Early Edition: March 23, 2026

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A curated guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:

IRAN WAR 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Friday that sanctions on some Iranian oil will be temporarily lifted to allow the sale of shipments already in transit. Bessent said in a post on social media that the United States is granting authorization for the sale of about 140 million barrels of Iranian oil. Aaron Pellish reports for POLITICO.  

Iranian air strikes on Saturday night injured about 175 people in the Israeli cities of Arad and Dimona. Israeli Defense Secretary Israel Katz said U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran this week would “escalate significantly.” Ashley Ahn reports for the New York Times.  

The Trump administration has begun initial internal discussions on what peace talks with Iran might look like, according to a U.S. official and another source. Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are involved in the discussions around potential negotiations. Officials are still considering who in Iran would be the best point of contact and which country would be the best mediator, ideally Qatar. President Trump said on Friday that he was considering “winding down” the war without resolving the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, though U.S. officials said they expected at least two or three more weeks of fighting. Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo report for Axios.  

Trump on Saturday night gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or else the United States will start destroying Iranian power plants in a post on social media. Trump set a Monday deadline of around 7:45 p.m. ET. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said today that Iran will attack Israel’s power plants and plants supplying the U.S. bases in the Gulf if Trump carries out his threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power network. Israel launched new attacks this morning on the Iranian capital, saying it had “begun a wide-scale wave of strikes” on infrastructure targets in Tehran. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Maayan Lubell, Alexander Cromwell, and Idrees Ali report for Reuters; Jon Gambrell and David Rising report for AP News.

Trump said today that he would postpone his deadline for attacking Iranian power plants by five days, adding that the United States and Iran were negotiating “a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.” Iranian state media portrayed Trump’s comments as a sign that he was backing down, saying, “Trump, out of fear of Iran’s response, backed down from his 48-hour ultimatum.” Aaron Boxerman, Julian Barnes, Isabel Kershner, and Ravi Mattu report for the New York Times.  

A U.S.-operated Patriot missile likely contributed to an explosion in Bahrain on March 9, possibly detonating mid-air over a residential area and contributing to civilian injuries and damage, according to an analysis by academic researchers examined by Reuters. Both the United States and Bahrain have blamed an Iranian drone for injuring the 32 people. In response to questions from Reuters, Bahrain on Saturday acknowledged that a Patriot missile was involved in the explosion over the Mahazza neighborhood. Neither Bahrain nor Washington has provided evidence that an Iranian drone was involved in the incident. Jonathan Landay, M.B. Pell, and Travis Hartman report for Reuters. 

IRAN WAR – POLITICAL RESPONSE 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Trump spoke late last night and “agreed that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was essential to ensure stability in the global energy market,” Downing Street said in a statement today. Britain is one of 22 countries that have signed a statement saying they are ready to “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” through the strait. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said yesterday that he is “absolutely convinced” that the alliance will be able to reopen the strait, while reiterating his support for Trump’s campaign, calling the U.S. operation “crucial” due to the “existential threat from Iran.” Helen Regan reports for CNN; Mitchell McCluskey reports for CNN. 

“The export of war materiel to countries involved in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorized for the duration of the conflict,” the Swiss government said on Friday. The statement reiterated, “exports of war materiel to the USA cannot currently be authorized.” Nick Cumming-Bruce reports for the New York Times. 

The Trump administration declared a wartime emergency to bypass Congress and push through over $23 billion in weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan, the State Department said on Friday. This marks the second recent use of emergency authority to circumvent congressional approval since the war in Iran started. Megan Mineiro and Edward Wong report for the New York Times. 

LEBANON 

Katz said yesterday that he had ordered the military to step up its destruction of bridges and houses in southern Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes yesterday destroyed a bridge linking Lebanon’s south to the rest of the country. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the strikes were a “prelude to a ground invasion” and amounted to a “policy of collective punishment against civilians.” The Israeli military’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, said yesterday that Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah had “only just begun.” Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times; Aaron Boxerman reports for the New York Times; Ahmed Fahmy, Amr Abdallah Dalsh, and Alexander Cornwell report for  Reuters.  

ISRAEL-GAZA WAR 

An Israeli airstrike yesterday on a police vehicle in central Gaza killed three people, according to health officials, hours after another person was killed in a strike on northern Gaza. Gaza’s ⁠health ministry says that at least 680 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the October ceasefire. Israel said four ⁠soldiers ​were killed by militants in Gaza in ​the same period. Reuters reports. 

Trump’s “Board of Peace” has presented Hamas with a written proposal for disarmament, two sources said. The proposal was submitted to Hamas during meetings in Cairo last week, one source said. The plan may include incentives like amnesty for Hamas and investment in Gaza, yet uncertainty remains over funding for reconstruction, Israel’s stance on full disarmament, and whether Hamas will ultimately agree. Pesha Magid and Rami Ayyub report for Reuters. 

WEST BANK VIOLENCE 

Israeli settlers injured at least 10 Palestinians last night in the occupied West Bank as they carried out coordinated attacks on Palestinian villages after holding a funeral for a settler killed in a car crash a night earlier. The arson and assaults in four Nablus-area villages on Sunday came a day after the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported simultaneous attacks by settlers in at least six communities. Sam Metz reports for AP News. 

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR 

Ukrainian and U.S. delegations concluded a second day of talks in Florida yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that it is clear that the United States is primarily focused on Iran. “There are indications that further [prisoner of war] exchanges may take ​place, which would indeed be very good news and confirmation that diplomacy is working,” Zelenskyy said. Pavel Polityuk reports for Reuters.  

SUDANESE CIVIL WAR 

An airstrike on a hospital in Sudan’s eastern Darfur region last week killed at least 64 people, including 13 children, the World Health Organization said on Saturday. The strike on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital also injured at least 89 people and rendered the hospital non-functional. The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces paramilitary has blamed the Sudanese army for the strike. The SAF has denied the attack, but two military officials said the strike was targeting a nearby police station. Fay Abuelgasim reports for AP News.  

OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS  

A unit of Russia’s foreign intelligence service (SVR) last month suggested staging an assassination attempt on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in order to counter his plummeting public support ahead of the April election, according to an internal report for the SVR reviewed by the Washington Post. “Such an incident will shift the perception of the campaign out of the rational realm of socioeconomic questions into an emotional one,” the Russian operatives wrote in the report. Catherine Belton reports.

U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS 

The U.S. military killed two people in a strike against an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, U.S. Southern Command said on Friday. The ​Coast Guard said it was notified by U.S. ​Southern Command on ​Thursday that three people were ‌reported ⁠in distress in Pacific waters. They found two dead ​and one ​survivor, who was transferred to the Costa Rican Coast Guard. Reuters reports. 

An international humanitarian convoy set sail from Mexico on Friday to deliver over 20 tons of supplies to Cuba. Emiliano Rodríguez Mega and Paul Antoine Matos report for the New York Times.  

Cuba is prepared for the unlikely possibility of a military engagement with the United States, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said over the weekend. De Cossio also said that any suggestion that the nature, structure, or membership of the Cuban government could be negotiated in talks with the United States is false. Nicola Jao reports for Reuters.   

The Cuban government refused a request by the U.S. Embassy to allow it to import diesel for its generators, two U.S. officials said on Friday. Matthew Lee and Aamer Madhani report for AP News. 

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been designated a “priority target” by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, according to records seen by AP News. Federal prosecutors in New York are also investigating Petro’s alleged ties to drug traffickers, sources said. The probe, still in early stages, involves claims from informants about connections to groups like the Sinaloa cartel and possible bribery schemes, though it is unclear whether any charges will follow. Jim Mustian, Joshua Goodman, and Alanna Durkin report.

U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS 

Pregnant women taken into ICE custody have been held in detention centers as late as eight months into their pregnancies, often without adequate food or medical care, according to a New York Times review of 10 cases published yesterday. The review found that the Homeland Security Department violated longstanding agency guidelines for how to treat pregnant women in detention. Caroline Kitchener, Charo Henríquez, and Hamed Aleaziz report. 

White House Border Czar Tom Homan yesterday confirmed that ICE agents will be at U.S. airports starting today. Homan’s announcement comes as the partial government shutdown has led to Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages, causing hours-long wait times at some airports. “If the Democrats do not allow for Just and Proper Security at our Airports, and elsewhere throughout our Country, ICE will do the job far better than ever done before!”, Trump said on Saturday. Cheyanne M. Daniels reports for POLITICO. 

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 

“Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!,” Trump posted on Saturday. Trump’s comments about the death of the former FBI director sparked fierce condemnation from Democrats on social media over the weekend. Gregory Svirnovskiy and Ben Johansen report for POLITICO.  

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS 

The White House on Friday unveiled an AI national policy for Congress that urges lawmakers to enact legislation to preempt “cumbersome state AI laws.” The document also sets out measures to protect children, including giving parents control of accounts and devices to protect their children’s privacy and suggests requiring that AI platforms include features to combat potential sexual exploitation or self-harm. Reuters reports.  

Only 9% of the Defense Department’s civilian workforce agreed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership “generates high levels of motivation in the workforce,” according to a survey conducted by Partnership for Public Service released last week. The survey also shows that civilian workers with the Navy and Marine Corps have seen the biggest plunge in work satisfaction, from a score of 68.1 out of 100 in 2024 to 36.4 in 2025. The scores for Air Force workers dropped from 67 to 38.5; Army, from 70.3 to 48.1; and Hegseth’s office, the Joint Staff and other fourth-estate organizations, from 63.6 to 40.6. Meghann Myers reports for Defense One. 

A statue of Christopher Columbus was installed on the grounds of the White House yesterday morning. The statue is a replica of one that protesters in Baltimore tore down and dumped into the city’s Inner Harbor in 2020. “In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he’s honored as such for generations to come,” a White House spokesperson said. Julia Jacobs reports for the New York Times.  

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION 

A federal judge on Friday ruled that the Trump administration violated the Constitution when it sought to restrict press access to the Pentagon and limit what reporters could cover. The judge granted a request from the New York Times to void the Pentagon’s press credential policy. Aaron Pellish reports for POLITICO.

The Chicago Transit Authority filed a lawsuit on Friday to restore more than $2 billion in federal money for expansion and maintenance of the city’s red and purple lines. The CTA alleged in its complaint that the freeze was part of an effort by Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought to punish Democrats for their role in starting the government shutdown last October. Gregory Svirnovskiy reports for POLITICO. 

New Jersey filed a lawsuit on Friday seeking to block a major immigrant detention facility from opening in the town of Roxbury. Katie Bartlett and Daniel Han report for POLITICO. 

The Underground Railroad Education Center filed a lawsuit on Friday alleging that the National Endowment for the Humanities withheld a $250,000 grant on the basis of race. The complaint states that the Trump administration has systematically targeted programs promoting black history and culture. Gregory S. Schneider reports for the Washington Post.