EXPLAINER
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US war objectives would be achieved in ‘weeks’.
Published On 31 Mar 2026
As the war on Iran enters day 32, US and Israeli air strikes continue across Iran, with powerful explosions reported in Tehran and Isfahan.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said communication between Tehran and Washington is ongoing, mostly through intermediaries, adding US war objectives would be achieved in “weeks, not months”.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has threatened to destroy Iran’s main oil export hub and energy infrastructure if no deal is reached soon.
In Iran
- State media reported that a parliamentary commission approved tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil and gas route effectively closed by the war.
- Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s oil export hub of Kharg Island, oil wells and power plants if no deal is reached soon.
- Israel and the US continued with their bombardment, with powerful explosions reported in Tehran and Isfahan.
- Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall said Iranian leaders are focused on the war effort as they deeply distrust the US, believing Washington is not genuinely ready for negotiations on ending the war.
- Iran’s latest wave of regional attacks — the 87th in a month — was launched by the country’s navy. Vall said it serves as a “very strong message to the US”, proving Washington’s claims of obliterating Iran’s naval forces to be untrue.
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the death of its naval commander, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in an Israeli strike recently.
War diplomacy
- Pakistan-China talks: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is visiting Beijing on Tuesday for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, following the weekend meetings in Islamabad with top diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt.
- G7 ministers pledge action on energy: The Group of Seven economy and finance ministers said they were ready to take “all necessary measures” to stabilise the energy market.
- Egypt’s el-Sisi asks Trump to help stop war: “I say to President Trump: no one will be able to stop the war in our region, in the Gulf … Please, help us to stop the war, you are capable of it,” President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said in Cairo.
- NATO intercepts Turkiye-bound missile: NATO forces intercepted a missile fired from Iran towards Turkiye – the fourth since the start of the Middle East war.
In the Gulf
- Attack on Kuwaiti oil tanker: Iran launched a “direct and criminal” attack on the Al-Salmi, a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker stationed at Dubai port.
- Missile interceptions in Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia says it intercepted at least eight ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh and the energy-rich Eastern province.
- Gulf leaders condemn escalation: During a summit in Jeddah, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan jointly condemned Iran’s attacks on key civilian facilities.
- Regional alerts: The conflict’s spillover has put neighbouring states on high alert, with Bahrain activating sirens and urging its residents to head to the nearest safe place.
- Araghchi calls to ‘eject US forces’ from region: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it is “high time” for US troops to leave their bases in Gulf states.
In the US
- Much of the communication between Tehran and Washington is indirect and through intermediaries, but messages and some direct contacts are continuing, Rubio told Al Jazeera.
- Rubio said the waterway will remain open regardless of Iran’s actions.
- The state secretary said US war objectives could be achieved “in weeks, not months” and that it was on track after destroying Iran’s air force and much of its navy.
- More than 200 US soldiers have filed complaints regarding superior officers using religious rhetoric to justify the war.
- The US State Department publicly supported Israel following the Israeli parliament’s approval of a law that allows the execution of Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks.
In Israel
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the war on Iran had achieved more than half its aims, without putting a timeline on when it would end.
- Israel’s military said it had struck the Imam Hossein University in Tehran, run by the IRGC, claiming the institution was used for advanced weapons research.
- A large blaze ignited at Israel’s Haifa oil refinery after it was hit by debris from the interception of a projectile on Monday.
In Lebanon, Iraq
- UN peacekeepers killed in Lebanon: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said two of its personnel were killed in a blast in the country’s south on Monday, after another peacekeeper was killed a day earlier.
- Drone attack targets US Embassy in Baghdad: One civilian was wounded late on Monday in Iraq’s capital after shrapnel from an intercepted drone attack targeting the embassy fell into their neighbourhood, a police source said.
Oil, food and gas crises
- Surging oil prices: The conflict is directly affecting the US economy. The US benchmark for crude oil, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), breached $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022. The average price of petrol at bunkers has crossed $4 a gallon for the first time since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
- Norway cuts fuel taxes: Norway will temporarily cut its taxes on petrol and diesel to counter rising prices as the Middle East war disrupts global energy supplies.
- Bangladesh orders energy-saving measures: Bangladesh has ordered civil servants to switch off lights and turn down air conditioning to save power as the war worsens its energy crunch.
