U.S

Kharg Island sits at the fulcrum of Middle East energy and security. Any clash that reaches its shores is not just a military episode; it is a shock to the arteries of global trade. Amid reports of U.S. strikes near Kharg and signals of Iranian retaliation, the stakes are worth laying out clearly: this is where geopolitics meets the lifeblood of the world economy, and miscalculation can travel far beyond the Persian Gulf. Kharg Island, roughly 25 miles off Iran’s coast in the northern Persian Gulf, is the hub through which…

Missile hits U.S. Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone, officials say BAGHDAD — A missile struck inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone on Saturday, igniting smoke visible over the area and damaging parts of the complex, according to Iraqi security officials. An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera the attack destroyed part of the embassy’s air defense system. Separately, two security officials told The Associated Press the projectile hit a helipad within the compound. The officials spoke on condition…

Judge halts Trump move to end TPS for Somalis days before deadline BOSTON — A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants just days before the program was set to lapse, preserving work authorization and deportation protections for nearly 1,100 people while a lawsuit proceeds. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued an administrative stay of the Department of Homeland Security’s March 17 termination date for Somalia’s TPS designation,…

Iran warns U.S. of ‘severe retaliation’ if it targets new supreme leader TEHRAN — Iran’s ambassador to Russia warned the United States that any move to target the country’s new supreme leader would invite “severe retaliation,” as hostilities among Iran, the U.S. and Israel entered a second week amid mounting casualties and regional disruption. Ambassador Kazem Jalali told Russia’s Sputnik news agency that Iranians demand revenge and that Washington would face severe consequences if it strikes at Tehran’s leadership. Iran…

Saturday March 14, 2026 MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. state of West Virginia to develop the country’s critical mineral resources, officials said. The agreement, signed by Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Dahir Shire Mohamed and West Virginia Senate Secretary Kris Warner, sets a framework for cooperation in the exploration, extraction and processing of minerals. Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama led Somalia’s delegation.…

U.S. strikes hit military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, President Donald Trump said, warning he will consider targeting the country’s oil infrastructure if Iran continues to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for a fifth of the world’s crude. Trump said in a social media post the U.S. military “totally obliterated every MILITARY target” on Kharg Island while leaving oil facilities intact. He added that if Iran, or “anyone else,” interferes with the “Free and Safe Passage of Ships” in the strait,…

Friday March 13, 2026 Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates on March 11, 2026 The U.S. military is “not ready” to escort oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Thursday, as Iran keeps the strategic waterway largely shut and global oil prices whipsaw. Wright told CNBC that the market shock is a “short-term disruption,” predicting the war would last “weeks, not months.” He cast the current squeeze as “short-term…

WASHINGTON — The United States is dispatching additional Marines and warships to the Middle East as the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran enters its third week, amid escalating attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz and a renewed surge in global oil prices, according to multiple U.S. media reports. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Japan-based amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and attached Marines are en route to the region. The New York Times said as many as three ships carrying roughly 2,500 Marines were…

Fire aboard USS Gerald R. Ford injures two; carrier remains operational in Red Sea RED SEA — Two U.S. sailors sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a fire broke out Thursday aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy said, adding the ship remains fully mission capable as it continues operations in the Red Sea. In a statement, the Navy said the blaze started and was contained in the Ford’s main laundry facility and was not combat-related. The sailors were treated and are in stable condition. “There…

Six U.S. airmen were killed when a U.S. military refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday during an in-flight incident involving another aircraft, U.S. Central Command said Friday. The military said the loss was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. Six crew members confirmed dead; investigation underway Crash involved a second aircraft that landed safely U.S. says no hostile or friendly fire; Iran-backed group claims responsibility Deaths bring U.S. toll to 13 since operations against Iran began Feb. 28…