LIVE: Message Urges Iranians to Defend Country Amid Trump's Fresh Threat
The ministry’s spokesperson confirmed that the strike caused significant material damage to the facility
A text message campaign is calling on Iranians to volunteer to defend the country against a threatened U.S. ground operation, according to copies of messages seen by The Associated Press. One message declared “a national campaign for those willing to sacrifice their lives,” with a link to register “to defend the country’s territory.” A second similar text message suggested volunteers would soon see “deployment.”
Meanwhile, Trump has issued new threat to Iran civilian infrastructure, including desalination plants, if ceasefire not reached shortly.
Major Updates:
US Sees First Combat Loss of Valuable E-3 Jet: An Iranian missile strike on a base in Saudi Arabia damaged several military jets and destroyed a valuable E-3 Sentry early warning and control aircraft — the first known combat loss for that type.
The roughly $300 million plane was hit in an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in recent days, according to a person familiar with the matter asking not to be identified discussing sensitive military operations. Unverified photos of the jet showed its tail completely severed, rendering it unflyable.
Indian Worker Killed as Iran Strikes Kuwait's Power Plant: Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said an Indian worker was killed after a service building at a major power and water desalination plant was struck in what authorities described as an Iranian attack on Sunday evening. The ministry’s spokesperson confirmed that the strike caused significant material damage to the facility. Emergency and technical teams were immediately deployed to manage the aftermath and maintain operations.
Trump Suggests US Could Take Iran’s Kharg Island for Oil: U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the idea of American forces seizing Iran’s Kharg Island, its main oil terminal in the Persian Gulf. “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump told. “It would also mean we had to be there (on Kharg Island) for a while.”
Pakistan says it will host US-Iran talks: Pakistan announced Sunday that it would soon host talks between the U.S. and Iran, though there was no immediate word from Washington or Tehran, and it was unclear whether discussions on the monthlong war would be direct or indirect.
Iran response: Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed the talks in Pakistan as a cover after some 2,500 U.S. Marines trained in amphibious landings arrived in the Middle East.
Live Updates
- 30 March 2026 9:45 AM IST
Saudi Arabia says it has intercepted 5 ballistic missiles
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said early Monday the ballistic missiles were apparently targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province.
- 30 March 2026 9:45 AM IST
Trump says US is negotiating with Iran ‘directly and indirectly’
The president said that Iran had agreed to allow 20 ships carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning and continuing over the next few days “out of a sign of respect.”
“I would only say that we’re doing extremely well in that negotiation but you never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up,” Trump told reporters Sunday night board Air Force One as he flew to Washington.
Trump was asked if Iran had responded to the 15-point ceasefire plan the U.S. has proposed and he said, they did and added: “They gave us most of the points. Why wouldn’t they?”
But Trump didn’t offer details when asked about Iran, by his telling, appearing to make major concessions.
“They’re agreeing with us on the plan,” Trump said.
- 30 March 2026 9:44 AM IST
Trump says Iran’s parliament speaker authorized tankers to pass Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump says that Iran’s parliament speaker authorized the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.
The comment by Trump in an interview published early Monday by The Financial Times is the latest signal by the Americans of Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf’s importance within Iran’s theocracy.“They gave us 10” Pakistani-flagged tankers, he said. “Now they’re giving 20 and the 20 have already started and they’re going right up the middle of the Strait.”“He’s the one who authorized the ships to me,” Trump told the newspaper about Qalibaf. “Remember I said they’re giving me a present? And everyone said: ‘What’s the present?’ ... When they heard about that they kept their mouth shut and the negotiations are going very well.”Qalibaf has maintained a combative personality through his X account in the war, mocking the Americans and issuing threats. But the former Revolutionary Guard commander has seen his profile rise as senior members of its theocracy have been killed. 
30 March 2026 7:44 AM ISTUS Lets Russian Oil Tanker Head to Cuba Amid Fuel Crisis
The United States Coast Guard has allowed a Russian tanker carrying crude oil to proceed toward Cuba, potentially easing the island’s worsening fuel crisis, according to a US official cited by The New York Times. Read more:
