Iran-US warfare newest: Trump ‘briefed on final blow’ strike choices as he pushes Tehran to make deal

The CEO of the world’s largest fertiliser company Yara International has warned that the US-Israel war on Iran could drive up fertiliser prices and disrupt supplies, risking food shortages in parts of Africa.

With key inputs like urea and ammonia already becoming scarce and more expensive due to supply chain disruptions, especially from the Middle East, there are fears of a “global auction” where richer countries secure supplies while poorer nations are priced out.

“The most important thing we can do now is raise the alarm on what we are seeing right now – that there is a risk of a global auction on fertiliser that means it becomes unaffordable for those most vulnerable,” he said.

“Africa is actually quite well positioned to be a major food producer, not only for self-sufficiency, but even for exports to the rest of the world, but the reality is that they are massive food importers.

“But we need to be aware in this part of the world of the potential consequences that if we get to a global auction on food, there will not be a famine in Europe – but we need to be aware of who we are taking the food away from.”

Although shortages are not yet certain, experts say the situation could worsen quickly, particularly for African countries that rely heavily on imports and lack subsidies or strong reserves, leaving their farmers and food systems especially vulnerable.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump told Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren that the U.S. has “already won” the war in Iran, but that he wants to continue the conflict to win by a “bigger margin.”

“We’ve already won, but I want to win by a bigger margin,” he said. “But we have. We have destroyed their navy, destroyed their air force, destroyed all of their — if you look at their anti-aircraft equipment, their radar equipment, their leadership, their leadership is destroyed.”

Trump continued, insisting that U.S. had “destroyed everything.”

“If we leave right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild if they ever could rebuild,” he said. “But it’s actually not good enough. We have to have guarantee they will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Bahrain’s decision to strip dozens of its nationals of citizenship after accusing them of sympathising with Iran during the ongoing Middle East war will leave Shia Muslims with Iranian heritage at risk, a human rights group has warned.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry announced on social media this week the 69 people whose citizenship have been revoked included accused individuals and their family members – an act that critics termed as “collective punishment”. They affected people are all of non-Bahraini origin.

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Iran is reportedly using the ceasefire to excavate its weapons and munitions from beneath the rubble of buildings destroyed by U.S. bombings.

The report comes from an unnamed U.S. official and two other people familiar with the matter who spoke to NBC News.

Earlier in the month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon “knows” that Tehran is trying to dig up its buried munitions.

“While [the Iranian military is] digging out — which is exactly what you’re doing, digging out of bombed-out and devastated facilities — we are only getting stronger,” Hegseth said during an April 16 press briefing. “You are digging out your remaining launchers and missiles with no ability to replace them.”

A ceasefire between the United States and Iran that began in early April has effectively “terminated” hostilities for the purposes of an upcoming war powers deadline in Congress, a senior official from the Donald Trump administration said on Thursday.

Trump was facing a Friday deadline to either end the conflict or seek approval from US Congress to continue it, though the date was expected to pass without changing the course of the war.

“For war powers resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated,” the official said, explaining the administration’s position, and noting that there has been no exchange of fire between US forces and Iran since the fragile ceasefire began more than three weeks ago.

Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized the continuing cost of the war in Iran on Thursday.

“13 Americans have been killed, and hundreds more are injured. We’re spending $1 billion in taxpayer funds a day. Gas is more than $4 per gallon. This is the cost of Trump’s war,” she wrote.

President Donald Trump insisted on Wednesday that the price of gas will “drop like a rock” once the war in Iran concludes.

“The gas will go down. As soon as the war is over, it’ll drop like a rock,” he said. “There’s so much of it. It’s all over the place, sitting all over the oceans of the world.”

Pete Hegseth faced tough questioning in Congress over how the Iran war is being handled, including costs, civilian deaths, and military resources

He argued that the legal 60-day war limit doesn’t apply right now, saying: “We are in a cease fire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire.”

But Democratic senator Tim Kaine pushed back, saying: “I do not believe the statute would support that.”

Lawmakers raised concerns about civilian casualties after strikes hit places like schools, asking why protections were weakened.

Hegseth said the military has an “ironclad commitment” to avoid civilian deaths.

Masoud Pezeshkian said a US naval blockade on Iranian ports would deepen disruptions in the Gulf while failing to achieve its aims.

“Any attempt to impose a maritime blockade or restrictions is contrary to international law… and is doomed to fail,” Pezeshkian said in a statement.