AnewZ Morning Brief - 21 March, 2026

Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 21 March, covering the latest developments you need to know.

Trump says U.S. is close to meeting objectives in Iran war

The United States said it was getting very close to meeting its goals in the war with Iran and was considering winding down its military efforts. President  Donald Trump also urged countries that rely on the Strait of Hormuz to guard and police the waterway themselves, if needed. "The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other nations who use it - The United States does not!," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

UK allows expanded U.S. use of bases for strikes on Iranian sites

The UK has approved an expansion of U.S. access to British bases for operations targeting Iranian missile capabilities threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Downing Street. A statement said in a meeting, Cabinet ministers “confirmed that the agreement for the U.S. to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes U.S. defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz."

U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators to discuss drone deal in Miami

U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators will hold talks in Miami on Saturday (21 March) that a source familiar with the matter said could lay the groundwork for another meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy told reporters on Friday that the U.S. and Ukrainian working groups would focus on bilateral documents and discuss a wide-ranging drone deal during the weekend meeting.

Iceland could become EU member in 2028, foreign minister says

Iceland's Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir told Reuters on Wednesday (18 March) she is optimistic her country could join the European Union as early as 2028. The Icelandic government has proposed holding a referendum on 29 August on resuming EU membership negotiations, a process Reykjavik froze in 2013 when a more Eurosceptic government took power. "We have seen that it's beneficial to have a voice at the table," Gunnarsdóttir said in an interview in Brussels.

Merz faces key second state election test in Germany

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives face their second electoral test this month on Sunday (22 March) when they hope to unseat the centre-left Social Democrats, their coalition partner at the national level, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. For Merz, however, battling to shore up Western support for Ukraine and facing the looming threat of an energy shock caused by the Iran war, an election he once counted on to boost his domestic support has become uncomfortably tight.

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News Iran Israel War Donald Trump UK Germany United States Iceland Friedrich Merz