The US-Israel-Iran conflict entered a new phase on Tuesday, March 31, with Washington signalling that the next few days could be decisive for diplomacy. Trump said the White House would know “in about a week” whether Tehran’s current leadership is ready to engage, while his administration continued to mix negotiation talk with military threats and pressure on oil routes.
The day also brought fresh escalation around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Parliament security committee approved a management plan that includes tolls and bans on American and Israeli vessels, while the White House insisted tanker movement through the passage is the result of ongoing talks. At the same time, Washington defended rising war costs, floated the idea of Arab states helping pay for the campaign, and said more US troops in West Asia give Trump “maximum optionality”.
March 31 live updates on US-Iran-Israel conflict
Trump says 'more work to do in Iran', but not going to be there much longer
“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. But we won't have to be there much longer, but we have more work to do in terms of killing their offensive, whatever offensive capability they have left,” US President Donald Trump told the New York Post in a phone interview on Tuesday.
IRGC warns it will target US tech companies 'for abetting terror in Iran'
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday warned 18 major US companies, including tech giants Apple. Google, Meta and Microsoft, that their offices and properties in the region will be targeted for "assisting US-Israeli terror operations inside Iran by providing espionage services."
The IRGC said that its attacks will start at around 8 pm (Iranian time) on April 1 and urged the employees of these companies and residents within one kilometre radious of their offices to evacuate.
The list released by the IRGC also included HP, Intel, IBM, Cisco, Tesla, Nvidia, Oracle, JP Morgan, and Boeing.
“In response to this terrorist operation, henceforth, the main institutions involved in terrorist activities will be considered legitimate targets,” the IRGC said.
“We advise employees of these institutions to immediately leave their workplaces to protect their lives. Residents within a one-kilometer radius of these terrorist companies across all countries in the region are also urged to evacuate and move to safe locations."
Iran’s Armed Forces will cut off the feet of any aggressor: IRGC
Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters that coordinates operations between the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), on Tuesday issued a stern warning to US President Donald Trump, saying the "Iranian armed forces will cut off the feet of the aggressor."
“The miscalculations of the US president and the criminal leaders of the Zionist regime have led them to measure the heroic, warrior nation of Iran and the country’s powerful and courageous Armed Forces by their own materialistic and worldly standards,” said the headquarters’ spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari.
“Such erroneous calculations have made the unprecedented presence of the vigilant and revolutionary people on the streets, as well as the miraculous power and steadfastness of the Armed Forces on the battlefield, impossible for the enemy to foresee,” he added.
“This strategic error by the American and Zionist enemies of the Islamic Iran has humiliated them and placed them on the path to destruction.”
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday slammed France for now allowing military supply planes headed to Israel to use its airspace.
He said that France has been "VERY UNHELPFUL" in the Iran war, adding that the USA will "REMEMBER".
"The Country of France wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory. France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the “Butcher of Iran,” who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!" Trump said.
Fire on Kuwaiti oil tanker extinguished, no casualties
Authorities in Dubai said a fire on board the Kuwaiti oil tanker Al Salmi has been brought under control.
The vessel, carrying around 2 million barrels of oil, was damaged but all 24 crew members were reported safe.
According to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the tanker was hit in an Iranian attack while anchored in UAE waters.
Trump shares explosion video amid rising tensions
Trump posted a video of an explosion on Truth Social without providing context, as tensions between the US and Iran remain high.
The post came alongside continued claims from the US that major Iranian targets have been destroyed.
Explosions reported in Dubai during the incident
Multiple loud explosions were heard in Dubai over several hours, according to reports, coinciding with the tanker incident and heightened regional tensions.
Fire on Kuwaiti oil tanker extinguished, no casualties
Authorities in Dubai said a fire on board the Kuwaiti oil tanker Al Salmi has been brought under control.
The vessel, carrying around 2 million barrels of oil, was damaged but all 24 crew members were reported safe.
According to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the tanker was hit in an Iranian attack while anchored in UAE waters.
Netanyahu says operation ‘beyond halfway point’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the joint US-Israel campaign is “beyond the halfway point”.
He said the focus now is on securing or removing Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, while claiming significant damage had already been inflicted on Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure.
Over 170 targets hit in a day, says Israeli military
The IDF said around 170 targets were struck in the past day using roughly 400 munitions.
These included facilities linked to weapons production, UAV engines and research and development sites.
In western Iran, command centres and security installations were also targeted.
IDF says fresh wave of strikes carried out in Tehran
The Israel Defense Forces said it has completed another wave of strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure in Tehran.
In a post on X, the IDF said it continues to “deepen the damage” to what it described as the regime’s military and industrial capabilities.
Trump weighs winding down Iran campaign even if Hormuz remains shut
US President Donald Trump is considering ending the US military campaign in Iran within a four-to-six-week window, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Officials said Trump believes Washington can declare victory after weakening Iran’s navy and missile capabilities, without getting drawn into a prolonged effort to reopen the waterway.
He also indicated that disruptions in the strait were a bigger problem for Asia and Europe, noting that a majority of oil shipments through Hormuz are bound for those regions.
IMF warns war shock is pushing the world toward higher inflation and slower growth
The International Monetary Fund has warned that the US-Israel-Iran war could reshape the global economy in ways that lead to both higher prices and weaker growth.
In a blog post, the IMF said the shock was global but uneven, with energy importers, poorer countries and economies with limited buffers facing greater strain.
It said around 25-30 per cent of global oil and 20 per cent of LNG pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making disruption there especially damaging for Asia and parts of Europe.
Former R&AW chief questions Pakistan’s role as mediator
Vikram Sood also played down reports of Pakistan acting as a serious mediator in possible Iran talks.
“He’s only providing a venue. He’s not sitting in monitoring the proceedings,” Sood said.
He suggested Pakistan may simply be seen by Washington as a useful channel, while expressing doubt over how much trust Iran would place in Islamabad given past tensions and wider sectarian dynamics.
Netanyahu suggests energy pipelines to Mediterranean as long-term answer to Hormuz risk
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said rerouting energy pipelines westward could offer a long-term answer to the vulnerability of the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with Newsmax, he said oil and gas routes could be redirected across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, reducing dependence on Iran’s geographic leverage.
He said a military response might bring short-term stability, but a deeper structural shift would be more effective over time.
Full story: As Iran charges tolls and bars ships at Hormuz, Netanyahu pitches a new route that cuts Tehran out
Plastic raw material prices surge, but MRI scan costs may stay stable
Himanshu Baid of Poly Medicure said plastic raw material prices had risen by 40-50 per cent, warning that shortages could disrupt manufacturing and lead to supply issues in essential medical products.
At the same time, Dr Harsh Mahajan of Mahajan Imaging and Labs said MRI scan prices for patients were unlikely to rise, even if helium becomes more expensive, because helium is not a regular consumable in modern scanners.
He said the price impact on new MRI machines would likely be only marginal.
Medical tourism in India takes a hit as West Asia conflict deepens
Industry voices in India’s healthcare sector say the war is already affecting medical tourism and manufacturing costs.
Fortis Healthcare Group COO Anil Vinayak said international footfall across cities had fallen by more than 30 per cent since the war began, with patient arrivals from the Middle East dropping by 75 per cent when comparing the last 10 days of February with the first 10 days of March.
He said international medical tourism revenue could take a 15-20 per cent hit this month, with bigger effects possible in the months ahead.
Sood says Trump and Netanyahu may have misread Iran
The former intelligence chief said the conflict was expanding and suggested both Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu may have underestimated Tehran.
“From day one, the Netanyahu-Trump duo has misread Iran,” he said, adding that Iran was “putting up a fight” and “doing it pretty well”.
He also pointed to contradictory signals over whether Washington wants the war to end quickly or is prepared for a longer campaign.
Former R&AW chief calls attack on Iran and killing of Khamenei ‘unfortunate’
Sood said that while India and Israel have close ties, the attack on Iran and the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was “unfortunate”.
He said Israel remained an important security partner for India, but added that the assassination amounted to a state taking the law into its own hands.
He also said the United States had entered what he described as an undeclared war against Iran.
Vikram Sood says India faces oil and fertiliser pressure in coming months
Former R&AW chief Vikram Sood has warned that India could face a serious challenge if energy and fertiliser supplies are disrupted for an extended period.
“The challenge will be there in 2 to 3 months when we run out of oil and fertilisers,” he said in an interview with ANI.
Sood noted that India depends heavily on the Middle East for both oil and LNG, and said any prolonged disruption or price spike would fuel inflation.
Japan warns oil shock is hitting currencies, daily life and the economy
Japanese ministers signalled growing concern over the impact of surging crude prices.
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa said preparations were under way for a possible additional coordinated release of strategic oil reserves. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama warned that rising oil prices were already affecting foreign exchange markets and could threaten both livelihoods and the wider economy.
Japan remains particularly exposed, with more than 90 per cent of its crude imports coming from the Middle East.
G7 says it is ready to take ‘all necessary measures’ to steady energy markets
The Group of Seven has said it is prepared to take “all necessary measures” to stabilise global energy markets as the war in Iran continues to disrupt supplies.
According to Kyodo News, the statement came after a virtual meeting of finance ministers, energy ministers and central bank governors, with the group also urging countries not to impose “unjustified export restrictions” on petroleum products.
The G7 said it would remain ready to meet again as the situation develops.
Pakistan says it can facilitate, but the real decisions rest with the parties
The Pakistani envoy stressed that Islamabad’s role was limited to facilitation and that the outcome would depend on the two sides directly involved in the conflict.
“The process will take its own due course,” he said, adding that the conflicting parties themselves would have to create the conditions for talks and then make the decisions needed for success.
Pakistan envoy says war conditions inside Iran are slowing communication
Sheikh said one of the biggest hurdles was the condition inside Iran itself.
“Iran is a war-torn country with the communication channels certainly disrupted,” he said, adding that getting timely responses from the current system in Tehran was not easy.
He also said deadlines had already been extended in the recent past and that Pakistan was continuing to work “religiously” with regard to the current deadline.
Pakistan says efforts to facilitate US-Iran talks are underway
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has said work is under way to help facilitate US-Iran peace talks, though he cautioned that the process would be difficult and slow.
Speaking to Fox News, Sheikh pointed to the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz as an early confidence-building step.
He said the passage first of eight ships and then another 20 showed that contacts were in place and that practical steps were being taken to build trust before formal negotiations.
White House says Iran’s private assurances will be tested
Asked about Trump’s remarks on Iran’s new leadership appearing “more reasonable”, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said any private commitments made to Washington would be verified.
“Anything that they say to us privately will be tested,” she said, adding that Iran would face military consequences if it failed to honour what was being conveyed behind the scenes.
Leavitt also said the previous Iranian leadership had been killed because they had “lied” and “strung” the United States along in negotiations.
Ghalibaf hardens line on US, says any ground entry will face ‘decisive’ response
The Iranian speaker also warned the United States and its regional partners against any ground move inside Iran, saying such an operation would trigger a “relentless” and “decisive” response.
He accused Washington of using diplomatic messaging, including a reported 15-point peace plan, as cover for possible invasion planning. Ghalibaf also said Iran would no longer separate US and Israeli actions, and that all American bases in the region would now be seen as legitimate targets for the IRGC.
He further signalled that the Strait of Hormuz would not simply return to its pre-war status.
Ghalibaf warns of strong response amid reports of fresh US military build-up
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said any new aggression against Iran will be met with a forceful response, as reports point to a wider US military build-up in West Asia, including the arrival of thousands of Marines aboard the USS Tripoli.
In a post on X, Ghalibaf accused Iran’s adversaries of mixing military threats with psychological warfare.
“The enemy promotes its desires as news while threatening our nation at same time. Big Mistake. If they hit one, they'll take several back,” he said.
He added that the people of Iran, under the leadership of the Supreme Leader, would make the enemy “regret the aggression” and reclaim their rights.
Report says Hegseth broker explored defence ETF investment before strikes
A report by the Financial Times, cited by Reuters, said a broker representing US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth sought to invest in a major US defence-focused fund in the weeks before the US-Israeli military action against Iran.
According to the report, the broker, working with Morgan Stanley, contacted BlackRock in February about a possible multimillion-dollar investment in its Defence Industrials Active ETF.
The proposed investment did not go ahead because the fund was not yet available for purchase through Morgan Stanley at that point.
Reports point to planning for possible extended ground operations
According to The Washington Post, the Pentagon is preparing plans for the possibility of several weeks of ground activity in Iran if Trump chooses to deepen the operation.
The report said any such move would likely stop short of full-scale invasion and instead involve targeted raids using a mix of special operations forces and conventional infantry.
Additional US troops sent to West Asia for ‘maximum optionality’
The White House said the movement of more American troops into the region was designed to preserve strategic flexibility for Trump.
Leavitt said it was the Pentagon’s job to create “maximum optionality” for the commander-in-chief and noted that Trump had repeatedly declined to rule out boots on the ground.
The USS Tripoli, along with around 3,500 Marines and soldiers, has entered the US Central Command area of responsibility.
US says more than 11,000 enemy targets have been struck
Leavitt said the military campaign was continuing “according to plan”, with more than 11,000 enemy targets hit so far.
She said Iran’s missile and drone attacks were down by roughly 90 per cent, more than 150 naval vessels had been destroyed, and nearly 70 per cent of Iran’s missile, drone and naval production facilities had been damaged or destroyed.
The White House said the operation remained on a four-to-six-week timeline.
White House defends rising fuel prices as ‘short-term fluctuations’
The administration also defended the impact of the conflict on energy prices, saying the pain would be temporary.
Leavitt said the government was tracking oil and diesel price spikes and had already taken steps to increase supply, including releasing “400 billion barrels of oil and refined products” and issuing a “60-day Jones Act waiver”.
“These are short-term actions and short-term price fluctuations for the long-term benefit of ending the threat that Iran poses,” she said.
US has already spent billions on the war
Pentagon officials told Congress earlier this month that the administration had spent more than USD 11.3 billion in the first six days of the war.
That figure does not include battle damage or replenishment costs, which reports say could add another USD 1.4 billion to USD 2.9 billion over the first three weeks.
The comparison being quietly drawn in Washington is with the Gulf War, when allied Arab states helped shoulder a major share of the costs.
White House says Arab countries could be asked to help pay
The Trump administration has signalled that Arab countries may be asked to share the financial burden of the war.
Asked if Gulf partners such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or the UAE could be expected to contribute, Leavitt said it was an idea Trump would be “quite interested” in pursuing.
The comments come as the White House seeks at least USD 200 billion in extra military spending from Congress.
Rubio says US wants more than a pause — it wants long-term change
Rubio said any deal would require Iran to take visible steps to end its nuclear ambitions and abandon missile and drone programmes.
He said Tehran must stop sponsoring terrorism and building weapons that threaten neighbouring states.
Rubio also said the US objective was not regime change, though Washington would not object if change happened inside Iran.
“That was not the objective of this operation,” he said.
White House says talks with Iran are ‘going well’
Even as Tehran has denied direct negotiations, the White House said communication with Iran remains active and productive.
Leavitt said public messaging from Iran was very different from what was being conveyed privately to Washington.
“Talks are continuing and going well,” she said.
Iran, for its part, has said there have been no direct talks with the US, though messages have been passed through intermediaries, including Pakistan.
Trump threatens Iran’s power plants, oil wells and Kharg Island
Trump has again escalated his warnings to Tehran, saying the US could strike Iranian civilian energy infrastructure if a deal is not reached and the strait is not reopened.
In a Truth Social post, he said that if Hormuz was not immediately “Open for Business”, the US would respond by “blowing up and completely obliterating” Iran’s electric generating plants, oil wells and Kharg Island.
White House says tanker passage is tied to ongoing talks
The White House said recent oil tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz was the result of direct and indirect engagement between Washington and Tehran.
Karoline Leavitt rejected suggestions that Iran was selectively allowing passage on its own terms and said the movement of the earlier 10 tankers, and now 20 more, reflected diplomacy led by Trump’s team.
She said the administration does not support any arrangement under which Iran can impose tolls or restrictions on maritime traffic.
US rejects any Iranian claim to control Hormuz passage
Rubio said any Iranian attempt to impose conditions on access to the strait would be unacceptable.
“The United States will not accept that condition. It’s an illegal condition that they’re demanding. That’s just not going to happen,” he said.
He added that the waterway “will be open one way or another”, whether through Iranian compliance or action by a wider coalition.
Iran panel clears Hormuz management plan with tolls and vessel bans
Iran’s Parliament Security Committee has approved a Strait of Hormuz Management Plan that includes toll measures for ships moving through the waterway.
According to Iranian state media IRIB, the plan also bans the passage of American and Israeli vessels, bars countries involved in unilateral sanctions on Iran, and lays out financial, safety, environmental and security rules linked to the strait.
The move sharpens Iran’s effort to assert control over one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints.
Rubio says US expects to finish its Iran operation in ‘weeks, not months’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington expects to meet its military goals against Iran in a matter of weeks.
“We will achieve those objectives… in weeks, not months,” Rubio said in an interview with Al Jazeera.
He said US forces were already on track, or even ahead of schedule, in degrading Iran’s air force, navy and missile launch capability.
White House points to April 6 as deal deadline
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump hopes to reach a deal with Iran by April 6, the new deadline set after planned strikes on Iranian energy sites were postponed last week.
Leavitt said Iranian officials involved in talks appeared more reasonable in private, though she did not name them.
“These folks are appearing more reasonable behind the scenes, privately in these conversations, than perhaps some of the previous leaders who are now no longer on planet Earth,” she said.
Trump says US will know within a week if Iran’s parliament speaker is ready to work with Washington
US President Donald Trump has suggested that the White House will soon learn whether Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is willing to engage with Washington.
“We’re gonna find out,” Trump said in an interview with The New York Post. “I’ll let you know that in about a week.”
Trump also claimed that Iran’s old leadership was gone and that Washington was now dealing with a new group that had so far been “much more reasonable”.