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Here’s what’s available for today: US President Donald Trump he gives his first speech about Iran was for more than a month, US Attorney General Pam Bondi he gets his walking papers, and Israel passes a controversial death sentence targeted legislation The Palestinians.
US President Donald Trump’s rare address to the nation on Wednesday was heralded as a major update on the progress of the war with Iran, and financial markets rose on hopes that he will offer a clear plan and timetable to end the war.
However, Trump spent most of the short speech of about 20 minutes repeating the claims that he has made repeatedly in interviews and on social media in recent weeks, declaring victory against Iran while also saying that the war will continue and giving only an unclear time when he intends to end it.
Despite moving and sometimes contradicting each other right that the Trump administration has given for launching this war a month ago, Trump described the goals as “simple and clear”, including the destruction of Iran’s navy, air force, and missile arsenal, which he said would “deprive them of the ability to make a nuclear bomb.”
Notably, Trump did not mention a possible operation to seize Iran’s reserves highly enriched uranium that it could use to make such a bomb, claiming instead that “nuclear dust” is out of reach of the Iranian government because the US military “wiped it out” in airstrikes last June. Trump also said that the change of government was not the goal of the war but that “the change of government has happened because of the death of all their previous leaders.”
As for what comes next—and when—Trump offered few definitive answers to the American people and the world. “I can say tonight that we are on track to accomplish all of America’s military objectives very soon. Very soon,” he said. However, he said that the US will “hit them very hard in the next two to three weeks” and “return them to the Stone Age, where they belong” – but also that “negotiations are ongoing.”
Soldier calculations. Meanwhile, the number of American troops heading to the region continues to increase by the week. The third aircraft carrier of the United States – USS George HW Bush– he started to send for the region on Tuesday. If it reaches the Middle East – which is expected to take several weeks– will add about 6,000 troops to the force more than 50,000 who are already participating in operations against Iran.
The new carrier deployment comes as thousands of additional Soldiers and US Army paratroopers have begun to arrive in the Middle East. USS Tripoli The Amphibious Ready Group, consisting of approximately 3,500 Marines and sailors, arrived in the area. on March 27. Several hundred US special forces have also reportedly arrived in the area in recent days. USS Boxer The Amphibious Ready Group, which brings with it about 2,500 Marines, is there still in transit.
The administration is also reportedly considering sending 10,000 more ground troops. This would bring the total number of US ground troops in the area close 17,000.
The recovery of NATO. This week, Trump (again) threatened withdraw from NATO on the refusal of member states to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But despite being angry about this for days now, Trump did not mention the alliance by name in his speech, saying only that “the countries of the world that receive oil through the Strait of Hormuz must take action.”
Many of those countries may be preparing to do exactly that, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to summon a group of 40 countries—without the United States—on Thursday to discuss strategies to reopen the channel.
But Trump also offered another theory Wednesday night. “In any case, when this conflict is over, the problem will open naturally,” he said.
Pam Bondi was fired as attorney general on Thursday; Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will take over as the top US attorney for the time being.
“We love Pam, and she will be moving on to a new and important job in the private sector, to be announced soon,” Trump said. he said in the Social Facts post. Trump was it is said to be confused with Bondi for not moving quickly to achieve his goals, including prosecuting political opponents.
Reports also suggest that Trump is thinking replacing Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, which is partly attributed to him being unhappy about it recent testimony to Congress on the Iran war.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called on Chief of Staff General Randy George to step down and retire immediately, CBS News information.
What should be high on your radar, if it isn’t already.
The death penalty for Israel. Israeli Parliament to pass controversial law on March 30 that makes death by hanging the default penalty for Palestinians convicted of violent attacks. Critics have slammed the new law, which was pushed by the far-right Jewish Power party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, as discriminatory and inhumane. That’s in part because it applies the death penalty to attacks intended to “deny the existence of the state of Israel,” excluding Jewish Israelis convicted of such crimes.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement Tuesday that the law “does not comply with Israel’s international law obligations,” adding that it “raises serious concerns about violations of due process, is highly discriminatory, and must be removed immediately.” Israel’s allies, including Britain, France, Italy and Germany, urged the country not to enact the law before it is passed. Eight Muslim-majority countries as well he cursed the law in a joint statement issued by Pakistan on Thursday. The Trump administration has not been among the critics of the law, nor has the State Department explaining that “it respects Israel’s sovereign right to determine its own laws.”
Drones and the country of the United States. With Iranian drones causing a lot of trouble for US forces and their allies in the Middle East amid Operation Epic Fury, drones are also a growing domestic concern. The Pentagon is there is reported to consider sending an anti-drone laser system to Fort McNair, the military base in Washington where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are based. Unknown drones were appear soon on the basis.
There was also a week-long drone strike in March at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, which is home to several nuclear bombers. The unlicensed drones appeared to be able to withstand traffic, which suggests they were more sophisticated than the types used by hobbyists. Confidential summary document obtained by ABC News he suggested that the drone operators may be “testing the security response” on the base.
But Trump said this week that he was “I don’t care” about the sighting of drones in the Barksdale area. Meanwhile, experts have done just that they expressed great concern about the vulnerability of the United States to drones. John recently wrote about this, which you can read here.
Damaged cars are seen after an Israeli airstrike hit a new car yard in the Christian neighborhood of Mansourieh in Beirut, Lebanon, March 31.Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Monday, April 6: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is expected to go to Washington to meet with Trump.
Tuesday, April 7: US Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit Hungary.
Taiwan’s Kuomintang opposition leader Cheng Li-wun plans to visit China.
Friday, April 10: Djibouti holds presidential elections.
$700 million: The replacement cost an important US radar plane—the E-3 Sentry—which was recently destroyed by an Iranian attack on a base in Saudi Arabia.
66 percent: The share of Americans who want to see a quick end to the war in Iran, even if the Trump administration’s goals are not met, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
