Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Pete Hegseth and Gen Dan Caine's briefing at the Pentagon produced very little new information that helps the world understand the course of the ongoing war in Iran.

One thing, however, stands out: the Trump administration is losing patience with what it sees as a lack of involvement from its allies, particularly as it pertains to securing shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier, the US president took to Truth Social, telling those allies to "build up some delayed courage" and "just take" the Strait.

In a brief phone interview with CBS, the BBC's US news partner, Trump expanded on that idea, saying that the allies have to "come do their own work".

Hegseth doubled down on that exasperation, arguing that the US has "set the conditions of success" and that the Strait of Hormuz is "not just an American problem set."

The defence secretary later suggested that that perceived failure may have long-term consequences for US allies overseas.

"A lot has been laid bare," he said.

Unspoken in the Pentagon briefing or in Trump's earlier post is the fact - which foreign officials have repeatedly pointed out - that the Strait of Hormuz was open for commerce prior to the launch of the US-Israeli strikes in Iran a month ago.

Image source, Getty Images

The briefing has now finished, but we will continue to bring you some key lines from Hegseth and Caine.

Hegseth told reporters that there were countries who ought to be prepared to step up, mentioning Trump’s earlier post on Truth Social.

“The last time I checked there was supposed to be a big, bad Royal Navy,” he said, referring to the UK's naval fleet.

The UK was mentioned by Trump in a post earlier.

He was also asked how long it would be until the objectives were achieved.

"It's military 101 - don't tell your enemy what you're willing to do or not do, and don't tell your enemy when you're willing to stop," he replied.

Image source, Getty Images

Following Caine’s update, Hegseth begins taking questions from reporters. He is asked what military posture would be imposed to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz if the US were to take control of it?

He replies saying there are "many more" ships passing through the strait today than there have been.

Hegseth is then asked about the public disagreement between the US and Iran about if negotiations are taking place, and its impact on military strategy.

Hegseth says the talks are "very real, active and gaining strength".

Image source, Getty Images

Hegseth claims that regime change has occurred in Iran and the country’s leadership should be "wiser than the last".

He warns that if they don't agree a deal with Trump, then the US military will continue with "even more intensity".

Chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine then picks up.

He delivers an update saying more 150 ships have been taken out successfully by the navy, and more than 11,000 targets have been struck over the past 30 days, he says.

An increase in US air superiority is allowing B-52 bombers to fly over land, opening up targeting options, he says.

Image source, Getty Images

Hegseth continues, saying US firepower is increasing and Iran’s is decreasing, adding that President Trump is doing what no other president had the guts to do.

The last 24 hours saw the lowest number of missiles fired by Iran and the morale of Iranian military is being damaged, causing desertions, and frustration among military leaders, Hegseth says.

Image source, Reuters

Hegseth begins the briefing, saying over the weekend he visited troops that are part of the military operation, but won't say where he visited for security reasons.

"The trip was an honour," he says, adding that he "witnessed the best of America".

He describes meeting a female member of the military, who when he asked her what she needed for the job, she smiled at him and said "more bombs".

The feeling among troops that he spoke to was the opposite to that during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan when they didn't know "when the operation would end", he continues.

Hegseth says in this operation, he sees motivation, mission focus and an "urgency" to finish the job.

Image source, Reuters

We're now hearing from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, as the pair deliver a briefing on the situation in Iran.

You can watch live above, and we'll bring you the key updates on this page.

Tom Bateman
US State Department correspondent, at the Pentagon

I’m in the Pentagon press briefing room waiting for Pete Hegseth and Dan Caine. This is the first news conference they’ve held in 12 days.

As I’ve mentioned before, these news briefings are tightly controlled in terms of access.

We’ve just had a security official come in for a second time making us raise our hands to check we’re all wearing a bright green wristband that was issued as we entered the building.

The briefings are usually highly choreographed with Hegseth tending to give priority to questions from outlets that signed a declaration last year to remain part of the Pentagon’s resident press corps. Most major news organisations rejected this as it meant they wouldn’t be able to freely report, and a judge this month ruled the Pentagon’s policy unconstitutional.

If there are some challenging questions, they might focus on the strategic impasse of this war, as the administration engages in threats to escalate as well as attempts to do a deal with the regime.

Davide Ghiglione
in Rome

President Trump has just called France "very unhelpful" for not letting planes heading to Israel with military supplies fly over French territory.

Earlier, Italy reportedly denied a US request to use the Sigonella air base in Sicily for military aircraft a few days ago, in a move that underscores Rome’s cautious approach to involvement in military operations.

Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on Tuesday that Defence Minister Guido Crosetto denied authorisation after learning of a US flight plan involving aircraft that were due to land at Naval Air Station Sigonella, in the southern Italian region, before continuing towards the Middle East.

The plan was reportedly communicated while the aircraft were already in flight, and no prior approval had been requested from Italian authorities.

Checks suggested the aircraft were not carrying out routine or logistical operations covered by existing agreements between Italy and the US, according to the report.

The request reportedly involved bombers, which require specific approval and parliamentary oversight.

The Italian government has not commented publicly on the episode. Contacted by the BBC, the defence minister’s office was not immediately available for comment.

In a follow-up post on Truth Social, Trump says France “wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory”.

He goes on to say France “has been very unhelpful with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated!”

The post concludes with the US president saying: “The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!"

US President Donald Trump says countries "like the United Kingdom" who can't get jet fuel because of the restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz should “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT".

In a post on Truth Social, he writes countries will “have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us," addressing countries "which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran".

"Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done," the post adds, ending with: “Go get your own oil!”

Israel's military spokesperson says the country is "prepared to keep operating for weeks to come".

"We have the targets for that, the munition for that, the manpower for that, and it's up to the leadership to decide," Nadav Shoshani tells Reuters.

His comments come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu said on Monday that the war was "beyond the halfway point" - clarifying that this was in terms of goals, not time frame.

Another photo shows extent of damage to oil tankerpublished at 11:00 BST 31 March

11:00 BST 31 March

Image source, Nader Itayim

By Joshua Cheetham and Shayan Sardarizadeh

We've just received another image which offers a closer look at the oil tanker reportedly struck by a projectile off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.

BBC Verify has checked features of the ship seen in these images with historical pictures of Al-Sami to confirm it is the same ship. The pictures show damage to the starboard side of the vessel.

These pictures have been shared with BBC Verify by Nader Itayim, a reporter at energy and commodity news outlet Argus Media. Itayim says he received them from a source in Kuwait’s state oil company.

We’re speaking to experts to find out what might have caused the damage to the tanker.

Pictures have now emerged of the oil tanker reportedly hit by a strike while docked in Dubai.

The Kuwaiti-flagged oil tanker Al Salmi was carrying two million barrels of oil and on its way to China when it was set on fire following the strike.

No injures were reported and there was no oil spillage, according to the Dubai Media Office.

Image source, Reuters

Multiple people are reported to be injured in the Gulf States following strikes overnight.

In Dubai, the media office says four Asian nationals were injured after debris from an interception fell on residential houses in the south of the city.

It comes after explosions were reported earlier this morning and people were warned to seek shelter.

In Saudi Arabia, drone fragments falling in Al-Kharj injured two people and damaged several vehicles and three houses, according to the General Directorate of Saudi Civil Defense.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran on 28 February, death tolls have continued to rise across the region.

Iran: The US-based group Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) report that 3,492 people have been killed since the war began – including 1,574 civilians, of which at least 236 were children.

Israel: Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service (MDA) said 19 people have been killed by missile fire since the start of the war.

Nine Israeli soldiers are reported to have been killed in Lebanon, Israel's military says.

Lebanon: Lebanon's health ministry says 1,247 have been killed, including 124 children.

The gulf: At least 24 people have been killed across the Gulf so far, most of them security personnel or foreign workers. That includes 11 people in the UAE and seven in Kuwait, while Oman, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have each reported two deaths.

US: Thirteen US service members have been killed.

Former naval commander Tom Sharpe says he doesn't think the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest oil shipping channels, can be opened with force like the US is threatening.

Unless Iran agrees to stop attacking boats who pass through, using force is "unlikely to work", Sharpe tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"Iran have control of this situation, I think that much is clear, and I think they will continue to do so going forward," Sharpe says, adding it's not in their interest to change this.

He adds that it comes down to Iran and what they choose to do in the next weeks or months.

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

Iran's internet blackout has now entered day 32, with most users cut off from the outside world for over 744 hours, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.

Connectivity to the outside world remains at 1% of normal levels.

Some officials, pro-establishment users and journalists still have unrestricted access, while others are paying large sums to get online.

A few people have managed to connect using satellite internet such as Starlink and other methods, but it comes at a high cost.

In Iran, using or possessing Starlink can lead to up to two years in prison, and authorities are trying to crack down on it.

Image source, NetBlocks

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will hold a Cobra meeting this afternoon to discuss the economic impact of the war in the Middle East.

The prime minister said on Monday that the meeting will look at "making sure that everything that we need to have in place, everything is monitored and audited properly".

It comes after he met bosses from energy, shipping and banking firms yesterday at Downing Street to discuss Iran's ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Starmer told business chiefs it must be a "joint effort" to tackle the impact of the war, saying the government "can't do it on its own".

Cobra is where senior ministers and officials gather in the capital to co-ordinate the emergency response to a crisis. Journalists are not allowed to broadcast from inside, but we will bring you the latest updates once they are released.

Kuwaiti oil tanker struck in Dubai was taking 2 million barrels of oil to Chinapublished at 09:10 BST 31 March

09:10 BST 31 March

By Joshua Cheetham

Overnight, the Kuwaiti-flagged tanker al-Salmi was struck by an “unknown projectile" off the coast of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, according to maritime intelligence company Vanguard.

The firm says a fire onboard has been contained, all crew are safe, and no environmental impact has been identified.

Dubai authorities have confirmed these details, though they did not name the vessel, as is common.

Al-Salmi, built in 2011, is owned and operated by the state-run Kuwait Oil Tanker Company. We’ve asked the company for comment.

Another maritime intelligence firm, TankerTrackers.com, says the ship is carrying around 1.2 million barrels of Saudi crude and 800,000 barrels of Kuwaiti crude, and had completed loading last month.

Publicly-available tracking data on MarineTraffic shows the tanker is broadcasting its destination as Qingdao in China.

Image source, MarineTraffic