A Chicano In Paris

The Rest of the World Report | April 2, 2026 — Morning Edition

President Trump delivered a 19‑minute prime‑time address on April 1, reiterating that the Iran war is nearly won and promising two to three more weeks of heavy strikes, while offering no new diplomatic framework or answers to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s open‑letter question. The speech sparked a sharp market reaction, pushing Brent crude above $105 per barrel and sending Dow futures down over 260 points. Simultaneously, the conflict’s broader toll grew, with Lebanon’s death count exceeding 1,260 and over a million displaced, Gaza’s ceasefire violations killing 673 Palestinians, and three UN peacekeepers killed in southern Lebanon. Trump also branded NATO a “paper tiger,” intensifying friction with European allies over air‑space and security cooperation.