Iranian-Canadian communities in Vancouver and Toronto say a temporary ceasefire has brought some relief, but deep concern remains for loved ones in Iran following threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire after Trump’s latest warnings raised alarms internationally.

Human rights advocate Soushiant Zanganehpour said the rhetoric marked a sharp escalation.

1:21
Carney urges ‘all parties’ in Iran war to ‘respect international laws’

“He has not dealt with an adversary this unmanageable … to threaten the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure … and then to ratchet up those threats to the level of the eradication of the civilization — this is genocidal,” he said.

On social media, Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die” unless Iran opened the Strait of Hormuz, setting a Tuesday evening deadline.

Across Iran, people formed human chains around power plants, while hundreds gathered on bridges holding flags.

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In Vancouver, members of the region’s large Iranian community reacted with a mix of skepticism and fear.

One Iranian resident told Global News the threats were unlikely to be carried out, describing Iran as a vast country with a long history that cannot be destroyed.

Another Iranian resident said people in Iran have long endured a brutal regime, but warned the situation could worsen without a clear plan.

In Toronto, Iranian-Canadians said the developments have made an already emotional situation more stressful.

2:42
Iran war’s impact spreads through Middle East

Rogina Aselfallah said she had been on edge while following the latest developments, worried about her family members in her home country.

She said the last-minute decision to suspend attacks about 90 minutes before a deadline brought temporary relief, but also uncertainty.

“I’m very happy that power and water aren’t going to go out for two weeks, but then (what) after the two weeks? That’s scary too,” she said.

Babak Zamani said it is difficult to know what his family is experiencing. “Every night they are scared to just sleep. We are hoping to end the war as soon as possible,” he told Global. He described the situation as painful and conflicted, with people caught between calls for political change and fears about further destruction.

Sam Fayaz, who owns an Iranian grocery store in Toronto, said many in the community want to see change in Iran’s government, but were alarmed by Trump’s comments.

“(We) were very concerned, extremely saddened by his comments (about) destroying the entire civilization. That’s really not what we want,” he said.

Fayaz added many Iranian-Canadians feel a responsibility to speak out.

“People have no voice (there) and it’s our job here to be their voice,” he said.

Many say they are now hoping the ceasefire will give both sides time to reach a longer-term resolution. Zanganehpour said the uncertainty has left people searching for answers.

“The fact that we don’t have answers, we’re all on the sidelines trying to make sense of unprecedented things. I hope it does bring us a little bit together, because we’re all we have,” he said.

2:03
Iranian-Canadians worry about Trump’s threats

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At least one gunman has been shot and killed after an incident outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.

A firefight reportedly broke out outside the diplomatic mission in Turkey’s largest city today.

Three men are thought to have tried to approach the consulate on Yapi Kredi Plaza, when police officers told them to stop as they approached the building.

Reports are saying that two of the attackers may have been shot and killed, while the third assailant was seriously injured. Some Turkish media reports that three people have died.

Footage shows police officers pulling out guns and taking cover as shots were fired for at least 10 minutes.

One person is seen lying on the ground, unmoving and covered in blood, after gunfire.

Turkish interior minister, Mustafa Ciftci, said: ‘Three individuals who engaged in an armed clash with our police officers on duty in front of the Yapı Kredi Plaza Blocks in Istanbul have been neutralised.

‘In the clash, two of our heroic police officers sustained minor injuries.’

He labelled the suspects as ‘terrorists,’ saying they have been identified, the Middle East Eye reports.

One of the suspects allegedly has ‘ties to an organisation that exploits religion,’ the minister said.

Two of the men are brothers, he added.

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A fairground ride which broke mid-air sent a young woman plunging to the ground before she was caught by a man below.

At an Easter fair in Ometepec, Mexico, where the ‘The Hammer’ ride was set up, videos caught the attraction rotating above the ground despite signs that something had gone wrong.

Footage showed the ride swinging at speed before a loud metallic jolt prompted several people nearby to run towards it.

A piece of metal was seen lying on the ground beneath the ride, while several onlookers gathered, pointing upwards, when the young woman slipped from the moving ride and dropped to the ground.

Luckily, she was caught mid-fall by a man standing beneath her, who helped steady her and get her away from the still-spinning ride.

Witnesses could be heard shouting with some begging riders to hold on as others rushed in to help.

Authorities later confirmed that four people were injured in the incident, with two of the injured being driven to receive medical care by relatives, while two more were transported by ambulance to the hospital.

Officials from the State Secretariat for Comprehensive Risk Management and Civil Protection said the accident was caused by a mechanical fault in the ride.

The failure reportedly caused a sudden loss of stability, sending riders tumbling from their seats while the machine was still in motion.

But early reports on social media suggested human error may also have played a role.

Witnesses claimed a child approached and interfered with the ride’s controls without supervision, triggering erratic and dangerous movements.

Officials have since launched an investigation and are carrying out safety checks on other rides at the fair.

The condition of those injured has not yet been officially confirmed.

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Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said after a congressional delegation returned from Cuba that U.S. economic restrictions on the island represented an “illegal U.S. blockade of fuel” and “effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country.”

The lawmakers, following their five-day delegation to Cuba, spoke out against what they described as a humanitarian crisis on the island that they argue is linked to the U.S. embargo. 

“The illegal U.S. blockade of fuel to Cuba—90 miles south of the United States—adds to the longest embargo in world history and is causing untold suffering to the Cuban people,” the lawmakers said in a statement on Sunday. “The United States prevented a single drop of oil from entering Cuba for over three months. This is cruel collective punishment—effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country—that has produced permanent damage. It must stop immediately.”

US ALLOWS RUSSIAN OIL TANKER TO REACH CUBA AMID BLOCKADE AS TRUMP SAYS ISLAND ‘HAS TO SURVIVE’

Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Jonathan Jackson said after a delegation to Cuba that  there was a humanitarian crisis on the island. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“We witnessed firsthand premature babies in incubators, weighing just two pounds, who are at tremendous risk because their ventilators and incubators cannot function without electricity,” they continued. “Children cannot attend school because there is no fuel for them or their teachers to travel. Cancer patients cannot receive lifesaving treatments because of lack of medications. There is a water shortage because there is little electricity to pump water. Businesses have closed. Families cannot keep food refrigerated, and food production on the island has dropped to just 10 percent of the people’s needs.”

This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his pressure campaign on Cuba in recent weeks, calling the island a “failed nation” and suggesting that “Cuba is next” following recent U.S. military actions in Venezuela and Iran.

The trip came after Jayapal and Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., introduced legislation to block federal funds for military action against Cuba without congressional approval.

The two lawmakers spoke out against what they described as an “illegal U.S. blockade of fuel” and “effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country.” (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Jayapal and Jackson said they spoke with families, religious leaders, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, the Cuban government, Latin American and African ambassadors, humanitarian aid organizations and Cubans across the political spectrum, including dissidents.

“Across all sectors, there is agreement: this illegal blockade must end immediately. We do not believe that the majority of Americans would want this kind of cruelty and inhumanity to continue in our name,” the lawmakers said.

The pair added that the Cuban government “has sent many signals that this is a new moment for the country.”

“While we were there, President Diaz-Canel released over 2,000 prisoners. The Cuban government has begun to liberalize its economy with significant reforms, including allowing Cuban American entrepreneurs to invest in private businesses in Cuba. Entrepreneurship has grown substantially, with small- and medium-sized private businesses now comprising large parts of the economy,” the statement said.

CUBA RELEASES 2,000 PRISONERS AMID TRUMP PRESSURE, ENERGY CRISIS

U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his pressure campaign on Cuba in recent weeks. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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“Significantly, the Cuban government has invited in the FBI to conduct an independent investigation of a lethal speedboat shooting,” it continued. “The remaining obstacles to progress in Cuba now rest with the United States changing our outdated, Cold War-era policy of coercive economic measures and military pressures against Cuba.”

Jayapal and Jackson went on to say that “true reform will only come from charting a new course.”

“The United States and Cuba must immediately enter into real negotiations that provide for the dignity and freedom of the Cuban people and the tremendous benefits to the American people that will accrue from a real collaboration between our two countries,” they concluded.

President Donald Trump handed down a profanity-laced deadline to Iran in a social media post on Sunday, signaling the U.S. will target the regime’s power plants and bridges on Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” Trump’s post read. “There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—– Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

President Donald Trump arrives from the Blue Room to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

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This is a developing news story; check back for updates.

As the four Artemis II astronauts prepare for their historic flyby of the moon on Monday, Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut, says this mission signals a leap in developments for future space travel.

Speaking with Global News, Bondar said the mission will push humans farther into deep space than they have travelled in decades, exposing the crew to conditions not experienced since the Apollo era.

The mission, known as Artemis II, will send four astronauts around the moon before returning to Earth on April 10, 2026.

The crew, made up of three Americans and one Canadian, will travel a total of more than 400,000 kilometres from Earth — farther than any human has travelled before — and then loop behind the moon and return home.

“People liken this to Apollo 8, but they were much closer,” she said. “This flyby will be about 4,000 miles out (from the moon), so they’ll be exposed to the background radiation of space and subjected to any solar wind or solar storms.”

Bondar said that distance will give the astronauts a rare vantage point, both scientifically and visually.

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“They are really out there in deep space, where we haven’t been before,” she said. “They are going to be looking at the dark moon differently and take pictures of the sun in ways we have not been able to see because human beings have not been there.”

The crew has recently passed a new milestone of being closer to the moon than to Earth in their deep space journey.

“The Earth is quite small and the moon is definitely getting bigger,” pilot Victor Glover said from space.

Beyond the visuals, the mission is also a test of how the human body responds to space flight over longer distances.

“They look pretty good actually,” Bondar said of the crew. “They do have these smartwatches on now that will be looking at aspects of their physiology, their sleep cycle and some of the stresses they will face.”

That data will help researchers better understand how to prepare astronauts for future missions deeper into space.

Bondar also pointed to well-documented physical changes astronauts experience in orbit, including what is often referred to as “bird leg syndrome.”

“Your body gets rid of about two litres of blood volume through the kidneys,” she said. “In space, you don’t need as much, whereas on Earth you need about five litres because gravity pulls blood into your legs.”

She said Artemis II is part of a broader effort to refine how humans and technology work together in space.

“They’re trying to look at ways of making these kinds of missions not just smarter, but safer.”

“These early flights are all about trying to understand the technology,” she added. “These are really early days and about learning to make things smarter for the next flight, and the next flight.”

The Artemis II crew is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean following its lunar flyby, marking a key milestone in NASA’s plan to return humans to the moon and eventually travel to Mars.

Live updates can be followed on NASA’s official website, including a stream of the Orion’s journey through space.

– With files from The Canadian Press

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The U.S. military on Saturday searched for a missing pilot shot down over a remote area in Iran, while President Donald Trump remained silent on the incident but reminded Tehran of his Monday deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz: “48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.”

The U.S. warplane, identified by Iran as a F-15E Strike Eagle, was one of two attacked on Friday, with one service member rescued. Iran has promised a reward for whoever turns in the missing pilot. It’s the first time the United States lost aircraft in Iranian territory during the war, now in its sixth week, which could further pressure Trump to end the fighting.

Iran’s joint military command on Saturday claimed it also struck two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters the day before, but The Associated Press could not independently verify that.

The war began with joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Feb. 28 and has killed thousands, shaken global markets, cut off key shipping routes and spiked fuel prices. It shows no signs of slowing as Iran responds with attacks across the region.

Trump earlier in the week said in a national address that the U.S. has “beaten and completely decimated Iran.” The U.S. and Israel boasted that Iran’s air defenses were obliterated.

But on Saturday, an apparent Iranian drone damaged the headquarters of U.S. technology company Oracle in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Both sides have threatened, and hit, civilian targets and infrastructure in the war.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said that an airstrike hit near its Bushehr nuclear facility, killing a security guard and damaging a support building. It’s the fourth time the facility was targeted. The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, said that 198 workers were being evacuated.

Iran signals willingness to join talks

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, told the AP that his government’s efforts to broker a ceasefire are “right on track.” Last week, Pakistan said that it would soon host talks between the U.S. and Iran.

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Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that they “have never refused to go to Islamabad.”

Mediators from Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt are working to bring the U.S. and Iran to the negotiating table, according to two regional officials. They said that they were working on bridging the gap between the two sides’ demands to stop the war and reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

The proposed compromise includes a cessation of hostilities to allow a diplomatic settlement, according to a regional official involved in the efforts and a Gulf diplomat briefed on the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door diplomacy.

Iran hunts for ‘enemy pilot’

The search for the U.S. pilot focused on a mountainous region in Iran’s southwestern province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad.

Neither the White House nor the Pentagon released information, but in an email from the Pentagon, obtained by the AP, the military said that it received notification of “an aircraft being shot down” in the Middle East, without further details.

A U.S. crew member was rescued. But the Pentagon notified the U.S. House Armed Services Committee that the status of a second service member wasn’t known.

In a telephone interview with NBC News, Trump said that what happened wouldn’t affect negotiations with Iran.

Separately, Iranian state media said a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft crashed in the Persian Gulf after being struck by Iran’s defense forces. A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military situation said that it wasn’t clear if the aircraft crashed or was shot down. The crew’s status was not immediately known.

An anchor on a channel affiliated with Iranian state television urged residents to hand over any “enemy pilot” to police, a first in the war. Iran previously made claims about shooting down piloted aircraft that turned out not to be true.

Oracle’s offices hit in Dubai

The Dubai headquarters of Oracle was hit after Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened the firm. Footage verified by the AP outside the U.A.E. showed a large hole in the building’s southwestern corner.

The sheikhdom’s Dubai Media Office, which speaks for its government, noted a “minor incident caused by debris from an aerial interception that fell on the facade,” saying there were no injuries.

Oracle Corp., based in Austin, Texas, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Guard has accused some large U.S. tech companies of being involved in “terrorist espionage” operations against the Islamic Republic and called them legitimate targets. Amazon Web Services facilities in the UAE and Bahrain were hit in earlier drone strikes.

Iran’s veiled threat to disrupt second waterway

Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, issued a veiled threat late Friday to disrupt traffic through a second strategic waterway in the region, the Bab-el-Mandeb.

The strait, 32 kilometers (20 miles) wide, links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. More than a tenth of seaborne global oil and a quarter of container ships pass through it.

“What share of global oil, LNG, wheat, rice, and fertilizer shipments transits the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait?” Qalibaf wrote, referring to liquefied natural gas. “Which countries and companies account for the highest transit volumes through the strait?”

More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began.

In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel and 13 U.S. service members have been killed. In Lebanon, more than 1,400 people have been killed and there have been more than 1 million displaced people. Ten Israeli soldiers have died there.

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad; Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia; and Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Will Weissert, Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro and Ben Finley in Washington, contributed to this report.

Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen connected with Earth from deep space today in a historic first for the Canadian Space Agency, as part of a live question-and-answer session during the Artemis II mission.

The virtual event featured Hansen speaking live from aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft, approximately three days into the 10-day lunar flyby mission.

The event, hosted by CSA President Lisa Campbell, marked the first in a series of planned space-to-Earth communications during the mission.

Hansen shared his impressions of the journey so far and provided insight into daily life aboard the spacecraft as it travels beyond low Earth orbit.

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He was asked what the most shocking thing about his journey was so far, and responded by saying, “Riding the rocket for us has just been extraordinary, and we have all these simulations, but it felt so different for us in real life.” he continued by saying, “the views of the Earth and the crescent Earth is really incredible.”

The April 1 launch is the first crewed mission to circle the moon in more than 50 years and includes a four-person international crew, with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch.

When asked what the team is looking to focus on when they go around the backside of the Moon, Hansen said, “Something scientists have added for us is we’re going to see an eclipse of the sun behind the moon, which would be pretty neat.”

His participation is a milestone for Canada, as he is serving as mission specialist for Artemis II, becoming the first Canadian astronaut to venture into deep space.

Hansen, when asked about a message he would have to young Canadians watching him, said, “It’s important that you find what you’re passionate about, but that you share those passions with others because you’re gonna find that they’re going to help you achieve them.”

The CSA says additional live events with Hansen are planned for later in the mission, including tomorrow morning, offering Canadians multiple opportunities to hear directly from orbit as the spacecraft continues its journey around the moon and back to Earth.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

U.S. Vice President JD Vance will visit Hungary next week, where he will meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán days ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections.

The vice president and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, will visit Budapest from April 7 to 8, according to a release from his office circulating on social media.

The release states that Vance “will also deliver remarks on the rich partnership between the United States and Hungary.”

VANCE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE SUSPENDS 221 CALIFORNIA HOSPICE AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SO FAR

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (C) speaks as U.S. Vice President JD Vance (L) and President Donald Trump (R) look on during a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 7, 2025. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

“Vice President @JDVance will visit Hungary next Tuesday. Looking forward to welcoming you to Budapest!” Orbán declared in a post on X.

U.S. President Donald Trump has enthusiastically endorsed the foreign leader.

TRUMP ALLY ORBAN ISSUES SCATHING LETTER DEMANDING ZELENSKYY CHANGE UKRAINE’S ‘ANTI-HUNGARIAN POLICY’

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) greets Prime Minister of Hungary Victor Orban as he arrives at the White House on Nov. 7, 2025 in Washington, D.C.  (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

“I was proud to ENDORSE Viktor for Re-Election in 2022, and am honored to do so again. Election Day is April 12, 2026. Hungary: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR VIKTOR ORBÁN. He is a true friend, fighter, and WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Hungary — VIKTOR ORBÁN WILL NEVER LET THE GREAT PEOPLE OF HUNGARY DOWN. I AM WITH HIM ALL THE WAY!” Trump declared in part of a Truth Social post last month.

RUBIO SEALS CIVIL NUCLEAR COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH HUNGARY

Viktor Orban arrives for an EU Summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels, on March 19, 2026. (Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)

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Trump had previously backed Orbán in February Truth Social posts as well.

Fox News Digital reached out to Vance’s office on Friday.

There was something about President Trump’s prime-time address that didn’t add up.

Several things, actually.

But what struck me immediately was his low-energy delivery. He backed into it, first talking about the Artemis moon mission and then the oil we’re seizing from Venezuela. After that he was just reading words off the prompter.

No one could argue with the president’s core message. Iran is the world’s leading terror state. Something should have been done during its 47-year history of violence and murderous proxies like Hamas. Iran can never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. The dictators killed 45,000 of their own people (though Trump played this down when he was trying to negotiate a deal).

TRUMP LASHES OUT AT ‘SICK’ IRANIAN LEADERS, CONFIRMS ESTIMATED TIMELINE FOR ENDING WAR

But the 19-minute speech was a jumble of contradictions. Trump kept saying we’ve won, we’ve decimated Iran’s military, which is true. And yet he said the U.S. will intensify its bombing campaign for the next two to three weeks, targeting Tehran’s energy facilities. 

President Donald Trump arrives from the Blue Room to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) (Alex Brandon, Pool/AP Photo)

Why is that necessary, if America has already won? And will it really last less than a month?

It was clear heading into the speech that Trump knows how unpopular the war is. He knows that soaring gas prices are hurting him at home. He knows he is dropping like a rock with young men who bought his no-foreign-wars rhetoric.

MORNING GLORY: PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BIG SPEECH ON IRAN — WHAT WILL IT DO?

He knows – and this is critical – the stock market has tanked since U.S. and Israeli warplanes attacked Iran on the last day of February. Trump is extremely sensitive to the market, as we saw when the Dow hit 50,000, and that often spurs him into action.

Having boxed himself into a corner with an Iranian regime that refuses to seriously negotiate, the public expectation was that he would declare victory and get out. But that didn’t happen. Instead, Trump declared he’ll be bombing Iran back to the “Stone Ages.”

What about the president’s own goals?

FORMER REP. MTG VENTS THAT SHE’S ‘SO BEYOND DONE,’ CHARACTERIZING TRUMP’S ADDRESS AS ‘WAR WAR WAR’

He said the war’s goal was never regime change. But he spoke about regime change the morning after the initial attack. In any event, Trump now claims it’s been achieved because several levels of leadership, starting with the Ayatollah, have been killed, 

But the new sheriff in town, the Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Ghalibaf, lashed out yesterday.

Presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a campaign event in Tehran, Iran June 26, 2024.  (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

“When it comes to defending our homeland,” he said in a posting, “each and every one of us will become a soldier of this country. If you look askance at our mother’s house … you’re up against the whole family, all of us. Armed, ready, and standing. Come on in, we’re waiting.”

ROGAN, DAVE SMITH SPEAK ABOUT HOW TRUMP’S IRAN WAR BROKE HIS COALITION, COULD HAND COUNTRY RIGHT BACK TO DEMS

So much for regime change.

Again and again, Trump said the war could not end until Iran stopped blockading a fifth of the world’s oil traffic at the Strait of Hormuz. But in Wednesday night’s speech, he washed his hands of the matter. We don’t rely on the strait, so who cares? It will “open up naturally,” on its own.

The president then scolded our onetime European allies, saying they should show some “delayed courage” and “just take” Hormuz–as if it were that easy.

TRUMP’S IRAN STRATEGY SHOWCASES ‘DOCTRINE OF UNPREDICTABILITY’ AMID STRIKE THREATS AND SUDDEN PAUSE

As for Trump’s declaration that our country is now “free of the specter of nuclear blackmail,” Iran still has nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium–and further enrichment could lead to a nuclear weapon.

In a CNN poll released just before the speech, 66 percent of those surveyed said they strongly or somewhat disapprove of the decision to attack Iran, a 7-point jump since the conflict began.

Most network pundits criticized the address as a rehash of things that Trump has said before.

POLL POSITION: WHERE TRUMP STANDS AMONG AMERICANS AS HE FACES THE NATION IN PRIMETIME

“There was nothing new in that speech,” said ABC’s Jonathan Karl, adding: “Not a lot of optimism.”

His colleague Martha Raddatz: “It added to the confusion of why we are there.” 

European leaders felt blindsided by the war. “When we’re serious,” said French President Emmanuel Macron, “we don’t say the opposite of what we said the day before every day, and maybe one shouldn’t speak every day,”

President Donald Trump (right) takes part in the Gaza summit chaired by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi alongside France’s President Emmanuel Macron in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on Oct. 14, 2025. (Michael Kappeler/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)

Austria and Switzerland yesterday joined Italy, Spain and France in banning U.S. warplanes headed for Iran from their skies. They don’t want any part of this war. Britain’s prime minister had done the same but reversed himself after Iran retaliated.

In the first sign of intensified bombing yesterday, Iranian authorities said an airstrike had destroyed a Tehran research facility called the Pasteur Institute. 

I don’t know if the timing was deliberate, the day after the speech, but the president dramatically changed the subject yesterday.

The media are already moving on to Trump’s decision yesterday to fire Pam Bondi as attorney general, because she hasn’t been aggressive enough in prosecuting his political enemies, and for her mishandling of the Epstein files.

In the end, the speech may matter less than what happens for the rest of April.

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If Trump ends the assault on the timeline he’s suggested, voters may breathe a sigh of relief and move on. They’ll remember that Trump went after the Mideast terrorists and be mollified if gas prices start declining.

The problem is that the damage to the world economy may be far more painful, and much longer lasting, than if the president had not launched his war of choice. And no single speech could change that.