Iran live updates: IRGC says Strait of Hormuz will 'never' revert to pre-war state

The U.S Embassy in Baghdad on Thursday urged all American citizens to leave Iraq immediately citing the danger that "Iran-aligned Iraqi terrorist militias may intend to carry out attacks in central Baghdad within the next 24 to 48 hours."

The embassy alert said that Iran and its allied Iraqi groups have carried out "widespread attacks against U.S. citizens and U.S.-associated targets throughout Iraq, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan region."

"Terrorist militias have targeted Americans for kidnapping, and U.S. citizens should leave Iraq immediately," the alert said. "The government of Iraq has not been able to prevent terrorist attacks that occur within Iraqi territory or launch from it."

The warning follows the kidnapping of American journalist Shelly Kittleson in Baghdad earlier this week.

Stressing his view of the strength of the U.S. economy under his leadership, Trump sought to allay fears about rising gas prices as the war has gone on.

Arguing that the U.S. has plenty of its own fuel stores because of his "drill baby, drill" attitude on domestic oil production, Trump said that the country produces more oil and gas than Saudi Arabia and Russia combined.

The U.S. was the leading oil producer in the world in 2025, pumping more than 13 million barrels per day. Russia and Saudi Arabia ranked second and third globally, each producing more than 9.5 million barrels per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

This week, U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022, as the Iran war continues to push fuel prices higher worldwide. The last time U.S. drivers were collectively paying this much at the pump was nearly four years ago, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

President Donald Trump said that the U.S. is going to hit Iran "extremely hard" over the next two weeks.

He then followed that by saying discussions with Tehran are ongoing.

Trump's nearly 20-minute White House address reiterated much of what the president has been saying since the strikes began, with little new light shed on the operation or a specific timeline for when the war would end.

As part of his plea for patience from U.S. voters, the president ticked through the timeline of American involvement in earlier conflicts.

"World War I lasted one year, seven months and five days," he said. "World War II lasted for three years, eight months and 25 days." He added references to Korea, Vietnam and Iraq - noting Vietnam's nearly 20-year U.S. commitment.

Action in Iran has spanned 32 days by comparison, Trump said, and been "so powerful, so brilliant" that "one of the most powerful countries" is "really no longer a threat."

A recent AP-NORC poll found that 6 out of 10 U.S. adults said Trump's actions in Iran had gone too far.