Early Edition: March 11, 2026

A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:

IRAN WAR 

Three vessels were struck by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz today, maritime security agencies and sources said, taking the total number of ships hit since the start of the war to 14. Reuters reports.

The U.S. military yesterday destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying naval vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said on social media. A senior U.S. official told Axios the strike on the inactive ships was a preemptive measure that was a result of intelligence about Iranian plans to deploy mines in the strait. Barak Ravid reports; Alexandra White reports for the Financial Times.

Israeli airstrikes yesterday killed at least 95 people in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.

Israel has rejected Lebanon’s demand for a complete end to airstrikes before negotiations can take place, three sources said. The Lebanese “are ready to talk to Israel, but under the condition of a cessation of fire. Not a ceasefire, but a cessation,” one of the sources said. “Israel so far refused and says it will only negotiate “under fire.” Neri Zilber, James Shotter, and Henry Foy report for the Financial Times.

France is sending 60 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Lebanon, tripling the volume of what had been dispatched so far, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said today. Sarah White reports for the Financial Times.

Senior U.S. defense officials said that Iran has adapted its military strategy since the beginning of the conflict, targeting what it views as U.S. vulnerabilities: interceptors and air defense systems meant to guard troops and assets in the Middle East. The New York Times identified at least 17 damaged U.S. sites and other installations, several of which have been struck more than once since the war began. This is based on high-resolution, commercial satellite imagery, verified social media videos, and statements by officials. Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times; Bora Erden and Leanne Abraham report.

The Trump administration asked Israel on Monday not to carry out further strikes on energy facilities in Iran, particularly oil infrastructure, according to three sources. An Israeli official said the message was conveyed at a senior political level and to the Israeli military Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir. Another Israeli official said, “The U.S. asked that we notify them in advance of any future strikes on oil facilities.” Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

The Pentagon said yesterday that 140 U.S. service members have been wounded during 10 days of sustained attacks on Iran, including eight troops with life-threatening injuries. “The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty,” Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said. POLITICO.

IRAN WAR – POLITICAL RESPONSE 

The International Energy Agency has proposed the release of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest-ever release of oil reserves, to counter crude price surges, officials said. The proposal was circulated at an emergency meeting of energy officials from the IEA’s 32 member countries yesterday. They are expected to make a decision today. Matthew Dalton, Bojan Pancevski, and Laurence Norman report for the Wall Street Journal.

Trump administration officials yesterday denied a claim by Energy Secretary Chris Wright that the U.S. Navy escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. Wright has now deleted the relevant social media post, which said the Navy “successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.” A spokesperson for the Energy Department said the post was deleted after it was determined to be “incorrectly captioned.” James Bikales and Paul McLeary report for POLITICO.

In a letter sent yesterday, Senate Democrats demanded that Trump immediately dispatch Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to testify under oath on the war in Iran. The letter said the administration had failed to explain the objectives, scope, and endgame of the current conflict. Megan Mineiro and Robert Jimison report for the New York Times.

Ukrainian officials tried to sell the United States their technology for downing Iranian Shahed drones nearly seven months ago, according to a PowerPoint presentation obtained by Axios. The presentation showed how this technology could help protect U.S. forces and their allies in the Middle East. Two U.S. officials said that refusing Ukraine’s offer was one of the biggest tactical miscalculations by the administration leading up to the war in Iran. Marc Caputo, Barak Ravid, and Colin Demarest report.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

Ukraine is now producing drones without Chinese components, as part of a push for military self-sufficiency in the war with Russia, after earlier heavy reliance on Chinese parts, according to Maj. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned System Forces. Brovdi said that drones now account for more than 90 percent of Russian casualties. Maria Varenikova reports for the New York Times.

Russia’s deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children since 2022 amounts to crimes against humanity, according to a report published yesterday by the U.N.’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. The report studied the cases of 1,205 children from five regions in Ukraine, and said that 80% of them have yet to return. Ukraine has said that close to 20,000 children have been illegally sent to Russia and Belarus, where they are sometimes subject to military training. Moscow denies taking children against their will, saying it has been evacuating people voluntarily. Emma Farge reports for Reuters.

OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS 

The Kremlin has launched a disinformation campaign aimed at helping Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán get re-elected next month, sources said. The campaign frames Orbán as the only candidate who can keep Hungary sovereign and treat world leaders as equals, according to a proposal seen by the Financial Times. Russia’s ambassador in Budapest, Evgeny Stanislov, has denied any Russian interference in the election campaign. Max Seddon and Marton Dunai report.

A group of international jurists yesterday accused Salvadoran authorities of committing crimes against humanity in a report filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The complaint alleges systematic acts of torture, murder, and forced disappearances under El Salvador’s state of exception, imposed by President Nayib Bukele’s government four years ago. Reuters reports.

The U.N. Mission in South Sudan said on Monday that it would not comply with a government order to shut down its base in Akobo, an opposition stronghold near the Ethiopian border. The South Sudanese army on Friday ordered U.N. peacekeepers, humanitarian organizations, and civilians to evacuate the town ahead of a planned assault. The U.N. Mission said it would stay to provide “a protective presence to civilians.” The army announced yesterday that Akobo was now under its control. Florence Miettaux and Deng Machol report for AP News.

U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS 

Chevron and Shell are close to securing major oil production deals in Venezuela following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, five sources told  Reuters. Marianna Parraga and Deisy Buitrago report.

U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS 

Federal judges across the United States are criticizing the political leadership of the Justice Department and ICE, saying their policies have put rank-and-file government lawyers in an “impossible position” while defending immigration detention in courts, according to a review of cases by POLITICO. Kyle Cheney reports.

White House and top House Republican officials have told GOP members to avoid discussing “mass deportations” ahead of the midterm elections, and to focus instead only on deportations of foreign criminals, three sources said. Natalie Allison and Kadia Goba report for the Washington Post.

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 

The Senate yesterday confirmed General Joshua Rudd to lead the National Security Agency and the nation’s Cyber Command. Patricia Zengerle reports for Reuters.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has relocated to a military base in the Washington area, following threats from drug cartels and critics of her actions in handling the Jeffrey Epstein cases, sources said. Other officials who have relocated to the base include Stephen Miller, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Kristi Noem. Glenn Thrush reports for the New York Times.

Voting technology firm Smartmatic yesterday filed a motion to dismiss a criminal indictment of money laundering, noting that the company had been cooperating with the Justice Department since 2021. Smartmatic’s attorneys said that the DOJ’s decision to press charges against the company was prompted by Trump’s demands to prosecute his perceived enemies and his belief that Smartmatic helped rig the 2020 election. Joshua Goodman reports for AP News.

The Washington, D.C., Bar filed disciplinary charges against Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, formerly the acting U.S. Attorney for Washington, stating that he threatened to withhold funding for Georgetown University’s Law Centre and barred his staff from hiring its students to punish the institution for its DEI practices. “Acting in his official capacity and speaking on behalf of the government, he used coercion to punish or suppress a disfavored viewpoint, the teaching and promotion of ‘DEI,’” Hamilton Fox, disciplinary counsel for the DC Bar, wrote in a filing made public yesterday. Gregory Svirnovksiy and Jacob Wendler report for POLITICO.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS

The Social Security Inspector General’s office is investigating allegations that a former U.S. DOGE Service software engineer took sensitive data on a thumb drive in a major potential security breach, sources said. The complaint claims that the employee had access to two highly sensitive agency databases and planned to share the information with his private employer once he had removed the personal details from the data. The employee told another colleague that he expected to receive a presidential pardon if his actions were deemed to be illegal. Meryl Kornfield, Elizabeth Dwoskin, and Lisa Rein report for the Washington Post.

Arizona’s acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Matthew Murphy, told the state attorney general’s office last month that his office was now probing the 2020 election in Arizona, a source said. Murphy said he was acting “direction from D.C.,” the source added. The HSI investigation in Arizona comes as the FBI has embarked on a separate election probe in the state. “This is not a joint investigation,” a source familiar with the FBI investigation said. Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Sarah Fitzpatrick, and Nick Moroff report for the Atlantic.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION 

The Democratic National Committee yesterday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to compel the government to say whether it was planning to put armed federal agents or military personnel at polling places or election offices this year. Nick Corasaniti reports for the New York Times.