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Traders at the New York Stock Exchange.Michael Nagle\/BloombergIsrael strikes with what appears to be white phosphorous near Lebanese city of Tyre \u2014 8:50 a.m.<\/p>\nRussia sends medicines to Iran \u2014 10:23 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Russia\u2019s Emergencies Ministry said Friday that it has delivered a batch of medicines to Iran.<\/p>\n
The ministry said that 313 metric tons of medicines were carried by rail to Azerbaijan\u2019s border with Iran, where they were handed over to Iranian representatives. It said the supplies have been sent on President Vladimir Putin\u2019s orders.<\/p>\n
Get Starting Point<\/p>\n
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, an Emergencies Ministry plane delivered 13 metric tons of humanitarian supplies to Iran.<\/p>\n
In the US, older and younger conservatives disagree on Iran war \u2014 10:12 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
A sharp generational split over the Iran war is opening up at this year\u2019s Conservative Political Action Conference.<\/p>\n
Younger attendees tell The Associated Press they feel disappointed and even betrayed by Trump\u2019s launch of strikes against Iran. They say his actions clash with his America-first promises.<\/p>\n
Older conservatives defend Trump and call the war a pragmatic response to threats. Some younger voters say their support has slipped, and they worry about troops deploying.<\/p>\n
Prominent conservatives in the media are also divided. CPAC leaders are pushing for unity with tough midterms ahead. The conference chairman, CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp acknowledged the divisions and said the convention\u2019s annual straw poll will include a question about it, with results released Saturday, the convention\u2019s final day.<\/p>\n
Airstrike on southern Lebanese village kills 4 \u2014 9:50 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
The Health Ministry said the airstrike that destroyed a house in the coastal village of Saksakiyeh also wounded eight people.<\/p>\n
Lebanon\u2019s state media reported airstrikes in other parts of south Lebanon including the southern city of Nabatiyeh and villages close to it as well as other towns and villages in the coastal Tyre region.<\/p>\n
The strikes came as other parts of south Lebanon witnessed intense clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters.<\/p>\n
Hezbollah said its fighters fought fierce battles in the villages of Chamaa and Bayada near the Mediterranean coast.<\/p>\n
Iran formalizing its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz \u2014 9:32 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Iran appears to be setting itself up as the gatekeeper for the\u00a0Strait of Hormuz. The move could cement Tehran\u2019s de facto chokehold over the crucial waterway and formalize its ability to keep its own oil flowing to China.<\/p>\n
Iranian communications to the UN maritime authority and the experience of ships transiting the strait suggest the creation of something akin to a \u201ctoll booth.\u201d Ships must enter Iranian waters and be vetted by Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. At least two vessels paid for passage using Chinese currency.<\/p>\n
Iranian news agencies quoted a lawmaker as saying \u201cparliament is pursuing a plan to formally codify Iran\u2019s sovereignty, control and oversight over the Strait of Hormuz, while also creating a source of revenue through the collection of fees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Traffic\u00a0through the strait\u00a0has fallen by 90 percent, sending global oil prices skyrocketing and inflicting alarming shortages on Asian nations in particular.<\/p>\n
Markets point lower and crude prices jump following worst day on Wall Street since Iran war began \u2014 9:14 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Wall Street lurched lower in premarket trading and oil prices rose another 2 percent as Israel launched a new wave of\u00a0attacks on Iran\u00a0and Trump extended his deadline for Tehran to open\u00a0the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
Futures for the S&P 500 were down 0.3 percent early Friday, adding to the 1.7 percent decline a day earlier. The index is headed for a fifth straight losing week, which would be the longest such losing streak in almost four years.<\/p>\n
Futures for the Dow and Nasdaq also fell. Unlike the rally earlier this week, markets appeared skeptical of\u00a0Trump\u2019s latest claim\u00a0that talks with Iran were going \u201cvery well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Traders at the New York Stock Exchange.Michael Nagle\/BloombergIsrael strikes with what appears to be white phosphorous near Lebanese city of Tyre \u2014 8:50 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Associated Press journalists in the area saw the smoke plumes resembling the controversial substance, which is banned under international law when used in civilian areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis image clearly shows the use of artillery-delivered white phosphorus being dispersed over a wide area,\u201d said Rich Weir, Senior Advisor at Human Right Watch\u2019s Crisis, Conflict and Arms Division. \u201cWhile the legality of its use here is difficult to ascertain without more information, it\u2019s incendiary effects can can cause devastating injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weir said the rights group has documented Israel using the substance \u201crepeatedly unlawfully\u201d in populated areas in Lebanon in other instances.<\/p>\n
Israel has maintained that it has used the substance as a smokescreen or to light up areas in line with international law.<\/p>\n
Israel struck an area in southern Lebanon with what appears to be white phosphorus \u2014 8:22 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Associated Press journalists near the coastal city of Tyre on Friday saw smoke plumes resembling white phosphorus, which is banned under international law when used in civilian areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis image clearly shows the use of artillery-delivered white phosphorus being dispersed over a wide area,\u201d said Rich Weir, senior adviser at Human Right Watch\u2019s crisis, conflict and arms division. \u201cWhile the legality of its use here is difficult to ascertain without more information, its incendiary effects can cause devastating injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weir said the rights group has documented Israel using the substance \u201crepeatedly (and) unlawfully\u201d in populated areas in Lebanon in other instances. Israel has maintained that its use of the substance has been in line with international law, using it as a smokescreen or to light up areas.<\/p>\n
Gaza hosts first marathon since the war \u2014 7:51 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Wearing white numbered shirts, athletes ran through the streets of Gaza on Friday in the first marathon in more than two years. Organized by the Emirati group Al Fares Al Shahm, the race had some 300 participants from across the enclave, running 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) to the backdrop of cheering fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a wonderful feeling today, after a break from sports for more than two years,\u201d said Mahmoud Abu Sbeitan, a participant.<\/p>\n
Salah al-Din street \u2014 where the race was run \u2014 was once difficult to walk on, said Kamel Khatib, another runner. \u201cBut today we are participating in a marathon and this is a very wonderful feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Runners take part in the 4-kilometer Zayed Marathon, sponsored by the United Arab Emirates, along Salah al-Din Street in the central Gaza Strip, Friday, March 27, 2026. Abdel Kareem Hana\/Associated PressASEAN shifts most meetings online as oil prices surge \u2014 7:15 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
The Philippines will shift online about 650 meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including by its foreign ministers, in a drastic move to save money as a result of the crisis caused by the war in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., this year\u2019s ASEAN chair, said only an annual summit hosted by the Philippines in May will be done face-to-face but even that will be stripped of the pomp and pageantry in \u201ca very bare-bones summit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cASEAN meetings cannot be impervious to the complex adversities that the bloc has to overcome,\u201d Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said.<\/p>\n
Israel warns attacks on Iran will expand \u2014 6:53 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Defense Minister Israel Katz made the comment in a statement noting that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu \u201cwarned the Iranian terrorist regime to stop firing missiles at the civilian population in Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the warnings, the firing continues \u2014 and therefore (Israeli military) attacks in Iran will escalate and expand to additional targets and areas that assist the regime in building and operating weapons against Israeli citizens,\u201d Katz said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will pay heavy, increasing prices for this war crime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lebanon says 2 were killed in Israeli strike on a Beirut suburb \u2014 6:32 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
The Health Ministry gave no further details on the early Friday strike that came without warning on the southern suburb of Tahwitat al-Ghadir.<\/p>\n
Iran accuses US and Israel of \u2018clear intent to commit genocide\u2019 \u2014 6:30 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said more than 600 schools have been damaged or demolished and more than 1,000 students and teachers \u201cmartyred or wounded\u201d in Iran during the war.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe aggressors\u2019 targeting pattern accompanied by their rhetoric leave little doubt as to their clear intent to commit genocide,\u201d Araghchi said by video during an urgent debate at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Friday.<\/p>\n
The debate focused on a\u00a0Feb. 28 strike at an elementary school\u00a0in the southern city of Minab. More than 165 people were killed, most of them of children, according to Iranian state media. Experts says evidence suggests the blast was likely caused by US airstrikes. US officials have said an investigation is underway. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.<\/p>\n
An Israeli soldier and a combat officer were severely injured in Lebanon \u2014 5:57 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
The military said Friday the service members were evacuated to a hospital after being injured during an \u201coperational accident\u201d in southern Lebanon. No other details were immediately available.<\/p>\n
Oil prices gained in early Friday trading \u2014 5:56 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Brent crude futures, the international standard, was 1.6 percent higher at $103.51 <\/b>per barrel.<\/p>\n
France\u2019s minister of armed forces says Middle East war \u2018not ours\u2019 \u2014 5:53 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Catherine Vautrin also said that France\u2019s position is strictly defensive.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Europe 1 and CNews on Friday as G7 foreign ministers met outside Paris in presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vautrin said that France\u2019s strategy in the Middle East is based on a diplomatic approach to avoid any escalation in the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal, I repeat, is truly to facilitate the diplomatic path,\u201d she said. Referring to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Vautrin said \u201cthe aim is truly this diplomatic approach, which is the only one that can guarantee a return to peace. Many countries are concerned, and it is absolutely essential that we find a solution.\u201d<\/p>\n
UK says Iran can\u2019t be allowed to hold global economy hostage \u2014 5:27 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for a \u201cswift resolution\u201d to the war in the Middle East and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a meeting of G7 foreign ministers on the outskirts of Paris, Cooper said Iran is undermining the global economy by blocking international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the world\u2019s most important waterway for oil shipments. \u201cFrankly, Iran cannot be allowed to hold the global economy hostage as a result of a strait that is vital to international shipping routes and the freedom of navigation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
![\"France's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/PMNBSLLKLVHDVPI43JQVXWQ2HA.jpg\")
France’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (R) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pose for a family photo during a G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting at the Vaux-de-Cernay Abbey in Cernay-la-Ville outside Paris, on March 27, 2026. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI\/POOL\/AFP via Getty ImagesUkraine\u2019s leader talks drone defense on Saudi visit \u2014 5:24 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his country and Saudi Arabia have agreed \u201can important arrangement\u201d on defense cooperation.<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy, on a visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday, said on social media that the document \u201clays the foundation for future contracts, technological cooperation, and investment.\u201d He provided no details.<\/p>\n
Ukrainian experts in drone combat, with experience of more than four years fighting Iranian drones used during Russia\u2019s invasion, are helping five Middle East and Gulf countries to counter attacks, according to Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian leader said he would meet later in the day with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.<\/p>\n
Egypt warns Rubio of economic repercussions of the war \u2014 5:21 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio \u201cemphasized the importance of providing economic support\u201d to Egypt, as the country grapples with the economic crisis triggered by the war.<\/p>\n
Egypt has started implementing fuel hikes and restrictions, and the government has reduced official overseas trips.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia says Iran launched 6 missiles toward Riyadh \u2014 5:01 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Of the six missiles, four fell into the Persian Gulf and on uninhabited areas, while two others were intercepted, the kingdom said.<\/p>\n
82,000 civilian buildings have been damaged in Iran, UN says \u2014 4:38 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
Attacks on Iran have damaged 82,000 civilian buildings, including hospitals, residential units and the homes of 180,000 people, across 20 of Iran\u2019s 32 provinces, the International Organization for Migration said on Friday.<\/p>\n
![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/UT4LUVQMBDJPC3PND3RLKJDXW4.jpg\")
People stand near a tape line after a police station was struck by airstrikes in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2026. ARASH KHAMOOSHI\/NYTRubio tries to sell Iran war to skeptical G7 diplomats \u2014 4:26 a.m.<\/p>\n
By the Associated Press<\/p>\n
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in France meeting his Group of Seven foreign minister counterparts Friday, after President Trump criticized NATO countries over a reluctance or refusal to take part in the Iran war.<\/p>\n
Rubio will have a hard time trying to sell the other top diplomats from G7 countries on the US strategy for the Iran conflict, to which almost all nations have raised objections. On his arrival at the meeting venue at a historic 12-century abbey in Vaux-de-Cerney outside of Paris, Rubio posed for a group photo with his fellow foreign ministers but none of them spoke.<\/p>\n
Rubio left Washington for the G7 meeting just hours after Trump complained bitterly about NATO countries not stepping up to help the US and Israel in the Iran war. \u201cWe are very disappointed with NATO because NATO has done absolutely nothing,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/L3I4AUCP5NGYVGCI2VRLN2OKWQ.jpg\")
A Zhonggu Shipping container ship sails past people fishing on a pier on the Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah Causeway on its way towards the port of Shuwaikh in Kuwait City on February 28, 2026. YASSER AL-ZAYYAT\/AFP via Getty ImagesAsian stocks mostly lower after Wall Street\u2019s worst day since start of war \u2014 2:20 a.m.<\/p>\n