Iran War Day 34: Trump Addresses Nation, Warns “Hit Extremely Hard.

Thursday, April 2, 2026 — President Trump spoke to the American people from the White House on Wednesday night, saying the war with Iran is nearly over but warning he will strike Iran “extremely hard” over the next two to three weeks if no deal is reached. Iran’s Foreign Minister struck back, saying Tehran is ready to fight for at least six more months.

Kuwait’s international airport fuel depot was set ablaze by Iranian drones. Iran threatened US technology companies. Britain pulled together 35 nations to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz. And NASA’s Artemis II rocket successfully lifted off, sending four astronauts toward the Moon for the first time since 1972. Here is everything that happened, in plain and simple terms.

2–3 WeeksTrump’s War Completion Timeline

6 MonthsIran’s Readiness to Keep Fighting

35 NationsJoined Britain’s Hormuz Meeting

2,000+Iranians Killed Since Feb 28

Trump Speaks to the Nation — “We Will Hit Them Extremely Hard”

President Donald Trump gave a national address from the White House on Wednesday night, speaking for about 20 minutes about the Iran war. According to CNBC, Trump told the American people that the US is on track to complete all of its military goals “very shortly” — but he also made clear the war is not about to stop overnight. He said if no deal is reached in the next two to three weeks, the US will strike Iran’s electricity-generating plants, and possibly also its oil facilities.

Trump blamed Iran for the rise in petrol prices across America, which crossed $4 per gallon this week. He told the public that once the US leaves Iran, gas prices will come down quickly. He also defended starting the war, saying he did “what no other president was willing to do.” The speech appeared to put cold water on hopes that the war might end very soon — Al Jazeera noted that Asian stock markets fell after the speech ended, with Japan’s Nikkei dropping over 1%, South Korea’s market down almost 3%, and Australia also in negative territory.

“Over the next two to three weeks, we are going to hit them extremely hard.” — President Donald Trump, White House National Address, April 1, 2026

Iran’s Foreign Minister: “We Are Ready to Fight for Six More Months”

While Trump was setting his two-to-three-week clock, Iran’s top diplomat was sending a very different message. CNN reports that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that Iran is prepared to keep fighting for at least six months. He said Iran does not set deadlines for defending itself and will fight “by any means required.” He also rejected Trump’s claim that Tehran had agreed to most of the US peace plan, calling that suggestion “false.” Araghchi made clear Iran’s position: the US must stop threats and deadlines if it wants any kind of discussion.

Araghchi also said something interesting about the peace process. He acknowledged that messages are being passed between the two countries through middlemen like Pakistan, but said that is not the same as actual negotiations. “Negotiation is when two countries engage in talks to reach an agreement — and such a thing does not exist between us and the United States,” he told Al Jazeera. Iran also said it has not yet replied to the American 15-point peace plan, directly contradicting Trump’s claim that Tehran had agreed to most of it. The gap between the two sides remains very wide.

Kuwait Airport Fuel Depot Set on Fire — Iran Drones Strike Again

The war’s reach spread further on Wednesday. CNN confirms that Iranian drone attacks hit the fuel storage tanks at Kuwait International Airport, causing a massive fire that sent large plumes of black smoke into the sky. Kuwait’s aviation authority said the blasts caused serious damage to the fuel tanks, though no one was killed or injured. This is the second time Kuwait’s airport area has been struck since the war began. Separately, Bahrain’s government also reported a fire at an industrial site after a fresh Iranian drone strike there.

The UAE reported intercepting five Iranian ballistic missiles and 35 drones on Wednesday alone. Since the war began on February 28, UAE air defences have now shot down a total of 438 ballistic missiles, 19 cruise missiles and over 2,000 drones — a staggering figure that shows just how intense the bombardment of Gulf countries has been. According to Gulf News, the UAE oil company ADNOC’s chief met US Vice President JD Vance to discuss the energy crisis, saying the Hormuz closure amounts to “global economic extortion” that the world cannot tolerate.

Iran Threatens US Technology Companies — New Deadline Set

CNN reports a worrying new threat from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. The IRGC issued a warning that American technology companies operating in the Gulf region should expect to face destruction from Wednesday evening onwards, as retaliation for what Iran calls the “assassination” of its officials. The statement said: “These companies, starting from 20:00 on Wednesday, should expect the destruction of their relevant units in return for each assassination in Iran.” This is a significant widening of Iran’s threat list — until now focused on military and energy targets, it now appears to include private sector American firms in the region.

Britain Gathers 35 Countries to Tackle Hormuz Crisis

Diplomacy took a big step forward when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that 35 countries have agreed to work together to restore safe shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. CBS News reports that Starmer said British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will lead a major conference on the issue, and that military planners are already working on possible plans for once the war ends.

He called for “a united front of military strength and diplomatic activity” to fix the problem. Spain, France and Italy have all started restricting US military operations through their territories — closing airspace, limiting base access and cutting logistical support — reflecting growing European discomfort with the war even as Britain tries to rally an international response to the Hormuz blockade.

Iran Strikes Near Former US Embassy in Tehran — “Den of Spies” Damaged

In a symbolically loaded development, Gulf News and CBS News both report that Israeli airstrikes hit the area around the former US Embassy in Tehran — the building that has been turned into a museum called the “Den of Spies” since the 1979 Iranian revolution. Footage showed the outer wall of the building damaged, with shops nearby suffering blown-out windows and debris strewn in the street. It is unclear whether the building was an accidental target or deliberately chosen for its symbolic value. Meanwhile, a Qatar-leased energy tanker was struck by Iranian cruise missiles in Qatar’s own territorial waters — the first confirmed attack inside a Gulf ally’s home waters.

Iran Ready to Meet JD Vance — But Diplomat Leading Talks Was Injured in Airstrike

In a dramatic twist to the diplomatic story, Wikipedia’s live war tracker reports that veteran Iranian diplomat and former foreign minister Kamal Kharazi — who was quietly coordinating Iran’s possible meeting with US Vice President JD Vance through Pakistan — was seriously injured in an airstrike on his home on April 1. His wife was killed in the same attack. Iranian officials called the strike a deliberate attempt to wreck diplomacy at the worst possible moment. The incident raises serious questions about whether those ordering the strikes are aware of — or care about — the fragile peace signals being exchanged behind the scenes.

Artemis II Lifts Off — Humans Head to the Moon

In a moment that offered the world a brief break from the relentless news of war, NASA’s Artemis II mission launched successfully on Wednesday. CNN has live updates tracking the mission, which is sending four astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen — on a journey around the Moon. This is the first time humans have travelled this far from Earth since December 1972.

The crew will orbit the Moon without landing, testing all the systems needed for a future crewed lunar landing mission planned for 2027. The launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida went smoothly, with the massive SLS rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft into orbit.

With Trump’s two-to-three-week clock now ticking, Iran’s six-month fight promise on the table, the April 6 energy deadline just four days away, and Kuwait’s airport on fire — the world is entering what may be the most decisive week of this entire conflict. Yet in the darkness, four human beings are also riding a rocket toward the Moon, reminding us that the story of our species is always bigger than any one war. Stay with WorldWire for live updates all day.

Sources

CNBCAl JazeeraAl Jazeera — Day 33CNNCBS NewsGulf NewsWikipediaReutersBBCNPRNBC NewsThe Guardian

All reporting verified from CNBC, Al Jazeera, CNN, CBS News, Gulf News, Wikipedia, Reuters & BBC · April 2, 2026.Follow worldwire for more updates.