preference' was diplomacy
02:28 , Mike BediganIn his address to the nation Wednesday night, Donald Trump said his “first preference” to resolve the Iran war had been a diplomatic solution.
“I did what no other president was willing to do. They made mistakes, and I am correcting them,” he said.
“My first preference was always the path of diplomacy. Yet the regime continued their relentless quest for nuclear weapons and rejected every attempt at an agreement. For this reason, in June, I ordered a strike on Iran's key nuclear facilities and Operation Midnight Hammer.
“Nobody has ever seen anything like it.”
Trump says end of U.S. military operations in Iran is 'very close'
02:15 , Mike BediganDonald Trump has announced that the end of U.S. military operations in Iran was “very close,” claiming that the families of dead service members had told him to “finish the job.”
“Tonight, I'm pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” he said.
“As we celebrate this progress, we think especially of the 13 American warriors who have laid down their lives in this fight to prevent our children from ever having to face a nuclear Iran.
“We salute them, and now we must honor them by completing the mission for which they gave their lives. And every single one of the people, their loved one said, ‘please, sir, please finish the job, every one of them.
“And we are going to finish the job. And we're going to finish it very fast. We're getting very close.”
America now 'winning bigger than ever' says Trump
02:11 , Mike BediganIn his address to the nation Wednesday night Donald Trump declared that America was now “winning bigger than ever.”
“Never in the history of warfare has an enemy suffered such clear and devastating, large scale losses in a matter of weeks,” he said.
“Our enemies are losing in America, as it has been for five years under my presidency, is winning and now winning bigger than ever before.”
The president continued to boast of his achievements, while blasting his predecessors.
“They made mistakes, and I am correcting them,” he said.
Trump appears to slur words in national address
02:07 , Mike BediganDonald Trump appeared to slur some of his words as he began his remarks to the nation.
Trump says US has won 'victories like few people have seen'
02:05 , Mike BediganDonald Trump kicked off his address by declaring the U.S. had won victories in Iran “like few people have ever seen before.”
“In these past four weeks, our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield, victories like few people have ever seen before,” the president said in his remarks broadcast from the White House.
“Tonight, Iran's Navy is gone. Their Air Force is in ruins. Their leaders, most of them terrorist regime they led, are now dead.”
Watch: White House uses Seinfeld clip to affirm its Iran narrative
01:55 , Mike BediganUS moves troops to hotels in Middle East – seemingly in violation of its own rules of war: report
01:40 , Mike BediganThe Pentagon may have violated its own rules of war by moving troops from U.S. bases, targeted by Iran, to hotels and other civilian locations in the Middle East region, the New York Times reported.
Ariana Baio has the full story:
US moves troops to hotels in Middle East – violating rules of war: report
Bannon says Trump will 'declare victory' in speech to nation
01:25 , Mike BediganSteve Bannon has said that Donald Trump will be using his 9 p.m. address to the nation to “declare victory” in Iran.
Bannon, the president’s former White House chief strategist, said that Trump will announce what he plans to do while U.S. forces remain in Iran as well as “dumping on the NATO allies,” Politico reported.
“Two, three weeks, definable objectives. ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ — and we are hanging around a couple of weeks to conquer some more — maybe even then a ceasefire, while reiterating that the Hormuz situation is the Gulf Emirates’ and the Europeans’ to solve, and declare victory,” Bannon said.
Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s Iran war and don’t think he has a ‘clear plan’: poll
01:05 , Mike BediganMore than a month into the U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran that has upended the global economy and sent fuel prices soaring, a new poll from CNN and SSRS finds just one third of Americans approve of the ongoing military action.
The 34 percent of respondents who said they approved at least somewhat of President Donald Trump’s war represents a seven-point decline from a similar poll taken just after the start of the bombing campaign on February 28.
The results of the poll come as the president prepares to give a speech at 9 p.m. Wednesday, announcing the winding down of the war, and boast of his achievements.
In the meantime, here’s the full story from Andrew Feinberg:
Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Iran war and doubt Trump has ‘clear plan’: poll
Trump to use speech to announce winding down of Iran war
Thursday 2 April 2026 00:46 , Mike BediganDonald Trump is expected to use his primetime address to the nation to announce that the war in Iran, which has now lasted over a month, is winding down.
Sources told Politico that the speech, airing at 9 p.m. ET, will claim that all of America’s military objectives have been met, despite White House officials consistently being cagey over specifics.
Trump also intends to double down on his criticism of NATO allies and blame them for the ongoing issues in the Strait of Hormuz – which is still marred by shipping restrictions imposed by Iran.
In pictures: Tehran funeral procession turns into anti-US rally
Thursday 2 April 2026 00:00 , Jane Dalton
US officials prepare for ‘nightmare scenario’ of oil at $150 a barrel
Wednesday 1 April 2026 23:30 , Jane Dalton
Trump officials prepping for ‘nightmare scenario’ at gas pumps: reports
Trump claims he 'doesn't need' NATO and hints at Oval Office address in speech
Wednesday 1 April 2026 23:00 , Rebecca WhittakerIn a speech at an Easter Lunch at the White House president Donald Trump hit out at NATO claiming he “didn’t need them”.
“We've got some very bad allies in NATO. We blasted the hell out of Iran, the last thing I needed was NATO stepping in our way,” he said.
The president also hinted at tonights Oval Office address, claiming he will be speaking out how “great” he is.
He said: “Tonight I'm making a little speech at 9 o'clock. And basically I'm gonna uhh tell everybody how great I am. Whatta phenomenal job I've done.”
Unclear how Trump has 'stopped nuclear weapon development'
Wednesday 1 April 2026 23:00 , Jane DaltonPresident Trump says he has achieved one of his primary goals of the war – to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, although it isn't clear how.
Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium that could potentially be used to build nuclear weapons is believed to be buried under the rubble of a mountain facility that was hit during strikes last June — and that hasn't changed since the war with Iran began this year.
Mr Trump has said the US would move to take the uranium if it reached a deal with Iran.
But he said on Wednesday that the uranium is "so far underground, I don't care about that".
"We'll always be watching it by satellite," he said.
He said Iran was now incapable of developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran's president says his country is not a threat
Wednesday 1 April 2026 22:46 , Rebecca WhittakerIran’s president has hit out at “unprovoked military aggression” in a letter addressed to the American people.
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said that his country harbours no enmity towards ordinary Americans.
He added that portraying Iran as a threat was "neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts".
To the people of the United States of America pic.twitter.com/3uAL4FZgY7
— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) April 1, 2026
US journalist kidnapped in Baghdad after receiving threats
Wednesday 1 April 2026 22:30 , Jane Dalton
US journalist kidnapped in Iraq had been warned of threats in days prior
Analysis: Trump scrambles to reclaim narrative on his weakest issues
Wednesday 1 April 2026 22:10 , Jane Dalton
Trump scrambles to reclaim the narrative on his weaknesses: Iran war and immigration
Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s Iran war and don’t think he has a ‘clear plan’: poll
Wednesday 1 April 2026 22:07 , Rebecca WhittakerJust a third of the US public approves of President Donald Trump’s handling of the situation in Iran, a CNN poll conducted by SSRS has revealed.
While only 33 per cent of the public thought he had a clear plan to handle the situation in Iran, 36 per cent approve of his foreign policy.
Plus about six in 10 say he has gone too far in trying to expand America’s power over other countries.
Disapproval of military action in Iran has grown since the start of the war, with just 34 per cent of Americans saying they approve at least somewhat of the US decision to take military action in Iran, down seven points from a CNN poll conducted just after the start of the war.
Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Iran war and doubt Trump has ‘clear plan’: poll
Trump to declare war in Iran is winding down
Wednesday 1 April 2026 21:54 , Rebecca WhittakerPresident Donald Trump is set to declare that the war in Iran is winding down in an Oval Office address tonight.
He also intends to scapegoat NATO allies for Iran’s ongoing restrictions of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Politico reported.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House chief strategist, said the president will lay out what he has achieved in Iran and what he want’s to do before he leaves.
“Two, three weeks, definable objectives. ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ — and we are hanging around a couple of weeks to conquer some more — maybe even then a ceasefire, while reiterating that the Hormuz situation is the Gulf Emirates’ and the Europeans’ to solve, and declare victory,” He said.
