NTD News Today

Wall Street's main indexes opened higher on Wednesday as prospects of a de-escalation in the Middle East conflict allayed some investor fears around prolonged energy supply disruptions.

A source at the Pentagon has told media that elements of the elite 82nd Airborne Division are being deployed to the region. A key element of the 82nd Airborne is the Immediate Response Force—highly-trained soldiers who can parachute into enemy territory. The deployment comes after U.S. airstrikes on Iran's Kharg Island, targeting military facilities but leaving oil infrastructure untouched. President Donald Trump also warning that the United States could target oil facilities if Iran interferes with the Strait of Hormuz.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) will be sworn in as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Oval Office of the White House on March 24. Mullin was confirmed by the Senate on March 23 and replaces fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

Iran and Israel have continued strikes in the Middle East after U.S. President Donald Trump postponed the bombing of the Iranian regime's ​power plants and other energy infrastructure because of what he described as productive talks with Iranian officials. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel on March 24, striking the coastal city of Tel Aviv.

Israel has confirmed that it killed the spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ali Mohammad Naini. He's the fourth high-profile Iranian official killed this week.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said he held multiple roles in propaganda and media operations. The military says over the past two years, he served as the IRGC’s main propagandist and spread the regime’s messaging across the Middle East. His work targeted proxy groups to influence and advance terror attacks against Israel, according to the IDF.

An additional force of U.S. warships and an attached Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is set to deploy to the Middle East amid ongoing combat operations against Iran, The Epoch Times has learned.

The USS Boxer amphibious ready group and the 11th MEU, currently based out of San Diego, are set to sail across the Indo-Pacific region to reach the waters of the Middle East, according to a U.S. military source familiar with the matter.

President Donald Trump will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House for a bilateral meeting. It's the Japanese prime minister's first trip to the United States since taking office last October.

Takaichi told reporters that she hopes to discuss restoring peace in the Middle East, saying global peace and stability are under threat. Japanese officials say the two sides will work to deepen cooperation in regional security, critical minerals, energy, and China-related issues.

Top Trump administration intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and FBI Director Kash Patel, testify before the House Intelligence Committee at their annual hearing, focusing largely on the security implications of the Iran war.

Top Trump administration intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and FBI Director Kash Patel, testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee at their annual hearings. Hearings are expected to focus largely on the security implications of the Iran war.

The Israeli military said it killed Iran's minister of intelligence, Esmaeil Khatib, in an overnight strike. It's the third death of a top Iranian official in 24 hours. Israel says Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, including arresting and killing protestors and leading terrorist activities against Israelis and Americans around the world.

President Donald Trump said the Iran War could be wrapped up soon, when asked on Monday whether he thinks the war could end this week. Trump said the operation stopped Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, adding that it prevented a nuclear war that could have escalated into World War III. Trump also says some countries have agreed to help patrol the Strait of Hormuz. He says an announcement on the patrol effort will be made soon.

Trump will meet with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the White House on St. Patrick's Day. NTD will have live coverage of the bilateral meeting.

President Donald Trump said he may delay a planned meeting with Chinese communist leader Xi Jinping. The president did not indicate how long the meeting might be delayed. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clarified at a press conference after talks with a Chinese delegation that if Trump's trip is delayed, it's because the president wants to remain in Washington to oversee the Iran war.

Oil prices are climbing again as the Iran war threatens global oil supply. Brent crude hit $106 per barrel on Sunday. The biggest concern remains the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the conflict could end soon, which would help bring prices back down.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Friday that Iran's new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is wounded and likely disfigured, questioning Khamenei's ability to lead. Khamenei has not been seen by Iranians since his selection by a clerical assembly on Sunday, and his first comments came in a statement read out by a television presenter on Thursday.

All six crew members aboard a U.S. military refuelling aircraft have been confirmed dead after it crashed in western Iraq, U.S. Central Command said on Friday. CENTCOM ruled out the cause of the crash as either hostile fire or friendly fire. The identities of the deceased service members are being withheld until next of kin have been notified.

Oil prices jumped back toward the $100-per-barrel mark on March 12 despite a coordinated release of strategic reserves by the United States and its allies, as Iranian attacks on oil and transport infrastructure across the Middle East intensified fears of supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz and a prolonged regional conflict.

The Trump administration has launched new trade investigations under the Trade Act. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the probes will examine excess industrial capacity in 16 major trading partners.

The countries include China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico. The investigations will determine whether foreign policies and practices are unfairly displacing U.S. manufacturing and restricting commerce.

A second investigation will focus on imports produced with forced labor, targeting roughly 60 countries. These inquiries could lead to new tariffs or import restrictions.

Members of the International Energy Agency (IEA) agreed on March 11 to release 400 million barrels of oil from reserves. This is the largest withdrawal on record as governments attempt to mitigate the spike in global energy prices.

Major storms whipped up tornadoes that killed at least two people in northwest Indiana and leveled buildings in Kankakee, Illinois, authorities said Wednesday, as another round of rain, hail and strong winds made its way through the region.