Live Updates: White House says Trump will "unleash hell" if Iran does not make deal

By Tucker Reals, Sarah Lynch Baldwin

What to know about the Iran war:

• Iran's state-owned Press TV says the regime has rejected a list of points sent by the Trump administration via an intermediary in a bid to get peace talks going. Tehran has mocked the Trump administration for "negotiating with yourselves," but said earlier that it was reviewing terms for potential negotiations. 

• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday afternoon that talks between Washington and Tehran are still ongoing. She warned that President Trump will "unleash hell" if a peace deal is not made. 

• The Pentagon is expected to send service members and hardware from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, according to two sources, bolstering the U.S. military presence in the region as President Trump considers using ground forces in a war he claims is already won.

• While Iran and Israel continue trading strikes and the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, markets appear to have taken hope in Mr. Trump's optimism. Stocks are up and oil prices are back down. Amid the market tumult, concerns have been raised about possible insider trading after an unusual spike in oil futures transactions just before Mr. Trump announced talks with Iran.

 1m ago

Leavitt says talks with Iran are continuing, despite Tehran's reported rejection

Leavitt said the United States and Iran are still engaged in peace talks, despite Iranian state media reporting Tehran had rejected Washington's plan to end the war. 

"Talks continue. They are productive," Leavitt said when asked about the Iranian report, adding that there were "elements of truth" to media reports on the details of a 15-point U.S. plan setting out demands on Tehran.

By The Associated Press

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 22m ago

Trump to "unleash hell" if Iran doesn't make deal, White House says

 Mr. Trump is ready to "unleash hell" on Iran if Tehran does not accept a deal to end the war in the Middle East, the White House warned on Wednesday.

"If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily and will continue to be, President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing.

"President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell," Leavitt said. "Iran should not miscalculate again."

By AFP

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 56m ago

Netanyahu says campaign against Iran is still "in full swing"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that the "overall campaign against Iran" remains "in full swing." 

Netanyahu also said "the issue of disarming Hezbollah is at the forefront of" Israel's objectives in the Middle East, and that the country is "fully determined to do everything necessary to fundamentally change the situation in Lebanon." 

Netanyahu made the remarks in an address to local leaders. 

By Kerry Breen

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 12:43 PM

Johnson says Operation Epic Fury is "wrapping up"

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that Operation Epic Fury is "almost done" and is "wrapping up," even as the Pentagon is expected to send parts of the 82nd Airborne division to the Middle East.

"The buildup of troops is very different than 'on the ground,'" Johnson said at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. "We don't have boots on the ground. I don't think that's the intention, but I think Iran should watch that buildup, and they need to take note of that." 

Johnson said that the objectives of the operation "have been met," but access to the Strait of Hormuz still needs to be "straightened out." Johnson said that is a "giant project" that will require the aid of "international partners." 

Johnson said the operation will be "done in short order, and that'll be right on schedule." A timeline for the operation has never been officially clarified.

By Kerry Breen

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 12:01 PM

Some Iranians who hoped war would bring positive change say they now feel "doomed"

Before the U.S. and Israel launched their joint attacks on Iran 25 days ago, many Iranians said they would welcome foreign intervention if it meant the end of the Islamic Republic. The regime, in power for 47 years, had just crushed a huge wave of anti-government demonstrations, with President Trump claiming more than 30,000 were killed and vowing to come to the rescue of the protesters.

Now, two Iranians — one inside and one outside the country — tell CBS News the feeling of optimism has shifted markedly after more than three weeks of war.

"If we had a world situation where Europe and the rest of the world was more orchestrated and together, collectively, with a plan that combined a number of things, both force and diplomacy and sanctions and discussions, all kinds of things — long-term plan — then that could have worked with this regime," said Reza, a British-Iranian whose name CBS News has changed to protect his identity. "But to just have one or two countries, you know, unilaterally going in without a proper plan? It's never gonna work. So that's why I think people are waking up to that rude awakening, realization, that they're doomed, basically."

Read more here.

By Haley Ott

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 11:34 AM

U.N. chief calls for war to end: "The war is out of control"

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the U.S. and Israel on Wednesday to end the war, and told Iran to stop attacking its neighbors. He called the war "out of control" and said it "this has gone too far."

"The conflict has broken past the limits even leaders thought unimaginable," he said.

"The world is staring down the barrel of a wider war, a rising tide of human suffering, and a deeper global economic shock," Guterres said.

He also called for a halt to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, saying "Hezbollah must stop launching attacks into Israel," and "Israel must stop its military operations and strikes in Lebanon, which are hitting civilians the hardest."

He said a number of initiatives for dialogue are underway and that "they must succeed."

"We need a way out of this disaster," he said.

By Sarah Lynch Baldwin

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 11:03 AM

Iran issues counterproposal as it rejects U.S. terms

Iran's state-backed Press TV network offered a five-point plan Wednesday as it said the regime rejected terms to end the war that were presented by the Trump administration.

The plan from an unnamed senior political-security official included a halt to killings of Iran's officials, means to make sure no other war is waged against it, reparations for the war, the end of hostilities and Iran's "exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz."

Those measures, particularly reparations and its continued chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz, likely will be unacceptable to the White House as energy supplies worldwide remain affected by the war. 

By CBS News, The Associated Press

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 10:53 AM

Husband of Nicole Amor, U.S. soldier killed in Kuwait, on what her service meant

Joey Amor says his wife, Army Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, was "the rock" and "the glue" for those around her — a role he says defined her life and service before she was killed earlier this month during the war with Iran. 

"In a moment of chaos or darkness or concern or fear or uncertainty, she anchored them," he told CBS News in an exclusive interview, adding the soldiers who served alongside Nicole "all say the same thing" about her. 

Nicole, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was one of six Army Reserve soldiers killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait on March 1, the day after the U.S. and Israel launched a massive military operation in Iran. They were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa.

Joey Amor said he became concerned when he saw news reports of an explosion that had struck a sustainment unit in Kuwait. 

"When I heard it was a sustainment unit based out of Kuwait, I know enough about what's going on over there to know there were very few left over there, I knew it was her unit," Joey Amor said. 

Read more here.

By Jonah Kaplan, Melissa Gaffney

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 10:28 AM

Iranian media say regime has rejected Trump admin's proposals as "excessive and disconnected from the reality" of the war

Iran's state-owned Press TV network said Wednesday that the regime had rejected terms presented by the Trump administration to end the war launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.

Iran's leadership has insisted that a diplomatic resolution to the war "will only occur on Tehran's own terms and timeline," Press TV said, citing an unnamed senior political-security official.

The official "said Iran will not allow U.S. President Donald Trump to dictate the timing of the war's end. Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met," according to the network.

The proposals conveyed to Tehran by an intermediary were deemed "excessive and disconnected from the reality of America's failure on the battlefield," Press TV said.

By Tucker Reals

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 10:27 AM

Lebanese army: Missile that burst north of Beirut was Iranian-made

The Lebanese military said after collecting shrapnel fragments that scattered across several towns north of Beirut that they resembled a Qadr 110 — an Iranian-made medium-range ballistic missile that had "smaller rockets attached to it."

The military said the missile on Tuesday burst at high altitude, suggesting it wasn't targeting Lebanon. A Lebanese military source told AFP that it was headed toward Cyprus, and was intercepted in the Mediterranean by a warship.

The incident horrified Lebanese residents as fragments scattered across towns and villages in the Keserwan district north of Beirut, and far from the epicenter of the conflict.

"As for the cause of its explosion, it was likely either a technical malfunction or an interceptor missile," the military said. "The military command notes that there are no interceptor missile platforms located within Lebanese territory."

Qadr 110 missiles are capable of striking any targets in the Mideast, including Israel.  

By CBS News, The Associated Press

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 9:50 AM

Hezbollah chief says would be "surrender" to negotiate with Israel under fire

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Wednesday that negotiating with Israel under fire would amount to "surrender" for Lebanon, and urged the government to reverse its ban on the party's military activities.

"When negotiations with the Israeli enemy are proposed under fire, this is an imposition of surrender," Qassem said, rejecting the Lebanese president's initiative to start direct negotiations "with an enemy that occupies our land and carries out daily attacks."

Qassem called on the Lebanese people to embrace "national unity," saying this could be achieved by the government reversing its March 2 decision to ban Hezbollah's military activities.

By AFP

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 9:24 AM

Israel says it hit Iran's only submarine-making facility with "extensive wave of strikes"

The Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday that it had hit the only production facility in Iran "making submarines and support systems for the Iranian Navy," with an "extensive wave of strikes" the previous day.

The Israeli Air Force hit the Underwater Research Center in Isfahan with strikes based on naval intelligence that the IDF said would "significantly" limit Iran's ability to build new submarines and to maintain its "existing fleet."

President Trump has said repeatedly during the war that eliminating Iran's navy power is a priority for the U.S. — an objective he's said has already been met.

By Tucker Reals

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 9:00 AM

UAE says 9 Iranian drones intercepted, but reports no missile attacks on Wednesday

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense said it had engaged nine drones "coming from Iran" on Wednesday, but it reported no incoming missiles.

"Since the start of the blatant Iranian attacks, the UAE Air Defenses have engaged 357 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,815 drones," the ministry said in its daily update, shared on social media.

The attacks have killed three members of the UAE armed forces and six civilians in the country, all among foreign nationals, according to the ministry.

By Tucker Reals

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 8:39 AM

Israeli military says it caused "extensive damage" to Iranian cruise missile production sites "in the heart of Tehran"

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Wednesday that strikes by the Israeli Air Force had caused "extensive damage" to "key naval cruise missile production sites" in central Tehran in recent days.

The sites "were used by the Iranian regime to develop and manufacture long-range naval cruise missiles, which are capable of rapidly destroying targets at sea and on land," the IDF said, adding that its attacks "represent another step in deepening the damage done to the regime's military production infrastructure."

By Tucker Reals

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 8:13 AM

Pentagon announces framework deals with defense giants to put "defense industrial base on a wartime footing"

The U.S. Department of Defense announced framework agreements worth hundreds of millions of dollars on Wednesday with three of the world's biggest defense manufacturers — part of an effort by President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "put the defense industrial base on a wartime footing."

The framework agreements are with Britain's BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin and Honeywell in the U.S. 

Honeywell Aerospace will "surge production of critical components for America's munitions stockpile," the Pentagon said, including navigation systems, actuators and "electronic warfare solutions."

"By providing a long-term, stable demand for critical munitions, the Department has unlocked a $500 million multi-year investment from Honeywell Aerospace to modernize and expand its manufacturing capacity, marking a key victory for the defense industrial base that directly answers President Trump and Secretary Hegseth's call to build a resilient and enduring Arsenal of Freedom," it said.

BAE Systems will quadruple its production of munitions for American Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interceptor systems, which have been used heavily in the Russia-Ukraine war, and even more relied upon amid the ongoing Iran war.

Lockheed will ramp up its production of Precision Strike Missiles, the Pentagon said, while also making "investments in advanced tooling, facility modernization, and critical testing equipment to slash production lead times."

The three statements released by the Defense Department did not put a total price tag on the agreements, or say how the U.S. government would fund its arsenal-building investments. 

By Tucker Reals

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 7:41 AM

Stock prices rise and energy prices fall as Trump claims progress in talks with Iran

Despite Iran's denials of any meaningful negotiations being underway and its mocking of President Trump's claims of progress toward a detente in the war, energy and stock markets seemed to take heart in his claims, with oil prices dropping and stocks showing gains.

Oil prices fell more than 5% and world shares gained on hopes of a de-escalation in the war, despite fighting continuing and the Strait of Hormuz remaining effectively blocked on the 26th day of the war. 

In early European trading, Britain's FTSE 100 rose 1% to 10,072.60. France's CAC 40 was up 1.4% to 7,855.31, while Germany's DAX was 1.6% higher at 22,989.80.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was up 2.9% to 53,749.62. South Korea's Kospi gained 1.6% to 5,642.21. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.1% to 25,335.95, while the Shanghai Composite index was 1.3% higher at 3,931.84.

Oil prices fell again, meanwhile. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 5.2% to $94.97 per barrel after hovering around $104 on Tuesday. 

Benchmark U.S. crude was down 5.3% early Wednesday to $87.44 a barrel.

CBS/AP