Sources say the US soldiers with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are expecting to deploy to the Middle East in the coming days, even as President Trump expresses optimism over talks with Iran.. Follow for live updates
Sources say the US soldiers with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are expected to deploy in the coming days, even as President Trump expresses optimism over talks with Iran.to the Middle East, sources told CNN, adding to the growing military firepower in the region as the Trump administration touts talks with Iran to end the conflict.
30 days’ worth of oil from its state-owned reserves on Thursday while the Philippines, another US ally, declared a state of, expressing optimism that a deal is in sight. An Iranian source told CNN that Tehran is willing to listen to “sustainable” proposals to end the war.Australia will temporarily stop Iranians from entering the country on tourist visas, the country’s Home Affairs minister announced Wednesday, saying temporary visitors from Iran may be “unable or unlikely to depart Australia when their visas expire.”Some Iranians will still be able to travel to Australia, including those on longer-term visas or those with children or spouses in the country. “The government is acting in the national interest amid rapidly changing global conditions,” Burke said.Earlier this month Australia granted political asylum to seven members of the Iranian women’s soccer team, only for five to change their minds and renounce their claim to refugee status. Senator David Shoebridge, immigration spokesperson for The Australian Greens, labeled Wednesday’s move “a brutal and unfair decision designed to ensure none of them can make an onshore claim for protection like members of the Iranian women’s football team.” “The vast majority of people seeking asylum from authoritarian countries do so by securing a visa and then applying for asylum upon arrival,” Shoebridge said. “There are vanishingly small numbers of offshore humanitarian visas provided to people in Iran, because doing so would clearly identify them as a target from the Iranian government.”As Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, Japan’s government will begin releasing 30 days’ worth of oil from its state-owned reserves on Thursday. This is part of a broader plan to release up to 45 days’ worth in total—its largest ever—alongside additional releases from private-sector stockpiles, to minimize disruptions in the world’s fourth largest economy. Japan holds one of the world’s largest oil stockpiles with roughly 254 days of consumption across government and private reserves. But it still imports over 90% of its crude oil from the Middle East, leaving Japan exposed to during the US and Israel’s war with Iran. While the government has avoided strict energy-saving mandates so far, it has warned against panic buying of toilet paper amid supply concerns. And as fuel prices hit record highs of 190 yen to the liter, Japan has rolled out subsidies for fuel products to cap gasoline price at around 170 yen per liter. Japan is better prepared than many of its neighbours when it comes to an energy crunch. And it has the 1970s oil shocks to thank for that. The global economy was hit by stagflation in the 1970s, triggered by the Oil Crisis of 1973. Following the Yom Kippur War, Arab oil producers cut supply and raised prices. Crude oil prices roughly quadrupled within months, sending shockwaves through import-dependent economies like Japan. The impact was severe. Japan relied on imports for nearly all its oil, and its postwar economic boom abruptly stalled. Panic buying spread and in 1974, Japan’s economy contracted for the first time since World War II, marking the start of slower growth. A second shock, the 1979 Oil Crisis, drove prices up again. But by then, Japan had begun adapting—investing in energy efficiency, diversifying energy sources and building strategic reserves.Iran’s military has suggested the United States might be negotiating with itself as the White House touts talks with Tehran to end the war. Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaqari taunted the US leadership in a hyperbolic message broadcast on state television on Wednesday, saying the “era of your promises is over.” “Has the level of your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves?” asked Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of Iran’s armed forces. US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism a deal was in sight and said that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were “in negotiations right now.” But Tehran has yet to confirm talks, saying only that messaged had passed via intermediaries. “The strategic power you once boasted about has turned into a strategic defeat.” Zolfaqari said, adding that energy and oil prices would not return to how they were before until US leaders “erased” the idea of attacking Iran from their minds. Oil prices have eased this week after Trump raised the prospect of talks, but remain much higher than they were ahead of the war. Trump said on Monday that Tehran had been given a list of 15 US conditions for peace, including that it abandoned any plans to build nuclear weapons.Army paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg conduct a reenlistment ceremony near the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., on June 12, 2025.with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are expecting to deploy to the Middle East in the coming days, even as President Trump expresses optimism over talks with Iran. Here’s what to know about the 82nd, the US Army’s only division that can deploy anywhere in the world in 18 hours from its base in North Carolina, maintaining what is called an Immediate Response Force capability. That capability was tested in 2021 when elements of the division were sent to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, to assist in evacuations as the US government shut down operations in the country. The division has three combat teams of about 4,000 troops each, an aviation brigade with attack, transport and cargo helicopters, an artillery unit, a logistics brigade, and its headquarters battalion. The 82nd Infantry Division was formed during and fought in World War I but was demobilized when the war ended. The military brought it back shortly after the beginning of World War II, and in August 1942 it became the Army’s first airborne division and fought in some of the most important campaigns of the war, including the invasion of Normandy in 1944. Since World War II, the 82nd Airborne has seen combat in Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as operations against ISIS around the Middle East.Video released by a pro-Iranian militia shows drones striking facilities by the US Diplomatic Support Center at the Baghdad International Airport.A pro-Iranian militia in Iraq has posted a minute-long video showing drones flying over a US installation at Baghdad’s international airport. In the clip, geolocated by CNN, a drone is seen flying low over the compound that houses the US Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center before approaching a radar system and striking it, causing an explosion. A radar system can be seen at the same location of the strike in satellite imagery reviewed by CNN. Moments later, a second drone flies across the base and approaches a Black Hawk helicopter. The video cuts before it is clear whether the helicopter was hit.CNN has asked US Central Command for comment on the video. The attack is the latest in a series of strikes on US facilities in Baghdad. Pro-Iranian militias have launched multiple attacks on US targets in the Iraqi capital, including the US Embassy, which was struck by several drones. Earlier this month, a separate militia posted footage filmed from a drone weaving through the US Embassy compound in Baghdad.A bulk carrier sits anchored as families gather on the last day of Eid at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman, on Monday.Iran will “absolutely” keep charging countries and vessels a fee for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian official said, referring to the vital waterway that Iran has effectively closed to global shipping. “A series of measures is in place for passage through the Strait of Hormuz due to the war situation imposed on Iran,” said Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, in an interview with India Today on Tuesday night. “Other states that have nothing to do with this act of aggression may pass through the Strait of Hormuz after the necessary coordination with Iranian authorities, to ensure that passage is conducted safely and securely,” he added. His comments came after Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the UN Security Council and the International Maritime Organization saying that “non-hostile vessels” may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities, Reuters reported., through which a fifth of the world’s oil output normally flows, has been severely curtailed since the start of the conflict three weeks ago.that Tehran was considering allowing some vessels to pass through the strait, provided the cargo was traded in Chinese yuan. At least two vessels transiting the strait are understood to have paid in exchange for safe passage, according to afrom Lloyd’s List Intelligence, which added that one fee was reportedly $2 million. CNN cannot independently verify the report. “The United States itself has weaponised its currency against the entire world economy for decades — sanctioning countries, pressuring states across the Global South,” Baghaei told India Today. Earlier, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the head of a state-owned energy giant ADNOC in the United Arab Emirates said the effectiveUS President Donald Trump has been touting talks with Iran to find a way to end the war, but Tehran remains skeptical of Washington’s intentions. “Can anyone believe their claims of diplomacy or mediation are credible when they started this war and continue attacking us?” said Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, in an interview with India Today on Tuesday night. “No one can trust US diplomacy,” he added. US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to lead any US negotiations with Iran, with Pakistan –– which has a close cultural relationship with Iran –– suggested as a venue. But Tehran has yet to agree to talks and, so far, messages have only been passed between intermediaries. “We have a very catastrophic experience with US diplomacy,” Baghaei told India Today. “We were attacked twice within a span of nine months while we were in the middle of a negotiating process to resolve the nuclear issue. This was a betrayal of diplomacy… and it happened not once but twice.” An Iranian source told CNN that Tehran is willing to listen to “sustainable” proposals to end the war. Baghaei told India today that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was “responsible for Iran’s foreign diplomacy, and he is fulfilling that role.” There had been reports that the US may have been looking to negotiate with Iran Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, which Tehran was quick to dismiss. “The Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Ghalibaf, is a high-profile politician who functions within the mandates and authorities given under the constitution. The division of labour among our authorities is clear-cut and transparent,” said Baghaei in the India Today interview.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae ride a tank during what state news agency KCNA reports was an offensive tactical drill involving a new type of tank at a training base in Pyongyang on March 19.North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has said that the US’ war with Iran proves his country made the right decision to keep its nuclear weapons. In a speech to North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly on Tuesday, Kim accused Washington of “acts of state sponsored terrorism and aggression.” “The present situation clearly proves” that North Korea was justified in rejecting what he described as US pressure and “sweet talk” to give up its nuclear arsenal, Kim said.Trump has previously claimed Iran posed an “imminent” threat to the US, months after declaring the US had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities. For North Korea’s leadership, the Iran conflict reinforces a long-held belief that countries without nuclear weapons are exposed to US military power, while those with them can deter it.Earlier this month, South Korea’s prime minister traveled to Washington for an unscheduled Oval Office meeting with Trump. According to officials, the conversation focused on whether diplomacy with North Korea could resume, how to coordinate strategy, and how to respond to Pyongyang’s weapons development.that focused on denuclearization. He has indicated he is willing to engage with Trump again, but only if the US accepts North Korea as a nuclear power and abandons what Pyongyang calls its “hostile policy.”Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a press conference on the sidelines of the National People's Congress , in Beijing, China, on March 8.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged his Iranian counterpart to “initiate peace talks as soon as possible” during a Tuesday call that Beijing said was held at the request of Tehran. US President Donald Trump has said Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others are leading negotiations with Iran. An Iranian source told CNN Tuesday that Tehran is willing to listen to “sustainable” proposals to end the war. During his call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, China’s Wang said negotiation was “in the interests of the Iranian nation and its people and also echoes the general wish of the international community.” “All parties” should “seize every opportunity and window for peace and to launch peace talks as soon as possible,” Wang said, according to a readout released by China’s Foreign Ministry. China has for weeks called for an end to the fighting and decried the US and Israeli attack on Iran. It’s also urged “all parties” to back a ceasefire and condemned “all indiscriminate attacks on civilians and nonmilitary targets,” while stopping short of explicitly condemning Iran’s military retaliation. Wang’s language may also suggest China’s growing frustration with the heightened economic costs of the conflict, which have shocked global fuel markets and upended shipping and travel. China has long been a key economic and diplomatic partner for Tehran, but the Iranian government’s tactics during the conflict – closing the Strait of Hormuz and attacking Gulf countries – have complicated Beijing’s diplomacy, while also raising the economic stakes for the world’s largest importer of oil. Araghchi told Wang that Iran is “committed to achieving a comprehensive ceasefire rather than merely a temporary truce,” according to the Chinese side. An Iranian statement on the call said Araghchi had stressed Iran’s “firm determination to continue defending its national sovereignty and territorial integrity” and would continue to do so until “the aggressors are made to regret their actions.”People walk next to pictures of child victims killed in strikes, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, on Tuesday.US President Donald Trump indicated Tuesday that a deal on ending the war could be in sight while an Iranian source told CNN thatwith Vice President JD Vance, two regional sources said. Trump said today that Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others area state of national energy emergency Tuesday, warning that there was an “imminent danger” to the “availability and stability of the country’s energy supply.” Meanwhile, South Korea could limit the export of its domestically-produced naphtha, an essential material for petrochemical products, over supply concerns, an official said.after an Iranian missile launch struck a city in central Israel, emergency officials reported Tuesday. An air strike hit a residential area in Iran’s capital Tehran, the Red Crescent said, with video showing damaged buildings and piles of rubble.it can mobilize – setting a new limit of 400,000, up from 280,000. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military will continue to operate in Lebanon against Hezbollah, with a specific focus on controlling the Litani River and its remaining bridges. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said, according to a CNN tally of regional figures. More than 200 children have been killed in Iran, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency , and more than 100 have been killed in Lebanon, the country’s health ministry says.An air strike hit a residential area in Iran’s capital Tehran, the Red Crescent said, with video from the aid agency showing damaged buildings and piles of rubble as rescuers work in the area. “The entire upper floor has collapsed,” one of the rescuers can be heard saying in a video posted to Telegram early Wednesday.“Right now, as you can see, this residential neighborhood has been hit,” one of the workers says in a video. “Behind me, what you’re seeing is the result of Israeli and US airstrikes that struck this home.”President Donald Trump has again claimed that the US has already won the war with Iran. That’s despite also saying both sides are currently negotiating a deal as sources tell CNN that a thousand soldiers are preparing to deploy to the region. The NewsNight panel debatesPresident Trump claims the US is speaking to Iran, but one of Iran’s highest-ranking surviving officials, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has denied any negotiations have taken place. Ghalibaf is emerging as one of the strongmen in the country and is known for being a political hardliner and well-respected by the IRGC.A worker fills up a motorcycle at a gas station as oil prices are expected to increase amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on March 9.Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of national energy emergency on Tuesday, warning that there was an “imminent danger” to the “availability and stability of the country’s energy supply.” The declaration, which will be in place for one year, was made in response to the war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which had disrupted energy markets, disrupted supply chains and driven up oil prices, “posing a threat to the country’s energy security.” Marcos said a committee had been formed to ensure the availability and distribution of fuel, food, medicines, agricultural products and other basic goods. Measures include enforcing energy conservation measures, introducing fuel subsidies and other initiatives to reduce transport costs, taking action against hoarding, profiteering and manipulation of the supply of petroleum products. Marcos also said the government was rolling out 5,000 pesos to motorcycle taxi drivers and transport workers to help with rising fuel costs. Welfare programs have also been announced for farmers, fishermen, and other workers.More than a dozen vessels have been attacked near Iran since the war started four weeks ago. According to UK Maritime Trade Operations, there have been at least 16 reported attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz since February 28.CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh reports from southern Lebanon, where some villages are being entirely emptied as civilians seek safety from Israel strikes aimed at Hezbollah targets.Republicans on Tuesday again rejected a resolution aimed at requiring President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval for future US military action against Iran. The Senate voted 47 to 53 to put down the measure, with GOP Sen. Rand Paul joining with Democrats in voting to advance it, and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voting with Republicans to block it. This is the third time since the current conflict between the US and Iran started that Democrats have forced an unsuccessful vote over Iran war powers. Democrats have pledged to keep forcing votes until Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth publicly testify about Iran on Capitol Hill. To date, the GOP-led Congress has not held any open oversight hearings on the conflict, although there have been classified sessions for members.with special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and would prefer to engage with Vice President JD Vance, two regional sources said. The message, which was passed through back channels to the US, signals Iran believes discussions involving Witkoff and Kushner wouldn’t be productive given the deficit of trust following the breakdown of negotiations prior to Israel and the US launching military action. Vance — in contrast to Witkoff, Kushner and even Secretary of State Marco Rubio — is viewed as more sympathetic to wanting to end the war, the sources said.Though regional players also recognize that it could be risky for Vance to enter into negotiations as it won’t be easy to negotiate an end to the conflict. Witkoff, in particular remains heavily involved in the portfolio from the US side and the sources said that the Iranians will likely have no option but to engage with whoever the Trump administration sends to negotiate. “Who the administration decides to send, the Iranians will have to deal with, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have a preference,” the second source said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN that it’s Trump’s call who negotiates for the US. “As the President stated today, Vice President Vance, Secretary Rubio, Special Envoy Witkoff, and Mr. Kushner will all be involved,” Leavitt said. For now, the likelihood of a meeting between the US and Iran taking place later this week in Islamabad remains a possibility — but even those advocating for it to take place are skeptical that it will actually happen, sources said.
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