Iran War Intensifies as Ships Hit in Strait of Hormuz; US Destroys Mine-Laying Fleet

The Trump administration conveyed a message to Israeli leaders asking them to refrain from further strikes on Iran's energy and oil facilities, according to multiple reports from March 10-11. The request was delivered at a senior political level and also communicated to Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, according to Axios, which first reported the development.

U.S. officials cited three reasons for the request: the strikes cause disproportionate harm to the Iranian civilian population, President Trump wants to preserve the possibility of cooperating with Iran's oil sector after the conflict ends in a manner similar to the approach taken with Venezuela, and there is concern that continued energy strikes could provoke Iran into retaliating against oil infrastructure across the Persian Gulf region. According to the reporting, the president views attacks on Iran's energy facilities as a reserved option to be used only if Tehran deliberately targets Gulf oil infrastructure first.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly distanced the administration from Israeli fuel depot strikes, telling reporters the U.S. had not attacked targets of that kind. Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican supporter of the military campaign, also urged Israel to exercise caution with its target selection in order to preserve Iran's long-term economic viability.

The U.S. Senate cleared a procedural hurdle on March 10 with an 89-9 vote to advance the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a sweeping bipartisan bill aimed at tackling the national housing affordability crisis. The legislation, co-led by Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, represents the most comprehensive federal housing legislation in over a decade and could receive a final Senate floor vote as early as this week.

The bill would overhaul federal regulations to make new construction faster and less expensive, modernize rules governing factory-built and manufactured housing, and ban large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes — a provision that has received backing from President Trump. However, several real estate industry groups have raised objections to a requirement that large institutional investors divest newly built rental properties after seven years of ownership.

Despite the strong bipartisan showing on the procedural vote, the bill's path to final passage remains uncertain. House Republican leaders have sought to attach unrelated provisions including community bank deregulation and a permanent ban on central bank digital currency issuance. Additionally, President Trump stated on March 9 that he would not sign other legislation until a separate voting-related bill, the SAVE Act, is passed — a move that could complicate the timeline for any bill reaching his desk.

Democrat Shawn Harris and Trump-endorsed Republican Clay Fuller emerged as the top two finishers in a crowded special election on March 11 to fill the Georgia 14th Congressional District seat vacated by former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. Harris, a retired Army brigadier general and cattle rancher who previously challenged Greene in the 2024 general election, led the field with 37.33 percent of the vote and 43,241 total ballots. Fuller, a district attorney who prosecutes cases across four counties, finished second with 34.87 percent and 40,388 votes. Republican Colton Moore placed third with 11.63 percent.

Since no candidate surpassed the 50 percent threshold required to win outright, the race will proceed to a runoff election on April 7. Fuller received President Trump's endorsement in February, a significant advantage in a district that Trump carried by 37 percentage points in the 2024 presidential race. Political analysts widely consider Fuller the heavy favorite in the solidly Republican district heading into the runoff.

The special election was triggered after Greene resigned from Congress to accept a position in the Trump administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. The winner of the April runoff will serve the remainder of her term in the 119th Congress.

A man was taken into custody on March 11 after driving a van through a temporary security barrier north of the White House at approximately 6:26 a.m., the U.S. Secret Service confirmed. The vehicle breached the barrier near the intersection of Madison Place and H Street NW before officers from the Secret Service's uniformed division immediately arrested the driver.

A police bomb squad responded to the scene, inspected the vehicle, and determined it was safe. No injuries were reported. The driver's identity was not immediately released, and the Secret Service stated that he was being interviewed by investigators with criminal charges pending.

The incident prompted heightened security around the White House perimeter during the morning hours. The breach occurred at a temporary barrier rather than the permanent fencing closer to the White House itself. The Secret Service did not indicate any connection to terrorism or ongoing threats.