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Trump tells Europe 'Go get your own oil,' Iran hits oil tanker off Dubai

View original article → Apr 1, 2026, 12:01 AM

+1227 words added -1177 words removed

Special Series Middle East conflict Conflict in the Middle East has been escalating. These stories provide context for current developments and the history that led up to them. By NPR Staff People walk toward the Kadhimiya Shrine at sunset in the Shia neighborhood in Baghdad, Tuesday. Leo Correa/AP hide caption A U.S.

− journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad, after threats by Iran-backed militias in the region against U.S. citizens.

+ journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad after threats by Iran-backed militias in the region against American citizens.

− The Al-Monitor news organization identified the journalist as American Shelly Kittleson, who has contributed to the publication.

+ The journalist was identified as Shelly Kittleson by one of the news organizations she reported for, Al-Monitor.

− Iraqi security forces say they have arrested one of the kidnappers.

+ Iraq's Interior Ministry said authorities have arrested one suspected kidnapper but others remain on the loose.

The U.S.

− State Department told NPR, "We are closing tracking these reports. Due to privacy and other considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time." Kittleson is a Rome-based freelance journalist who has covered Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. The U.S. Embassy in Iraq has advised Americans to leave the country partly due to kidnapping threats by Iran-backed militias.

+ State Department said it had warned the journalist of threats.

− This is a developing story that will be updated.

− See below for earlier developments from the conflict in the Middle East.

+ It turned out to be an American freelance reporter, Shelly Kittleson, according to Al-Monitor, a Middle Eastern news site for which she has written articles.

− President Trump took to social media early Tuesday advising European countries that have fuel shortages because of the Strait of Hormuz blockade, but haven't aided the U.S.

+ Iraqi security forces said they intercepted a vehicle that crashed and arrested one of the suspected kidnappers, but are stilling searching for the kidnapped journalist and other suspects. U.S.

− in the war, to "Go get your own oil!" His comments came after a night of continued fighting. Iran attacked a large Kuwaiti oil tanker off the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai overnight. On Tuesday city officials said the blaze was extinguished "with no oil spill occurring or any injuries recorded." Early Tuesday, the Emirates' Defense Ministry said it was intercepting missiles and drones fired by Iran.

+ officials say they're working to get her released.

− Meanwhile, a wave of attacks was reported in central Israel, with the Israeli military saying rescuers were on the way to the scenes of impact and Israeli media reporting injuries.

+ "The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible," Dylan Johnson, the assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, said on social media.

− The Israeli military said it had completed a series of strikes on government infrastructure in Tehran.

+ He said Americans, including media workers, have been advised not to travel to Iraq and should leave the country.

− It also pushed ahead with its invasion of southern Lebanon, saying it targeted weapons infrastructure belonging to the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

+ The statement did not condemn the kidnapping or express concern.

− Israel also reported more losses in Lebanon, announcing three more of its soldiers were killed. More than 1,200 people in Lebanon have been killed by nearly a month of Israel's attacks, according to the Lebanese government.

+ Johnson said Iraqi authorities apprehended a suspect associated with Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, believed to be involved in the kidnapping.

+ This comes as the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran enters its second month, and the fallout ricochets across the region.

− "All of those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

+ Press freedom organizations expressed deep concern. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on "Iraqi authorities to do everything in their power to locate Shelley Kittleson, ensure her immediate and safe release, and hold those responsible to account." Based in Rome, Kittleson has reported on Iraq, as well as Syria and Afghanistan, for years, according to Al-Monitor.

− Trump had asked allies for help after Iran largely blockaded the vital waterway, sending up oil and gas prices.

+ Reporters Without Borders said she is "very familiar with Iraq, where she stays for extended periods." "RSF stands alongside her loved ones and colleagues during this painful wait," the organization said. Al-Monitor said in a statement it is "deeply alarmed" by her kidnapping.

− But they have been hesitant to join in the war, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer repeating again this week that Britain would not get involved.

+ "We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work," it said.

− "You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A.

+ U.S.

− won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us.

+ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an undisclosed trip to the Middle East to visit troops over the weekend.

− Iran has been, essentially, decimated.

+ He did not divulge the location for the troops' safety. "I spoke to Air Force and Navy pilots on the flight line who every day both deliver bombs deep into Iran, but also shoot down drones defending their base.

− The hard part is done.

+ Many had just returned from the skies of Iran and Tehran," he told reporters in a briefing Tuesday. He said he "witnessed an urgency to finish the job" and tried to draw a comparison with America's earlier drawn-out wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said the U.S.

− Go get your own oil!" Trump's post concluded.

+ is improving bunkers and layered air defenses as a priority to protect troops and aircraft.

− He also said France "wouldn't let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory." and called the country "VERY UNHELPFUL." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are scheduled to give a press conference about the war on Iran at 8 a.m.

+ This comes after more than a dozen U.S.

− Eastern Time.

+ service members were injured, several severely, and U.S.

− It will be the first time they take questions from reporters on the war since March 19.On Monday, President Trump repeated the assertion that Iran wants a deal, despite that country's denials, but warned the U.S.

+ aircraft were damaged in Iranian strikes on a base in Saudi Arabia last Friday.

− may try to seize Iran's oil and Kharg Island — or even "blow it up."He also said the U.S.

+ The Pentagon says 13 U.S.

− would not only destroy Iranian electric plants and oil wells but also "possibly all desalinization plants" if Tehran did not open the Strait of Hormuz.

+ service members have been killed and 300 wounded in what it calls Operation Epic Fury.

− White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said later in the day that Trump still wants to reach a deal with Iran before the April 6 deadline he set last week.

+ He repeated the administration's assertion that the U.S.

− She said talks with Iran are progressing, adding that what Tehran says publicly differs from what it tells U.S.

+ is negotiating with Iran, despite Iranian officials' denial that talks are happening. He said the U.S.

− officials in private.

+ prefers negotiations, but would not rule out using ground troops. "In the meantime, we'll negotiate with bombs," Hegseth said.

− Trump has said he is in talks with Iran's parliamentary speaker.On Tuesday, U.S. Central Command said in a statement that Commander Adm. Brad Cooper had met with Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir in a two-day visit to Israel.

+ "Our job is to ensure that we compel Iran to realize that this new regime, this regime in charge is in a better place if they make that deal." President Trump told the New York Post he is in talks with Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

− "The two leaders discussed progress made during ongoing operations to eliminate Iran's ability to project power in meaningful ways outside its borders," the statement said. "Cooper visited with U.S.

+ Countries denounced the killings of three U.N.

− troops deployed to multiple locations in support of Operation Epic Fury.

+ peacekeepers in Lebanon this week as they met for an emergency meeting of the U.N.

− He recognized more than 40 service members with medals for their exceptional performance during the first weeks of the operation." The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting after the killing of three U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon. Israel has invaded the country's south, and fighting with Hezbollah militants has intensified there.

+ Security Council.

− Displaced people warm up around a fire outside their tent along Beirut's seafront area on March 30, 2026.

+ "These are sadly not the only dangerous incidents faced by UNIFIL's courageous peacekeepers," Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of U.N.

− Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images hide caption All three of the U.N.

+ peacekeeping, said, using the acronym for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

− peacekeepers killed were from Indonesia, which has also pledged to send troops for a future international force in Gaza.

+ "There has been a worrying increase in denials of freedom of movement and aggressive behavior." Lacroix said initial findings suggested two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed Monday in a roadside explosion in southern Lebanon.

− One was killed by what Indonesia's Foreign Ministry called indirect artillery fire.

+ A day earlier another peacekeeper from Indonesia was killed when a projectile hit a U.N.

− Two others by what the U.N.

+ base, Lacroix said. Their deaths came as Israeli forces have invaded Lebanon, intensifying a second front in the war in the Middle East.

− called an explosion of unknown origin that destroyed their vehicle.

+ Israel says it is targeting the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

− Indonesia's foreign minister is calling for a swift, thorough and transparent investigation.

+ The U.N. has not pinned blame and is investigating the incidents.

− Israel says it's trying to figure out whether its troops — or Hezbollah — were responsible.

+ Ahead of the Security Council meeting, Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, expressed condolences for the Indonesian peacekeepers' deaths. Displaced people warm up around a fire outside their tent along Beirut's seafront area on March 30, 2026.

− Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that his military's aims in Iran are beyond halfway complete, but that Israel is widening its invasion of Lebanon.

+ Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Danon blamed Hezbollah for laying explosive devices that killed two peacekeepers on Monday. U.S.

− The latest attacks hit Beirut's southern suburbs and the Bekaa Valley, in Lebanon's east.

+ Ambassador to the U.N.

− Among the latest deaths, at least nine residents, according to Lebanese officials, and four Israeli soldiers, according to that country's military.

+ Mike Waltz paid tribute to the Indonesian peacekeepers and urged Security Council members not to jump to conclusions but to allow the U.N. to investigate.

+ Indonesia's foreign minister called for a swift, thorough and transparent investigation.

Meanwhile, Iran says it has arrested 46 people who were selling Starlink internet connections — one of the few ways that people in Iran have been able to connect to the global internet while authorities block communication. Starlink allows users to connect directly to the internet via satellite, bypassing government firewalls. Global internet monitor NetBlocks said the country's "internet blackout has entered day 32." "Extended digital isolation is bringing new challenges for Iranians, from expired domains and accounts to unpatched servers on a degrading national intranet," it said on X. Iran said it executed two people who had taken part in opposition activities as well as two citizens it accused of spying for the U.S. and Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday responded to news that Spain had closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war by lashing out at the NATO partner. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Rubio answered a question about whether the EU and NATO countries had "betrayed the U.S." by focusing on Spain, a NATO member who has publicly adopted a position opposing the war in Iran. Gas prices are displayed at a Mobil gas station on March 30, 2026 in Pasadena, California. The average price of one gallon of regular self-service gasoline rose to $5.99 today in Los Angeles County, climbing from $4.69 one month ago, amid the ongoing war with Iran. Mario Tama/Getty Images North America hide caption "We have countries like Spain, a NATO member that we are pledged to defend, denying us the use of their airspace and bragging about it, denying us the use of our – of their bases," Rubio said. Earlier on Monday, Spain Defense Minister Margarita Robles said the country had closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war. It is unclear when the closure started — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had hinted at the measure during a parliamentary debate on March 25. The weekend the U.S. and Israel launched the attack on Iran, flight records showed at least 15 in-flight refueling planes leaving two jointly operated military bases in the south of Spain after not being allowed to provide support for the military action in Iran. Robles later confirmed the decision by the Spanish Government. That triggered a spat between President Trump and Spain's leadership the week after the war started. Trump said from the Oval Office that he would cut off all trade with Spain if the Spanish government did not allow U.S. forces to use the jointly operated bases. In response, Sánchez doubled down on his stance on the war in the Middle East. Sánchez has relied on his opposition to the war, making it his main platform at the domestic level. Sánchez's Socialist Party has struggled to keep a government coalition from breaking apart, as he faces pressure to keep his party's hopes alive ahead of a parliamentary election due in 2027.

− President Trump shared on Truth Social a video of an explosion without additional context, but which the Associated Press reports is a likely U.S.

+ President Trump criticized France and the United Kingdom, among others, on his social media platform. "All of those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Trump had asked allies for help after Iran largely blockaded the vital waterway, sending up oil and gas prices.

− attack on the city of Isfahan.

+ But they have been hesitant to join in the war, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer repeating again this week that Britain would not get involved.

− Posting without a caption, Trump shared on social media a video of two successive explosions – one leaving a giant cloud of smoke.

+ "You'll 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. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!" Trump's post concluded.

− Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday posted an appeal for an end to war in the Middle East.

+ He also said France "wouldn't let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory." and called the country "VERY UNHELPFUL." Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday posted an appeal for an end to war in the Middle East.

"History has shown us time and again that violence only begets more violence and is never a lasting foundation for peace," he said on his official account on X. "An enduring resolution to conflict, including the ones we see in the Middle East or between Russia and Ukraine, must be rooted in dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect — approached with the understanding that, at the deepest level, we are all brothers and sisters," he said.

− He said he was adding his plea to one made at the Vatican by Pope Leo during his Palm Sunday Mass, adding: "His call for the laying down of arms and the renunciation of violence resonated profoundly with me, as it speaks to the very essence of what all major religions teach." Carrie Kahn in Tel Aviv, Lauren Frayer in Beirut, Jennifer Pak in Shanghai, Giles Snyder in Washington D.C., Emily Feng in Van, Turkey, Miguel Macias in Seville, Spain, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to this report.

+ He said he was adding his plea to one made at the Vatican by Pope Leo during his Palm Sunday Mass, adding: "His call for the laying down of arms and the renunciation of violence resonated profoundly with me, as it speaks to the very essence of what all major religions teach." Carrie Kahn in Tel Aviv, Israel, Lauren Frayer in Beirut, Jennifer Pak in Shanghai, Emily Feng in Van, Turkey, Miguel Macias in Seville, Spain, Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg, Jane Arraf in Amman, Jordan, Quil Lawrence in New York, Giles Snyder, Michele Kelemen and Alex Leff in Washington contributed to this report.

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