Portal:Current events/2026 March 31

March 31, 2026 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
  - 2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations
    - Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian says that Iran has the "necessary will" to end the war, provided that the "guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression" are met. (RFE/RL)
    - Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi confirms that direct contacts, although "not negotiations", with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff are under way. (Al Jazeera)
    - U.S. president Donald Trump says that U.S. forces plan to end operations in Iran within about two to three weeks while continuing military action, stating that the withdrawal is not contingent on reaching an agreement with Iran. (AFP via RFI)
    - U.S. defense secretary Pete Hegseth says that the talks between Iran and the United States "are very real" but also states that the U.S. will "negotiate with bombs" until a ceasefire is reached. (Time)
  - 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
    - The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation claims that oil tanker Al Salmi has been hit by an Iranian drone at a port in Dubai, causing a fire onboard and damage to the vessel. Dubai authorities say that the fire has been contained hours after the incident. (The Guardian)
  - France–Israel relations
    - The Israeli defense ministry halts sales of defense products to France following president Emmanuel Macron's decision not to allow U.S. aircraft to pass through French airspace en route to Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)
  - Italy–United States relations
    - Italy denies the United States Air Force the use of the Sigonella base in Sicily for operations related to the Iran war. (Reuters)
  - Poland–United States relations
    - Poland refuses a request by the United States to relocate its Patriot air defense systems to the Middle East for the Iran war. (Politico)
  - China and Pakistan release a five-point peace plan for the Iran war following a meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers, Wang Yi and Ishaq Dar, respectively. The plan includes a ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. (The Guardian) (Axios) (Chinese Foreign Ministry)
- 2026 Lebanon war
  - Israeli defense minister Israel Katz announces that Israel will destroy "all houses" near the Blue Line as part of its creation of a new buffer zone. (Reuters)
  - Four Israeli soldiers are killed in action while fighting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. (The Jerusalem Post)
- Iraqi conflict
  - American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson is kidnapped by armed men in Baghdad, Iraq. (BBC News)
Mexican drug war
- Seven dismembered bodies are found on a road in Cualac, Guerrero, Mexico. (BNO News)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Iran war fuel crisis
  - The American Automobile Association reports that the United States national average gas price has reached $4.02 a gallon, the highest since 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (AP)
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average surges over 1,000 points and the Nasdaq increases to 3.4% after Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian says that Iran has signaled it is willing to end the conflict if security guarantees and assurances are met. (Moneycheck) (XTB)
- Stocks in the U.S. also rise following reports that president Donald Trump has told aides that he is willing to end the war without securing the Strait of Hormuz. (Quartz)

Disasters and accidents

2026 Crimea Antonov An-26 crash
- Thirty military personnel are killed when a Russian Air Force Antonov An-26 crashes in Crimea. (Reuters) (The Moscow Times)
Dozens of people are killed and many others are injured after multiple explosions occur at a military ammunition depot in Bujumbura, Burundi, causing extensive damage to nearby residential areas. (AFP via The Standard)
Eleven people are killed in a shophouse complex fire in Wamena, Highland Papua, Indonesia. (iNews)

Law and crime

LGBTQ rights in the United States, Legality of conversion therapy
- Chiles v. Salazar
  - The U.S. Supreme Court overturns Colorado's ban on conversion therapy in an 8–1 decision, ruling that it infringed on the First Amendment, thereby invalidating similar bans in 22 other states. (AP) (Colorado Public Radio)
LGBTQ rights in Senegal
- Senegalese president Bassirou Diomaye Faye approves a law increasing penalties for same-sex sexual acts to up to 10 years in prison and criminalizing the promotion or financing of such acts. The measure amends existing provisions in the penal code that already penalize these acts. (Reuters)
A court in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, nullifies a fine of more than R$16 million (US$3 million) imposed on football player Neymar in 2023 over alleged environmental violations linked to construction at his Mangaratiba property, citing procedural flaws in the investigation. (AFP via RFI)

Sports

Pakistani cricketer Naseem Shah receives a record fine of Rs. 20 million (US$71,500) for a social media post criticizing Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz, while other disciplinary cases arise in the Pakistan Super League, including a fine for Shaheen Shah Afridi and a ball-tampering charge against Fakhar Zaman. (AFP via France 24)