Iran War Day 32: Pope Leo calls on Trump to end war, Trump says US will soon withdraw even if no deal is reached with Iran

On the 32nd day of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, President Donald Trump stated that “we have a new regime” in Iran that is “much better” than the old one. He also said the war is “coming to an end” and will be over in two or three weeks, explaining that the U.S. will "leave Iran whether we have a deal or not” and arguing that the Strait of Hormuz will open up “automatically” once U.S. forces pull back. Pope Leo XIV, meanwhile, called on Trump by name to end the war.

Pope Leo: ‘Hopefully’ Trump will end war

Pope Leo said in off-the-cuff remarks to journalists at the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome that he had heard “President Trump recently stated that he would like to end the war.”

“Hopefully he's looking for an 'off-ramp,’” the Holy Father said. “Hopefully he's looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing the hatred that's being created and that's increasing constantly in the Middle East and elsewhere.”

The Pontiff added: “I appeal to all leaders: Come back to the table, to dialogue. Let's look for solutions to problems, let's look for ways to reduce the amount of violence that we're promoting, that peace – especially at Easter – might reign in our hearts."

Trump says war will end soon, claims Strait of Hormuz will reopen after US exit

Trump told the New York Post that he believes the war with Iran could end soon and suggested the U.S. may not need to remain involved much longer, emphasizing that his primary objective was to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“We’re not going to be there too much longer. We’re obliterating the s–t out of them right now,” Trump said in a phone interview. “It’s a total obliteration. But we won’t have to be there much longer — but we have more work to do in terms of killing their offensive, whatever offensive capability they have left.”

Asked about a Wall Street Journal report that said he was willing to end the war without reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said: “I don’t think about it, to be honest. My sole function was to make sure that they don’t have a nuclear weapon. They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. When we leave, the strait will automatically open.”

He added that other countries could reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a vital waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply flows that has been closed to most international shipping for more than 30 days. Its closure has driven global energy prices higher.

“I think it’ll automatically open, but my attitude is, I’ve obliterated the country. They have no strength left, and let the countries that are using the strait, let them go and open it… because I would imagine whoever’s controlling the oil will be very happy to open the strait,” Trump said.

On the morning of March 31, Trump said on Truth Social that the countries “that can’t get jet fuel because” of the strait’s closure should “buy from the U.S.,” then “go to the Strait and just TAKE IT.” He added that the U.S. “won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us.”

Iran confirms messages with US, president says country has ‘will’ end to war

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera March 31 that he had received messages from U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff “directly” but said “this does not mean we are in negotiations.”

“There is no truth to the claim of negotiations with any party in Iran,” he said. “We do not have any faith that negotiations with the US will yield any results. The trust level is at zero.”

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly said in a phone conversation with European Council President António Costa that Iran has the “necessary will” to end the war, but seeks guarantees the conflict will not be repeated. 

“We possess the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met, especially the guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression,” Pezeshkian said, according to Euronews.

Costa said in an X post that in his phone call with Pezeshkian, he called for “de-escalation and restraint, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the need for all parties to fully respect international law.” 

“To de-escalate the situation, I urged Iran to stop the unacceptable attacks on countries in the region and to engage positively on the diplomatic track, notably with the UN to ensure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” Costa added. “There must be space for diplomacy. The EU stands ready to contribute to all diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and for a lasting solution to end the hostilities, while addressing the broader security concerns posed by Iran.”

Israel says it is prepared to continue war ‘for weeks to come’ 

Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said during a news conference the morning of March 31 that his country is “prepared to keep operating for weeks to come” in Iran, according to NBC News. 

“We have the targets for that, the munition for that, the manpower for that, and it's up to for the leadership to decide,” Shoshani said.

NBC News reported that his comments came one day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war was “beyond the halfway point” in terms of military goals. 

US gas prices top $4 for first time since 2022 as Iran war drives oil surge

The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. reached $4.02 March 31, surpassing $4 for the first time since mid-2022, according to AAA. On Feb. 26 — two days before the U.S. and Israel launched their initial strikes against Iran — the national average was $2.98 per gallon. 

The White House has said the spike is temporary. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a March 31 statement that once the war ends, gas prices “will plummet back to the multi-year lows American drivers enjoyed before these short-term disruptions.” She added that Trump is “committed to fully unleashing American energy dominance, lowering costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families.”

Trump shares video Hegseth says shows US strikes on Isfahan ammunition depot

A video Trump shared on Truth Social the night of March 30 showed U.S. bombers striking an ammunition depot in the Iranian city of Isfahan, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a March 31 press conference.

Hegseth said the U.S. carried out about 200 “dynamic strikes” the night of March 30 in addition to planned targets, though he did not specify whether the video Trump shared was filmed that same night.

“You don’t get to see many of those videos because, as a reminder, Iran has still shut off the internet to 99.9% of its population,” Hegseth said.

Isfahan, located roughly 200 miles south of Tehran, is home to one of three nuclear enrichment sites attacked by the U.S. and Israel during a 12-day bombing campaign in 2025.

Iran says it will target US tech companies in Middle East 

According to The Hill, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said March 31 it plans to target more than a dozen American technology companies across the Middle East that it accused of helping plan and track targets for U.S. attacks. The list of 18 companies included Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Nvidia, Oracle, Tesla, HP, Intel, and IBM. G42, an artificial intelligence firm based in the United Arab Emirates, appears to be the only non-U.S. company named.