"For 47 years, Iran was known as the bully of the Middle East, but it is no longer a bully - it is now on the run," Trump said during an event in Miami.
"Tonight we are closer than ever to the rise of a Middle East that is finally free from Iranian terror, aggression and nuclear blackmail. I just looked - we had another great day," he added, after praising the power of the US military and the "decimation" of Iranian capabilities, the Guardian reports.
"They are decimated. We are talking now, they want to reach an agreement."
Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that the United States hopes that meetings with Iran could be held as early as this week.
"We think there will be meetings this week. We certainly hope so," Vitkoff said at an event in Miami.
The extension of the pause in US attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure is seen by Washington as a "really positive" step, Witkoff said.
Amid conflicting reports about the nature of communications between Washington and Tehran, Witkoff claimed it was "clear" that the US and Iran were negotiating and that some ships were now passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Maybe we have a different definition of negotiation than they do."
Witkoff also said that the United States expects a response to its 15-point plan to end the war, the Guardian reports.
As he continued, Trump wants a peace agreement, but believes in "peace through strength."
"Without pressure, you never bring anyone to the negotiating table."
The US wants to resolve the conflict diplomatically, based on the principle of "no [nuclear] enrichment," said Witkoff, adding that they believe there must be no "new North Korea" in the Middle East.
"We cannot have another North Korea in the Middle East. It is completely destabilizing for that region and for the world."
Iranian authorities have announced that the country will "facilitate and expedite" the passage of humanitarian aid through the Strait of Hormuz, following a UN request.
Ali Bahreini, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said today that Iran had accepted the world organization's request to allow the safe passage of critical humanitarian aid and agricultural supplies through the strait.
"This measure reflects Iran's continued commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts and ensuring that necessary aid reaches those in need without delay," Bahreini said in a post on the X network.
He said this just hours after the UN announced it was forming a working group to address the impact the Iran war is having on the delivery of crucial aid.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has established a special working group aimed, for example, at facilitating trade in fertilizers and the movement of raw materials, but not oil.
Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric gave new information about the world organization's efforts to help with disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which risk further affecting humanitarian needs and agricultural production in the coming months, the British television network BBC reported.
Dujarric said that the UN has a lot of experience in developing such mechanisms in conflict zones, including from Ukraine with the Black Sea Grain Initiative, but that they do not yet know what this initiative will look like.
The UN Secretary-General has consulted on this in recent days with leaders such as the foreign ministers of Iran, Egypt and Pakistan and the ambassadors of the US and Bahrain to the UN.
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A pro-Iranian hacking group has claimed to have hacked into the personal email account of US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kesha Patel and posted online photos of him that appear to be years old, as well as his CV and other personal documents.
Many of these documents appear to be more than 10 years old.
"Kesh Patel, the current head of the FBI, who once saw his name proudly displayed at the agency's headquarters, will now find his name on the list of successfully hacked victims," a message posted online by a group calling itself Handala said.
The message included a dozen pictures of Patel, including one of him posing next to a vintage sports car and one of him smoking a cigar. Handala said it would make his emails and other documents on his account available for download, most of which appear to be from Patel's private and business trips dating back more than 10 years.
"The FBI is aware that malicious actors have accessed Director Patel's personal email information, and we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate the potential risks associated with this activity," the FBI said, noting that the information in question is "historical in nature and does not contain any government information."
It is unclear when the hack occurred. Media reports from December 2024, before Patel was appointed FBI director, said the FBI had informed him that it had been targeted by an Iranian hacking operation.
Handala is a pro-Iranian and pro-Palestinian hacking group that this month claimed responsibility for disrupting systems at Stryker, a Michigan-based medical technology company, and said it did so in retaliation for the deaths of Iranian schoolgirls on the first day of the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
Their deaths apparently occurred in the midst of an American airstrike.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the identification of Handala members.
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The Israeli military said it had targeted a heavy water reactor and a uranium enrichment facility in central Iran.
"A short time ago, the Israeli Air Force... carried out an attack on the heavy water facility in Arak, in central Iran," the army said in a statement carried by Agence France-Presse (AFP), describing it as "a key site for the production of plutonium for nuclear weapons."
Iranian media earlier reported that the US-Israeli strikes had hit the heavy water complex in Khondab, stating that there were no casualties or radiation leaks at the site.
Work on the reactor began in the 2000s, but was halted under the 2015 nuclear deal, which Donald Trump abandoned in 2018. The reactor core was removed and filled with concrete, rendering the facility inoperable, the Guardian reports.
The research reactor was officially intended to produce plutonium for medical purposes, and the site also includes a heavy water production facility.
The Israeli military also said it had targeted a uranium enrichment facility in Yazd, in central Iran, on Friday, AFP reported.
"A short time ago, the Israeli Air Force... carried out an attack on a uranium extraction facility in Yazd," the statement said, describing it as "a unique facility in Iran used to produce raw materials needed for the uranium enrichment process."
Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said the attack on the facility "did not result in the release of radioactive material."
The heavy water facility in Arak was also the target of Israeli attacks during the 12-day war last June, when the United States also carried out bombing raids.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the site was "damaged" at the time and is estimated to have been "not fully operational since that time." However, the agency said it has not had access to the facility since May 2025.
More than 300 American soldiers have been wounded since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, the US Central Command said.
"Since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 303 US military personnel have been wounded. The vast majority of these injuries were minor, and 273 soldiers have returned to duty," said US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins.
A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that 10 soldiers remained seriously wounded.
According to the latest figures, 13 more American soldiers have died in the war - seven in the Persian Gulf and six in Iraq, reports the Guardian.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that Washington's goal is to destroy Iran's ballistic capabilities and that Paris shares the same goals when it comes to restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
"I will not speak on behalf of Marco Rubio and I will gladly refer to his recent public statements, which correspond to the discussions we had today about the officially stated US military objectives, namely the neutralization of Iranian ballistic capabilities," Barrot said on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in France.
Asked whether the US had made demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Barrot said France shared the same goals as the United States and that an escort system for tankers would be necessary once the peak of hostilities in the region had passed, Reuters reported.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had turned back three vessels that were attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz this morning.
"Three container ships of different nationalities attempted to move towards the designated corridor for authorized vessels. They were turned back after a warning from the IRGC Navy," the IRGC's public relations office said in a statement.
The statement also states that "the Strait of Hormuz is closed and any passage through it will be met with a decisive response."
"The passage of any vessel to and from ports belonging to allies and supporters of the United States and Israel, to any destination and through any corridor, is prohibited," it said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on state television two days ago that Iran has so far accepted requests for passage by ships from countries such as "China, Russia, Pakistan, Iraq and India." He added that, from Iran's perspective, the strait "is not completely closed, but closed to enemies."
The Israeli military carried out a series of strikes in the heart of Tehran this morning, a day after US President Donald Trump postponed plans to destroy Iranian energy facilities due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel has moved thousands of troops across the border into Lebanon, where it is seeking to take control of the entire area south of the Litani River – about 30 kilometers north of the border.
According to media reports, smoke was rising above Beirut today.
Sirens sounded in Bahrain and Qatar this morning due to an impending Iranian attack.
Kuwait announced today that its port in Kuwait City was targeted by an attack, causing material damage. No one was injured in the attack.
Since the beginning of the Israeli-American campaign against Iran, more than 1.900 people have been killed in Iran and nearly 1.100 in Lebanon.
At least 18 people were killed in Israel, while three Israeli soldiers were killed in Lebanon. Thirteen US military personnel were killed, as were numerous civilians on land and at sea in the Gulf region.
Millions of people in Lebanon and Iran have been displaced.
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The Israeli Air Force announced that it had attacked ballistic missile production facilities and air defense systems in Iran overnight.
"In Tehran, Israeli air force planes reportedly hit infrastructure and facilities used by the regime to produce weapons, with an emphasis on those for the production of ballistic missiles," the Times of Israel reports.
In western Iran, according to the Israeli military, they hit ballistic missile launch systems and storage facilities, which, as it points out, "pose a threat to the state of Israel", RTS reports.
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Local populations in the Persian Gulf states are being used as human shields during the US-Israeli war against Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
"Since the beginning of this war, American soldiers have left military bases in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to take shelter in hotels and offices. They are using GCC citizens as human shields. Hotels in the United States of America (US) are refusing reservations to officers who may endanger guests. Hotels in the GCC should do the same," Aragchi said in a post on the X network today.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that his country is ready to "facilitate meaningful and final negotiations" to end the war in the Middle East, amid attempts to position Islamabad as a possible venue for talks between the United States (US) and Iran, the British newspaper The Guardian reports.
The White House confirmed that Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump last weekend about the conflict.
Qatar, Turkey and Egypt have been mentioned as possible venues for negotiations, but Tehran is reportedly leaning more towards Islamabad, according to the Guardian.
The Israeli military announced that it carried out strikes on targets in Tehran early this morning, reports Agence France Presse (AFP), according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
The military statement said Israeli forces "completed a broad wave of strikes targeting the infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime in the heart of Tehran."
The military said in a separate statement that it had targeted "ballistic missile and air defense system production facilities across Iran."
It was also reported that missile launchers and storage facilities in western Iran were hit, as well as missile production facilities in the Iranian capital.
United States President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed in recent days that progress has been made in talks with Iran, although Tehran has denied that any formal negotiations are taking place.
The Israeli military said it had struck a "major missile and sea mine production facility" in Iran, according to the BBC.
The Israeli Defense Forces said the air force targeted a site in Yazd, in central Iran, where they say "most" of the Iranian Navy's missiles and sea mines are developed.
Iran is believed to possess thousands of sea mines, and while it is unclear whether they have been deployed, their potential to damage commercial ships has contributed to security fears that have virtually closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Kuwait has said its main commercial port was attacked by "hostile" drones, the BBC reports.
A statement from the Kuwait Ports Authority said the port of Shuwaikh was the target of the attack, noting that "initial reports indicate material damage, but no human casualties."
It added that emergency measures are now in place at the port.
The Israeli military has released new details about overnight strikes on Iran, which it says targeted missiles and air defense systems across the country.
The attacks in the Iranian capital Tehran targeted locations it claims were used to produce weapons, primarily ballistic missiles, the BBC reports.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that the air force had struck "missile launchers and missile storage facilities" in western Iran.
United States (US) President Donald Trump said he would extend the deadline until April 6 for Iran to reach a deal to end the war or face the destruction of its energy facilities, saying talks were "going very well," but Tehran rejected the US proposal as unfair, Reuters reports.
The four-week war has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands of people and hitting the global economy with a sharp rise in energy prices, fueling fears of global inflation.
The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28th after talks on Tehran's nuclear program failed to produce an agreement.
Trump threatened to increase pressure on Iran if a deal is not reached during a White House cabinet meeting on Thursday. He later announced on social media that he would pause previously announced attacks on Iranian energy facilities for 10 days, or until April 6, 2026 at 20 p.m. ET (April 7, 02.00 a.m. CET).
"Talks are ongoing and, despite the inaccurate claims of the so-called fake media and others, they are going very well," he added in a post on the Trut Soushal website.
Iran has said it is not negotiating with Washington, and Trump did not specify who the US is negotiating with in Iran, given that many senior officials have been killed in the war.
On March 23, Trump announced a five-day suspension of all threatened strikes on power plants and energy infrastructure, but has now extended that deadline to ten.
Iran has not requested a ten-day pause in such attacks, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing peace negotiators.
Trump said on Fox News' "The Five" that the Iranians had asked for a seven-day pause in attacks on energy facilities. There was no immediate reaction from Tehran.
Iran has said it will retaliate with attacks on energy facilities in the Gulf region if Trump carries out his threat.
The possibility of mutual attacks on civilian infrastructure could further shake global markets and threaten the livelihoods of millions of civilians in the region who depend on electricity to power cities and supply fresh water, according to Reuters.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has told the United States (US) and other Western allies that it will participate in a multinational naval task force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported today, citing people familiar with the matter, Reuters reported.
The UAE is trying to encourage dozens of countries to form a "Hormuz Security Force" to defend the strait from Iranian attacks and escort ships, the report added.
The UAE has faced more Iranian attacks than any other country in the region, including Israel.
Several US allies have said they have no immediate plans to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting Trump's request for military support to keep the vital waterway open.
France said on Thursday it had held talks with about 35 countries seeking partners and proposals for a mission to reopen the strait, but only after the US-Israeli war against Iran ends.
Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes, which has raised energy prices and heightened fears of global inflation.
The UAE is also working with Bahrain on a United Nations Security Council resolution to provide any future task force with a mandate, but Russia and China could oppose the move, the report added.
UN Security Council members have begun negotiations on resolutions to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, including a Bahraini draft that would authorize the use of "all necessary means," Reuters reported earlier this week.
Last week, a senior Emirati official said the UAE could join a US-led effort to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran almost completely closed the waterway to ships.
The waterway is vital to the UAE's economy, as a major oil exporter and trade hub. Iran has repeatedly attacked the emirate's port, which is located off the Gulf and is used to load oil exports.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.
Iran and the United States appeared to be at an impasse yesterday, further hardening their stance on ceasefire talks and opening the door to a new potential escalation of the Middle East war. Thousands of additional US troops were moving closer to the region, Israel was sending more troops to southern Lebanon to fight the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, and Tehran was tightening its grip on the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
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