Trump extends pause on Iran energy plant strikes

Plus, why taking Kharg Island would pose risks for US troops.

Get full access to Reuters.com for just $1/week. Subscribe now. Daily Briefing Daily Briefing By Linda Noakes Hello. An Iranian official calls a US proposal to end the conflict 'unfair', while Trump says talks are going 'very well'. We have an exclusive look at Musk's plans for the SpaceX IPO. Plus, a fun night out in London? Dating gets a PowerPoint makeover. Today's Top News   A woman holds a poster depicting Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran. Majid Asgaripour/WANA via REUTERS  Iran war President Donald Trump said he would again extend a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its energy plants, after Tehran earlier rejected a 15-point US proposal to end the fighting. Trump has been weighing whether to use ground forces to seize Iran's strategic oil hub of Kharg Island, an operation analysts say could be achieved quickly, but leave US troops in great peril and prolong rather than shorten the war. The United States has deployed uncrewed drone speedboats for patrols as part of its operations against Iran, the Pentagon said, ‌the first time Washington has confirmed using such vessels in an active conflict. The debate among Iranian hardliners over whether Tehran should seek a nuclear bomb in defiance of the escalating US-Israeli attack is getting louder, more public and more insistent, sources in the country say. In other news The US Senate passed legislation that would finance most of the Department of Homeland Security but withhold funds from ICE and part of Customs and Border Protection. US paper currency will bear ‌Trump's signature starting this summer, the first time a sitting president has signed American money. A US judge questioned the government's justification for blocking ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro from using the South American country's funds to pay for his legal defense, but said ‌he would not dismiss the case against him on that basis. Hamas would be required to allow the destruction of its vast Gaza tunnel network as it lays down its arms in stages under a disarmament plan that was presented to the militants by Trump's 'Board of Peace', and viewed by Reuters. The International Olympic Committee has announced new rules that will bar transgender athletes from competing in women's events. Sports correspondent Karolos Grohmann joins the Reuters World News podcast to explain how the policy will work and who it affects. The four astronauts selected for NASA's Artemis II mission are due to arrive in Florida, entering the final phase of preparations for the first crewed journey toward the Moon in more than five decades. Business & Markets   The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.4%, leaving the index down nearly 11% from its record-high close on October 29 and confirming it has been in a correction since then.  Meta Platforms shares dropped 7% after two verdicts holding it liable for harm to young users sparked fears the social media giant may have to overhaul ‌the practices that have underpinned its advertising business. France's Pernod Ricard and Jack Daniel's owner Brown-Forman are in discussions about a possible merger, a move that would unite the world's second-largest spirits maker with the ‌largest producer of American whiskey Swiss drugmaker Novartis said it will buy California-based biotech company Excellergy in a deal worth ‌up to $2 billion, the second sizeable acquisition it has announced in as many weeks. Unilever and its recently spun-off Magnum ice cream unit were sued for defamation by Anuradha Mittal, ‌who was ousted in December as chair of Ben & Jerry's independent board, saying the companies vilified and discredited her for supporting Palestinian rights. The Week Ahead Trump's deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz means another nail-biting week for investors who will also be dealing with major macro data and the first quarterly earnings. The US jobs report for March will offer a crucial view into the economy's health as investors gauge fallout from the energy price surge. Flash euro zone inflation is due. After long hovering around the 2% mark, higher energy prices are now expected to push the headline rate up. South Korea's trade data will provide an early indicator of how the global economy is holding up in the face of the war. Musk rewrites IPO playbook    The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe/File Photo Elon Musk is discussing allocating as much as 30% of SpaceX's initial public offering to individual investors — at least three times the usual retail slice — leaning on his rabid fan base and other loyal backers to help steady the stock after its debut. The structure of what is expected to be one of the most closely watched IPOs in years departs from the standard Wall Street playbook, and underscores Musk's determination to shape both who owns SpaceX and how its shares trade once public. Read our exclusive And Finally... A participant gives a presentation during a dating night in London. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes Fed up of swiping left or right on dating apps, young London singles are returning to a classic British way of meeting people - the pub - with a modern twist: a PowerPoint presentation by a close friend pitching them as dating material. Read more   Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website   Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you’ve engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement. Terms & Conditions   © 2026 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036