Leavitt is asked about Trump's threat earlier today to "possibly" destroy "all desalinisation plants" in Iran, and why the president would threaten an action that would likely be considered a war crime.

Desalinisation plants, which convert salt water into drinking water, are crucial for civilian water security in the region.

"Of course this administration and the United States Armed Forces will always act within the confines of the law," Leavitt says.

"But with respect to achieving the full objectives of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump is going to move forward unabated, and he expects the Iranian regime to make a deal with the Administration."

When asked again what objective bombing a desalinisation plant would achieve, Leavitt does not answer.

Asked about a possible "boots on the ground" operation in Iran, Leavitt says Trump "has obviously declined to rule them out".

She says the Pentagon aims to provide the president with options, but that doesn't mean he has made a decision.

On whether the president would seek Congress's approval before sending troops to Iran, she says the administration would always follow the rule of law and that Trump has great respect for Congress.

She adds that some members of Congress have received "courtesy briefings" on the war when requested.

For context: The US Constitution gives Congress the power to formally declare war.

Leavitt is asked if the president would wind down military operations if US goals for the war are met, but passage through the Strait of Hormuz remains difficult.

She says the core objectives are the same - destroying the Iranian navy and ballistic missiles, dismantling the defence infrastructure that produces those weapons, and preventing Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Reopening the strait is something the US is working towards, but the core objectives are clearly defined, she adds.

White House insists negotiations are taking place - and going wellpublished at 18:49 BST 30 March

18:49 BST 30 March

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is expressing optimism about the war in Iran, aiming to reassure the US public that, despite reports to the contrary, negotiations are still under way.

Leavitt says Iran's leadership - what remains of it - is "increasingly eager" to negotiate.

Publicly, however, Iranian officials have downplayed how far along talks have got, and say any messages between the warring parties have gone through intermediaries.

A spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry earlier questioned how serious US efforts are to negotiate an end to the war in good faith.

Leavitt insists that similar comments from Iranian officials are "public posturing" and that the private discussions with the Iranians are "much different".

This is an instance in which the truth is difficult to ascertain, and probably lies somewhere between the official positions.

But as long as the war continues, Leavitt and other White House officials will keep facing questions about the deal, possible timelines and the prospect of US ground forces being sent in - even as the White House refuses to publicly comment on hypothetical scenarios.

Image source, Reuters

Leavitt is asked what the president is thinking about the current timeline of the war with Iran.

She says Trump has said from the start that the operation in Iran will last about four to six weeks in total, and that is still his view.

"We're on day 30 today," she adds.

Leavitt is asked by a reporter about the talks with Iran.

The president earlier said they're speaking to a new and more "reasonable" regime.

Leavitt is asked how confident the US is that the people they're talking to are legitimate and that the US is speaking to those actually in charge.

The press secretary says the US will make sure those involved are held accountable.

She adds that the people they talk to seem "more reasonable behind the scenes" than previous leaders.

Trump issued a 10-day pause to "postpone" planned strikes on Iran's power plants and energy infrastructure, Leavitt says.

"This remains a truly once in a generation opportunity for the regime to make a good deal with the United States," she adds.

Leavitt says that if Iran rejects this opportunity, the US military "continues to stand by" to provide Trump "every option available to ensure this regime continues to pay a grave price".

For context, Trump announced the 10-day pause on 26 March. You can see a timeline of his deadlines here.

Image source, Getty Images

Karoline Leavitt has now addressed reports that Iranian officials deny they are in talks with the US.

She says that despite the Iranian regime's "public posturing" and the news media's "false reporting", talks between the US and Iran are still under way and going well.

Private communication is different from what is public, she adds.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt begins by telling reporters their operation in Iran is moving "successfully".

Leavitt says more than 11,000 enemy targets have been struck so far, creating "more leverage for the United States and our allies" and crippling Iran's offensive and defensive abilities.

She adds that Iran's ballistic missile and drone attacks are down by about 90%.

The US has also "decimated" the navy, destroying more than 150 vessels, including "92% of their largest vessels", she says.

She adds that the Iranian regime is "eager to end the destruction" and come to the negotiation table.

Iranian officials have repeatedly denied they are in talks with the US.

Image source, Reuters

The White House news briefing with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has started.

You can click Watch live to follow.

While we wait for the White House news briefing to begin, here’s an update from the United Nations.

The UN says two peacekeepers were killed in south Lebanon on Monday.

In a post on social media, Unifil - the United Nations' peacekeeping force in Lebanon - says the personnel were killed "when an explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan".

"A third peacekeeper was severely injured, and a fourth was also hurt," the post adds.

Unifil says this is the "second fatal incident" in 24 hours and shares condolences with the families.

Earlier today, Unifil released a statement saying one peacekeeper had been killed and another seriously injured in southern Lebanon in a separate incident on Sunday night.

Image source, Reuters

We're expecting a news briefing from the White House with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

You can click Watch live at the top of this page from 13:00 ET (18:00 BST).

We'll also be keeping an eye on it to bring you the latest updates.

Image source, Reuters

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the administration must prepare for the "probability" that negotiations could fail, after Donald Trump said talks were happening with a "more reasonable" Iranian regime.

Speaking to ABC's Good Morning America, Rubio would not reveal who the US is speaking to, saying, "it would probably get them in trouble with some other groups inside of Iran".

"But at the end of the day we have to see if these people end up being the ones in charge," he adds.

Trump posted on Truth Social that the US was "in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran".

Asked about the post, Rubio says: "If there are new people in charge who have more of a reasonable vision of the future that would be good news... But we also have to be prepared for the possibility, maybe even the probability that that is not the case."

Iran has acknowledged messages being passed through Pakistani intermediaries but denies direct involvement in talks, with a foreign ministry spokesman calling US proposals "excessive".

Nato has responded to earlier reports that its air defences intercepted a missile launched from Iran which entered Turkish airspace.

A spokesperson for the organisation said in a social media post: "NATO again successfully intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile heading to Türkiye.

"NATO is prepared for such threats and will always do what is necessary to defend all Allies."

Image source, PA Media

The prime minister has told energy, shipping and financial service chiefs that the UK is working on a "viable plan" for the Strait of Hormuz as the war enters its fifth week.

Keir Starmer tells a round-table at Downing Street that people across the country will have concerns about energy bills, petrol and food prices "uppermost in their minds".

"The political position we've taken is straightforward, which is, we're not going to get drawn in to the conflict proper," Starmer reiterates.

He says: "We will defend British interests and British lives in the region, particularly in the Gulf allied states, and obviously our allies there.

"It's not our war, but it is our duty to protect British citizens."

Vessels aren’t only at risk of attack in the Strait of Hormuz.

UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued a warning about "suspicious activity" after a container ship reported "two unknown projectiles splashing in close proximity" north-east of Saudi Arabia.

It says the two incidents happened within an hour of each other.

The crew are reported to be safe and authorities are investigating.

The organisation says since the start of the war, it has received 24 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in and around the Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.

UKMTO is a Royal Navy-led organisation that acts as a link between merchant shipping and military forces to help ensure maritime security.

As we've been reporting, global oil and fertiliser trade have been disrupted as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked.

The closure of this key shipping route - bordered by Iran to the north and Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the south - has affected economies worldwide.

Around 3,000 ships usually pass through the strait each month. It's deep enough for the world's largest crude oil tankers and is used by major oil and gas producers in the Middle East and their customers.

But since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, numerous ships have reportedly come under attack in the area.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the war in the Middle East has caused "serious disruption" to countries in the region and is "dimming the outlook for many others".

The organisation - which works with 190 member countries to stabilise the global economy - says all signs "lead to higher prices and slower growth".

The IMF highlights changes to supply chains, shipping routes, air traffic, insurance costs and longer delivery times. It also warns that fuel inflation could rise worldwide if high energy and food prices continue.

In addition, with about one-third of global fertiliser shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz now disrupted, the IMF says concerns about food prices are growing.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

Image source, Reuters

US President Donald Trump has a relatively light public schedule today, and at the moment, the White House press has no expectation of seeing or hearing from him on camera.

According to a schedule released by the White House, Trump is set to take part in a "class photo" with members of the White House internship programme this morning, followed by policy meetings and "signing time" in the afternoon.

All these events are currently marked as "closed press", meaning the White House press pool - which today includes the BBC - will not be allowed in, although that could change at the last minute.

This morning, however, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she will be holding a briefing at 13:00 ET (18:00 BST).

This is likely to be dominated by questions on Iran.

Pentagon falls silent after early news briefings on the warpublished at 16:31 BST 30 March

16:31 BST 30 March

Tom Bateman
US State Department correspondent

Image source, EPA

The US media has been filled over the last 48 hours with anonymous briefings from Trump administration officials about potential ground operations against Iran.

But the Pentagon is saying virtually nothing on the record.

In fact, the way the administration is conveying its messaging on the war appears to be shifting.

In the first fortnight, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth held press briefings every couple of days, alongside the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine. While these were heavily choreographed with access tightly controlled, they were at least a chance to try to get some challenging questions on the record to the US military.

There hasn't been one of these briefings now for 11 days.

These updates amounted to a temporary break from the Trump administration's general approach to its communications in this term, when the messaging has been dominated by the White House.

Over the last six months, government agencies including the Departments of State and Defense have hardly held any on-the-record news briefings, lest they eclipse the daily press scrums in front of the president or briefings by his press secretary Karoline Leavitt.