Thousands of US marines have arrived in the Middle East aboard the USS Tripoli, according to US Central Command, as the Yemeni Houthis have warned they will continue carrying out military operations in the coming days.
“The America-class amphibious assault ship serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group/31st Marine Expeditionary Unit composed of about 3,500 Sailors and Marines in addition to transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets,” wrote US Central Command on Saturday.
The arrival of the reinforcements comes amidst speculation of a ground invasion. However, secretary of state Marco Rubio had said on Friday that the US could achieve its goals without a ground invasion.
Earlier this week, reports from theWall Street Journal suggested Trump was considering sending 10,000 troops.
The Iran-aligned Houthis said they carried out a second attack on Israel in less than 24 hours using missiles and drones, and vowed to continue military operations in the coming days, the group's military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised speech.
Iranian attack on Saudi base injures at least 10 US troops and damages several planes
Elon Musk joined Trump’s call with Modi on war in Iran, says report
UK playing prominent role in face of Iran’s ‘toll booth’ threat, says Rubio
Iran-US war mapped as more countries dragged into widening Middle East conflict
Key Points
- US ship carrying thousands of marines arrives in Middle East
- Houthis confirm they launched missile on Israel
- Tehran threatens to retaliate with 'decisive and crushing' response if infrastructure targeted
- Dozens of US troops wounded in Iranian attacks on Saudi air base, sources say
- Israel claims strikes on water plant and uranium facility in Iran
- Iran to allow 20 Pakistani vessels through the Strait of Hormuz
UAE says it is actively engaging with drones from Iran
05:30 , Vishwam SankaranThe UAE defence ministry said today it is actively engaging with missiles and drones from Iran.
"Authorities in Dubai confirm that the sounds heard across parts of the city were the result of successful air defence interception operations," the government of Dubai's media office posted on X.
"The concerned teams continue to monitor the situation and take the necessary measures to ensure everyone's safety, and they urge the public to obtain information from its official sources," it said in a statement.
Pentagon awaits Trumps approval for 'weeks of ground operations'
05:10 , Vishwam SankaranThe US Pentagon is planning for potential ground operations in Iran, which could last for weeks.
While not amounting to a full scale invasion, these operations may include targeted raids by troops, according to The Washington Post.
You can read more on this here
Iran threatens to bomb US universities throughout Gulf
04:50 , Vishwam SankaranIran has threatened to bomb the campuses of US universities in the Middle East after American strikes destroyed two Iranian colleges.
Several US universities including, the Texas A&M University and the New York University have campuses in the Gulf region.
"If the US government wants its universities in the region to be free from retaliation... it must condemn the bombing of the universities in an official statement by 12 noon on Monday, March 30, Tehran time," Iran's Revolutionary Guard said in a statement today, according to Fars news agency.
"We advise all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas" to stay kilometre away from campuses, it said, according to the statement published by Iranian media.
Iran's politicians push for exit from nuclear weapons treaty
04:30 , Vishwam SankaranAmid the US and Israel-led war in Iran, the regime's politicians are pushing for Tehran's exit from the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
"The NPT treaty has not only failed to protect our country from attacks by nuclear powers, but our nuclear facilities have been repeatedly targeted, and international documents and agreements have been entirely disregarded," said Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesperson for Iran's national security commission of parliament.
"Iran's continued membership in the NPT is meaningless; the NPT has brought us no benefits," Rezaei posted on X.
The spokesperson added that a piece of legislation has been uploaded to an online parliamentary portal to be reviewed soon.
He said the priority legislation seeks to withdraw Iran from the NPT, revoke a law that adopted nuclear restrictions, and “support a new international treaty with aligned countries on developing peaceful nuclear technologies”.
Iran's daily warns Washington's troops will 'leave only in a coffin'
04:10 , Vishwam SankaranIran's English-language daily, the Tehran Times, carried a warning for incoming US troops that those setting foot on Iranian soil will "leave only in coffin".
Special issue of the Tehran Times
— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) March 27, 2026
Stay tuned for straight truth pic.twitter.com/GGXRGuFkMv
The warning under the headline "Welcome to Hell" comes as the US announced the deployment of additional troops to the Middle East, including thousands of Marines, making it the largest buildup of American forces in the region in 20 years.
It remains unclear where the new troops would be based, and US president Donald Trump has also not made it clear if they would be committed to ground operations against Iran.
Trump warns ‘Cuba’s next’ – before telling media to ‘pretend I didn’t say that’
04:00 , Katie HawkinsonU.S. President Donald Trump said “Cuba’s next” while discussing the ongoing conflict in Iran at an investment forum in Miami, Florida.
Watch below:
UK ‘weeks away from medicine shortages’ if Iran war continues, experts warn
03:40 , Bryony GoochThe UK is reportedly “a few weeks away” from major medicine shortages if the Iran war continues, experts have said, while the conflict could also prompt a surge in drug prices.
Keep reading:
UK ‘weeks away from medicine shortages’ if Iran war continues, experts warn
Recap: Marco Rubio says US can achieve goals 'without ground troops'
03:25 , Katie HawkinsonU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the nation can achieve its goals in Iran “without ground troops.”
“We can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops, but we are always going to be prepared to give the president maximum optionality and maximum opportunity to adjust to contingencies, should they emerge,” he told reporters.
Rob Schneider calls to ‘restore the military draft’ in the US amid war with Iran
03:00 , Tom MurrayComedy actor Rob Schneider has suggested that the U.S. should reinstate conscription as the nation’s conflict with Iran rages on.
“We must once again recommit ourselves to one nation under God, indivisible,” The Hot Chick actor, 62, wrote in a post on X Friday.
Rob Schneider calls to ‘restore the military draft’ in the US amid war with Iran
Pentagon considering plans for ground operations in Iran: report
02:50 , Katie HawkinsonThe Washington Post reported Saturday that the Pentagon is preparing for potential ground operations in Iran, which could last for weeks.
The outlet’s sources reportedly said the potential operations wouldn’t amount to a full invasion, but could involve specific raids.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also told The Washington Post: “It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the President has made a decision.”
The Independent has contacted the White House and Pentagon for comment.
Anger at Iran War is growing among ‘more-right wing White House staffers,’ insider claims
02:30 , Brendan RasciusAs the Iran war stretches into its second month, anger is mounting among some White House officials, according to a new report.
Discontent over the Middle East conflict is concentrated among younger, “more-right wing” staffers, an unnamed source with knowledge of the matter told Politico.
Keep reading:
Anger at Iran War is growing among ‘more right-wing’ White House staffers: report
Watch: Ship carrying thousands of Marines arrives in Middle East
02:00 , Bryony GoochEgypt enters curfew to ration electricity consumption
00:00 , Bryony GoochThe Egyptian prime minister has confirmed that all commercial establishments such as malls, shops and cafes will close at 9pm, except on Thursdays and Fridays when they will close at 11pm), starting Saturday and lasting for a month to ration electricity consumption due to the shortage of petroleum products resulting from the ongoing war between the US, Israel and Iran.
Bahrain's Alba confirms Iranian attack on its facilities
Saturday 28 March 2026 23:36 , Bryony GoochAluminium Bahrain, also known as Alba, confirmed early Sunday that its facilities were targeted in an Iranian attack a day earlier, Bahrain's state news agency reported.
Alba said two people were mildly injured in the attack, adding that it was assessing damage in the facilities. The confirmation comes after Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted Alba and Emirates Global Aluminium in response to attacks on two Iranian steel plants.
Watch: 'We must finish the job': Iran’s exiled prince Reza Pahlavi calls on Trump to continue Iran war
Saturday 28 March 2026 23:00 , Bryony GoochAir defences shoot down drone near residence of Iraqi Kurdish leader, sources say
Saturday 28 March 2026 22:33 , Bryony GoochAir defences shot down a drone near the residence of the leader of the Iraqi Kurdish ruling party, Masoud Barzani, in Erbil, security sources told Reuters.
Security sources said on Saturday that a drone attack targeted the home of the president of Iraq's Kurdistan Region in an incident that comes as tensions continue to rise across northern Iraq.
Israel says it intercepted first incoming missile from Yemen as war in Middle East intensifies
Saturday 28 March 2026 22:00 , Bryony Gooch
Israel says it intercepted first incoming missile from Yemen as war in Middle East intensifies
Watch: Yemen’s Houthi military spokesman claims responsibility for missile attack on Israel
Saturday 28 March 2026 21:00 , Bryony GoochReza Pahlavi warns against negotiating peace with current Iranian leaders
Saturday 28 March 2026 20:30 , Bryony GoochIranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi on Saturday warned that negotiating for peace with the current leaders of Iran would only push the threat to Americans down the road, and said he would once again call for Iranians to protest in the streets.
Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s ousted shah, was warmly received during his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas, an annual gathering of Republican activists and lawmakers.
He drew a standing ovation as he took the stage, and his pledges to help liberate the Iranian people sparked enthusiastic rounds of applause from conservatives and Iranian Americans in the audience.
Citing president Donald Trump's comments earlier this month that he was pressing ahead with attacks on Iran because he did not want to confront security threats from the country “every two years," Pahlavi warned that negotiating with Iran’s current leadership would mean doing exactly that.
"The only thing that the remnants of this regime can be relied on to do is to buy time, to cheat and to steal. They will never be honest or true partners for peace," Pahlavi said.
"It will buy time, it will pretend to negotiate, and then it will return to its old jihadist ways of threatening America, its security and its interests." Pahlavi, 65, has promoted himself as the most viable option to lead a transitional government and expressed readiness to return to Iran at the earliest opportunity, ending a 47-year absence from the country.
Russia photographing US military facilities in Iranian interests, says Zelensky
Saturday 28 March 2026 20:00 , Bryony GoochUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has alleged that US military facilities in the Middle East and the Gulf region are being photographed by Russian satellites in the interests of Iran.
He said that Russia’s satellite had imaged facilities on:
- Diego Garcia, the Chagos Islands
- Kuwait International Airport and parts of the infrastructure of the Greater Burgan oil field
- The Prince Sultan Air Base and Shaybah oil and gas field in Saudi Arabia
- İncirlik Air Base in Turkey
- Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar
All of this took place this week, he alleged.
When I travel outside of Ukraine, I get daily intelligence updates online. This morning, I was briefed that U.S. military facilities in the Middle East and the Gulf region were photographed by Russian satellites in the interests of Iran.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 28, 2026
On March 24th, they imaged the U.S.–UK…
Watch: CENTCOM releases footage of strikes against Iranian vessels 'harassing' global trade
Saturday 28 March 2026 19:40 , Bryony GoochIran government to allow 20 Pakistani vessels through the Strait of Hormuz
Saturday 28 March 2026 19:20 , Bryony GoochPakistan’s deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar has said 20 more vessels flying under a Pakistani flag will be allowed through the Strait of Hormuz.
It comes after the IRGC closed the Persian waterway on Friday.
Mr Dar said on social media: “I am pleased to share a great news that the Government of Iran has agreed to allow 20 more ships under the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz; two ships will cross the Strait daily.
“This is a welcome and constructive gesture by Iran and deserves appreciation. It is a harbinger of peace and will help usher stability in the region.
“This positive announcement marks a meaningful step toward peace and will strengthen our collective efforts in that direction.
“Dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the only way forward.”
I am pleased to share a great news that the Government of Iran has agreed to allow 20 more ships under the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz; two ships will cross the Strait daily.
— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) March 28, 2026
This is a welcome and constructive gesture by Iran and deserves appreciation. It…
Israel targeted in Yemen’s Houthis first missile strike as US troop deployment raises fears of wider war
Saturday 28 March 2026 19:00 , Bryony Gooch
Houthis launch first missile strikes on Israel as US forces arrive in Middle East
Two Iraqi police officers killed in airstrike targeting Shi'ite PMF site in Mosul
Saturday 28 March 2026 18:47 , Bryony GoochAt least two Iraqi police personnel were killed and two wounded in an airstrike that targeted a Popular Mobilisation Forces headquarters in Mosul, which was located adjacent to a police facility, security sources told Reuters on Saturday.
The PMF, known in Arabic as Hashd al-Shaabi, is an umbrella group of mostly Shi'ite paramilitary factions that was formally integrated into Iraq's state security forces and includes several groups aligned with Iran.
Protesters clash in London at memorial service for Iran's former supreme leader
Saturday 28 March 2026 18:28 , Bryony GoochHundreds of people have turned out to protest against a memorial service in north London for Iran's former supreme leader.
Protesters clashed with those demonstrating in support of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-backed Israeli air strike in February.
There was a heavy police presence at the Islamic Centre of England in Maida Vale on Saturday afternoon.
The Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police could be seen working to calm outbursts, asking disruptive protesters to move on and marshal traffic.
Two police officers were seen monitoring the protest with a video camera from the balcony of a residential property opposite the centre.
Kuwait International Airport suffers 'significant damage' to radar system in attacks
Saturday 28 March 2026 18:10 , Maira ButtKuwait International Airport was targeted by multiple drone attacks on Saturday that caused significant damage to its radar system but resulted in no casualties, state news agency KUNA reported, citing the country's Civil Aviation Authority.
The authority's spokesperson later said the attacks were carried out by Iran, its proxies and the armed factions it supports.
Nine paramedics killed in Lebanon, says World Health Organisation
Saturday 28 March 2026 17:50 , Maira ButtNine paramedics have been killed and seven others wounded in five separate attacks on health care in southern Lebanon, according to the World Health Organisation.
The incidents struck medical teams in five separate villages, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who confirmed the news in a social media post.
He added that the repeated strikes have severely disrupted health services in southern Lebanon. Four hospitals and 51 primary healthcare centres are now closed, with several other facilities operating at reduced capacity, he said.
Full story: Force of 3,500 Marines and sailors arrive in Middle East
Saturday 28 March 2026 17:24 , Maira ButtThousands of U.S. servicemembers have deployed to the Middle East as the war with Iran enters its second month, underscoring the scale of the American military buildup in the region.
On Friday, roughly 3,500 Marines and sailors aboard the USS Tripoli — an amphibious assault ship — entered the U.S. Central Command’s “area of responsibility,” the military command announced on Saturday. CENTCOM oversees U.S. operations in the Middle East.
The vessel also carries transport aircraft, tactical assets as well as strike fighter jets. Photos posted by CENTCOM show soldiers wearing helmets, goggles and combat fatigues.
Since the war broke out in late February, the U.S. has built up a massive military presence near Iran, deploying thousands of Marines and warships to supplement the roughly 50,000 U.S. troops already stationed in the region. Last week, reports also indicated the Pentagon plans to dispatch at least 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division.
Brendan Rascius reports from New York:
Where have US marines arrived?
Saturday 28 March 2026 17:04 , Maira ButtThe US Central Command wrote in its announcement that the USS Tripoli warship had arrived in an “area of responsibility” but did not disclose a specific location.
However, the so-called area spans four million square miles across north-east Africa, the Middle East and central and southern Asia, according to the US military.
The warship was previously located in Japan.
Watch: CENTCOM releases footage of strikes against Iranian vessels 'harassing' global trade
Saturday 28 March 2026 16:44 , Maira ButtIn pictures: US military confirms arrival of thousands of marines in Middle East
Saturday 28 March 2026 16:21 , Maira Butt
Breaking: US ship carrying thousands of marines arrives in Middle East
Saturday 28 March 2026 15:51 , Maira ButtThousands of US marines and sailors have arrived in the Middle East aboard the USS Tripoli, according to US Central Command.
The arrival comes amid reports that President Donald Trump would be sending thousands of military personnel to the region in an attempt to defeat Iran alongside a potential ground invasion.
“The America-class amphibious assault ship serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group/31st Marine Expeditionary Unit composed of about 3,500 Sailors and Marines in addition to transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets,” wrote US Central Command on Saturday.
U.S. Sailors and Marines aboard USS Tripoli (LHA 7) arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, March 27. The America-class amphibious assault ship serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group / 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit composed of about… pic.twitter.com/JFWiPBbkd2
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 28, 2026
Iran says area near fatal Minab school attack has been hit in fresh US-Israeli strikes
Saturday 28 March 2026 15:44 , Maira ButtIran has said that an area close to the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab county has been hit in a new US-Israeli attack.
On Friday, an emergency meeting was held at the United Nations Human Rights Council, as calls were made for a US investigation into the original attack on 28 February that killed 175 school children and teachers according to Iranian authorities.
Ahmad Nafisi, the political, security and social deputy governor of the southern Hormozgan province, said the attack caused “damage to the storage facilities” at the Martyr Absalan Clinic.
He is reported to have said that the US and Israel used “several drones” in the attack on the medical complex, according to the Fars news agency.
“Fortunately, this attack did not lead to any casualties,” he said, adding that an investigation remains underway.
Qatar intercepts several drones launched from Iran, says defence ministry
Saturday 28 March 2026 15:40 , Maira ButtQatar has intercepted more drones launched from Iran on Saturday, according to the country’s defence ministry, as the war in the Middle East shows no signs of slowing down.
The Qatari defence ministry said all of the aircraft were intercepted. No casualties have been reported.
‘What happens in Gaza, will happen everywhere’: Palestinian ambassador to the UK warns Israel will not stop
Saturday 28 March 2026 15:20 , Maira ButtAs Israel prepares to occupy parts of southern Lebanon, weeks after warning it would take the territory, Palestine’s ambassador to the UK has warned what has happened in Gaza is only the beginning for the troubled region.
Israel says it needs to create a buffer zone in Lebanon, similar to Gaza, so it can fight Hezbollah and keep its territory safe.
Thousands of Lebanese have already been forced into tents and UN calls for Lebanon’s territorial integrity to be respected, appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Iran war, launched a month ago jointly with the US, is the fulfillment of a “40 year dream”.
‘What happens in Gaza, will happen everywhere’: Ambassador warns Israel will not stop
Watch: Trump calls Strait of Hormuz 'Strait of Trump'
Saturday 28 March 2026 15:00 , Maira ButtIsraeli military kills three Palestinian men in Gaza, health officials say
Saturday 28 March 2026 14:40 , Maira ButtThe Israeli military killed three Palestinian men in Gaza on Saturday in two separate air strikes, local health officials and medics said on Saturday.
Palestinian health officials said one man was killed in an air strike on a car in the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza, while medics said two adult brothers were killed in Shujiaya, a neighbourhood east of Gaza City.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the two air strikes.
More than 680 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since a ceasefire with Hamas came into effect in November, local health officials say.
Iraq's prime minister condemns attack on house of Kurdistan region's president
Saturday 28 March 2026 14:20 , Maira ButtIraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned an attack on the house of the president of the country's Kurdistan Region, the prime minister's office said in a statement.
Al-Sudani spoke to Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani by telephone, it said. The attack occurred early on Saturday, according to security sources.
Trump finally knows what he needs to declare victory in Iran – he’s right to panic
Saturday 28 March 2026 14:01 , Maira ButtThe president is clearly extremely hacked off with media coverage of his war in Iran. Sorry, excursion – a word he likes to use instead of war, as though it is a genteel day trip by charabanc to Frinton-on-Sea.
In the past week, the president has even rounded on BBC coverage (something I find hard to believe he watches much of in the West Wing, but anyway), complaining that its reporting gives the impression that Iran has fought the US to a standstill. Why can’t the corporation, and the rest of the media, see that America and Israel have blown the Iranian armed forces to smithereens, decapitating the political leadership and degrading their ability ever to wage war again?
He has a point. But it’s a narrow one.
Jon Sopel reports:
Trump is panicking – but he finally knows what he needs to declare victory in Iran
First images released of three journalists killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon
Saturday 28 March 2026 13:40 , Maira ButtThe first images of three journalists killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon have been released.
Earlier, we reported two journalists had been killed in attacks on a media car in Lebanon, as reported by Reuters via Al Manar. The number has now risen to three.
Sky News’ reporter Alex Crawford has released images of the journalists.
They include Al-Manar TV correspondent Ali Shuaib, Al-Mayadeen correspondent Fatima Fatouni, and a cameraman, according to the Anadolu agency.
The Israeli military is yet to comment on the reports.
