Iran-US war latest: Trump says conflict will end in ‘two to three weeks’ as drone sparks fire at Kuwait airport

Yemen’s Houthis have claimed a joint attack on Israel with missiles they say was carried out in conjunction with Iran and Hezbollah.

This viral video claiming to show US military deployment to the Middle East is completely fake.

It’s not troops preparing for a ground invasion of Iran – instead, it is AI-generated footage. The clip has been shared as “proof” that thousands of troops are preparing for a ground invasion.

While the US has repositioned assets, officials deny any decision on ground forces. Analysis flagged the video as synthetic, and its creator labeled it a “realistic simulation.”

Asian stock markets jumped sharply Wednesday after Donald Trump said the U.S. would exit the war with Iran within two to three weeks, with or without a deal, raising hopes that the month-long conflict that has roiled global energy markets may be nearing its end.

South Korea‘s Kospi surged 6.4 percent in early trading, while Japan‘s Nikkei 225 rose 4 percent, Hong Kong‘s Hang Seng gained 1.9 percent, and Taiwan‘s Taiex was up 4.3 percent. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.7 percent. India’s BSE Sensex jumped more than 1,800 points in early trade, with broad-based buying across banking, financials and technology stocks.

Both the Nikkei and Kospi, however, remain below the levels at which they were trading before the war began on February 28. A survey by Japan‘s central bank released Wednesday showed business sentiment among major manufacturers had improved despite war-related concerns.

A Bangladeshi national was killed by shrapnel from an intercepted drone at a farm in the UAE’s Fujairah.

“The competent authorities in Fujairah are dealing with an incident that occurred in a farm in the Al Riffa area as a result of shrapnel falling from the interception of a drone, which resulted in the killing of a person of Bangladeshi nationality,” state news agency Wam said on X.

A ​tanker struck off Qatar was hit by two projectiles, one causing a fire ⁠that has since been extinguished and another remaining unexploded in the vessel’s engine room, the United Kingdom Maritime ⁠Trade Operations (UKMTO) said this morning.

The vessel was struck about 17 nautical ⁠miles north of Qatar’s Ras ​Laffan ⁠industrial hub, ‌causing damage above the waterline, with the crew safe and no ‌environmental impact reported.

UKMTO said it ‌was unable to confirm the source of the projectiles and that ⁠investigations were ongoing. Maritime authorities have ⁠reported multiple security incidents affecting vessels in ‌Gulf ​waters in recent ‌days.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to provide an update on the cost of living amid concerns over the amount energy bills could rise as a result of the Middle East conflict.

The prime minister is due to speak at a press conference later on Wednesday morning after he vowed to “protect the British people at home and abroad”.It is thought Sir Keir’s Downing Street press conference will cover both the conflict and Government support for households as rising prices bite.

Since fighting began in Iran, oil prices have soared in response to Tehran’s block on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Families with a 55-litre diesel car face paying more than £100 at the pump for the first time since December 2022.

It comes as Donald Trump alleged on his Truth Social platform that the UK was among several countries which “can’t get jet fuel” ahead of the Easter bank holiday weekend – a claim which industry body Airlines UK has refuted.

The US president said the UK and other countries that did not take part in strikes against Iran should secure the Strait of Hormuz themselves.

Four million people in the Gulf could be pushed into poverty by the war in Iran, says the UN, as the conflict enters its second month.

A report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the economic and social repercussions of the war found that Arab nations stand to lose between $120 billion and $194 billion from gross domestic product as a result of disruptions to energy supply chains.

“The number of poor people will increase by about four million people in our region in one month,” said Abdullah Al-Dardari, the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States.

Iran’s foreign minister has acknowledged receiving direct messages from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

He told Al Jazeera that the messages didn’t constitute negotiations.

US president Donald Trump has repeatedly described Iran and America as having talks over the war, while Pakistan has been a key intermediary along with Egypt and Turkey during the conflict.“I receive messages from Witkoff directly, as before, and this does not mean that we are in negotiations,” he said.

He added: “We do not have any faith that negotiations with the U.S. will yield any results. The trust level is at zero.”Asked about a possible ground offensive by the U.S., Araghchi said “we are waiting for them.”

“We know very well how to defend ourselves,” Araghchi reportedly told the Qatar-based broadcaster.

“In a ground war, we can do it even better. We are completely ready to confront any sort of ground attack. We hope they do not make such a mistake.”

The Indian Oil ​Corporation this morning said ​it ​will raise jet ⁠fuel ​and ​commercial LPG prices in ​metropolitan ​cities across the ‌country, ⁠including the capital ​New ​Delhi, ⁠effective from 1 April.

In the capital, the price of a 19kg commercial LPG cylinder has increased by Rs 195 (£1.5) to Rs 2,078.50 (£16.7).

Aviation Turbine Fuel prices have also been revised upward to cost Rs207,341 (£1,672) per kilolitre — a 114.5 per cent hike from Rs 96,638 (£779.2) last month.