Hegseth on Iran:

The talks are very real, they are ongoing, they are active, and they are gaining strength.

Trump:

Melania and I are pleased to announce that Their Majesties, the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, will visit the United States for a Historic State Visit from April 27-30th, which will include a beautiful Banquet Dinner at the White House on the evening of April 28th.

This momentous occasion will be even more special this year, as we commemorate the 250th Anniversary of our Great Country.

I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect. It will be TERRIFIC!

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi:

The war criminals in Israel are now openly and unashamedly bombing pharmaceutical companies.

Their intentions are clear.

What they've gotten wrong is that they're not dealing with defenseless Palestinian civilians. Our Powerful Armed Forces will severely punish aggressors.

War Shock Slams UAE - $120bn Wiped Off Dubai, Abu Dhabi Markets

The war in Iran has erased $120bn from UAE stock markets in weeks, hammering Dubai and Abu Dhabi as flight chaos & investor panic expose the vulnerability of the Gulf’s financial hub ambitions.

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Israel bombs a building in Dahiya, Beirut.

China and Pakistan proposed a joint five-point plan calling for an immediate ceasefire in the US–Israel conflict with Iran, the start of diplomatic talks, and stronger protection for civilians and infrastructure.

France blocked Israel from using its airspace to transport U.S. weapons for the war against Iran over the weekend.

Source: Reuters

Russia’s ambassador to Iran said that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is in Iran but has not been appearing in public.

U.S. Quietly Asks Poland for Patriot Missiles, Gets a Big Public "No!"

Facing mounting pressure from the Iran war, the US unofficially asked Poland to hand over a Patriot battery. Polish Defence Minister Kosiniak publicly refused, taking the issue to a social media post.

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BIG: The IRGC states that it will respond to any assassination by targeting a U.S.-linked company.

The statement advises employees to leave these workplaces and calls on nearby residents within a 1 km radius to move to safer areas.

Companies listed include Cisco, HP, Intel, Oracle, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, Dell, Nvidia, JPMorgan Chase, Tesla, General Electric, Boeing and others.

The statement indicates this would take effect from 8:00 PM Tehran time on April 1.

Sandro Castro, grandson of Fidel Castro, publicly criticized Cuba’s government, saying President Miguel Díaz-Canel is “not doing a good job.”

In a CNN interview, he said leaders should have “a while ago, done many, many things” to fix current problems, adding that “many people here want to have capitalism with sovereignty.”

Israel Stops Security Purchases from France Over “Hostile” Lebanon Shift

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has oredered a halt to new defense purchases from "hostile" France, escalating a widening rift over Gaza & Lebanon as military tensions spill into arms ties & expose a breakdown in trust between the two allies.

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Trump on The Strait of Hormuz:

I think it’ll automatically open, but my attitude is, I’ve obliterated the country.

They have no strength left, and let the countries that are using the strait, let them go and open it.

Source: New York Post

Trump on Iran:

We’re not going to be there too much longer.

We’re obliterating the s–t out of them right now, it’s a total obliteration.

Source: New York Post

Pressed on a WSJ report suggesting he might end the war without reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Trump downplayed the issue:

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

Source: New York Post

The UK is sending more troops and air defence systems to the Middle East to help allies counter potential Iranian attacks, Defence Secretary John Healey said.

The Pentagon is considering deploying an anti-drone laser system at Fort McNair in Washington, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio live, after reports of drone activity nearby.

Source: NYT

NEW: Two of the U.S. Air Force’s new EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare jets have arrived in the U.K. and could soon deploy to the Middle East.

They would give CENTCOM America’s most advanced long-range jamming capability; disrupting enemy communications, air defenses, and command systems, while also providing ISR (intelligence and tracking).

SOURCE

Prof. John Mearsheimer on Iran War:

He (Trump) can’t walk away. He’s stuck. He’s going up the escalation ladder.

He’s looking for a way to win this. The problem is, he can’t fix it.

Escalation is not a strategy. The Iranians can outlast us.

Are we going to accept defeat? This is the United States of America — we don’t lose.

Once you move up the escalation ladder, it’s very hard to climb back down.

I don’t see how he gets out of this without doing something with those ground troops.

📸 Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa & the Big Ben.