Iran

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the end of the war with Iran may be coming into view, as Washington signalled room for direct contact with Tehran's leadership and indicated the conflict could wind down even without a formal agreement. The comments highlighted the administration's evolving — and at times conflicting — messaging over when and under what conditions a war that has killed thousands, engulfed the region and triggered severe energy disruption might be brought to a close. "We'll…

A stark new warning from Washington has raised the stakes in the Middle East conflict, with US President Donald Trump saying the United States would destroy Iran's energy plants and oil wells unless Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz. The threat came after Iran dismissed US peace proposals as "unrealistic" and launched fresh waves of missiles at Israel. The Israeli military said two drones launched from Yemen were intercepted today, while Lebanon's Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel. Israel, meanwhile, said it struck…

A war in Iran that is beginning to cloud President Donald Trump’s legacy is also raising the political stakes for two of the most closely watched figures in his orbit: Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Both men, often cast as possible heirs to Donald Trump, have been drawn into the still-evolving push to bring thewar to an end just as Republicans are starting to think more seriously about what the party looks like after him. JD Vance has moved carefully, mirroring his long-running scepticism of…

Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said Iran has agreed to let 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a move Islamabad quickly framed as a significant breakthrough in one of the gravest energy crises in recent memory.

A widening Middle East conflict moved closer to a broader confrontation with Iran yesterday after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis launched their first attacks on Israel since the war began, even as more US forces arrived in the region. Washington has sent thousands of Marines to the Middle East during the month-old conflict. The first of two contingents arrived on Friday aboard an amphibious assault ship, the US military said yesterday. The Washington Post reported that US officials said the Pentagon was preparing for weeks of…

Iclal TuranSaturday March 28, 2026 US military hardware worth billions of dollars has been damaged or destroyed since the US-Israeli war on Iran began, with Iranian missile and drone attacks responsible for much of the destruction, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Friday. In the opening three weeks of fighting, losses are estimated at between $1.4 billion and $2.9 billion, Elaine McCusker, a former Pentagon budget official now with the American Enterprise Institute, told the newspaper. Among the incidents…

Julian Borger and Aram Roston in WashingtonSaturday March 28, 2026 Mohammed bin Salman has urged Trump not to cut short war, according to New York Times report confirmed by a Saudi intelligence source. Photograph: AP Saudi Arabia has called on the United States to intensify its strikes on Iran, a Saudi intelligence source has confirmed, as Riyadh weighs whether to enter the conflict itself. The source backed a New York Times account saying Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, had pressed Donald…

In southern Somalia’s Ladan camp, a child’s cry can be heard—but for the most malnourished youngsters, even sound can be out of reach. Mothers there are focused on a single question: whether their children will survive. At the Ladan camp, on the outskirts of the town of Dollow, families who have fled drought-stricken areas arrive with little more than their children. Their farms and livestock were wiped out after four failed rainy seasons, leaving displaced people to seek shelter in crowded conditions where hope is measured…

The Trump administration wants its campaign of military operations against Iran to end in weeks, not months—and US officials say Washington believes it can accomplish its goals without deploying ground troops. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the timeline can be met while US forces continue working to pressure Tehran. At the same time, fighting has widened across the region. A Reuters report cited a US official as saying an Iranian strike on an airbase in Saudi Arabia wounded two American service members severely and…

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back sharply on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of misstating Washington’s position and signaling that the United States could redirect weapons support toward Kyiv to bolster its own campaign following attacks on Iran. Zelensky had claimed in an interview that the United States was urging Ukraine to surrender the eastern Donbas region to Russia before any post-war security commitments are finalized. Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.…