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Iran Vows Crushing Attacks On US After Trump Threats

Trump said Iran would continue to face a barrage of attacks in the short term

TEHRAN: Iran on Thursday threatened "crushing" attacks on the US and Israel, firing missiles at Tel Aviv after US President Donald Trump vowed to bomb the Islamic republic "back to the Stone Ages".

The war, which erupted more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, has spread throughout the Middle East and roiled the global economy, impacting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

In a prime-time White House address, Trump said the US was "very close" to achieving its objectives but warned attacks would intensify if Iran did not reach a negotiated settlement.

"Over the next two to three weeks, we are going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong," said Trump in a 19-minute speech delivered in front of American flags.

Iran's response was immediate, with Israeli air defences pressed into action and police responding to "several" impact sites, as four people were reportedly lightly injured in the Tel Aviv area.

The Iranian military command centre Khatam Al-Anbiya put out a statement carried on state TV warning the US and Israel to expect "more crushing, broader, and more destructive actions".

"With trust in Almighty God, this war will continue until your humiliation, disgrace, permanent and certain regret, and surrender," said the statement.

The latest attacks came as Jewish Israelis were celebrating Passover, which some were forced to do underground.

"This is not my first choice," said a writer who gave his name as Jeffrey, at a meal organised in a bunker in Tel Aviv.

"But at least in the shelter, we can sit here and just ride it out," he added. — AFP

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Trump Says Iran Will Be Hit Hard For Next 2-3 Weeks

-- President Donald Trump said US forces will keep hitting Iran "very hard" in the next two or three weeks and bring the country "back to the Stone Ages," even as he touted the success of US operations and argued that all of Washington's objectives have so far been met or exceeded.

Trump said Iran would continue to face a barrage of attacks in the short term.
"We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks," Trump said. "We're going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong."
Trump didn't say anything about negotiations with Iran or bring up the April 6 deadline he set for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway for global oil and gas transport. He has threatened to attack Iran's energy infrastructure if the strait was not reopened.
Trump also did not offer a clear path to end the supply disruptions that have sent energy prices soaring. He did not mention the possibility of sending US ground troops into Iran, or NATO, the trans-Atlantic alliance he has railed against for not helping the US secure the waterway.
Oil rose more than 4% and Asian stocks fell after the comments. Oil prices were sharply higher following Trump's remarks. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 4.9% to $106.16 per barrel. Benchmark US crude rose 4% to $104.15 a barrel.
US gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 on Tuesday, as the Iran war continues to push fuel prices higher worldwide. Analysts say those high fuel costs will trickle into groceries as businesses' transportation and packaging costs pile up.
Here is the latest:

Think tank says Trump leaving Gulf Arab allies in lurch
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A New York-based think tank said Thursday that US President Donald Trump's speech suggests he "is willing to leave the Strait of Hormuz off the table, leaving other nations to deal with the consequences".
"Trump's message was that the United States can sustain its own economic and energy ecosystem, while countries dependent on regional exports will either have to buy from the United States or manage the Strait themselves," the Soufan Center wrote.
"While Trump explicitly thanked US allies in the Persian Gulf for their cooperation and allyship, an expedited US withdrawal without securing the Strait will leave many of these countries, whose economies are dependent on energy exports, in the lurch."

Fuel prices in Thailand soar
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Fuel prices in Thailand soared again on Thursday after the government further cut subsidies, sending diesel price to over 44 baht ($1.35) per litre, about 12% increase.
The surge was the second time in a week, after a majority of fuel prices rose by 6 baht ($0.18) per litre last Thursday.

Democrats slam Trump speech for failing to offer answers on Iran war
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Democrats are criticising Trump's primetime address to the American people on the war in Iran as "incoherent" and as doing little to answer "the most basic questions the American people," according to statements from two Democratic lawmakers released on Wednesday.
Sen Mark Warner noted that Trump owed Americans more answers about a conflict that has driven up prices on gas "alongside rising prices for diesel, fertiliser, aluminum, and other essentials, with consequences that will continue to ripple through the economy for a long time to come" in his statement.
Meanwhile, Sen Chris Murphy released a statement that said the "speech was grounded in a reality that only exists in Donald Trump's mind".
Murphy went on to add that "no one in America, after listening to that speech, knows whether we are escalating or deescalating."

Oil rises and Asian stocks fall after Trump's address
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Oil rose more than 4% and Asian stocks fell after US President Donald Trump said in his first national address since the Iran war began that the US will keep hitting Iran very hard.
Trump also said the United States will "finish the job" in Iran and that military operations could wrap up soon.
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was down 1.4% to 53,004.81 in early Asia trading on Thursday. South Korea's Kospi lost 3.4% to 5,292.36. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.8% to 25,082.59.
US futures were down more than 0.7%.
Oil prices were sharply higher following Trump's remarks. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 5% to $106.22 per barrel. Benchmark US crude rose 4.2% to $104.36 a barrel.

Live Updates

  • 2 April 2026 1:08 PM IST



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  • 2 April 2026 12:45 PM IST

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  • 2 April 2026 10:24 AM IST

    Israel reports Iranian missile attacks after Trump address

    Israel's military said air defences responded to waves of Iranian missile fire early Thursday, including at least two attacks after US President Donald Trump delivered an address to the American public about the war.

    After the first attack, police said officers were called to "several" impact sites in central Israel, with media reports putting the number at nine.
    Four people were lightly wounded in the Tel Aviv area, the reports said, citing medics.
    Israeli media attributed the damage across a relatively wide area to the use of cluster munitions, which explode mid-air and scatter bomblets.
    Iran and Israel have previously accused each other of using cluster bombs.
    Within about six hours of the first attack, the military announced it had again "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel" three more times, triggering air raid sirens across much of northern and central Israel.
    The military's Home Front Command later said residents were "permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas of the country".
    There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage as a result of the later attacks.
    On Wednesday, as Jewish Israelis were preparing to celebrate the Passover holiday, emergency services said Iranian missile fire wounded 14 people, including an 11-year-old girl.
    In northern Israel, there were also air raid sirens early Thursday warning of incoming attacks from Lebanon, according to the Home Front Command.
    Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, an Iran ally which joined the war on March 2, claimed rocket fire targeting Israeli troops in border areas and a drone attack on a village.
    There were no reports of any casualties or damage.

  • 2 April 2026 10:18 AM IST

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  • 2 April 2026 6:57 AM IST

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( Source : Deccan Chronicle with agency inputs )
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