Several Nato members and other US allied nations pledged on Thursday to join “appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” through the strait of Hormuz. But the joint statement from the leaders of more than a dozen nations – including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Bahrain – did not provide details on how they would do this.
That followed a recent bashing by Donald Trump, who called alliance members “cowards” for not wanting “to help open” the strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively closed the strait with periodic attacks on oil tankers and other shipping.
This comes as the US is reportedly preparing to send three more warships and thousands more troops to the Middle East. At the same time, Trump says he is considering “winding down” the US war on Iran, which has destabilized global trade and international relations.
As for a ceasefire? The president said no thanks.
“Look, we can have dialogue but I don’t want to do a ceasefire,” Trump told reporters on Friday. “You don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side.”
US preparing to deploy thousands more troops to Middle East
Reports that Washington is considering plans to occupy or blockade Kharg Island come despite earlier suggestions by Trump that he was not leaning towards putting “boots on the ground”.
US lifts sanctions on Iranian oil at sea in bid to ease supply pressures
The Trump administration has issued a 30-day sanctions waiver for the purchase of Iranian oil at sea to ease energy supply pressures since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, treasury secretary Scott Bessent said.
Airport security delays thwart travelers amid DHS shutdown
Many travelers across the US are continuing to face significant delays at airport security checkpoints as the homeland security department shutdown, which has affected staffing of the Transportation Security Administration, remains ongoing.
With TSA workers going for weeks without pay, staffing shortages have intensified, leading to longer screening times and growing frustration among passengers.
Trump sues Harvard again over accusations of antisemitism
The Trump administration renewed its assault on Harvard University on Friday, filing a lawsuit in Massachusetts alleging the Ivy League institution violated the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli people in the aftermath of the war in Gaza.
Veteran charged with ‘conspiracy’ over ICE protest refuses to plead guilty
A US military veteran arrested on federal conspiracy charges after participating in a June 2025 protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told the Guardian he refuses to plead guilty and is ready to face justice.
US stock markets dip for fourth straight week over US-Israel war on Iran
US stock markets dropped again on Friday, capping off a fourth week of market turbulence as investors worried about the US-Israel war on Iran and its widespread impact on global oil prices.
US farmers reeling as Iran war pushes fertilizer costs up
American farmers have become casualties in the US-Israel war against Iran. Iran closed the strait of Hormuz, cutting off a key fertilizer production and transportation route, and efforts to reopen this crucial trade route have stalled.
What else happened today:
The US Department of Health and Human Services said it is investigating 13 states that require state-regulated health insurance plans to cover abortion services.
The father of a US military member killed in the Iran war has contradicted Pete Hegseth’s claim that bereaved families urged him to “finish” the job in the Middle East.
A Canadian woman and her seven-year-old daughter with autism who have been held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for nearly a week have been transferred to a notorious detention center and asked to “self-deport”, according to her husband, who said the pair had been “traumatized” by the experience.
A far-right conspiracy theorist turned high-ranking official at the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) claims to have once teleported to a Waffle House.
A federal judge has blocked key portions of the Pentagon’s press access policy, siding with the New York Times and ruling that the Trump administration’s controversial policy was unconstitutional.
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 19 March 2026.
