CBS News, citing its sources, reported that hundreds of US special forces members, including Navy SEALs and Army Rangers, are currently stationed across the Middle East. The report added that thousands of US Marines and paratroopers have already been deployed to the region. The deployments are reportedly intended to give US President Donald Trump options for potential military actions concerning Iran.

According to the CBS sources, possible operations could include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, taking control of oil facilities on Kharg Island, or seizing Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) declined to comment on the matter. Earlier, CENTCOM confirmed that the USS Tripoli had arrived in the Middle East carrying about 3,500 sailors and Marines.

The report did not specify whether any immediate military action was planned, leaving the scope and timeline of potential operations uncertain.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States’ primary goal in the ongoing war against Iran is to achieve its defined military objectives. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Rubio emphasized that the US remains steadfast in pursuing these objectives.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump outlined several ultimate goals regarding the US-Israel alliance’s war efforts surrounding Iran. These include weakening Iran’s regional military capabilities, destroying its leadership and nuclear program, and bringing about a change in the country’s governing system.

The report also noted that hundreds of US special forces are currently stationed across the Middle East, according to CBS, underscoring the scale of American military involvement in the region.

NASA is set to send humans to the Moon for the first time in more than five decades through its Artemis-2 mission. Four astronauts selected for the mission have arrived in Florida and are completing final preparations for launch, which is scheduled to take place by April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center using NASA’s Space Launch System rocket.

The Artemis-2 crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The team will travel aboard the Orion crew capsule, designed for deep-space missions. The approximately 10-day journey will take them around the Moon at high speed before returning to Earth.

Among the crew, three astronauts have prior spaceflight experience, while Hansen will make his first trip to space. The mission marks a major step in NASA’s renewed lunar exploration efforts after more than fifty years.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera that it was “very disappointing” for the United States that NATO allies, including Spain, blocked the use of their airspace and bases for the US’s war on Iran. Rubio said the decision by Spain had raised serious concerns in Washington about alliance cooperation during the conflict.

He stated that the United States would re-examine the value of NATO once the war with Iran concludes. The remarks highlight growing tension within the alliance over differing national positions on the US-led military campaign. Rubio’s comments suggest that the US may reconsider its strategic commitments to NATO depending on how member states respond during the ongoing conflict.

The statement underscores potential strains in transatlantic relations as Washington evaluates the reliability of its European partners in future military operations.

US lawmakers have voiced strong reactions after reports emerged that the Pentagon is planning a multi-week ground operation in Iran. Republican Senator James Lankford, speaking on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ said it is essential to understand why troops are being deployed. He added that whether President Donald Trump needs congressional approval depends on how the forces would be used.

Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey warned that Trump is pushing the country into a conflict without congressional authorization and without a clear exit strategy. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen told ABC News’ ‘This Week’ that the war is costing American lives and billions of dollars daily, while also driving up oil and gas prices.

The debate underscores growing concern in Washington about the potential escalation of the Iran conflict and the constitutional limits on presidential war powers.

Anthropic’s AI assistant Claude has experienced a sharp rise in paid consumer subscriptions in early 2024, according to data analyzed by Indagari for TechCrunch. The analysis, based on billions of anonymized U.S. credit card transactions, shows record growth in paid sign-ups between January and February, with continued momentum through early March. Most new subscribers joined at the $20-per-month Pro tier. Anthropic confirmed that paid subscriptions have more than doubled this year, though it has not disclosed total user figures.

The surge coincided with heightened public attention from Anthropic’s humorous Super Bowl commercials mocking ChatGPT’s ad model and the company’s public dispute with the U.S. Department of Defense. The feud centered on Anthropic’s refusal to let its AI be used for lethal autonomous operations or mass surveillance, leading to a temporary federal court block on the DOD’s attempt to label the company a supply risk.

New features such as Claude Code, Claude Cowork, and the Computer Use tool have also driven subscriptions. Despite the growth, Indagari’s data indicates that OpenAI’s ChatGPT remains the largest consumer AI platform.

An Iranian attack destroyed a US Air Force E-3 Sentry radar aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, raising concerns about Washington’s ability to monitor threats from Iran. Analysts said the loss could weaken the United States’ long-range detection and control capabilities in the Middle East. CNN’s analysis of satellite images showed the aircraft’s tail broken and its distinctive radar dome collapsed on the ground.

Former US Colonel Cedric Leighton described the incident as a major blow to American surveillance operations, warning that it could complicate the control of combat aircraft and their defense against enemy missiles. The E-3 Sentry, part of the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), has long been a key component of US military intelligence, capable of monitoring up to 120,000 square miles of airspace. The US operates 17 such aircraft.

CNN confirmed the strike location through satellite imagery and reported that at least ten US service members were injured, though no fatalities occurred.

Republican Representative Nancy Mace has called for Congress to have a formal vote before any decision to deploy US troops to Iran, highlighting growing divisions within President Donald Trump’s party. Her remarks on Sunday followed a classified House briefing on the ongoing war, which she said raised concerns about the administration’s plans. The comments coincided with a Washington Post report that the Pentagon is preparing for limited ground operations in Iran, including potential raids on Kharg Island and near the Strait of Hormuz.

Mace told CNN that any conventional ground operation involving Marines or the 82nd Airborne Division would constitute a ground war requiring congressional authorization. She emphasized that “we don’t want troops on the ground” and urged the administration to seek proper authority if such action is pursued. The White House did not deny the Pentagon’s preparations but said they were part of routine planning to provide the president with options.

The debate comes as the US expands its military presence in the Middle East, with thousands of additional troops arriving. Some Republican lawmakers and Trump allies, including Matt Gaetz, have warned that a ground invasion could lead to higher costs and prolonged conflict.

U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a ground operation in Iran to seize around 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) of uranium, according to unnamed American officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. The report says such an operation could require U.S. forces to remain inside Iran for several days or longer. Trump has not yet made a final decision and is weighing the risks to American troops.

Officials quoted in the report said the president views the plan positively, as it could support his goal of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Pentagon preparations do not indicate a presidential decision. The Pentagon declined to comment, and a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command also refused to respond.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday night, Trump warned that Iran must comply with U.S. demands on nuclear weapons or risk ceasing to exist as a country. He added that Iran would have to hand over all its uranium to the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that indirect talks with Iran, conducted through Pakistan, are progressing well and could soon lead to an agreement. He made the remarks in an interview with The Financial Times, according to a report published on March 30, 2026.

The report states that despite previously threatening to seize Iran’s oil production centers, Trump confirmed that discussions through Pakistani intermediaries are moving forward positively. When asked whether a ceasefire deal could reopen the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, he declined to provide specific details. Trump also mentioned that Iran had allowed twenty Pakistan-flagged oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a goodwill gesture to the White House, a move reportedly approved by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

The developments suggest cautious diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran, with Pakistan playing a mediating role, though the outcome and timeline of any potential agreement remain uncertain.

US President Donald Trump claimed that American forces have destroyed important targets across Iran. In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, he described it as a major day for the US military, calling it the best and most lethal in the world. He said the forces had eliminated and destroyed long-desired objectives in Iran.

Earlier, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the United States was engaged in both direct and indirect discussions with Iran and that the talks were progressing very well. He expressed confidence about reaching an agreement with Iran but acknowledged that there was also a possibility of failure. Trump further claimed that a change in Iran’s governing system had already taken place.

The statements came as Trump also mentioned that progress in the talks with Iran was being made through Pakistan, suggesting ongoing diplomatic efforts alongside military actions.

U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he wants to take control of Iran’s oil resources and its key energy hub, Kharg Island. He made the remarks in an interview with the Financial Times published on March 30, 2026. Trump said his preferred action would be to seize Iran’s oil, though some in the United States oppose the idea. He described those critics as foolish.

In the same interview, Trump said the United States might or might not take over Kharg Island, emphasizing that Washington has many options. He added that such a move could require a temporary U.S. presence there. When asked about Iran’s defense systems on the island, Trump claimed he did not believe Iran had any and asserted that it could be captured easily.

The report, citing the BBC, comes amid broader discussions involving Iran, including Trump’s claim of progress in talks through Pakistan and rising global oil prices surpassing 116 dollars per barrel.

The United States military on Wednesday confirmed that it is using multiple artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said the systems help process vast amounts of data quickly to support faster decision-making. The announcement underscores the Pentagon’s deepening reliance on technology firms, including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Palantir, and Anthropic, which have become increasingly embedded in US defense operations.

The report traces the long history of collaboration between the US military and private corporations, dating back to World War II when IBM built electromagnetic calculators for ballistic computations. The military’s partnerships have since expanded to include the creation of ARPANET, the precursor to the internet, and the development of GPS for precision bombing. More recent projects include Google’s involvement in Project Maven, Microsoft’s augmented reality headset program, Amazon’s cloud infrastructure for classified data, and SpaceX’s Starshield satellite network.

The Pentagon recently blacklisted Anthropic after it refused to remove AI safeguards, while Palantir and other firms have faced criticism for their roles in conflicts such as Israel’s war on Gaza. The growing integration of AI in warfare has raised global concerns about ethics and accountability.

A Los Angeles jury has found Meta and Alphabet’s Google liable for $3 million in damages in a landmark social media addiction case. The verdict, delivered after more than 40 hours of deliberation, held the companies responsible for the addictive design of their platforms. The plaintiff, a 20-year-old identified as Kaley, said she became addicted to YouTube and Instagram at a young age, worsening her mental health. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified during the trial, while YouTube’s chief executive did not.

Kaley’s legal team argued that features such as notifications and autoplay were intentionally designed to hook young users. Jurors were instructed not to consider user-generated content due to Section 230 protections. Meta maintained that Kaley’s mental health issues stemmed from other causes, while Google argued YouTube is a video platform, not social media. Google said it disagreed with the verdict and planned to appeal. Snap and TikTok had previously settled with the plaintiff before the trial.

Legal experts said the decision could shape future litigation against social media companies, with additional bellwether trials and a federal case scheduled later this year.

The Pentagon is preparing for several weeks of ground operations in Iran, according to a Washington Post report citing US officials. As part of the preparations, thousands of US Navy and Marine troops have arrived in the Middle East. The USS Tripoli has reached its designated area of responsibility, the US Central Command confirmed. However, it remains uncertain whether President Donald Trump will approve the deployment of ground forces, and the exact locations of troop positions have not been disclosed.

The report indicates that the planned operations would not constitute a full-scale invasion but rather a series of coordinated missions involving special operations units and conventional infantry forces. More than 4,000 US Marines are believed to be aboard ships heading toward the Gulf, and discussions are ongoing about sending additional troops.

The White House and Pentagon have not commented on the matter despite inquiries from the BBC, leaving the timeline and scope of the potential operations unclear.