CAIRO, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict entered its 33rd day on Wednesday, as Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told the American people in a letter that Iranian people harbor no enmity towards them, while U.S. President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on the ongoing war.
The following is an overview of the latest developments in the crisis affecting much of the region and beyond.
The United States
-- U.S. President Donald Trump will update the nation on the Iran war in an address at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday (0100 GMT on Thursday), White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt posted on X.
-- Trump said he is strongly considering pulling the United States out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after the alliance failed to join the attacks on Iran, The Telegraph reported.
-- Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. forces will withdraw from Iran in two or three weeks. "We leave because there's no reason for us to do this," Trump told reporters at the White House.
He alleged that the United States and Iran are negotiating, and a potential deal could end the war sooner. "It's possible that we'll have a deal because they want to make a deal. They want to make a deal more than I want to make a deal. But in a fairly short period of time, we'll be finished," the president said.
-- The U.S. military has lost 16 MQ-9 Reaper drones since the United States and Israel launched joint military strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, CBS News reported, citing two U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity.
-- Two-thirds of Americans favor a prompt end to U.S. military operations against Iran, even if the initial goals set out by the Trump administration are not fully achieved, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Israel
-- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck a factory in Tehran, owned by the Tofiq Daru Company, that it claimed transferred chemical substances to an Iranian facility designated for developing "chemical weapons."
-- The IDF said it killed Hajj Yusuf Ismail Hashem, the commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front unit, in Beirut.
-- The IDF said its air force killed Mahdi Vafaei, a senior engineering officer in the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Mahallat of central Iran.
-- At least 10 missiles were fired from Iran toward wide areas across Israel within about 45 minutes, as many families were heading to the traditional Passover dinner "Seder" on the eve of the Jewish holiday, according to the IDF. No casualties were reported.
Iran
-- Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a letter addressed to the American people that Iranian people harbor no enmity toward American people, accusing the U.S. administration of fighting Iran as a "proxy for Israel."
-- Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called on Iranian people to plant saplings in honor of those killed in the U.S.-Israeli strikes and as a symbol of prosperity, hope and a national response to the "enemies."
-- Iran's foreign ministry dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about Iran seeking a ceasefire as "false and baseless."
Lebanon
-- Israeli airstrikes killed at least 14 people in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to Lebanon's National News Agency, while Hezbollah announced a series of attacks on Israeli military sites and settlements.
-- Israeli strikes on southern Beirut late Tuesday night killed seven people and wounded 21 others, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
Yemen
-- Yemen's Houthi armed group said it had launched a fresh round of ballistic missile attacks targeting "vital sites" in southern Israel, adding that the strike was part of continued support for allied forces in the region, including those in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.
The United Arab Emirates
-- UAE's defense ministry said its air defences have engaged 438 ballistic missiles, 19 cruise missiles and 2,012 UAVs since the start of the regional conflict.
-- UAE authorities said debris from intercepted Iranian drones killed one person and injured another in the country.
-- UAE-based airlines, including Emirates and Flydubai, announced that Iranian nationals are not permitted to enter or transit the country, except for some residents related to Emiratis, families, and certain professions. Flydubai said Iranian nationals holding a UAE "Golden Visa" are exempt from the restriction.
-- United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, focusing on recent developments in the Middle East and their serious implications for regional and international peace, maritime security, and the global economy, according to the Emirates News Agency.
Iraq
-- Iraq's paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces said one of its commanders and another member were killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh.
Qatar
-- Qatar's Ministry of Defense said a missile launched from Iran struck a fuel tanker chartered by QatarEnergy in Qatar's territorial waters.
Kuwait
-- Kuwait International Airport was targeted by drone attacks, the country's Civil Aviation Authority said, attributing the incident to Iran and affiliated armed groups.
Egypt
-- In a phone call with Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi urged mobilization of regional and international efforts to halt the escalation in the Middle East, contain the repercussions of the ongoing war, and spare the region from descending into widespread chaos.
Türkiye
-- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that retaliatory attacks in the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict targeting critical sectors are escalating tensions and deepening instability across the region. "The primary party responsible for this war, which imposes an economic burden on all humanity, is Israel," he said.
Britain
-- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Britain will host an international summit this week on restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
He said Britain would not be drawn into the conflict in the Middle East and stressed that the best way to deal with rising living costs was to push for de-escalation and ensure the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.
-- Starmer said Britain would act in its national interest and would not change its position on the Iran war, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about Washington's possible withdrawal from the NATO.
France
-- French President Emmanuel Macron said France is not taking part in the military action launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, in response to accusations by U.S. President Donald Trump, local media reported.
-- French Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces Alice Rufo said the NATO is a military alliance concerned with the security of territories in the Euro-Atlantic area and is not intended to carry out operations in the Strait of Hormuz. ■
