U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure, including desalination plants, if a deal to end the war with Tehran is not reached “shortly.”
The war has already threatened global supplies of oil and natural gas, sparked fertilizer shortages and disrupted air travel. Iran’s grip on the strategic Strait of Hormuz has shaken markets and prices.
Trump's latest threat also mentions Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub, which he suggested U.S. troops could seize in an interview with the Financial Times published early Monday. Iran has threatened to mine the Persian Gulf if its territory is invaded.
The United States and Israel kept up their attacks Monday while Iran struck a key water and electrical plant in Kuwait, part of its ongoing campaign targeting the Gulf Arab states, and an oil refinery in Israel came under fire.
Israel has invaded southern Lebanon to expel the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets and drones across the border, in what Israeli leaders suggest could be another extended occupation of that country. The invasion, along with aerial bombardment of wide swathes of the country, have displaced more than a million Lebanese people.
Here is the latest:
When asked about reports that American-made landmines have been spotted on the ground in Iran and whether Trump signed off on using landmines in Iran, Leavitt said: “I don’t have any comment on that report today.”
When asked whether landmines are being used at all, Leavitt again declined to answer, saying: “I don’t have any comment on that.”
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Monday that it is important to closely monitor inflation amid a spike in energy prices from the Iran war.
Powell spoke before nearly 400 students at Harvard University as gas prices inched toward an average of $4 per gallon in the U.S. He said there wasn’t a lot Fed policymakers could do since energy shocks “tend to come and go pretty quickly” and monetary maneuvers work over the longer-term. But a series of energy shocks, nevertheless, could be concerning.
“You have to carefully monitor inflation expectations because you could have a series of big supply shocks and that can lead, you know, the public generally, businesses, price setters, households ... to start expecting higher inflation over time. Why wouldn’t it?” Powell said.
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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says a 44-year-old doctor had been killed in an airstrike.
The group said in a statement that a Friday airstrike killed Somayeh Mir Abo Eshagh while she was volunteering with the Red Crescent. It said Abo Eshagh had volunteered intermittently for 22 years.
“The killing of Soumaya, and any attack on humanitarians, is unacceptable and must be condemned. We continue to call for the protection of humanitarian teams who risk everything to save lives — this is a moral and legal obligation,” the group said in a statement.
It said Abo Eshagh was the second medical worker to be killed in Iran and that 17 had been injured since Israel and the U.S. launched the war on Feb. 28.
The S&P 500 fell 0.1% in Monday afternoon trading, coming off its worst week since the war with Iran began. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 136 points, or 0.3%, as of 1:41 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% lower.
That followed gains for stock markets in much of Europe, but caution was still prevalent throughout financial markets. After jumping to an initial gain of 0.9%, the S&P 500 quickly erased virtually all of it before drifting between small gains and losses. Stocks in some Asian markets fell sharply, while the price for a barrel of Brent crude delivered in June rose 2.3% to $107.72.
All the back and forth has some investors saying they’re giving Trump’s pronouncements less weight than before. But stock prices are nevertheless cheaper than they were before the war, which has some investors waiting for an opportune time to buy.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that that it’s an “ongoing process” for the U.S. to ensure that the officials they’re negotiating with in Iran are actually in power and able to implement any deal. Leavitt did not detail who the U.S. is speaking with.
“Anything that they say to us privately will be tested and we will ensure that they are being held accountable to their word,” Leavitt said.
Three days after saying U.S. ground troops would not be needed to achieve U.S. goals in Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump has “options available” to deal with Iran’s threats to control the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday that diplomacy is Trump’s top preference but after being asked twice about any plans for U.S. ground troops, didn’t repeat the assertion he made Friday that the step wouldn’t be necessary to achieve the administration’s objectives.
Trump threatened Monday to blow up Iranian civilian infrastructure if the strait isn’t opened.
“Now, they are making threats about controlling the Hormuz Strait in perpetuity, creating a tolling system and the like,” Rubio said. “That’s not going to be allowed to happen. And the president has a number of options available to him, if he so chooses, to prevent that from happening.”
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the United Nations’ peacekeeping chief, told reporters Monday that the world body condemns the “unacceptable incidents” that killed three Indonesian peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, where Israel is battling the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL did not say who was responsible for the deaths overnight and into Monday.
“Peacekeepers must never be targeted,” Lacroix said. “UNIFIL is investigating these incidents to determine the circumstances.”
Additionally, Lacroix was asked if he would describe Israel’s ongoing operations in southern Lebanon as an “invasion,” he said that given Israeli military statements and actions, “it certainly looks like we might end up with, I would call it, an expanded buffer zone in southern Lebanon.”
He added, “Now what width, what breadth, what size, what all of this, of course, is very difficult to assess.”
The president confirmed the talks with Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf in an interview with the New York Post published on Monday, as Trump pressures Iran’s government to reach a deal to end the monthlong war.
He told the publication that he’ll “let you know that in about a week” when asked whether the speaker was someone that the U.S. could work with.
Qalibaf, a 64-year-old pilot and former Revolutionary Guard commander, has denied there have been discussions with the U.S. amid reports that he was floated as Washington’s negotiating partner.
Two more United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon were killed Monday, the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon known as UNIFIL said.
An explosion of “unknown origin” destroyed their vehicle near the village of Bani Hayyan and also wounded two peacekeepers, one severely.
All three peacekeepers who were killed were from the Indonesian army, said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, under-secretary-general for peace operations. The first was killed when a base was hit by a projectile, UNIFIL said.
Spokesperson Kandice Ardiel earlier said two of the wounded peacekeepers could not be immediately accessed due to “lack of security guarantees” following the explosion. It took coordination between Lebanese and Israeli authorities for them to securely reach them and take them for treatment, she added in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran’s leadership is fracturing under the month-long U.S.-Israeli war and that negotiations are possible with a new generation of Iranian leaders. But, he said the U.S. military buildup around Iran in the Middle East will continue as a backstop.
In an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday, Rubio said the Trump administration is aware of competing voices within Iran’s government pitting hard-liners against those who might be willing to negotiate a resolution to end the war. He declined to say who the dissenting voices, saying it would be dangerous for them to be publicly identified.
“There’s some fractures going on there internally,” Rubio said. “If there are new people now in charge who have a more reasonable vision of the future, that would be good news for us, for them, for the entire world. But we also have to be prepared for the possibility, maybe even the probability, that that is not the case. So we’re going to test it.”
The summons was to protest attacks by militant groups operating from Iraqi territory, Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said on X, demanding Baghdad take steps to stop them.
Kuwait’s said it has the right to respond to threats against its security and sovereignty.
Iraq has struggled to rein in Iran-backed Iraqi militias that have launched attacks throughout the war. In a letter last week, Kuwait and other Arab states urged Baghdad to prevent such groups from operating in Iraqi territory.
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry has said it is addressing “security challenges” and rejects allowing its territory to be used to attack others, without directly addressing the allegations.
British Prime Minster Keir Starmer’s comments came after meeting Monday with the leaders of energy, shipping and banking firms, and as Trump has threatened to seize Iran’s Kharg Island, a crucial facility for oil exports.
“This is going to have to be a joint effort,’’ Starmer said at the start of the meeting. “The government can’t do it on its own.’′
The talks involved representatives from U.K.-based energy giants Shell and BP, global shipping provider Maersk, maritime insurance specialist Lloyd’s of London and international banks HSBC and Goldman Sachs
A 22-year-old resident of Karaj, a city just west of Iran’s capital, said his area lost power for several hours overnight following nearby strikes.
“I was really scared. I thought that they’d hit the power plants and that we are not going to have power anymore,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of security fears.
He said he’d already packed a go-bag with documents, chargers, a laptop and wads of cash in case “bank servers go down.” Power returned around 1 a.m. Monday.
He and his friends have scant information about the war, he said, amid Iran’s blanket internet shutdown. “I am really confused. I don’t know what to feel or what to think.”
He added that security checkpoints are common in his area. “They search the car, they check the trunk, they ask for your ID, and they send you on your way.”
— By Amir-Hussein Radjy in Cairo.
The measure will take effect Wednesday. The oil will be provided on loan, with refiners required to return it.
The move is due to limited supplies the country receives through the Italian TAL pipeline, which continues as the IKL pipeline through Germany and serves the Czech Republic.
The amount represents about 10% of reserves intended to cover 90 days of consumption.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says 3,680 others have been wounded.
Eighty-seven of those killed were women, 124 children and 52 were medical workers.
More than one million people have been displaced.
A resident of northern Tehran, in his 50s, has described both widening damage from U.S.-Israeli strikes, as well as facing threats from security forces.
“There have been a lot of explosions,” he said, referring to his neighborhood. He said the local police station had been destroyed and a relative had to leave her apartment elsewhere in the capital after a nearby strike blew out its doors and windows.
He said that on the night of the Persian New Year in late March, he and his neighbors shouted anti-government chants from their windows and balconies, and that nearby security forces responded by firing warning shots in the air.
Security forces have issued multiple warnings they will shoot anyone who attempts anti-government demonstrations.
The resident was reached by The Associated Press after he crossed the border out of Iran into Turkey. He spoke on condition of anonymity for his and his family’s safety, saying he planned to return after a few months.
— Amir-Hussein Radjy
NATO air defenses have intercepted a fourth ballistic missile fired from Iran, Turkey’s defense ministry said.
A ministry statement said the missile entered Turkish airspace Monday and was “neutralized” by NATO air and missile defense units deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.
“All necessary measures are being taken decisively and without hesitation against any threat directed at our country’s territory and airspace,” the ministry said.
Earlier this month, NATO deployed two Patriot missile defense systems to Turkey to bolster its air defenses.
Finance and energy officials from the Group of Seven rich democracies said Monday they’re “closely monitoring” the impact of the Iran war but announced no new measures after an online meeting.
The officials said they welcomed the March 11 decision by energy consuming countries to release 400 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves, and added they “continue to closely monitor developments and their potential impact on global growth, and financial market conditions.”
The meeting brought together G-7 finance ministers, energy ministers and central bank governors for the first time in that constellation, said French Finance Minister Roland Lescure. France has this year’s rotating G-7 presidency.
The central banks are also “closely monitoring” the impact of higher oil prices caused by the war on inflation. The statement made no reference to the direction of central bank interest rates, other than to say monetary policy would depend on incoming data about the economy.
The G-7 are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S.
Three Ohio airmen killed in Iraq were honored with a large funeral procession Sunday from Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Columbus.
Two F-16 fighter planes and a KC-135 refueling tanker flew overhead in the missing man formation as family members, friends and supporters lined the streets after the dignified arrival of Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28; Capt. Curtis Angst, 30; and Capt. Seth Koval, 38.
Motorcycles rumbled along the route as onlookers waved American flags and shed tears.
The three airmen were part of the six-member air crew aboard an Air Force refueling aircraft killed in Iraq on March 12 as part of Operation Epic Fury. The plane crashed over friendly territory in western Iraq while supporting operations against Iran. Simmons, Angst and Koval were members of the 121st Air Refueling Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard.
The Saudi defense ministry said Monday on X that it detected and destroyed two drones in the past hours as Iran continues its air attacks on Gulf countries.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says those wounded in the Monday morning strike were 10 Lebanese, six Syrians and a woman from Kenya.
It added that the six Syrians included four children.
Iran’s Kharg Island, home to a terminal through which the country exports most of its oil, has emerged as a focus of the month-old war launched by the United States and Israel.
Strikes on oil infrastructure on Kharg — or a ground invasion — would severely curb Iran’s oil exports, a key source of revenue for the Islamic Republic. It would also mark a major escalation that could provoke even heavier retaliatory attacks on Gulf Arab infrastructure and further drive up oil prices. The skyrocketing cost of fuel is already threatening the world economy.
A U.S. occupation of the island would put American troops in a stationary position just 21 miles (33 kilometers) off Iran’s coast, well within range of its arsenal of drones and missiles.
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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by telephone Monday with European Council President Antonio Costa, who endorsed Pakistan’s peace efforts aimed at helping end the conflict in the Middle East.
A statement from Sharif’s office said the prime minister briefed Costa on his ongoing diplomatic initiatives.
It said the two leaders expressed concern over ongoing hostilities involving Iran and Gulf countries and their potential effect on the global economy and “stressed upon the need to resolve the crisis through dialogue and diplomacy.”
A text message campaign is calling on Iranians to volunteer to defend the country against a threatened U.S. ground operation, according to copies of messages seen by The Associated Press.
One message declared “a national campaign for those willing to sacrifice their lives,” with a link to register “to defend the country’s territory.” A second similar text message suggested volunteers would soon see “deployment.”
It wasn’t immediately clear if the messages were sent by a government body.
There have been multiple text message campaigns within Iran, either encouraging people to join pro-government forces or threatening those who would stand against them. Some are clearly from the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, while the source of others is more obscure.
Iran’s judiciary said Monday it began revoking residency permits for UAE citizens in retaliation for the UAE doing the same to Iranians there.
The judiciary said 1,200 Emiratis living in Iran had their residencies revoked.
The United Arab Emirates did not immediately respond to a request for comment about its residency revocations. The government has shut down the Iranian Hospital and the Iranian Club in Dubai. Iran has fired more drones and missiles combined at the UAE than at Israel during the war.
The U.S. president said on social media that his administration “is in serious discussions” with Iran to end military operations, but he threatened mass destruction of the country’s energy resources unless a deal is reached “shortly.”
“Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!),” Trump posted.
The Latin Patriarchate said Monday it had “addressed and resolved” issues with Israeli police after they prevented top Catholic leaders from holding Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
The patriarchate said it had secured permission from authorities for Mass at the church during Holy Week, though the liturgies will not be open to the public due to wartime limitations on gatherings over 50 people.
Police on Sunday prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land from accessing the church, citing security and safety concerns. President Isaac Herzog helped mediate the meeting between the police and the Catholic Church.
“I say to President Trump: no one can end the war in our region, in the Gulf, except you,” Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said in a speech Monday.
“I’m talking to you in the name of humanity and in the name of everyone who loves peace, and you are one of the people who love peace. I’m sending a direct message to you on behalf of the region. There are dangerous consequences in continuing this war any further. Please help us end the war, you’re capable of that,” he said.
Displaced children talk inside Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, now used as a shelter for people displaced by Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
A displaced woman walks next to tents set up inside the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, which has been turned into a shelter for people displaced by Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Residents inspect a damaged house following an Iranian missile strike in Shefaram Israel, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
A woman waves an Iranian flag during a campaign in support of the government at the Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A portrait of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, is seen, as smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
This image from video provided by U.S. Central Command shows U.S. Sailors and Marines aboard USS Tripoli arriving in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, March 27, 2026. (U.S. Central Command via AP)
Israeli security forces work at the site of an Iranian missile strike, in Beersheba, southern Israel Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Maya Levin)
Residents take cover in a bomb shelter as air raid sirens warn of incoming Iranian missile strikes, in Beersheba, southern Israel Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Maya Levin)
Members of the Basij paramilitary force stand at a checkpoint in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
