March 16, 2026

U.S., ISRAEL, IRAN WAR | Day 17.

• U.S. President Donald Trump said over the weekend that NATO member nations face a "very bad future" if they do not help open the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil normally travels and which has seen almost no traffic since the start of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war. Trump is reported to have requested direct participation in efforts to re-open the Strait from about seven countries, but no commitments have yet been made for such assistance.  [more]
• Amidst ongoing economic pressures linked to the Middle East war, international benchmark Brent crude oil was trading at about $105 this morning – up more than 40% since the war began. [more]
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi today denied that his country may be seeking to negotiate an end to the war, saying Iran is pursuing neither "truce nor talks." [more]
• Gulf region countries continue to experience attacks by Iran as U.S. and Israeli strikes on targets across Iran continue. Among today's incidents in the region are: the closure of Dubai International Airport for several hours after an Iranian drone strike hit a fuel tank near the travel hub, a fire at an oil facility in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, following a drone attack, and Saudi Arabia's interception of 35 Iranian drones targeting the country's eastern oil region. [more]
• Israel's military says additional ground troops have been deployed to southern Lebanon for "limited and targeted operations" against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Lebanese authorities say at least 850 people in the country have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past weeks and that more than 800,000 people have been displaced. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,479 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday accused E.U. allies of "blackmail" through the bloc's demand that Ukraine repair and re-open the Druzhba oil pipeline that transports Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, and which was damaged, according to Zelenskyy, by Russian air strikes in January. Reports note that Hungary has said it will continue to block new E.U. sanctions on Russia and a much-needed 90-billion-euro E.U. loan to Ukraine until the pipeline is reopened. [more]

U.S. MEDIA | President Donald Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticized U.S. media coverage of the war in Iran over the weekend, with Trump characterizing critical reporting as "criminal" and "unpatriotic," and Carr threatening the FCC licenses of broadcasters who do not "operate in the public interest." [more]

U.S. Department of Homeland Security | As the ongoing partial DHS shutdown enters its second month, the CEOs of major U.S. airlines urged Congress in an open letter published yesterday to ensure that air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers be paid during funding-related shutdowns. [more]

MICHIGAN | Reports cite Israeli military officials as saying Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, the man who drove his explosive-laden vehicle into the Temple Israel synagogue in Michigan last week, was the brother of a Hezbollah commander killed earlier this month in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon. [more]

COLORADO | In what union organizers say is the first large-scale walkout at a U.S. slaughterhouse since the 1980s, some 3,800 workers at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, Colorado, went on strike this morning amidst labor practices and contract negotiations with plant owner JBS USA. [more]

U.S. AND CHINA | U.S. President Donald Trump suggested yesterday that he could delay an upcoming planned trip to China following his yet-unanswered request that China help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amidst the war in the Middle East. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is in Paris today for a new round of trade talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng meant, in part, to prepare for Trump's trip to Beijing. [more]

U.S., MEXICO, AND CANADA | In the first of a series of meetings planned to discuss renewal of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, trade deal, U.S. and Mexican trade officials are scheduled to meet today. Reports note that the USMCA, which took effect in 2020 during the first Trump administration, encompasses some $1.6 trillion in annual trade between the three partners. [more]

ISRAEL AND WEST BANK | Palestinian health officials say at least 12 people, including four civilians and eight police officers, were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza yesterday, bringing to about 650 the number of people killed in intermittent outbreaks of violence in the Palestinian enclave since the Israel-Hamas cease-fire took effect. [more]

MYANMAR | Following the country's recent elections, which were widely criticized after major opposition parties were blocked from participation, Myanmar's first parliamentary session in five years opened today with nearly 90% of seats in the two-chamber parliament held by the ruling military junta and its allies. [more]

KAZAKHSTAN | According to the country's Central Election Commission, Kazakhstan's new constitution, which critics say could be used to extend President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s eligibility for office, was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum yesterday, having received 87% support. Among the constitutional changes approved are: merging the country's two parliamentary chambers into one, creating a "People's Chamber," with all members appointed by the president, with the power to initiate legislation, and defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. [more]

AUSTRIA | In a report that researchers say highlights the impact of climate change, the Austrian Alpine Club says all but two of Austria's 96 glaciers retreated over the past two years, with an average retreat of more than 20 meters (65 feet). [more]

TECH INDUSTRY | Reuters cites unnamed sources as saying Facebook parent company Meta is planning large-scale layoffs that could affect 20% of the company's 79,000 employees. Shares of Meta rose about 3% in early trading following news of the layoff plans. [more]

COLLEGE BASKETBALL | In yesterday's Selection Sunday for the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments, Duke, Arizona, Michigan, and Florida were named No. 1 seeds in the men's tournament, while UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina topped the women's brackets. [full men's bracket] [full women's bracket] [more]

BASEBALL | The U.S. beat the Dominican Republic, 2-1, last night to advance to the final of the World Baseball Classic where they will face the winner of tonight's game between Italy and Venezuela. [more]

FILM AWARDS | "One Battle After Another" and "Sinners" were the big winners at last night's 98th Academy Awards. "One Battle After Another" was named best picture, and the film's director, Paul Thomas Anderson, won for Best Director. Michael B. Jordan won the Best Actor Oscar for his leading role in "Sinners," and Jessie Buckley was named Best Actress for her role in "Hamnet." [full list of winners] [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Hoppers" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $28.5 million in receipts, followed by "Reminders of Him" and "Undertone." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1945, U.S. Marines captured the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during World War II. [more history]