US President Donald Trump don announce say e go delay im threat to strike Iran energy plants until April 6. Trump talk say im dey extend im deadline for Iran to open di Strait of Hormuz, wey be crucial waterway for global oil shipment. Di president claim say talks to end di war dey go “very well” and say Iran dey “begging to make a deal.”
Trump make dis announcement on social media after US stocks fall sharply and oil prices rise. Di war don kill over 1,900 people for Iran and nearly 1,100 for Lebanon, plus 22 Israelis and 13 US military members. Millions of people for Lebanon and Iran don dey displaced from dia homes.
For Lebanon side, Israel military don move thousands of troops across di border into southern Lebanon. Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants don dey fight on ground for at least three weeks. Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, talk say dem want to take control of di entire area south of di Litani River.
Di Israeli army talk on Thursday say dem don deploy another division to Lebanon, adding to thousands of troops wey don enter di southern part of di country since di war start. Israel occupy much of dat area from 1982 to 2000 after invading southern Lebanon during di country civil war.
For financial market, Wall Street experience im worst day since di war with Iran start. Di S&P 500 fall 1.7% on Thursday, heading for im fifth straight losing week. Di Dow Jones Industrial Average drop 1%, and di Nasdaq composite sink 2.4%. Oil prices rise more than 4%, and Treasury yields climb for bond market.
UN Food and Agriculture Organization top economist Maximo Torero warn say if di Iran war last for three to six months, e go impact food security, energy, and other sectors globally because prices go rise. Torero talk say rising prices and fall in remittances from overseas workers go affect economic development and growth across di world.
For Lebanon, experts dey analyze di situation. Mohanad Hage Ali, senior fellow at Carnegie Middle East think tank for Beirut, talk say di first line of borders na “no-man zone” wey dey like large parking lot facing Israel. Sarit Zehavi, founder and president of Alma Institute and retired Israeli military officer, talk say Israel go likely establish more extensive area of control stretching farther north.
Many Lebanese wey flee dia homes dey fear say dem no go ever return. Elias Konsol, wey flee di Christian border village of Alma al-Shaab with UN peacekeepers help, talk say “We no longer know our fate. We don’t know if we will see our homes and village again.”
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development project say US inflation go reach 4.2% dis year, up from about 2.6% for 2025. Di increase go mainly dey driven by spiking gas costs, but fertilizer exports don also dey interrupted and could raise food prices for coming months.
For Europe, Spain parliament don approve emergency economic measures, including slashing sales tax on gas and electricity bills from 21% to 10%. Di government estimate say car owners go save 30 cents on di euro for every liter of gas. Spain generate over half im electricity last year from renewable sources but still dey concerned about global scarcity of oil and natural gas from Middle East.
France Defense Ministry talk say 35 countries join military talks on reopening Hormuz shipping on Thursday. Di videoconference of defense staff chiefs focus on how to reopen shipping “once di intensity of hostilities has sufficiently decreased.” Dat could entail “strictly defensive” mission to escort commercial vessels and restore freedom of navigation.
For Tehran, witnesses talk say power dey out for some areas of di Iranian capital, although no official reports don dey released yet. Witnesses also report sounds of heavy strikes and fighter jets overhead. Explosions dey boom across most parts of Iran capital, along with activation of air defense systems.
Trump Cabinet meeting on Thursday run for one hour and 40 minutes and mainly focus on di Iran war. Trump limit speakers to himself, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Trump sidestep question about im deadline for Iran to open Strait of Hormuz, talk say “I don’t know” and say e depend on whether im team tell am talks with Iran dey “going along” or not. Trump talk say “We have a lot of time. It’s a day. In Trump time, a day- you know what it is? That’s an eternity.”
Israeli strikes for Lebanon kill another 22 people and wound 110 for di past 24 hours, according to Lebanon health ministry. Di total number of people killed by Israeli strikes for Lebanon since di outbreak of latest Israel-Hezbollah war don rise to 1,116, with 3,229 wounded. Di death toll include 121 children and 83 women.
Missile fire from Lebanon kill Israeli man for city on northern coast. Israel Magen David Adom emergency service talk say man for im 30s die by shrapnel from missile strike for Nahariya following barrage from Lebanon.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrive for Saudi Arabia on unannounced visit. Zelenskyy talk last week say Ukrainian officials dey help Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan with drone expertise and helping build defense system.
Trump talk say US “doesn’t need di Hormuz Strait” and say America get “so much oil — our country is not affected by this.” However, di narrow waterway typically see one-fifth of world oil exit Persian Gulf through am to reach customers worldwide, particularly for Asia. Iran stranglehold on di waterway don raise prices at pump for drivers worldwide.
Trump talk say im no ready to seek suspension of federal gas tax to help ease prices at pump. Trump suggest say states suspend dia taxes on fuel. Trump cannot suspend di federal tax on im own; Congress go need to approve.
Trump condemn German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier statement wey talk say Trump aggression against Iran na “dangerous mistake” in violation of international law. Trump liken Steinmeier statement to US assistance to Ukraine for im war with Russia.
Trump claim say Iran dey allow Pakistan-flagged tankers through Strait of Hormuz as sign of good faith for talks. Trump talk say Iranian officials, with whom US dey engage in back-channel talks, dey allow “eight boats of oil” to pass through di Strait.
Senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qamati condemn Lebanese government decision to expel Iranian ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani. Qamati talk say “Ambassador Sheibani will stay for Lebanon and will not leave Lebanon no matter how much you try,” condemning Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent talk say Strait of Hormuz not “choke point” and say tanker ship traffic go increase. Bessent talk say Iran dey “trying to take control of di global economy through a choke point that we believe does not exist.”
Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner talk for Saudi investment summit for Florida say US negotiators ignore Iranians public statements. Kushner talk say “you have to … just ignore a lot of what they say publicly, because I think that their statements are usually more for their domestic audiences.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio remarks during Cabinet meeting appear to borrow from Public Enemy “Welcome to di Terrordome.” Rubio talk say “But every day di Department of War lets di drummer get wicked over every portion of Iran that has these military capabilities, and di results are going to bear fruit for di world.”
Trump talk say im no dey use di word “war” because “they say if you use di word ‘war,’ that’s maybe not a good thing to do. They don’t like di word ‘war,’ because you’re supposed to get approval. So I’ll use di word ‘military operation,’ because that’s what it is.”
For Ukraine, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi initiate discussions with Russian Federation and Ukraine to secure local ceasefire for urgent repairs at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. Di plant lose connection to im main off-site power line on Tuesday, leaving am reliant on single backup power line.
Di IAEA team at di plant continue to closely monitor di situation. Director General Grossi confirm say IAEA don propose ceasefire window to both parties, allowing for safe assessment and restoration of damaged infrastructure. IAEA don previously broker five temporary ceasefire arrangements, wey enable six separate repairs to power lines connected to di plant.
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