Iran launches major barrage; Ships hit in Strait of Hormuz attacks

Iran claims it launched its heaviest operation of the war, firing missiles and drones across the region.

Plus, Iran is accused of preparing to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. military is responding.

And investigators search Jeffrey Epstein’s former New Mexico ranch after newly released files renewed scrutiny of the property.

These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

Iran launches heaviest attack of war as missiles, drones spark regional interceptions

Iran claims it has launched its “most intense and heaviest operation” so far in the ongoing Middle East conflict. Interceptions and air raid sirens were reported in Israel and across the Gulf overnight.

An Iranian state news agency released a video showing what it claims are missiles being launched. The United Arab Emirates reported that its air defenses were trying to intercept incoming fire from Iran.

In Dubai, officials reported that four individuals were injured when two drones crashed near Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international flights.

Meanwhile, Israel announced it has launched an “additional wave” of strikes targeting Tehran. Explosions were reported near Mehrabad International Airport, and there were also major nighttime air raids in northern Iran.

Israel has also continued strikes against the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli strikes in eastern and southern Lebanon killed 14 people and injured more than two dozen others overnight.

The ministry also said an Israeli strike on an apartment building in downtown Beirut early this morning injured four people.

Trump threatens Iran over Hormuz mines as US strikes 16 vessels

President Donald Trump warned Iran to remove any mines from the Strait of Hormuz and threatened severe military consequences if shipping through the waterway is disrupted, as the conflict around the key oil route intensifies. U.S. Central Command said American forces have now struck 16 Iranian vessels capable of laying mines in the strait.

Trump issued the warning Tuesday in a post on Truth Social, addressing reports that Iran has started placing naval mines in the narrow shipping lane that carries a large share of the world’s oil.

“If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote. He added that if mines are discovered and not removed, “the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before.”

U.S. forces soon struck vessels linked to mine-laying operations in the strait.

“I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine-laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow,” he wrote.

Later Tuesday night, U.S. Central Command said the total number of vessels struck had reached 16 and posted video showing munitions hitting several of the boats.

U.S. intelligence officials said that Iran has begun placing mines in the waterway, according to reporting from CNN. The mining activity is limited so far, involving a few dozen devices, the sources said. Iran retains most of its small boats and mine-laying craft and could deploy hundreds of mines if it chooses.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps controls much of the activity in the strait alongside Iran’s navy. U.S. officials said the force has the capability to deploy small craft, explosive boats and shore-based missiles in the channel.

The White House said Tuesday that the U.S. Navy has not escorted commercial vessels through the strait, despite a social media post from Energy Secretary Chris Wright that briefly claimed otherwise.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Navy has not conducted tanker escorts “at this time,” and said the post from Wright’s account was removed after officials determined it had been incorrectly captioned.

Leavitt said naval escorts remain an option if the administration determines they are necessary.

Meanwhile, a projectile hit a cargo ship early Wednesday morning, setting the vessel on fire. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said the crew was forced to evacuate.

Ship traffic through the strait has largely stalled, leaving millions of barrels of oil effectively stranded in the gulf and sending energy markets on a volatile ride.

Georgia special election forces runoff between Fuller and Harris

The race to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia is headed to a runoff. After a crowded special election in Georgia’s 14th district, former district attorney Clay Fuller and retired Army Brig. Gen. Shawn Harris will advance to the final round.

Neither candidate reached the 50% threshold needed to win outright, resulting in a runoff on April 7.

For Republicans, the race served as a test of Trump’s influence.

Fuller stepped down from his role as district attorney to run and quickly became the front-runner after Trump endorsed him in February. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also backed Fuller, urging Republicans to rally behind him in the runoff.

Fuller will compete against Harris, a Democrat, in the runoff election. The retired Army general and cattle rancher has raised over $4 million for his campaign.

Harris lost to Greene in 2024, but said Tuesday’s results show that a Democrat can still compete in what he calls a “ruby red” district.

The seat opened in January after Greene’s highly publicized split with Trump over foreign policy and the release of the Epstein files. Whoever wins the runoff will complete Greene’s term, which ends in January next year.

New Mexico officials search Epstein’s Zorro Ranch amid revived probe

New Mexico investigators are now searching the large ranch once owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as part of a reopened state probe into what may have occurred there.

Authorities started searching the property known as Zorro Ranch earlier this week, about 30 miles south of Santa Fe, after newly released federal files led the state attorney general to review allegations connected to the estate.

The search is being conducted by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, with assistance from state police and the local sheriff’s office.

The ranch — a large compound with a private runway and hilltop mansion — was one of Epstein’s most isolated properties, and victims have reported some abuse and trafficking occurred there.

But the site was never examined as thoroughly as Epstein’s homes in New York, Florida or the Caribbean.

Now, investigators say new information in recently unsealed Justice Department files — including previously unknown allegations linked to the property — has renewed interest in what might have happened there years ago.

Authorities haven’t specified what they’re searching for or how long the search might last.

More than 300 TSA officers have quit since DHS shutdown began: CBS

It has been nearly a month since the partial government shutdown began at the Department of Homeland Security, and its effects are now becoming evident at airports nationwide as spring break travel increases.

But this shutdown could be different from previous ones.

CBS News reported that over 300 TSA employees have quit since the shutdown started on Feb. 14. Call-out rates among TSA officers have risen into double digits at some airports.

At Houston’s Hobby Airport, CBS reported that half of all screeners called out of work over the weekend, prompting the airport to warn passengers to arrive as early as four hours before their flights.

CBS internal figures indicate that 305 TSA employees resigned between Feb. 14 and March 9.

In Indiana, a local union reported that about half a dozen TSA officers at Indianapolis International Airport have also resigned since the shutdown started.

TSA officers are considered essential workers, meaning about 50,000 employees still have to work without pay until Congress approves funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

And right now, there’s no sign that it will happen anytime soon, as lawmakers remain locked in a stalemate over limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Kīlauea sends 1,000‑foot lava fountains skyward in new eruption

The Kīlauea volcano put on another display, bigger and brighter than the last. This time, two lava fountains shot bright red molten rock more than 1,000 feet into the air.

It’s the 43rd eruption episode since activity resumed in December 2024.

Tuesday’s episode led to the closure of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park near Kīlauea’s summit and a major highway as ash covered parts of the island. The National Weather Service even issued an ashfall warning.

Fortunately, no homes or structures were directly at risk. In previous incidents, nearby communities have faced thick ash residue covering homes and roofs.

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