The Rundown Stories

• March 30, 2026

  Sanctioned Russian Oil Tanker Enters Sanctioned Cuba's Waters, Possibly With US Permission

  A Russia-flagged ⁠tanker ⁠carrying Russian ‌crude oil has entered Cuba's exclusive economic ⁠zone, ship tracking data show, avoiding a potentially tense showdown with the US Coast Guard and providing a lifeline to the struggling Caribbean island nation.

• March 30, 2026

  Pakistan Seeks To Host Peace Talks, But Iran War Shows No Signs Of Letup

  Pakistan is pressing to hold Iran peace talks in Islamabad this week, but the violence in the Middle East and harsh rhetoric between Washington and Tehran showed no letup, leaving bleak any hopes for a quick end to the war. 

• March 29, 2026

  Key Russian Oil Terminal Hit Again By Drones; Zelenskyy Threatens More Strikes On Russia Facilities

  A major Russian oil export terminal was hit again by drones, local officials said, the latest in a series of Ukrainian attacks that have severely restricted Russia’s ability to take advantage of soaring global energy prices.

• March 29, 2026

  Trump Says He Wants Iran's Oil, But Also Insists Peace Talks Going 'Extremely Well'

  As the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL deliver ongoing updates and analysis.

• March 29, 2026

  Houthis Strike Israel Again; More US Marines Arrive In Gulf Region

  Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthi rebels deepened their involvement in the Middle East war, launching a second salvo of missiles within 24 hours against Israel, while Tehran has given permission for ships from “nonhostile” nations to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

• March 28, 2026

  Iranian Strike Wounds US Troops In Saudi Arabia As Houthis Enter War

  At least 12 US troops were wounded, two of them seriously, when Iran struck a Saudi air base with at least one missile and several drones, as Yemen's Houthi rebels launched their first missiles at Israel since the war began, threatening to broaden a conflict now in its fifth week.

• March 27, 2026

  Iran Recruits 12-Year-Olds As 'Combatants Defending The Homeland'

  Iran is inviting children 12 and older to sign up under a new program “for combatants defending the homeland,” with applicants directed to mosques and registration booths. Iran has a track record of recruiting children for security and even combat roles, and used child soldiers in the war with Iraq.

• March 27, 2026

  Rubio Accuses Zelenskyy Of Lying About US Position On Bid To End Russia's War

  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of lying when he suggested this week that the United States was conditioning security guarantees for Kyiv with the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donbas.

• March 27, 2026

  Three Islands That Could Be Key In Keeping The Strait Of Hormuz Open

  US President Donald Trump has warned of possible further action against Kharg Island, a key oil terminal of Iran and a major cog in the country's economic machine. But three other Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf could be just as strategic in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

• March 27, 2026

  Rubio Says US Expects To End Iran Campaign In 'Weeks, Not Months,' Can Achieve Goals Without Ground Troops

  The United States expects to wrap up its military operation in Iran within "weeks, not months" and believes it is possible to achieve its goals without ground troops, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 27.

• March 27, 2026

  Iran War Will Reshape Dynamics Ahead Of Trump-Xi Summit, Says Former US Official

  US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will now meet in Beijing in mid-May for a rescheduled summit. Dennis Wilder, a former China adviser to former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, explains how the war in Iran is affecting ties between Beijing and Washington.

• March 27, 2026

  In Photos: Week Four Of The Iran War

  Images from the fourth week of the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran as results of the conflict ripple out from the region.

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