Iran…Trump War…Evening…4/1/2026….Trump Walks Away from HIS Strait of Hormuz Goal

Mr. Trump ticked through the durations of the United States’ involvement in past conflicts, including the wars in Iraq and Vietnam, for the purpose of reminding Americans that the campaign against Iran had just entered its second month. But as he has done throughout the war, Mr. Trump did not offer a clear exit strategy and issued ambiguous and conflicting statements weaving diplomatic overtures with threats of escalating attacks.

“We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” Mr. Trump said in the 19-minute address. “If there’s no deal, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard and properly simultaneously.”

Mr. Trump demanded that Iran negotiate to end the war, just a day after he suggested to reporters in the Oval Office that he did not need Iran to reach a deal to end the conflict.

Mr. Trump framed the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a major conduit for oil worldwide, as an issue for other nations, even though earlier on Wednesday he said on social media he would not agree to any cease-fire deal unless it opened. Iran has choked off oil shipments through the strait, causing oil and natural gas prices to surge.

“We will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on,” he said of other nations.

Mr. Trump also said that Iran’s “ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed.” The U.S. and Israeli militaries have destroyed many of Iran’s ballistic missiles and launchers in airstrikes. But a large number are undamaged, and Iran continues to fire missiles in the region.

Here’s what else we’re covering:

• Strait of Hormuz: An Iranian official emphasized that the United States would not regain access to the strait, saying in a social media post: “The Strait of Hormuz will certainly reopen, but not for you.”

• NATO: Mr. Trump said he was considering pulling the United States out of NATO over the war with Iran. His comments, made in an interview with The Telegraph, plunged leaders in Europe — which has relied for decades on American military power — into another cycle of anxious deliberations. Read more ›

• Death tolls: The Human Rights Activists News Agency said at least 1,606 civilians had been killed, including 244 children, in Iran since the war began. Lebanon’s health ministry said that more than 1,318 Lebanese had been killed as of Wednesday, with more than 3,935 others wounded, since the latest fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began. In Iran’s attacks across the Middle East, at least 50 people have been killed in Gulf nations. In Israel, at least 17 had been killed as of Friday. The American death toll stands at 13 service members, with hundreds of others wounded….

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ISW.…Iran Update Special Report, April 1, 2026

1. Senior officials in Tehran have signaled that they seek to use the Strait of Hormuz and energy flows around it as points of leverage that Iran can use after the war to extract concessions and secure strategic aims.  They have also signaled that they will not accept a ceasefire or halt disruptions to international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz unless the United States and Israel cease all attacks on Iran.
2. Iran has continued attacks on shipping amid discussions in Tehran about Iran’s leverage over the strait. Iran attacked the Panamanian-flagged AQUA 1 oil tanker, leased by Qatari state-owned energy firm, 17 nautical miles northwest of Ras Laffan, Qatar.
3. These statements indicate that Iran could continue to use its proven ability to disrupt shipping in the strait after the war ends to deter the United States and its partners or compel them to avoid actions that would have negative impacts on Iran.
4. The IDF stated on April 1 that it struck “approximately 15 weapons production sites,” including a Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) complex for advanced missile production.
5. The IDF struck a pharmaceutical research and development company that supplied the Iranian regime with materials, such as fentanyl, that can be used for chemical weapons.
6. The IDF killed IRGC Quds Force Lebanon Corps Engineering Head responsible for advancing underground projects in Lebanon and Syria for Hezbollah and the Assad regime and he managed dozens of underground facilities in Lebanon used to store advanced weapons.
7. Iran launched five missile salvoes, including a 10-missile salvo, which was among the largest missile salvoes targeting Israel since the beginning of the war. It remains unclear if this was a one-off large salvo or will become part of a trend.
8. Iran launched 19 drones and four ballistic missiles targeting Bahrain on April 1. One or more of these targeted a company in Bahrain. This follows the IRGC’s threat on March 31 that it would target US‑linked information, communications, artificial intelligence, and advanced technology firms in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks.
9. Hezbollah claimed that it conducted 71 attacks targeting northern Israeli communities and Israeli forces and positions in northern Israel and southern Lebanon between 2:00 PM ET on March 31 and 2:00 PM ET on April 1.
10. The Houthis launched an unspecified number of ballistic missiles targeting southern Israel on April 1. This attack marks the fourth time that the Houthis have attacked Israel since entering the conflict on March 28. The Houthis claimed that it coordinated the ballistic missile attack on Israel with Hezbollah and Iran.

More to come when available….