More than 3,500 U.S. troops arrive in Middle East as Iran war intensifies

More than 3,500 U.S. troops, including the USS Tripoli with about 2,500 Marines, arrived in the Middle East, officials announced Saturday, as strikes in theIran warintensified.

The U.S. Central Commandsaidin a social media post that the USS Tripoli, which serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group / 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, arrived in its area of responsibility.

It's themost updatedof the amphibious warships, known as a "big deck," which allows more room for F-35 Stealth Fighter Jets, Ospreys and other aircraft. The ship had previously been based in Japan when the order to deploy to the Middle East came almost two weeks ago.

Central Command said that in addition to the Marines, the Tripoli also brings transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault assets to the region. The USS Boxer and two other ships, along with another Marine Expeditionary Unit, have also been ordered to the region from San Diego.

More than 11,000 targets have been struck since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, CENTCOM said Saturday in a fact sheet.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday the United States can meet its objectives "without any ground troops." But he also said President Trump "has to be prepared for multiple contingencies" and that American forces are available "to give the president maximum optionality and maximum, opportunity to adjust to contingencies should they emerge."

The arrival of the U.S. troops in the region comesafter at least 10 U.S. troops, including two who were seriously wounded, were injured when Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan air base.

The war, which continues to intensify despite reports of Mr. Trump pushing for a deal, has upended global air travel, disrupted oil exports and caused fuel prices to soar. Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, has exacerbated the economic fallout.

On Saturday, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels said they entered the month-old war by claiming a missile launch that Israel said it intercepted.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, later said in a prerecorded statement aired by the group's Al-Masirah satellite television that the Houthis had launched a second strike on Israel. The Houthis launched strikes in southern Israel to coincide with attacks from Iran and Hezbollah, Saree said, without identifying the locations. Israel did not immediately comment on whether it intercepted any projectiles from Yemen in the second attack.

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The Houthis' entry could further hurt global shipping if they again target vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Red Sea. If theHouthisincrease attacks on commercial shipping, as they have in the past, it would further push up oil prices and destabilize "all of maritime security," said Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group. "The impact would not be limited to the energy market."

Countries have scrambled for alternative routes to the Strait of Hormuz. Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is crucial for vessels heading to the Suez Canal through the Red Sea and Saudi Arabia has been sending millions of barrels of crude oil a day through it because the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed.

About 12% of the world's trade typically passes through Bab el-Mandeb and about 10% of global maritime trade - including 40% of container ship traffic - passes through the Suez Canal each year.

Houthi rebelsattackedover 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels, between November 2023 and January 2025, saying it was attacking in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the war there between Israel and Hamas.

The Houthis' involvement also would complicate the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the aircraft carrier that arrived in Croatia on Saturday for repairs. Sending the carrier to the Red Sea could draw attacks similar to those experienced by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 2024 and the USS Harry S. Truman in 2025.

The Houthis have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014. Saudi Arabia launched a war against the Houthis on behalf of Yemen's exiled government in 2015, and the rebels had stayed out of the current conflict due to their uneasy ceasefire with Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Trump has given Iran until April 6 toreopenthe Strait of Hormuz. Iran says it has not engaged in any negotiations.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff has said Washington delivered a 15-point "action list" to Iran for a possible ceasefire, with a proposal to restrict Iran's nuclear program — the issue at the heart of tensions with the U.S and Israel — and reopen the strait. Tehran rejected the proposal and presented a five-point proposal that included reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the waterway.

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byCristiano Ronaldo

in

March 29, 2026

More than 3,500 U.S. troops arrive in Middle East as Iran war intensifies

More than 3,500 U.S. troops, including the USS Tripoli with about 2,500 Marines, arrived in the Middle East, officials an...

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Aaron Judge dents an ambulance with second HR of season

Aaron Judge's home run impacted more than just the score in the New York Yankees' 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.

The reigning AL MVP clubbed his second homer of the season in the fifth inning off Giants reliever Ryan Borucki, propelling the ball 383 feet down the left field line at Oracle Park. Rather than a lucky fan, the ball landed on a sitting ambulance in the tunnel.

The ball, which left Judge's bat at 102.1 mph at a high launch angle, left a clear dent in the roof of the Giants-branded ambulance.

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The homer gave the Yankees an insurance run they ended up not needing. After starting pitcher Will Warren exited the game in the fifth inning, relievers Brent Headrick, Jake Bird, Tim Hill and David Bednar combined to shut out the Giants over the final 4 2/3 innings.

Judge began the season on a negative note,picking up his first golden sombrero since 2024 on Opening Night, but recovered with a homer on Friday (while making some history with Giancarlo Stanton).

He is now 2-of-13 on the season with 2 homers and 7 strikeouts. It's an extreme collection of outcomes, which figures to even out in the coming weeks.

The Yankees won all three games to open the season, their third straight year doing so, and completed a sweep of the Giants. After an off day Sunday, they'll begin a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners in a potential ALCS preview.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

March 29, 2026

Aaron Judge dents an ambulance with second HR of season

Aaron Judge's home run impacted more than just the score in the New York Yankees' 3-1 win over the San Francisco ...

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Illinois pulls away from Iowa late to reach first Final Four since 2005, end Hawkeyes' NCAA tournament run

Ben McCollum's dream run through the NCAA tournament is over.

No. 3 Illinois finally pulled away from the Hawkeyes late in the second half on Saturday night in their Elite Eight matchup to grab a 71-59 win at the Toyota Center in Houston. That officially secured the Illini their first trip to the Final Four since 2005, when they fell in the national title game to North Carolina.

The Illini will now await either No. 1 Duke or No. 2 UConn in the Final Four next weekend in Indianapolis.

Iowa survives horn delay in first half

The Hawkeyes came out right away and opened the game on a 12-2 run, which put Illinois down by its largest deficit of the tournament so far in the first few minutes of the contest. But the game came to a screeching halt midway through the period after the buzzer inside the Toyota Center wouldn't shut off.

Play stopped for 11 minutes in total, and both teams eventually came back out onto the floor running warmup drills while the buzzer annoyed fans throughout the Houston arena.

Eventually, officials got the horn to shut off. But that left one man on the scorer's table using an air horn for the rest of the game.

When play finally got going again, Iowa star Bennett Stirtz drilled a layup and then hit a 3-pointer right away to put the Hawkeyes back up by seven. Eventually, they took a 32-28 lead into the break. Stirtz had a game-high 15 points at halftime.

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Illinois ends Iowa's run

While they looked unusually off in the first 20 minutes, the Illini finally shut Iowa down in the second half to pick up the win.

Illinois took its first lead of the game just minutes into the second half, after David Mirkovic converted an and-1 layup. While Iowa was getting absolutely worked on the glass, and made just three of its first nine field goal attempts in the second half, the Hawkeyes hung in there for a while. But eventually, Illinois finally pulled away.

The Illini used a 10-1 run capped by an alley-oop from Zvonimir Ivisic, and held Iowa without a made field goal for more than five minutes, to break open an eight-point lead.

While Iowa ended its dry spell — Isaiah Howard hit a 3-pointer on the other end after a timeout — it was too late. Illinois finally held onto its lead for good and rolled the rest of the way to the 12-point win. Iowa went just 1-of-13 from the floor since its last lead at 51-50. Illinois, meanwhile, ended the game making seven of its last nine shots. The Hawkeyes, for the first time all tournament, hit their wall.

Stirtz finished with 24 points for the Hawkeyes, who were playing in their first Elite Eight since 1987 in McCollum's first year running the program. As a No. 9 seed, they were the lowest-seeded Big Ten team to ever reach the Elite Eight, too. Tate Sage added 10 points off the bench, but they were the only two Hawkeyes in double figures. Iowa managed just 20 rebounds to Illinois' 35, too.

Keaton Wagler led Illinois with 25 points after he went 8-of-17 from the field in the win. Andrej Stojakovic added 17 points off the bench, and Tomislav Ivisic had 13 points.

Illinois has now won all four of its NCAA tournament games by double digits after a pair of blowouts to get it out of the first weekend. While it let Iowa hang around for longer than many may have expected, the Illini look very capable of securing not only their first ever national championship, but the Big Ten's first national title since 2000.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

March 29, 2026

Illinois pulls away from Iowa late to reach first Final Four since 2005, end Hawkeyes' NCAA tournament run

Ben McCollum's dream run through the NCAA tournament is over. No. 3 Illinois finally pulled away from the ...

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Ukraine steps up attacks on Russian oil industry as Kremlin reaps export windfall

The Ukrainian military has stepped up attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, as Moscow benefits from higher crude oil prices and some sanctions relief.

Ukrainian drones have struck several Russian refineries and export terminals in the last week, accelerating a campaign that beganlast summerto target one of Russia's biggest revenue sources.

As the war in the Middle East and the surge in crude prices provide a windfall to the Kremlin, Kyiv has redoubled its efforts to hobble Russia's energy production.

The Ukrainian military claims to have carried out 10 major attacks this month on Russian energy infrastructure – some of the strikes deep inside Russia. The extent of the impact is unclear but Russia has mooted banning gasoline exports.

During a call with journalists on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN that Ukraine's long-range drones had become more effective.

The latest strike claimed by the Ukrainian military was early Saturday against a large Russian ⁠oil refinery in Yaroslavl, north-east of ⁠Moscow. The military said there was a direct hit on the refinery, followed by a fire.

Mikhail Evraev, the regional governor in Yaroslavl, acknowledged that several residential buildings and "a commercial facility" had been damaged, but said that more than 30 drones had been neutralized.

The Russian oil export terminal at Ust-Luga on the Baltic coast was attacked twice in the last week. Long-range drones "damaged oil-loading stands and a tank farm containing oil and petroleum products" early Friday, according to the Ukrainian Security Service.

Geolocated video showed a large fire at the port, and the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations warned residents in the nearby city of St. Petersburg of "air pollution" following the attacks.

"We responded to the strike on our energy infrastructure. We responded with a powerful strike, reducing the capabilities of Ust-Luga," Zelensky told CNN.

"40 percent of their capabilities remained at that facility" after the drone strikes, Zelensky said.

The nearby port of Primorsk was also attacked last week, and according to the Ukrainians fires at both ports were still visible Saturday.

A refinery in Saratov in southern Russia operated by state producer Rosneft was struck last weekend.

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Before the Middle East conflict began and the Strait of Hormuz was effectively paralyzed, Russian crude traded at a substantial discount to other benchmarks on global markets.

Now it's sometimes commanding a premium, according to analysts. Russia has also benefited from the easing of some US sanctions. In an effort to calm oil markets, the US Treasury suspended sanctions on Russian crude already at sea earlier this month.

Zelensky again criticized the sanctions relief on Saturday, claiming that Russian intelligence was helping Iran target locations with satellite imagery.

"By lifting sanctions on the aggressor, who makes money every day, they are passing on relevant information regarding attacks" on allied bases in the region, Zelensky said.

Russia's state budget relies on oil earnings for at least one-third of its revenue, according to analysts. Those earnings may have doubled over the past month, they say.

As the Ukrainian strikes continue, the Russian government is poised to reintroduce a ban on gasoline exports, according to state news agency TASS.

It said the measure, which would take effect from next Wednesday, April 1, is being discussed by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and industry ministries and oil companies.

The government imposed a similar measure last September but lifted the ban in January.

Russian newspaper Kommersant said the ban would be reintroduced because the domestic market was being hurt as producers chased higher earnings from exporting gasoline.

But the paper also acknowledged what it called "unscheduled refinery maintenance" and the fires at Primorsk and Ust-Luga.

Zelensky said Saturday that Ukraine's attacks were in response to Russian strikes on its power infrastructure, which have caused widespread electricity outages this winter.

"Russia must stop striking our energy infrastructure. We will then not retaliate against it," he added.

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byCristiano Ronaldo

in

March 29, 2026

Ukraine steps up attacks on Russian oil industry as Kremlin reaps export windfall

The Ukrainian military has stepped up attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, as Moscow benefits from higher crude...

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Persistent heat, fire danger possible this weekend for 47 million Americans

A large swath of the country is expected to face dangerous heat and fire weather conditions this weekend, forecasts show.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for more than 46 million Americans from the Great Plains to the Southeast on Saturday due to widespread critical fire weather danger.

MORE: Dangerous, unprecedented heat wave hits the West

The cold front that stretched for thousands of miles on Friday has ushered in a large dome of high pressure, drying out the air and kicking up winds.

The high winds, combined with dry ground fuels, will contribute to rapid wildfire growth and spread should one ignite.

Wind gusts in the Plains are expected to reach 30 to 60 mph on Saturday.

Gusty winds and dry conditions will also be in place from the Gulf Coast inland across the Southeast, including cities such as Lake Charles, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Birmingham, Alabama; Tallahassee, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina; and Asheville, North Carolina.

Much of these same regions are also experiencing some level of drought, which is the big driver for dry ground fuels.

Meanwhile, a temperature roller coaster is expected in other parts of the country this weekend.

A cooldown has swept across the Midwest and Northeast following warm spring days earlier in the week.

MORE: Heat stroke vs. heat exhaustion: Safety tips as dangerous temperatures hit the West

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Places in the Midwest and Northeast, like Chicago and New York City, will be noticeably cooler for Saturday, but will rebound to seasonable highs by the beginning of the new workweek.

In some regions, temperatures on Saturday will be at least 10 to 20 degrees cooler than Friday -- following record high temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday and seasonably warm temperatures on Friday -- forecasts show.

On Friday, some regions in the mid-Atlantic broke or tied their daily record highs for March 27, including Savannah, Georgia, which reached 89 degrees Fahrenheit, and Columbia, South Carolina, which reached 88 degrees.

As March wraps up, a pattern change will bring likely warmer than normal temperatures for the eastern half of the nation and near normal temperatures for the western half for the beginning of April.

MORE: How to conserve energy during a heat wave

But record-shattering heat will continue in the Southeast, with no relief coming this weekend.

Friday saw another day of record-breaking temperatures.

Phoenix reached 102 degrees; Death Valley reached 101 degrees; and Tucson, Arizona, reached 98 degrees.

Daily record highs are possible again this weekend for Las Vegas and Phoenix.

Between March 15 and March 26, more than 100 monthly records were broken or tied, and 700 daily records were broken or tied across the country, according to the National Weather Service.

Since March 1, there have been more than 1,100 daily records broken or tied across the nation.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

March 29, 2026

Persistent heat, fire danger possible this weekend for 47 million Americans

A large swath of the country is expected to face dangerous heat and fire weather conditions this weekend, forecasts sh...

Read More