U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz has pressed for stronger defense amid Iran tensions, drawing on his Army Special Forces background to shape security policy.
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he believes Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu belongs before the International Criminal Court and has told the city's law department to review whether existing New York law allows detaining Netanyahu if he visits for the UN General Assembly. President Donald Trump has posted that Netanyahu will not be arrested in the United States.
The Senate Appropriations Committee has heard updates on the Iran war’s cost and funding needs. Defense Secretary Hegseth cites urgent, necessary funding to deter threats while lawmakers warn against a potential “forever war.” The hearing follows recent clashes and rising casualties in the conflict.
Brent crude has fallen about 8–9% to below $88–$92 a barrel after prices briefly topped $100 last week. The drop follows pauses in US–Iran strikes and reports that both sides have halted attacks to allow diplomacy. Markets remain volatile because shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea is still disrupted and analysts warn supply risks and inflationary pressure persist.
The United States and France clash over the reappointment of UN rights chief Volker Türk, with Washington walking out of a Security Council session as France accuses the US of lecturing the world. The General Assembly has extended Türk’s term despite US opposition, highlighting strains between Washington and the UN and among Western allies.
The United Nations Security Council is considering a US- and Gulf-backed draft resolution that would require Iran to halt attacks on shipping and to cooperate with a humanitarian corridor through the Strait of Hormuz. The measure, drafted under Chapter VII, could impose sanctions and potentially enable force if Tehran fails to comply. Talks are underway at the UN as a four-week truce strains amid renewed tensions.
UN Security Council talks are examining a US-backed draft resolution with Gulf partners that could sanction Iran and authorise force if Tehran does not halt attacks and threats to the Strait of Hormuz, amid a broader push to restore safe navigation and humanitarian corridors.
Israel’s prime minister has said he has made a secret March 26 trip to Al‑Ain to meet UAE president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and has called it a “historic breakthrough.” The UAE has denied the visit. Multiple outlets have reported broader Israel–UAE defence cooperation during the Iran war, including Iron Dome batteries and alleged intelligence coordination.
The Central African Republic has seen some signs of improvement as displacement slows and aid-funded activities resume. Yet funding for 2025 and 2026 remains critically short, raising the risk that gains will unravel. The UN and partners warn that continued shortfalls threaten life-saving relief for millions, with IDPs and refugees relying on fragile programmes to survive.
Direct Israel‑Lebanon talks have begun in Washington as the US is trying to prevent Lebanese fighting from collapsing a new US‑Iran memorandum of understanding. Israel has insisted on keeping troops in a southern Lebanon security zone; the US has opened separate monitoring and deconfliction channels while urging restraint to protect the broader ceasefire talks with Iran.
The US has intensified strikes against Iran as defense stocks remain depleted. A Pennsylvania defense summit highlights vulnerabilities in the supply chain, with officials urging faster production and greater resilience as regional conflicts escalate.
Trump is rallying defense leaders and investors in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to spotlight a robust defense budget and U.S. industrial ties amid concerns over war funding, inflation, and a volatile security landscape. The event features top defense officials and corporate leaders as Republicans push for greater investment while critics warn of deficits.
Haitian gangs control large parts of Port-au-Prince and rural areas, escalating violence and humanitarian needs. The U.N. and U.S. officials warn of a dire situation as Washington contemplates ending TPS for roughly 350,000 Haitians living in the United States and seeks international help for security and relief efforts.
The United States has paused nightly airstrikes on Iran and Tehran has halted retaliatory attacks for at least two days while mediators from Qatar, Pakistan and Oman exchange messages. Advisers warned President Donald Trump that continued strikes risked depleting munitions and running out of targets; oil prices have fallen as markets price the lull.