Iran live updates: Trump threatens Iran infrastructure strikes if talks fail

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Last updated: Monday, March 30, 2026 3:59PM GMT
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President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes, with his son Mojtaba Khamenei later chosen to succeed him. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Iran is also attempting to block some shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and expanding its ground operations in the south of the country.

Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

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Mar 30, 2026, 3:59 PM GMT

Spain closes the country's airspace to US planes involved in the Iran war

Spain's defense minister says the country has closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war.

Spain had already said the U.S. couldn't use jointly operated military bases in the country for operations related to the conflict.

Defense Minister Margarita Robles said Monday that the same logic applied to the use of Spanish airspace in the conflict.

Spain's government under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been Europe's most critical voice of U.S. and Israeli military actions in the Middle East.

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Mar 30, 2026, 12:08 PM GMT

Trump threatens broad strikes on Iran infrastructure if talks fail

President Donald Trump said in a post to social media on Monday morning that the U.S. is currently engaged in "serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran," but threatened to expand U.S. strikes if the negotiations fail.

"Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately 'Open for Business,' we will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet 'touched,'" Trump wrote.

"This will be in retribution for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has butchered and killed over the old Regime's 47 year 'Reign of Terror,'" Trump added.

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Mar 30, 2026, 3:59 PM GMT

Trump says deal with Iran 'could be soon'

More than a month into the war with Iran, President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday that negotiations with the country are still ongoing, "directly and indirectly," and that he could "see a deal" with the country coming through "soon."

"I do see a deal in Iran, yeah. Could be soon," he said.

IN FLIGHT - MARCH 29: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media onboard Air Force One on March 29, 2026 while en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
IN FLIGHT - MARCH 29: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media onboard Air Force One on March 29, 2026 while en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

However, he also acknowledged that "it's possible we won't" come to a deal and added, "you never know with Iran."

Asked if he is still considering boots on the ground and if he would consider doing so without Congressional approval, Trump did not reply yes or no, instead insisting that he has "lots of alternatives."

"I just have lots of alternatives. We have tremendous numbers of ships over there. We don't need them all because of, you know, the power," Trump said.

-ABC News' Megan Mistry and Emily Chang

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Mar 30, 2026, 2:25 AM GMT

UN peacekeeper killed in Lebanon

A United Nations peacekeeper was killed over the weekend "when a projectile exploded in a UNIFIL position" in Southern Lebanon, according to the organization. Another peacekeeper was critically injured.

UNIFIL, the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, said it does not know where the projectile originated from, and an investigation is ongoing.

"Too many lives have been lost on both sides of the Blue Line in this conflict. There is no military solution. The violence must end," UNIFIL said.

-ABC News' Victoria Beaulé