Here is a recap of the day thus far
As he welcomed Japan’s prime minister to the White Home, Donald Trump confirmed that the Pentagon goes to ask Congress for an extra $200bn to fund the struggle on Iran. Regardless of routinely claiming the struggle is “nearly over” Trump stored issues (usually) imprecise – noting the US wanted extra funding for a “lot of causes”. He additionally denied that the army was working out of weaponry, and stated he’s been “considered” about spending. Nonetheless, latest tallies visualized by the Guardian paint a special image, indicating that the primary six days of struggle value the US $12.7bn.
Trump additionally confirmed that he spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel’s assault on Iran’s South Pars area, and informed the Israeli prime minister to not perform additional assaults on Iran’s oil and fuel services. Yesterday, Trump stated in a put up on Fact Social that Washington “knew nothing about this explicit assault”, whereas Israel, has claimed that the assault was coordinated with the US. Right now, Trump tried to mitigate the hovering worth of oil, as Brent Crude attain $105 on the time of scripting this recap. “It’s not unhealthy, and it’s going to be over with fairly quickly,” the president stated within the Oval Workplace.
Darren Indyke, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime lawyer, informed US Home lawmakers on Thursday that he “had no information in any respect of Jeffrey Epstein’s wrongdoings” throughout his employment. Throughout his closed-door deposition with members of the Home oversight committee, Indyke maintained that he didn’t socialize with Epstein. “I reject as categorically false any suggestion that I knowingly facilitated or assisted Mr Epstein in his sexual abuse or trafficking of girls,” he stated in his ready opening remarks offered to the Guardian.
In a listening to earlier than the Home intelligence committee as we speak, Tulsi Gabbard didn’t say whether or not she agreed with claims made by her former prime counter-terrorism official, Joe Kent, that Iran posed no imminent risk, and the US was in the end pressured to start out a struggle by Israel. Nonetheless, when Gabbard was requested whether or not Kent’s statements blaming Israel for America’s involvement within the struggle involved her, she replied plainly: “Sure.”
At that very same listening to, FBI director Kash Patel fielded questions concerning the firings of a number of brokers as a part of the Trump administration’s alleged marketing campaign of political retribution. Final month, at the very least 10 FBI staff – related to an investigation of Donald Trump’s dealing with of categorised paperwork discovered at his Mar-a-Lago property after he left workplace – have been reportedly dismissed. Right now, Patel maintained that the brokers have been fired for “for violating their moral obligations”, with out elaborating additional. Democratic lawmakers on the Home intelligence committe probed Patel about whether or not the terminations have been politically motivated.
The Senate committee that held a affirmation listening to for Markwayne Mullin to guide the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), authorized Trump’s nomination, making a glide path for his affirmation when the complete chamber casts its votes within the coming days. Notably, Republican senator Rand Paul, who chairs the Senate homeland safety committee voted in opposition to Mullin’s affirmation, after they continued to conflict throughout Wednesday’s listening to. Democratic senator John Fetterman, nonetheless, supported Mullin’s nomination.
Share
Key occasions
Present key occasions solely
Please activate JavaScript to make use of this function
Coral Murphy Marcos
A young person being held at a US immigration detention facility in Florida died this week, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated on Thursday, the youngest particular person to die in ICE custody since Donald Trump took workplace final yr.
Royer Perez-Jimenez, 19, initially from Mexico, was discovered “unconscious and unresponsive” in his room on 16 March on the Glades county detention middle in Moore Haven, Florida, in line with the ICE press launch.
“He died of a presumed suicide; nonetheless, the official reason for his dying stays below investigation,” reads the notification.
Perez-Jimenez was arrested by authorities in Volusia county, Florida, on 22 January and was charged with felony fraud for impersonation and misdemeanor resisting an officer. He was positioned below ICE custody on 21 February and moved to the detention middle in Moore Haven 5 days later.
“At consumption, Perez was evaluated by medical employees,” reads the press launch by ICE. “He denied any behavioral well being points or issues and answered ‘no’ to all suicide screening questions.”
Share
White Home sends reporters Fox Information ballot that finds majority of Individuals say Trump’s Iran struggle makes US ‘much less protected’
The White Home emailed reporters a hyperlink to a brand new Fox Information ballot on Thursday, drawing their consideration to the truth that 61% of these surveyed “view the Iranian regime as an actual nationwide safety risk.”
Whereas that’s true, anybody who clicks on the hyperlink offered by the White Home will study that this determine is, in actual fact, a pointy decline from the 73% of Individuals who stated that 9 months in the past, simply earlier than the US bombed Iran’s nuclear enrichment services.
Worse nonetheless for the White Home, the brand new Fox Information survey additionally exhibits {that a} majority of Individuals, 51%, say that “Trump’s dealing with of Iran has made the US much less protected,” whereas simply 29% agree that the president’s struggle on Iran has made the US safer.
A have a look at the cross-tabs exhibits that 17% of Trump’s personal voters in 2024 says that his struggle on Iran has made the US much less protected.
A plurality of Individuals who’re army veterans are additionally against Trump’s Iran struggle, with 44% saying Trump’s actions have made the nation much less protected, and simply over a 3rd of veterans, 37%, saying he has made the nation safer by attacking Iran.
The ballot additionally finds {that a} clear majority of respondents, 57%, disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president, whereas 43% approve.
The ballot was one in every of a number of despatched to reporters in an e-mail with the topic heading: “Individuals Agree that Operation Epic Fury Is an Overwhelming Success”.
Share
Up to date at 18.05 EDT
Video exhibits Japanese’s chief’s misery as Trump equates US assault on Iran to Japan’s assault on Pearl Harbor
As our colleague David Smith stories, Donald Trump created a particularly awkward second for Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, within the Oval Workplace on Thursday when he responded to a query from a Japanese reporter about why the US attacked Iran with out warning allies like Japan, by joking about Imperial Japan’s shock assault on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
“We didn’t inform anyone about it as a result of we needed shock,” Trump answered. “Who is aware of higher about shock than Japan, okay? Why didn’t you inform me about Pearl Harbor, okay? Proper?”
Video of the second exhibits the seen discomfort on Takaichi’s face as Trump’s comment was met with shocked silence from the Japanese delegation, and laughter and guffaws from the claque on the opposite aspect of the room the place US officers together with the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, have been gathered.
‘Who is aware of higher about shock than Japan?’ Trump compares Iran assault to Pearl Harbor – video
Trump’s remark was weird in addition to undiplomatic, since he appeared to equate the US assault on Iran final month to the 7 December, 1941 assault on the US that his predecessor Franklin Delano Roosevelt was significantly much less constructive about on the time, when he memorably known as it “a date which can dwell in infamy”.
To make issues worse, Trump then added a racist factor to his riff, when he went on to counsel that Japanese individuals, together with the reporter, “imagine in shock rather more so than us”.
“We needed to shock them, and we did,” Trump stated, earlier than boasting of the army success of the preliminary assault.
Japan’s shock assault on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was additionally a army success, however in the end led to complete defeat within the second world struggle.
Share
Up to date at 18.11 EDT
Senator Thom Tillis comes out in opposition to eliminating filibuster to alter election legislation as Trump calls for
Senator Thom Tillis, the North Carolina Republican who has proven a willingness to cross Donald Trump since he introduced that he is not going to run for re-election, stated on Thursday that he is not going to vote to eradicate the filibuster to drive adjustments to US election legislation because the president has demanded.
In a press release, Tillis famous that he helped move a state-level voter ID legislation when he was Speaker of the North Carolina statehouse, and supported a earlier model of the laws Trump backs, known as the SAVE Act, however has reservations concerning the present model, known as the SAVE America Act, as a result of it could restrict vote-by-mail.
“Whereas I assist strengthening mail-in poll integrity, many states like Utah, Florida, Alaska, and Montana depend on using mail-in ballots to conduct their elections, and we shouldn’t be utterly upending how states already securely conduct their elections,” Tillis stated, mentioning that 4 Republican-dominated states conduct their election by mail.
He added that the present Senate invoice “is not going to have the 60 votes required to move it”, even when it was altered to take away the crackdown on mail balloting Trump needs.
Which means, the senator stated, that the one method to make the invoice legislation is for “Republicans to considerably weaken or eradicate the filibuster altogether.”
“I’ve made it crystal clear that I’ll by no means vote to do that. Eliminating the filibuster is a silly and lazy thought pushed by politicians searching for short-term achieve on the expense of inflicting irreparable long-term hurt to our nation,” Tillis stated.
Share
Netanyahu denies that Israel ‘dragged’ US into struggle with Iran
My colleague, Lucy Campbell, notes that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu touted his nation’s “historic” cooperation with the US at a press convention as we speak. “We have now introduced our good friend the US to a cooperation by no means seen in historical past,” Netanyahu stated. “The nice collaboration between myself and my good good friend Trump is unprecedented.”
He added that he needed to dispel the “pretend information … that Israel in some way dragged the US into battle with Iran”. He stated:
double citation markDoes anybody actually assume that somebody can inform President Trump what to do? Come on.
This comes after the US’s prime counter-terrorism official, Joe Kent, resigned this week – claiming that Iran posed no imminent risk forward of the preliminary strikes on Tehran on the finish of February.
Kent additionally stated that the US began this struggle “as a result of strain from Israel and its highly effective American foyer”.
Lucy is masking the most recent out of the Center East at our devoted dwell weblog right here:
Share
As I famous earlier, the value of oil continues to rise amid disruption within the strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s retaliatory strikes on vitality websites throughout Gulf states. For the reason that begin of the struggle on Iran three weeks in the past, the value of gas has risen steadily within the US, and is now one of many battle’s most tangible impacts on American shoppers.
The nationwide common for a gallon of gasoline is now $3.88 – up 32% from a month in the past – in line with the American Vehicle Affiliation (AAA).
Share
Up to date at 16.02 EDT
Here is a recap of the day thus far
As he welcomed Japan’s prime minister to the White Home, Donald Trump confirmed that the Pentagon goes to ask Congress for an extra $200bn to fund the struggle on Iran. Regardless of routinely claiming the struggle is “nearly over” Trump stored issues (usually) imprecise – noting the US wanted extra funding for a “lot of causes”. He additionally denied that the army was working out of weaponry, and stated he’s been “considered” about spending. Nonetheless, latest tallies visualized by the Guardian paint a special image, indicating that the primary six days of struggle value the US $12.7bn.
Trump additionally confirmed that he spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel’s assault on Iran’s South Pars area, and informed the Israeli prime minister to not perform additional assaults on Iran’s oil and fuel services. Yesterday, Trump stated in a put up on Fact Social that Washington “knew nothing about this explicit assault”, whereas Israel, has claimed that the assault was coordinated with the US. Right now, Trump tried to mitigate the hovering worth of oil, as Brent Crude attain $105 on the time of scripting this recap. “It’s not unhealthy, and it’s going to be over with fairly quickly,” the president stated within the Oval Workplace.
Darren Indyke, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime lawyer, informed US Home lawmakers on Thursday that he “had no information in any respect of Jeffrey Epstein’s wrongdoings” throughout his employment. Throughout his closed-door deposition with members of the Home oversight committee, Indyke maintained that he didn’t socialize with Epstein. “I reject as categorically false any suggestion that I knowingly facilitated or assisted Mr Epstein in his sexual abuse or trafficking of girls,” he stated in his ready opening remarks offered to the Guardian.
In a listening to earlier than the Home intelligence committee as we speak, Tulsi Gabbard didn’t say whether or not she agreed with claims made by her former prime counter-terrorism official, Joe Kent, that Iran posed no imminent risk, and the US was in the end pressured to start out a struggle by Israel. Nonetheless, when Gabbard was requested whether or not Kent’s statements blaming Israel for America’s involvement within the struggle involved her, she replied plainly: “Sure.”
At that very same listening to, FBI director Kash Patel fielded questions concerning the firings of a number of brokers as a part of the Trump administration’s alleged marketing campaign of political retribution. Final month, at the very least 10 FBI staff – related to an investigation of Donald Trump’s dealing with of categorised paperwork discovered at his Mar-a-Lago property after he left workplace – have been reportedly dismissed. Right now, Patel maintained that the brokers have been fired for “for violating their moral obligations”, with out elaborating additional. Democratic lawmakers on the Home intelligence committe probed Patel about whether or not the terminations have been politically motivated.
The Senate committee that held a affirmation listening to for Markwayne Mullin to guide the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), authorized Trump’s nomination, making a glide path for his affirmation when the complete chamber casts its votes within the coming days. Notably, Republican senator Rand Paul, who chairs the Senate homeland safety committee voted in opposition to Mullin’s affirmation, after they continued to conflict throughout Wednesday’s listening to. Democratic senator John Fetterman, nonetheless, supported Mullin’s nomination.
Share
FBI director says fired brokers have been dismissed for ‘moral violations’ however declines to remark additional
Throughout a listening to within the US Home as we speak, FBI director Kash Patel fielded questions concerning the firings of a number of brokers as a part of the Trump administration’s alleged marketing campaign of political retribution.
Final month, at the very least 10 FBI staff – related to an investigation of Donald Trump’s dealing with of categorised paperwork discovered at his Mar-a-Lago property after he left workplace – have been reportedly dismissed. This got here after revelations that the justice division subpoenaed private information of the present FBI director, Kash Patel, and White Home chief of employees, Susie Wiles, within the years earlier than Trump returned to workplace.
On the time, CBS Information reported that many of the FBI brokers fired by Patel labored on counterintelligence circumstances, together with these pertaining to Iran.
Right now, Patel maintained that the brokers have been fired for “for violating their moral obligations”, with out elaborating additional. Democratic lawmakers on the Home intelligence committe probed Patel about whether or not the terminations have been politically motivated.
Kash Patel testifies earlier than the Home intelligence committee, 19 March 2026. {Photograph}: Heather Diehl/Getty Photos
“I’m asking about whether or not these individuals have been fired as a result of they have been concerned within the investigation of the doc dealing with by president Trump, not for any habits points,” congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan stated.
The FBI director evaded the questions. He famous that and saying he couldn’t remark as a result of “pending litigation”. There are a number of lively lawsuits filed by dismissed FBI officers which can be working their manner by the courts.
“I simply am nervous that we’re taking actually good, actually certified individuals and selecting fights with each other, throughout occasion strains, slightly than ensuring that we shield ourselves and hold ourselves protected,” Houlahan stated.
Share
My colleagues Will Craft, Andrew Witherspoon and Joseph Gedeon have been digging into how a lot the struggle on Iran has value the US thus far.
Utilizing estimates compiled by the Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research, they word that the primary six days struggle totalled $12.7bn.
This consists of $1.2bn for over 300 Tomahawk missiles, and $4.3bn for different offensive strike munitions.
To place this price-tag in perspective, they’ve additionally offered a listing of what else $12.7bn might afford. Some examples …
Paying 9% of the US’s elementary college lecturers
1.5 million public housing models
Medicaid for 3.6m kids
Their full findings are right here:
Share
In response to Indyke’s testimony as we speak, the lawyer representing a number of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, James Marsh, stated that Indyke’s “claimed ignorance of Jeffrey Epstein’s widespread abuse of girls and ladies is deeply troubling, particularly given his position as Epstein’s longtime legal professional”.
Marsh added that Indyke’s remarks underscores how a lot “nonetheless stays hidden concerning the huge community of enablers that allowed these crimes to persist for many years”.
“Survivors – and the American individuals – deserve the complete undistorted reality about who knew what,” he stated in a press release.
ShareAnna Betts
Darren Indyke, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime lawyer, informed US Home lawmakers on Thursday that he “had no information in any respect of Jeffrey Epstein’s wrongdoings” throughout his employment.
The deposition earlier than the Home oversight and reform committee on Thursday morning is behind closed doorways, however in line with a replica of Indyke’s opening assertion offered to the Guardian by his legal professional, Indyke informed lawmakers that that his major position “was to supply company, transactional and normal authorized companies to Mr Epstein and his firms, and I did so”.
Indyke, who started working for Epstein within the Nineteen Nineties, is testifying below subpoena because the panel continues its investigation into the late disgraced financier.
“I didn’t socialize with Mr Epstein, and I reject as categorically false any suggestion that I knowingly facilitated or assisted Mr Epstein in his sexual abuse or trafficking of girls, or that I used to be conscious of Mr Epstein’s actions whereas I offered authorized companies to him,” Indyke stated.
“Had I identified that he was abusing or trafficking girls, I might have give up working for him directly and severed all ties to him,” he stated.
Indyke stated that after Epstein pleaded responsible in 2008 to state costs in Florida of solicitation of prostitution and of solicitation of prostitution with a minor, Epstein appeared to him “to be devastated and intensely contrite”.
Indyke additionally serves as co-executor of Epstein’s property alongside Richard Kahn, Epstein’s longtime accountant, who testified earlier than the identical committee on 11 March. Kahn equally informed lawmakers in his opening assertion that he was “not conscious of the character or extent of Epstein’s abuse of so many ladies till after Epstein’s dying”.
Learn the complete report:
Share
Requested by a reporter why he didn’t inform US allies like Japan about plans to strike Iran, Trump responded with an try to joke about Japan’s shock assault on Pearl Harbor in the course of the second world struggle.
double citation markOne factor, you don’t wish to sign an excessive amount of. You understand, after we go in, we went in very exhausting, and we didn’t inform anyone about it as a result of we needed shock.
Who is aware of higher about shock than Japan? Why didn’t you inform me about Pearl Harbor? OK?
Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi took a deep breath and remained composed. You may watch the clip right here.
Imperial Japan’s assault on Pearl Harbor in 1941 killed greater than 2,400 Individuals and spurred the US to hitch the struggle.
Share
Up to date at 13.18 EDT
‘I informed him do not do this’: Trump confirms he informed Netanyahu to cease assaults on Iranian vitality services
Requested about Israel’s assault on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, Trump confirmed that he spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu about it – although he was not specific about when precisely they spoke – and stated he informed the Israeli prime minister to not perform additional assaults on Iran’s oil and fuel services.
double citation markYeah I did, I informed him don’t do this … And he received’t do this … We’re impartial. We get alongside nice. It’s coordinated. However once in a while, he’ll do one thing, and if I don’t prefer it … So, we’re not doing that any extra.
It means that the US and Israel’s struggle goals are considerably diverging.
Yesterday, Trump stated in a put up on Fact Social that Washington “knew nothing about this explicit assault” and that Israel wouldn’t assault the gasfield additional until Iran once more attacked Qatar. In that case, he stated, the US would “massively blow up” the gasfield.
His protection secretary Pete Hegseth, additionally earlier claimed that Trump knew nothing concerning the assault on the South Pars gasfield, the world’s largest pure fuel reserve.
Israel, in the meantime, has claimed that the assault was coordinated with the US. Israeli sources have informed Reuters and CNN that that Israel had carried out the assault in coordination with the US, contradicting the president’s declare. A US supply additionally informed CNN that the US was “conscious” of the strike.
The Wall Road Journal additionally reported yesterday that Trump supported the assault as a message to Tehran over its blocking of the strait of Hormuz, however is now in opposition to any additional assaults on Iran’s vitality infrastructure – however might be open to concentrating on extra Iranian vitality services, relying on whether or not Tehran impedes site visitors in the crucial waterway.
Share
Up to date at 12.59 EDT
‘A small worth to pay’: Trump confirms he’ll ask Congress for $200bn to fund struggle on Iran
Trump is requested by a reporter why, if the struggle on Iran is sort of over, the Pentagon goes to ask Congress for an extra $200bn.
Trump says the US wanted extra funding for a “lot of causes” amid the Iran struggle.
He’s imprecise on these causes, saying solely that he needs to verify the army has “huge quantities of ammunition”.
He additionally denied that the army was working out of weaponry, claiming he’s been “considered” about spending.
After grossly exaggerating (mendacity) concerning the quantity spent funding Ukraine by the Biden administration, Trump provides:
double citation markWe wish to be in the most effective form, the most effective form we’ve ever been in. It’s a small worth to pay to be sure that we keep tippy prime.
Donald Trump speaks to reporters throughout a gathering with Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi within the Oval Workplace. {Photograph}: Alex Brandon/AP
Final evening the Washington Put up reported that the Pentagon has requested the White Home to approve a greater than $200bn request to Congress to fund the struggle in Iran, citing a senior administration official.
Per the Put up’s report: “President Donald Trump campaigned on ending American adventurism overseas and incessantly hammered the Biden administration for the amount of cash authorized to finance the struggle in Ukraine. By December, Congress had authorized roughly $188 billion in spending for the struggle in Ukraine, in line with the U.S. particular inspector normal for Operation Atlantic Resolve.”
Share
