Donald Trump

Iraq’s militia state: Shelly Kittleson’s kidnapping exposes who runs Baghdad

BEHIND THE LINES: Since October 2023, forces associated with the PMF – that is, affiliated with the government of Iraq – engaged in ongoing attacks against US personnel and positions.

|ByJONATHAN SPYER
US JOURNALIST Shelly Kittleson is pictured in Baghdad on March 31, shortly before she was abducted. Her disappearance has focused attention on the threat posed by Iran-backed militias and the deteriorating security environment in postwar Iraq.
Supporters and members of the British Indian Ocean territory Chagos Archipelago hold placards and the territory's flag outside the Houses of Parliament in London on January 7, 2026, to protest against a proposed plan by the British government to hand over the islands to Mauritius.

UK suspends Chagos Islands sovereignty deal following Trump’s objections

The UK government has paused its deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, following US President Trump’s criticism and concerns over US approval.

|ByREUTERS
An illustrative photo of the Iranian and Chinese flags.

China plans to deliver air defense systems to Iran in coming weeks, US intelligence reveals - CNN

US intelligence reports that China is preparing to deliver air defense systems to Iran within weeks, using third countries to conceal the shipments, as tensions rise in the region.

|BySHOSHANA BAKER, REUTERS
U.S. Vice President JD Vance walks as Jared Kushner looks on, after arriving for talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, April 11, 2026.

Talks start in Islamabad as Iran says it will uphold ceasefire commitments with Lebanon

Trump says empty oil tankers heading to US to load up with oil, gas • Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei suffers disfiguring wounds • Iran says US has agreed to release frozen Iranian assets, US denies report

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

US President Donald Trump has fired Attorney General Pam Bondi, US media says

According to US media reports, Trump had recently floated the idea of replacing Bondi with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.

APRIL 2, 2026ByREUTERS
Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives before President Donald Trump speaks about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on April 1, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Passover, war and faith: Moral clarity matters in Israel’s defense - opinion

As Passover begins, a rabbinic voice challenges the Pope’s remarks on war, arguing that Jewish ethics demand moral clarity and the obligation of self-defense.

APRIL 2, 2026ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN
Pope Leo XIV speaks to the media as he leaves the papal residence to head back to the Vatican, in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, March 31, 2026.

Education Minister complains of disturbance during sirens, Iran says Hormuz Strait will stay closed

Iranian ballistic missile commander killed • Kindergarten struck in Hezbollah barrage on North • Bahrain calls for UN vote to defend Strait of Hormuz

APRIL 2, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Israeli security and rescue forces operate at the scene where several people were lightly injured by a missile fired from Lebanon in Bi’ina, northern Israel, April 2, 2026.

Trump says US 'on the cusp' of ending war, threatens to hit Iranian electric plants 'very hard'

“If there is no deal, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard and probably simultaneously,” United States President Donald Trump stated.

APRIL 2, 2026ByGOLDIE KATZ
US President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation about the Iran war at the White House in Washington, DC, US April 1, 2026.

US intelligence assessments indicate Iran currently unwilling to negotiate end to war - report

According to assessments conducted by multiple US intelligence agencies, the Iranian regime believes it is in a strong enough position to continue the war and not cede to US demands.

APRIL 2, 2026ByGOLDIE KATZ
People attend a funeral ceremony for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in strikes, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 1, 2026.

Sword-wielding Massachusetts man arrested over threats to Trump, FBI says

Andrew Emerald was charged in an eight-count indictment over a string of threatening posts, including one in which he vowed to travel to Mar-a-Lago if Trump was not dead by 2026.

APRIL 2, 2026ByREUTERS
US President Donald Trump speaks next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026.

Iran’s president urges Americans to reject ‘propaganda’ on Iran, calls US Israel's proxy

Pezeshkian said that Iran has never initiated war in modern history, and urged the American people to consider whether their interests are really served in the war. 

APRIL 1, 2026ByDANYA SAPERSTEIN
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks on the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, in February.

Trump threatened to halt Ukraine aid unless Europe joined Hormuz coalition - report

Trump threatened to stop supplying military equipment to NATO's Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which procures weapons for Ukraine and is funded by European nations.

APRIL 1, 2026ByDANYA SAPERSTEIN
US President Donald Trump speaks during a lunch with the Kennedy Center board members in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 16, 2026.

Iran denies Trump claim that Iran's new leader has asked for a ceasefire

Iran's new leader has just asked the United States for a ceasefire, US President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Wednesday.

APRIL 1, 2026ByREUTERS, DANYA SAPERSTEIN
US President Donald Trump speaks during the signing ceremony for an executive order on mail ballots, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, March 31, 2026.

Israelis lose faith in decisive victory in Iran war - opinion

Israelis can endure the war, but the consensus is cracking as trust, expectations, and ideas of what victory means are diverging.

APRIL 1, 2026ByABIR GITLIN
Damage after Iranian missile fragments hit a residence in the Tel Aviv area, March 26, 2026.