Iran Threatens ‘Crushing and Broader’ Attacks After Trump’s Speech

Iranian officials warned the U.S. and Israel of "crushing, broader, and more destructive" attacks following President DonaldTrump's national address, during which he said America is close to achieving its core military objectives but threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard" over the next two to three weeks.

Iran Threatens 'Crushing and Broader' Attacks After Trump's Speech

"You must pay the price for the aggression you initiated to the honorable, dear, and Muslim nation," said Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for theIranian military."You know nothing about our very extensive and strategic capacities."

Thewarwill continue, he said, until the "permanent regret and surrender" of Iran's adversaries.

The spokesperson also rejected Trump's assessment that "Iran has been essentially decimated." He claimed the targeted facilities have been "insignificant" and insisted the U.S. military cannot reach key production sites.

The warning,sharedby the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency, is the latest indication that the Iran war, which is in its 34th day, has no tangible end in sight.

Iran continued strikes across the Persian Gulf Thursday morning, despite Trump's warning.

The Israeli military alsocarried outa new wave of strikes across Tehran, targeting IRGC ground forces and missile production facilities.

Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said Thursday that Tehran has "no choice but to fight back strongly."

"We will not tolerate this vicious cycle of war, negotiations, cease-fire, and then repeating the same pattern," he said in a statementreportedby state media. "This is catastrophic not only for Iran, but for the entire region and beyond."

Oil prices soar as war rages on

Following Trump's speech and the continued trading of strikes, the price of crude oil soared once more Thursday morning, with Brentrisingto $108 per barrel.

TheStrait of Hormuz, a key passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which around a fifth of global oil production flows, remains largely blocked.

Iran has used the vital waterway as a political bargaining chip following the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, and despite Trump's threats for it to be reopened, very few vessels have been granted safe passage, bringing trade to a virtual standstill.

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Trump, during his address on Wednesday, once again took aim at allies who refused to send warships to reopen the Strait.

"To those countries that can't get fuel—many of which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, we had to do it ourselves—I have a suggestion," he said. "Number one, buy oil from the United States of America; we have plenty. We have so much. And number two, build up some delayed courage… Go to the Strait and just take it. Protect it. Use it for yourselves. Iran has been essentially decimated. The hard part is done."

Read More:'Learn How to Fight for Yourself': Trump Says U.K. and Others Should Go to Strait of Hormuz and 'Take' Oil

Echoingremarkspreviously made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump said the Strait would likely "just open up naturally" at the close of the war.

In what appeared to be an attempt to reassure Americans amid mounting concerns over U.S. gas topping $4 per gallon, Trump referred to the increase as a "short-term" matter and argued "the United States has never been better prepared economically to confront this threat."

U.K. hosts Strait of Hormuz talks with around 30 nations

Trump, in an interview published Wednesday, threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO, after allied nations opted not to actively join the Iran war.

He singled out the U.K., issuing another public rebuke of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has refused, beyond defensive measures, to be an active participant in the conflict.

Starmer defended his position once more during a press briefing, insisting the U.K. won't be "dragged" into a war and vowing to act in the "British national interest," despite outside pressures.

Read More:Trump Threatens to Pull U.S. Out of NATO Amid Fallout Over Iran War. Can He Legally Do That?

On Thursday, U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper hosted a virtual coalition of around 30 nations to discuss efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. reportedly did not attend.

TIME has reached out to the U.K. Foreign Office for comment.

Meanwhile, during a state visit to South Korea,French President Emmanuel Macrontold reporters it's "unrealistic" to think the Strait can be reopened by force. Instead, he said, the vital waterway must be secured "in coordination with Iran."

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 02, 2026

Iran Threatens ‘Crushing and Broader’ Attacks After Trump’s Speech

Iranian officials warned the U.S. and Israel of "crushing, broader, and more destructive" attacks following Pre...

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Cubans take to bikes and electric tricycles to protest US sanctions

By Ayose Naranjo

Cubans hold an anti-imperialist march in Havana

HAVANA, April 2 (Reuters) - Cuban activists paraded on Thursday on bikes and electric tricycles along Havana's waterfront ‌Malecon boulevard, accompanied by Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, in ‌a show of defiance amid U.S. efforts to starve the island of fuel.

Participants ​in the government-organized caravan rode past the U.S. Embassy in the Cuban capital, their electric and pedal-powered vehicles displaying flags and banners attacking the sanctions imposed on the country by President Donald Trump's administration.

The ‌rally came a day ⁠after Cuba's top diplomat in Washington publicly invited the U.S. government to help overhaul Cuba's crippled economy ⁠as part of ongoing negotiations that have yet to yield results.

Participants in the rally said they favored talks with the United States ​but demanded ​respect for Cuba.

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"I believe that ​genuine dialogue between both governments ‌is possible, but international law and our country's autonomy must be respected," said Sheila Ibatao, a Havana law student and participant.

Diaz-Canel did not speak during the event.

The Cuban government often organizes large rallies at the U.S. Embassy. This caravan was smaller and more ‌discreet, hampered by fuel shortages that ​have crippled mobility and hobbled public transportation.

A ​Russian-flagged tankership arrived in ​Cuba this week and off-loaded 700,000 barrels of ‌crude oil, promising some relief in ​the coming weeks.

The ​Trump administration, which has threatened to slap tariffs on countries that export oil to Cuba and explicitly prohibited imports of ​Russian oil, said ‌it allowed the Russian-flagged tanker to dock in Cuba's ​Matanzas port for humanitarian reasons.

(Reporting by Ayose Naranjo; Editing ​by Dave Sherwood and Will Dunham)

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 02, 2026

Cubans take to bikes and electric tricycles to protest US sanctions

By Ayose Naranjo Cubans hold an anti-imperialist march in Havana HAVANA, April 2 (Reuters) - Cuban activist...

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Inspection finds dozens of violations of detention standards at a major immigration camp in Texas

A recent inspection at the nation'slargest immigration detention facilityfound dozens of violations of national standards that potentially exposed detainees to excessive force, disease, and other unsafe conditions.

Immigration Detention Conditions

Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of Detention Oversight performed a congressionally mandated inspection over three days in February at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, according to areport posted onlineby ICE this week.

The report documents 49 deficiencies, which it defines as violations of detention standards or policies, in areas including the use of force and restraints, security, medical care and more. It was the first inspection released by that office since Camp East Montana was hastily built and opened last summer.

Attorney calls inspection findings 'scathing'

The number of deficiencies at the camp is highly unusual. The most found in any other inspection by the oversight office so far this year was 13.

"This report is scathing. Camp East Montana gets an F," said attorney Randall Kallinen, who represents the family of a36-year-old detainee who diedthere in January — one of at least three deaths since its opening. "It's very dangerous. Not only are the detainees in danger of excessive force, they are also in danger of improper or negligent medical care and mental health care, as well as danger from other detainees."

The report comes as ICE's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, ispausing the purchaseof warehouses intended to house up to 7,000 or more immigrants at a single location. ICE data through Feb. 5 shows that Camp East Montana has been the largest detention site, housing nearly 3,000 detainees per day, the majority of whom are men who have not been convicted of crimes.

The inspection was conducted before ICE moved last month toreplace the prime contractor, Acquisition Logistics LLC, amid intense scrutiny over conditions at Camp East Montana. The company had been awarded a contract worth up to $1.3 billion to build and operate the camp, even though it had no experience in the field. The company and its president, Ken Wagner, didn't respond to messages seeking comment.

Lawmaker calls ICE 'uninterested' in improving conditions

A more experienced contractor, Amentum Services, took over operations at Camp East Montana on March 12. A federal database says its nearly $453 million no-bid contract to provide detention, transportation and medical services runs through Sept. 30.

Detainees usually live at Camp East Montana for several days or weeks while they are awaiting deportation or before they are transferred elsewhere.

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat who has toured and met with detainees at the facility several times, said the inspection findings were "a drop in the bucket of what is so profoundly wrong with that facility." She said detainees have consistently complained of medical neglect and other problems.

She said conditions have not improved and wonders whether that is by design to pressure detainees to agree to self-deport.

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"ICE is completely uninterested in really creating any change or holding the contractor accountable," she said.

An ICE spokesperson said the new contract will result in improved medical care, more staff on site and stricter oversight by ICE.

Report documents safety issues

The inspection report documented a series of safety lapses found during Acquisition Logistics' tenure. Camp staff didn't document whether they were conducting required checks to prevent self-harm and suicide, which 911 calls show have been a major problem at the facility.

Acquisition Logistics refused to provide information about staffing levels to ICE, which made it impossible to determine whether they were sufficient to maintain security, according to the report. In one instance, a detainee escaped when there was no staff assigned to watch the perimeter fences.

Inspectors found that tools and equipment were "unsecured and unaccounted for throughout the facility" and that staff did not maintain an accurate inventory of its ammunition.

Security guards who used and witnessed the use of force and restraints such as handcuffs failed to file written reports as required in some instances, the report said.

Supervisors also didn't document their observations, staff failed to record or preserve video recordings in some cases, and the facility did not review incidents afterward to examine whether chemical agents or other types of force were used appropriately.

Medical staff failed to isolate a detainee who had symptoms consistent with tuberculosis, which spreads through the air, and did not notify ICE of the case.

The camp also acted slowly in response to a dozen grievances filed by detainees about medical care, taking between six and 14 business days to respond, the report said.

Despite the problems, the report gave the camp an "acceptable/adequate" rating and recommended ICE work with the new contractor "to resolve the deficiencies that remain outstanding."

It pushed back on one of the most common complaints from detainees: that the food portions were too meager. It said the food service program, run by subcontractor Disaster Management Group, provided certification from a dietitian that the "average daily caloric provision of the menu" met federal recommendations.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 02, 2026

Inspection finds dozens of violations of detention standards at a major immigration camp in Texas

A recent inspection at the nation'slargest immigration detention facilityfound dozens of violations of national stand...

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Hegseth has asked US Army chief of staff to step down, CBS News reports

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - ‌Pentagon chief ‌Pete Hegseth ​has asked the U.S. Army ‌Chief ⁠of Staff Randy ⁠George to ​step ​down and ​take ‌immediate retirement, CBS News reported on Thursday, ‌citing ​sources ​familiar ​with ‌the decision.

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(Reporting by ​Jasper ​Ward and ​Bhargav ‌Acharya; Editing ​by Christian ​Martinez)

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 02, 2026

Hegseth has asked US Army chief of staff to step down, CBS News reports

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - ‌Pentagon chief ‌Pete Hegseth ​has asked the U.S. Army ‌Chief ⁠of Staff Randy ⁠George to ...

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Magnitude 4.6 earthquake rattles California's Bay Area

Amagnitude 4.6 earthquake struck the Bay Area of Californiaearly Thursday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquake was centered in Boulder Creek, California, a town in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and struck at 1:41 a.m. local time at a depth of 10.9 km (6.8 miles). Residents in the area reported light to moderate shaking, according to the USGS, with residents as far north as Berkeley and San Francisco and as far south as Soledad reporting feeling shaking as well.

Originally reported as a magnitude 5.1 earthquake, it has since been revised down to a 4.6.According to the San Francisco Chronicle, various faults run through the Santa Cruz area and it was not immediately clear which fault triggered the quake.

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No injuries or deaths have been reported from the earthquake, however the USGS says there is about a 56% chance of a magnitude 3.0 or higher aftershock happening within the next seven days, and about a 12% chance that aftershock is magnitude 4.0 or higher.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X@GabeHauarior email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Earthquake hits near San Francisco Thursday morning

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 02, 2026

Magnitude 4.6 earthquake rattles California's Bay Area

Amagnitude 4.6 earthquake struck the Bay Area of Californiaearly Thursday morning, according to the United States Geol...

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Americans in Iraq warned to leave 'now' amid threats of imminent attacks

The U.S. Embassy inIraqhas warned Americans to leave the country as soon as possible over threats from militias aligned with Iran to carry out imminent attacks inBaghdadover the next two days.

"U.S. citizens should leave Iraq now," the embassy warned in an alertpublishedThursday. Anyone who chooses to remain in the country will do so "at significant risk," it added.

The warning came just days after reports emerged of thekidnapping of American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was feared to have been abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday by suspected Iranian-backed militants.

Dylan Johnson, the assistant secretary of state for global affairs, said a person believed to have been involved in the kidnapping had been captured and was in Iraqi custody. He said the person had ties to the Iranian-aligned militia Kataib Hezbollah.

Kittleson's mother, Barb Kittleson,told NBC affiliate WTMJof Milwaukee that her daughter had been living in the Middle East and working as a journalist for about 20 years. She said she last heard from her Monday.

Since the United States and Israel launched their military assault on Iran in late February, triggering the war currently consuming the region, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has been warning that militias within Iraq may try to kidnap Americans.

The embassy on Thursday noted that Iran and Iran-aligned militias have previously carried out "widespread attacks" against U.S. citizens and targets associated with the U.S. in Iraq, including in its semiautonomous Kurdistan region.

While Iraq as a whole became safer for locals and foreigners when the civil war triggered by 2003 U.S. invasion wound down, Iran's influence over its neighbor's politics and society has grown. Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces, which are legally part of the Iraqi military, often act independently from the government.

The embassy said that in addition to the risk of kidnapping, "businesses, universities, diplomatic facilities, energy infrastructure, hotels, airports, and other locations perceived to be associated with the United States, as well as Iraqi institutions and civilian targets," could also be subject to attack.

It added that the Iraqi government has not prevented attacks in or from its territory. It also warned that militia members could even "claim to be associated with the Iraqi government" and may carry identification denoting their status as government employees.

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Iraq's embassies in the U.S. and Britain did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NBC News.

The development comes after the State Department last monthordered all U.S. embassies and consular posts worldwideto conduct security reviews without delay, according to a cable seen by NBC News following attacks on U.S. embassies in the region, including an attack by an Iran-aligned militia on the embassy in Baghdad.

Americans looking to leave Iraq, where a "Level 4: Do Not Travel" warning is in effect, will face some difficulty, with the airspace closed and commercial flights not operating out of the country.

The embassy noted that overland routes to Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Turkey were open, but that travelers should "expect long delays."

Still, it said, Americans should "depart now via one of these overland routes."

It further warned Americans not to attempt to travel to the embassy in Baghdad or the consulate general in Irbil "in light of significant security risks," but said Americans in need of assistance could contact the embassy in Baghdad at BaghdadACS@state.gov or the consulate general in Irbil at ErbilACS@state.gov.

Irbil is the capital of the oil-rich Kurdistan region, which has seen less violence than other parts of the country.

The embassy suggested that Americans leaving the country keep a "low profile" and "stay aware of your surroundings." It also suggested having a supply of food, water, medications and other essential items.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Interior Ministry has said it continues to work to "secure the release" of Kittleson, the American journalist kidnapped in Baghdad this week.

It said it would "take all necessary legal measures against all those involved in this criminal act, in accordance with the law."

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 02, 2026

Americans in Iraq warned to leave 'now' amid threats of imminent attacks

The U.S. Embassy inIraqhas warned Americans to leave the country as soon as possible over threats from militias aligned w...

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Universities pressured to strip names of Epstein associates from campus buildings

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — In rain, snow and bitter cold, a steady drumbeat of small protests have been held in recent months on the Ohio State University main campus with a single goal in mind: removing billionaire retail mogul Les Wexner's name from buildings where it's emblazoned.

US Epstein Building Names

At issue — for union nurses at OSU's Wexner Medical Center, for former athletes at the Les Wexner Football Complex, and for some student leaders who may walk past the Wexner Center for the Arts near the campus oval — is Wexner'swell-documented associationwith the late sexual predatorJeffrey Epstein.

Similar cries are arising over a Wexner-named building at Harvard University and others around the country named for different Epstein associates, includingSteve Tisch,Casey Wasserman,Glenn DubinandHoward Lutnick.

It's all part of thebacklash across higher educationagainst figures with ties to Epstein, who cultivated an extensive network including powerful people in the arts, business and academia. Scrutiny has landed on university donors as well as several academics whose emails with Epstein surfaced in the latest files, including some whohave resigned.

Wexner complaints cite Epstein association

Wexner hasn't been charged with any crime in connection with Epstein, the one-time financial adviser by whom he sayshe was "duped."

But a group of former Ohio State athletes who surviveda sweeping sexual abuse scandal at the schoolargues that theretired L Brands founder's generosity to his alma mater is now tainted by the knowledge that Epstein was entangled in many of his family's spending decisions, including around the football complex's naming.

"Ohio State University cannot credibly separate itself from these facts, nor can it justify continuing to honor Les Wexner with an athletic facility," their naming removal request read. It went on, "To do so is to ignore the voices of survivors, former athletes, and the broader community who expect accountability, transparency, and moral leadership."

At Harvard, a group of students and faculty at the prestigious Kennedy School has targeted the Leslie H. Wexner Building and the Wexner-Sunshine Lobby. The renaming request submitted in March cites Wexner's "strong ties to Epstein" and argues Epstein profited off Wexner, "which enabled Epstein to use his wealth and power to traffic and abuse children and women."

Some Harvard students and alumni also want the Farkas name removed from Farkas Hall, which hosts the Hasty Pudding TheatricalsMan and Woman of the Year. The building was renamed in 2011 following a significant donation from Andrew Farkas, graduate chairman of the Hasty Pudding Institute, in honor of his father.

Farkas had a longtime personal and business relationship with Epstein, including co-owning a marina with him in the Caribbean. He also repeatedly asked Epstein to donate to Hasty Pudding. Between roughly 2013 and 2019, Epstein regularly donating $50,000 annually to secure top-tier donor status, for a total of more than $300,000.

"As I've said repeatedly, I deeply regret ever having met this individual, but at no time have I conducted myself inappropriately," Farkas said in a statement.

Pressure building on campuses

Pushback against buildings named for Epstein associates is growing on some U.S. campuses.

Just last weekend, the student body at Haverford College in Pennsylvania voted to urge President Wendy Raymond to forge ahead with the renaming process for the Allison &Howard LutnickLibrary. The building is named for the U.S. commerce secretary who has facedresignation callsover his relationship with Epstein.

Raymond had said ina February open letterthat she wasn't ready to do that. In a statement to The Associated Press following Sunday's vote, Raymond said she respected the process and would respond to the resolution within the customary 30-day period.

At Ohio State, pleas against the Wexner name are making their way through a five-stepreview procedure, most of which takes place outside public view and with no set timeline. The university's new president, Ravi Bellamkonda said, "I think the process is thorough, fair, and open, and I will promise you that we will give each request a full consideration."

A spokesman for Harvard confirmed the school has received the Wexner-related name removal request but would not comment further. It would be the university's second name change, after the John Winthrop House, which bore the name of a Harvard professor and a like-named ancestor, was changed to Winthrop House in July over their connections to slavery.

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Tufts University, home to the Tisch Library and theSteve TischSports and Fitness Center, said it continues to look at the matter. The library has moved to clarify that it was not named for Steve, but, in 1992, for his father Preston Tisch, an honored alum. The sports center removed a set of Steve Tisch's handprints during spring break. The university said that was part of a planned renovation.

UCLA'sWassermanFootball Center and Stony Brook University'sDubinFamily Athletic Performance Center also are named for Epstein associates.

Namings often tied to philanthropic giving

The current clamor bears some resemblance to the controversy that surrounded the wealthySackler family's culpabilityin the deadly opioid crisis, because in both cases the institutions involved hadreceived vast sumsfrom the family.

Some major institutions — including museums in New York and Paris, Tufts and the University of Oxford in England — did remove the Sackler name, but Harvard chose not to. In a 15-page report explaining its 2024 decision, the university said the legacy of Arthur M. Sackler, whose company Purdue Pharma made the potent opioid OxyContin, was "complex, ambiguous and debatable."

The Epstein associates whose names are on campus buildings also are typically generous donors, as well as alumni.

Wexner, his wife Abigail and their charities have given Ohio State well over $200 million over the years, for example. That included $100 million to benefit the Wexner Medical Center; at least $15 million for the Wexner Center, a contemporary art museum named for Wexner's father, Harry; and $5 million split with an Epstein-run foundation toward construction of the football complex. The Wexners have given another $42 million to the Harvard Kennedy School.

A moral and financial bind for universities

Anne Bergeron, a museum consultant and author who specializes in the ethics of building naming rights in the cultural sector, said universities are serious about their gift acceptance standards while also recognizing that the conduct of individual donors may be judged differently over time.

"It's no surprise that a lot of these situations arise within the university sphere, because with students — especially the younger generation — there is virtually no tolerance for being associated with anyone who doesn't represent the best of humanity," she said

She called this "a moment of reckoning" for universities and said they have to guard against the appearance of a quid pro quo in their building namings.

Michael Oser, a Columbus-area resident, articulated the frustration of some defenders of retaining the Wexner name in a recent letter-to-the-editor of The Columbus Dispatch.

"OSU took the money. Built the buildings. Cut the ribbons. Smiled for the photos There were no formal 'morality clauses' attached back then, just gratitude and applause," he wrote. "Now, years later, some want to play moral referee while the university keeps the cash and the concrete. That's not accountability. That's convenience."

Supporters of name removal see opportunity for healing

Lauren Barnes, a student in the Kennedy School's master's program leading the effort to remove Wexner's name, said she struggles most days as a survivor of sexual abuse and the mother of a 14-year-old to walk into a building with a name linked to Epstein.

"Thinking about all the children in this world that deserve safety and also all the survivors on campus that have to walk under the Wexner name, I know what that's like to have my heart race and my hands get sweaty," she said. "I hate that anyone else has to have that feeling walking under that name and just dealing with it kind of everywhere on campus."

One protester at Ohio State, Audrey Brill, told a local ABC affiliate that it now "feels gross" thinking of women delivering babies at OSU's Wexner Medical Center "given everything that we're learning about where this money went" — and she feels removing Wexner's name could help.

Some protesters also want the name of Dr. Mark Landon, a prominent Ohio State gynecologist who received five-figure quarterly payments from Epstein between 2001 and 2005, removed from a visitor's lounge in the hospital's new $2 billion, 26-story tower. Landon have said the money was for biotech investment consulting for Wexner, not health care for Epstein or any of his victims.

Casey contributed from Boston.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 02, 2026

Universities pressured to strip names of Epstein associates from campus buildings

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — In rain, snow and bitter cold, a steady drumbeat of small protests have been held in recent months ...

Read More