5 Big News Stories Overnight - Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Middle East: 140 U.S. Service Members Have Been Wounded

New York Times reports:

Iranian strikes have killed seven American troops, and injured 140 U.S. service members overall, the Pentagon said. Of that number, 108 have returned to duty.

“The vast majority of these injuries have been minor,” Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said in the statement. “Eight service members remain listed as severely injured and are receiving the highest level of medical care.”

PHOTO: Joel Rivera-Camacho, Unsplash

Russia: Moscow's Deportation and Forcible Transfer of Thousands of Children

France 24 reports:

Moscow's deportation and forcible transfer of thousands of children from Ukraine to Russia amounts to a crime against humanity, a United Nations team of investigators said Tuesday.

The UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said it had evidence leading it to conclude that "Russian authorities have committed the crimes against humanity of deportation and forcible transfer, as well as of enforced disappearance of children".

The probe was established by the UN Human Rights Council shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

PHOTO: Zhenghu Feng CC: 2.0

Analysis: "World War Three? How the Iran war could pit the US against Russia and China"

Telegraph reports: 

Is this what World War Three looks like?

On the 11th day of the US-Israeli war with Iran, Roland looks at how the conflict is broadening well beyond Iran’s borders. President Donald Trump has hinted the war is nearly over, but ACLED CEO Clionadh Raleigh says it is dangerously close to dragging in Russia and China given they have already openly backed Iran. 

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She also talks through what the data says about this conflict so far, from the high intensity of the military campaign to the surprisingly low casualty rates. 

Plus, Senior Foreign Correspondent Sophia Yan reports from the Iraqi side of the Iranian border where she has been speaking to Iranian Kurdish separatist leaders who say they have thousands of fighters ready to go. 

Middle East: Tehran says US, Israel have hit nearly 10,000 civilian sites

Al Jazeera reports:

Explosions rock Tehran as Iran says US and Israeli forces have bombed nearly 10,000 civilian sites in the country, and killed more than 1,300 civilians since the war began 11 days ago.

The US military said it destroyed 16 inactive Iranian mine-laying vessels after President Donald Trump warned of grave consequences if oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted.

U.S.: Trump Pumps American Oil

Trump posted: 

America is returning to REAL ENERGY DOMINANCE! Today I am proud to announce that America First Refining is opening the FIRST new U.S. Oil Refinery in 50 YEARS in Brownsville, Texas. THIS IS A HISTORIC $300 BILLION DOLLAR DEAL — THE BIGGEST IN U.S. HISTORY, A MASSIVE WIN for American Workers, Energy, and the GREAT People of South Texas! Thank you to our partners in India, and their largest privately held Energy Company, Reliance, for this tremendous Investment. It is because of our America First Agenda, streamlining Permits, and lowering Taxes, that have attracted Billions of Dollars in Deals coming back to our Nation. A new Refinery at the Port of Brownsville, will fuel U.S. Markets, strengthen our National Security, boost American Energy production, deliver Billions of Dollars in Economic impact, and will be THE CLEANEST REFINERY IN THE WORLD. It will power Global Exports, and bring THOUSANDS of long overdue Jobs and Growth to a Region that deserves it. This is what AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE looks like. AMERICA FIRST, ALWAYS!