Trump news at a glance: president’s deadline for Iran and threats against civilian targets loom

Donald Trump was asked at a press conference Monday if his war on Iran was winding down or ramping up. His response: “I can’t tell you.”

The US president’s comments came as diplomatic negotiations aimed at halting the war in the Middle East appeared to be faltering.

At the start of the press conference, Trump said Iran could be “taken out in one night, and that might be tomorrow night”. He also reiterated a deadline of 8pm ET on Tuesday for the regime to reopen the strait of Hormuz or face a barrage of strikes on energy facilities and bridges.

Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon secretary who flanked Trump at the press conference alongside Gen Daniel Caine, the joints chiefs of staff chair, said that under the president’s direction “today will be the largest volume of strikes since day one of this operation”.

“Tomorrow, even more than today,” he added.

Trump claims, without proof, Iranians welcome US strikes on infrastructure

Donald Trump on Monday claimed that Iranian civilians welcomed US strikes on Iran’s infrastructure, saying they were “willing to suffer” the loss of power and basic services to achieve freedom from the Islamic Republic.

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US lower court judges are challenging Trump’s ‘war on the rule of law’, experts say

District court judges have been increasingly issuing strong rulings challenging the legality of many of Trump’s policies and power grabs, blocking key ones at least temporarily, and sparking angry responses from the president, former judges and prosecutors say.

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Trump threatens to jail journalist to find source of second missing airman report

Trump threatened to jail a journalist – or journalists – who reported that a second US airman was missing after being shot down by Iran on Friday in an effort to identify their source. The badly injured airman hid in a mountain crevice to avoid capture before being rescued by a US recovery team that received heavy fire.

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Trump endorses ex-Fox News host Steve Hilton in California governor’s race

Donald Trump has endorsed Steve Hilton, a Republican former Fox News host, in the California governor’s race, a move that could dash Republican hopes of locking Democrats out of the November runoff.

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Jamie Dimon says US should strengthen allies economically, in veiled criticism of Trump

The head of the US’s largest bank has pressed the White House to strengthen Washington’s allies economically in order to “avoid truly adverse consequences”, in the latest installment of an increasingly testy relationship with the Trump administration.

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Trump uses Neville Chamberlain jibe to mock Starmer over stance on Iran

Trump has appeared to compare Keir Starmer to Neville Chamberlain in his latest disparaging remarks about the UK prime minister, who has refused to back the US-Israel attacks on Iran.

The comments, during an Easter Monday event at the White House, underline Trump’s continued annoyance at Starmer’s skepticism about the aims and legality of the conflict, a view that has not shifted despite the US president’s jibes.

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