Trump tells Iran 'help is on its way' and 'the rail deal'
Donald Trump's message to Iranians protesting against the regime dominates Wednesday's front pages. The Guardian quotes the US president with its headline "help is on its way", which the paper says is the "clearest sign" he may be preparing for military action against Tehran.
The Daily Telegraph echoes Trump's pledge, spotlighting a photo of protesters in Iran holding up signs calling for America's help. The paper also reports that senior US national security and military officials met on Tuesday to discuss the Iranian government's violent crackdown, which has led to the deaths of around 2,000 people.
The Financial Times follows with a "dispatch from Tehran", quoting protesters on the streets who say: "We get killed if we go out."
In news closer to home, the Times reports on the prime minister's "U-turn over compulsory digital IDs". The prime minister has abandoned plans to make the IDs mandatory to gain employment. Government sources tell the paper the cards will instead be optional, and workers will be able to verify their identity with other documents.
The Daily Mail adds that the PM abandoning plans for mandatory digital IDs is the "13th U-turn" of his tenure.
Staying with the government, plans for new rail links between major Northern cities will be unveiled on Wednesday, according to the i Paper. The next phase of the project is due to start in the 2030s and includes a new route between Liverpool and Manchester, the paper reports.
"The rail deal" is the Daily Mirror's take on the government's "Northern Powerhouse pledge" for new lines and infrastructure. It quotes the PM saying: "This government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver change."
A court has been told a Russian ship captain did "absolutely nothing" to avoid a collision with a US tanker that killed one of his crew in the North Sea, the Metro says. The trial for the incident - which happened in March 2025 - has started, with the captain pleading not guilty as he is accused of "grossly negligent conduct".
The Daily Express features a warning from campaigners that the total number of elderly people living in poverty risks exceeding two million. The paper refers to research by Age UK that says pensioners are taking "drastic measures" to make ends meet, including skipping meals and cutting their electricity use.
Pubs are expected to be hit by higher prices as a hike in alcohol duty kicks in due to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget, the Sun says. The paper's front page pictures a smiling Reeves at the pump with the headline, "the inn reaper".
Finally, the Daily Star focuses on Trump's interest in Greenland. The paper splashes on a picture released by the White House of the US president staring out a window at a map of Greenland, describing it as an "arctic troll".
Donald Trump's promise to protestors in Iran that "help is on the way" is the main story for the Daily Telegraph. The paper says it's spoken to medics in Tehran who say the healthcare system is buckling amid mass casualties and chronic understaffing. It quotes one doctor as saying: "There are rivers of blood in hospitals here."
The Guardian says Trump's remarks are the clearest sign yet that he may be preparing for military action against Tehran.
The government's U-turn on making digital ID cards "mandatory" for people who want to work is the lead in the Times. The paper says the prime minister had previously put migration at the heart of the rationale for the cards, but there were concerns about the cost and complexity of the scheme.
It quotes one government source as saying they didn't want to risk there being cases of a "65-year-old in a rural area being barred from working because he hasn't downloaded this app". Another source source said the government "remained committed" to a requirement that right-to-work checks are carried out digitally.
The Mirror leads with details of Northern Powerhouse Rail, the £45bn programme which will include new rail lines built to Manchester and upgrades to services in West Yorkshire. The paper says ministers are also expected to promise a new version of HS2's axed leg between Birmingham and Manchester.
The impact of the Budget on pubs is the focus for the Sun. It says drinkers will be paying 4p more for a pint for Guinness from April, and that other drinks will have their alcohol content reduced because of next month's rise in alcohol duty.
The paper says it's a "double whammy" for the hospitality industry after the chancellor raised business rates for pubs as well. A Treasury spokesperson said it was determined to support the Great British pub. The Sun's headline calls Rachel Reeves: "The Inn Reaper."
