Trump ramps up threats, oil tanker struck: What we know on Day 32 of the US and Israel’s war with Iran

A Kuwaiti oil tanker was struck by what Kuwaitis said was an Iranian drone attack, as US President Donald Trump renewed his threat to blow upIran'soil facilities if it does not reopen the Hormuz strait. No oil leakage or injuries were reported following the strike on the tanker full of oil in Dubai waters, city authorities said.

Meanwhile, Washington claims talks with Tehran are still ongoing but has offered little detail on who they are communicating with, while Iran sends contradictory messages.

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Here's what to know on Day 32.

What are the main headlines?

• Tanker struck: A fully loaded Kuwaiti tanker in Dubai waters was hit by what Kuwaits said was an Iranian drone attack, as Trump again threatened to blow up Iran's energy sources if the Strait of Hormuz isn't reopened fully. Trump reiterated his threat to "obliterate" Iran's electric plants and oil wells if it does not agree to a deal to end the war. When asked about this threat, the White House press secretary said the US military will always follow the law. Attacking civilian infrastructure could be a war crime, experts warn.

• Washington comments: The White House press secretary said US talks with Iran were "going well," and that Iranian officials now at the negotiating table appear more reasonable than the regime's previous leader. She added that US troops are being sent to the Middle East to give Trump "maximum optionality" while officials pursue a diplomatic solution.

• Iran's response: In a stark contrast in tone, an Iranian official earlier lambasted the US' list of demands as "largely excessive, unrealistic, and unreasonable."

• Strait of Hormuz: The White House heralded the movement of some tankers in the strait as a sign of diplomacy, shortly before Iran approved a plan to impose tolls on ships passing through the critical waterway.

• Energy costs: On Tuesday, oil prices rose slightly while Asian markets were trading lower. WTI Crude, the US benchmark, settled above $100 per barrel on Monday for the first time since July 2022.

What's happening on the ground?

• Peacekeepers killed: France called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council after two Indonesian UN peacekeepers were killed in southern Lebanon on Monday. It was the second fatal incident involving UN peacekeeping personnel since the weekend. The UN mission in Lebanon said it has launched an investigation to determine what happened, and did not attribute blame to any party. Israel said it is reviewing the incident to determine whether the deaths were caused by its military, or by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group in Lebanon.

• Lebanon soldier: An Israeli attack on a Lebanese army checkpoint killed one Lebanese soldier and wounded five others on Monday, according to the country's army. In response, Israel's military said its troops were operating in an area "from which launches were identified earlier in the day."

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byNeo

in

March 31, 2026

Trump ramps up threats, oil tanker struck: What we know on Day 32 of the US and Israel’s war with Iran

A Kuwaiti oil tanker was struck by what Kuwaitis said was an Iranian drone attack, as US President Donald Trump renewed h...

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European diplomats visit Ukraine on anniversary of Russia's Bucha atrocities

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Top European diplomats visited Ukraine on Tuesday to mark the anniversary ofatrocities committed in a town near Kyivby Russia's invading forces four years ago.

Russia Ukraine War EU

With U.S.-led efforts to end the war on hold and Washington's attention gripped by theconflict in the Middle East, European governments are keen to keep a spotlight onthe continent's biggest land warin decades, now in its fifth year.

A group of 12 European foreign ministers, as well as numerous lower-ranking officials, arrived by train in the Ukrainian capital where they were welcomed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who noted the "grim anniversary" of the shocking atrocities in Bucha.

Russian troops quickly occupied Bucha after invading Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. They stayed for about a month. When Ukrainian troops retook the town, they found more than 400 bodies left byRussia's cleansing operation.

"Such a strong European presence (in Ukraine) on this day demonstrates that justice for this and other Russian atrocities is inevitable," Sybiha said in a post on X. "Comprehensive accountability for Russian crimes is vital to restore justice in Europe."

Part of Tuesday's meeting between the EU officials and their Ukrainian counterparts was to focus on reassuring Kyiv of continued European efforts to hold Russia to account for its invasion.

On the way to Kyiv, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas underlined the importance of ensuring that those who gave the orders to kill in places like Bucha are held to account, as much as those who carried the atrocities out.

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"One of the things that is really necessary is accountability. Otherwise, you have revenge and retaliation," Kallas said. "If you don't see people doing this to your family held accountable, you will want revenge."

The Iran war is currently a top priority for the United States and risks diverting resources that Kyiv needs, such as air defense systems, while providing Russia with windfall profits through high energy prices.

"We can't let it (the Ukraine war) slip off the table," Kallas said. "We are the ones who have to keep this up because nobody else does."

U.S.-mediated negotiations to end the war are going nowhere, and it's unclear when they might resume after being put on ice while the Middle East conflict unfolds.

"The talks are stalled," Kallas said.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

byNeo

in

March 31, 2026

European diplomats visit Ukraine on anniversary of Russia's Bucha atrocities

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Top European diplomats visited Ukraine on Tuesday to mark the anniversary ofatrocities committed in ...

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Whale stranded in the Baltic Sea swims free again. It still faces a tough task

BERLIN (AP) — A humpback whale that got stranded in shallow coastal waters in the Baltic Sea has swum free again, and experts hope that they won't have to make anotherrescue attempt.

Germany Whale Rescue

The whale, which is 12-15 meters (39-49 feet) long, swam free late Monday from the spot near the German port of Wismar where it had been stuck since the weekend, regional officials said. It initially headed toward the harbor but then turned toward the open sea. There were no new sightings of the animal on Tuesday morning.

An effort last week to rescue the whale from an underwater sandbank at Timmendorfer Strand, a nearby resort town, eventually succeeded with thehelp of an excavator. But the apparently exhausted whale was soon in trouble again, albeit in somewhat deeper water, and officials banked on giving it peace and quiet to gather enough strength to swim away.

The drama captivated Germans, with crowds gathering on shore while media have sent detailed updates on its progress and streamed live video from the scene.

But the whale is still far from its natural habitat, and faces a huge effort to find its way to the Atlantic Ocean through the North Sea.

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"The whale swimming free yesterday is a first very good sign, but the way to the North Sea is still long and we can only keep our fingers crossed that it makes it there," Burkard Baschek, the scientific director of the Ocean Museum Germany and the scientific coordinator of the rescue effort, told ZDF television.

He said it wouldn't be practical to try to escort the whale on that journey of several hundred kilometers (miles), pointing to whales' ability to dive. "That means that in principle we can only hope that it will make it under its own steam," he added.

No tracker has been attached to the whale because its skin is in a poor state after long exposure to the relatively low salt concentration of the Baltic.

The whale was first spotted swimming in the region on March 3.

It is not clear why the whale swam into theBaltic Sea. Some experts say the animal may have lost its way when it swam after a shoal of herring, or during migration.

byNeo

in

March 31, 2026

Whale stranded in the Baltic Sea swims free again. It still faces a tough task

BERLIN (AP) — A humpback whale that got stranded in shallow coastal waters in the Baltic Sea has swum free again, and exp...

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A nervous Roki Sasaki steadies himself in Dodgers season debut after a shaky spring

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A nervousRoki Sasakitook the mound in his season debut, knowing he needed to prove something to himself and the Los Angeles Dodgers after a shaky spring.

Guardians Dodgers Baseball

The right-hander allowed one run and four hits over four innings of a4-2 lossto the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night. Sasaki struck out four and walked two in his first major league start since May 9.

He walked 15 batters duringspring training, raising concerns about his ability to perform as a starter.

"I actually didn't have the confidence at all when this game started," Sasaki said through a translator, "but I was just focusing on doing what I can control."

José Ramírez, Cleveland's best hitter, singled in the first inning before Sasaki got him on a swinging strikeout in the third with runners on first and second and the Dodgers trailing 1-0.

"It should be a big boost to his confidence," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He's a confident player, but when you don't have success, it's hard to have real confidence. But when you perform, you start to build true confidence, so hopefully he can build on this one."

Roberts detected Sasaki's self-doubt in the first inning, when the 24-year-old pitcher got two quick outs before Ramírez singled and stole second.

"It was a wait-and-see kind of demeanor in the sense of you know what you're supposed to do, know what you want to do, and until you actually do it, holding your breath a little bit," the manager said. "Once he got out of that inning he was like, 'OK, I can do this,' and then wanted to go out there and keep doing it."

Dalton Rushing, the 25-year-old backup to catcher Will Smith, called the game behind the plate while Smith got the night off.

Rushing used the time walking in from the bullpen with Sasaki to pump him up.

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"I told him it was just me and him, just kind of tunnel vision to an extent and trust what you do," Rushing said. "You were a really good pitcher for a long time in Japan for a reason. You've been a great pitcher for us last year down the stretch."

Sasaki was supposed to be the next big thing coming out of Nippon Professional Baseball. He signed with the Dodgers in January 2025, but by mid-May he was on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement.

After a long rehab assignment in the minors, he rejoined the Dodgers in late September as a reliever. He made eight starts and two relief appearances overall, going 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA, 28 strikeouts and 22 walks.

His best moments as a rookie came out of the bullpen. He earned his first professional save closing out the first game of the National League Division Series against Philadelphia. He pitched in three games in the series, earning two saves and then working three perfect innings in relief in the clinching fourth game.

In the World Seriesagainst Toronto, Sasaki pitched 2 2/3 innings over two games, and Los Angeles went on to win in seven games.

Sasaki remains intent on making it as a starter, and the Dodgers are giving him the chance to find himself again.

"The goal is to keep going deeper in games," Roberts said. "I know he was a little bit nervous going into this start about what to expect. He responded well."

Rushing called it "a very big step forward" for Sasaki.

"We're going to build off this," the catcher said. "We're going to sit down and talk, see what we could have done better, refine some things and look forward to having him out there next time."

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/mlb

byNeo

in

March 31, 2026

A nervous Roki Sasaki steadies himself in Dodgers season debut after a shaky spring

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A nervousRoki Sasakitook the mound in his season debut, knowing he needed to prove something to himsel...

Read More