Reuters World News - US military crash, Trump's Iran exit plan, Cuba-US talks

Episode Date: March 13, 2026

*This podcast has been updated to include the latest news on a federal judge blocking subpoenas issued by the U.S. Justice Department against Federal Reserve Chair ‌Jerome Powell. The update also includes the latest details on a U.S. military aircraft that crashed in western Iraq, killing six US service members. Plus, Cuba's president confirms he is in direct talks with the United States.  Four crew members on a U.S. military aircraft that crashed in western Iraq are dead. With no obvious off-ramp, President Donald Trump’s aides vie to influence his exit plan in the war with Iran. We hear from people on the ground in Tehran. Iran’s new supreme leader vows to keep fighting and to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut. Even with a U.S. 30-day sanctions waiver on buying up Russian crude, some countries take steps to secure their own energy. And the U.S. Senate passes an affordable housing bill in a rare moment of bipartisanship.  Listen to the Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, I'm Kim Vinal in Wanganui, New Zealand. And I'm Sharon Reichgarson in New Jersey. Today. Six U.S. service members are dead after a plane crashed over Iraq. Trump gets conflicting advice on when to call time on the war in Iran. We hear from people on the ground in Tehran. And Cuba opens talks with the U.S. as the oil blockade takes a toll. This is Royce's World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, seven days a week. We start with some breaking news.

A federal judge has blocked subpoenas served to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The judge found that the subpoenas, which are tied to a probe supposedly about a Fed building renovation, were actually an effort to pressure Powell to cut interest rates. The Justice Department says, it will appeal the ruling. Six crew members have been killed after a U.S. military refueling aircraft crashed in Western Iraq. The Pentagon says a second KC. 135 was involved, but landed safely, and it's stressing this wasn't caused by hostile or friendly fire. An Iran-backed Iraqi militia is claiming responsibility for downing the plane, but the U.S. military says the cause is still under investigation. In a separate incident, two U.S. sailors were injured in a non-combat

related fire aboard the USS Gerald Ford. Iran's new Supreme Leader Moshtaba Khomeini has issued his first public statement since taking power, signaling Iran plans to fight on. State TV news anchors read the statement where Kharmini vows revenge for the killing of a Iranians, especially children. He also says Iran will keep the strait of Hormuz shut to keep up the pressure on the US and Israel by choking the movement of oil. Khomeini, who, according to State TV, was wounded in the strikes, hasn't been seen in public since the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali, Khomeini.

In Tehran, some Iranians have told Reuters they're attempting to carry on with daily life, becoming accustomed to the sound of strikes from the US and Israel. Homaye, who declined to give his last name, says he's gotten used to the noise, but says everyone is still on edge and angry at the number of people being killed. He says even so, he won't abandon his country. A woman named Mashid, who also didn't give her last name, says she's collecting any scraps of her apartment that she can find in the rubble. I'm not for me.

She's staying with relatives, but says she has nowhere to go long term. Israel has rebuffed a historic offer from Lebanon to open direct peace talks, calling it too little too late. Lebanese President Joseph Vayu and has signaled readiness to negotiate, even to move toward normalizing ties. Two sources tell Reuters that the U.S. and Israel are showing little interest, saying Lebanon, hasn't reigned in Hezbollah or prevented the group's March 2nd attack, leaving Beirut with almost nothing to offer. Meanwhile, Israel's offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah drags Lebanon deeper into the war, pushing further into Beirut.

Yesterday, airstrikes hit two buildings in the capital's heart near the Lebanese government headquarters. Before the hit, Israel warned residents saying they were near a Hezbollah facility. Israel also says it struck a bridge because it was a key crossing used by Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. It appears to be the first time in the current campaign against Hezbollah that the Israeli military acknowledged it had targeted civilian infrastructure. And on the seafront sidewalk in the city... Displaced Mahmou Kassim says his heart is dead after an Israeli hit on the area that's become a makeshift shift.

shelter with tents housing displaced families. Twelve people were killed in that strike, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Israel's defense minister says the military is under orders to expand the campaign. Now, we asked yesterday what you want to know about the Iran war. One of the big questions was, what is Trump's end game here? What would qualify as a win? Well, Reuters reporting shows Trump's aides are offering him very different. answer to that question. Here's Reuters U.S. foreign policy editor, Don Dherfi.

So you have some aides who are principally worried about the economics of the conflict and the political impact from the high price of oil and therefore gasoline. Those aids are pushing Trump to define victory a little bit more narrowly. So maybe in terms of destroying Iran's missile capability, destroying its navy, and then be able to claim victory and call it a day. There are other people, including Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Tom Cotton, who our sources say have been pushing Trump to really stick with it, keep the military pressure on the regime potentially until it collapses. And then there's another group outside the administration, you know, some of the populace of the MAGA movement, who really are interested in getting the administration to avoid the kind of protracted Middle East war that Trump had vowed that he would not get the United States involved in. With oil prices skyrocketing, the US has announced it will allow countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products currently stranded at sea for the next 30 days. That follows the International Energy Agency announcing plans to release 400 million barrels of oil from strategic stockpiles.

But Iran is vowing to keep disrupting supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. So governments are moving to protect their own energy security. and that's leaving others more exposed. Reuters Asia Commodities and Energy Editor Tony Monroe explains. Most strikingly, we reported that China has banned the export of refined fuel products. China is a significant exporter of fuels. We're seeing several countries impose austerity measures. In Bangladesh, there was a closure of universities.

In Myanmar, they announced a sweeping fuel rationing. system. In Thailand, they've ordered civil servants to conserve energy, including using the stairs instead of elevators. So it's really just austerity measures at this point. Over to Cuba now, after nearly three months without fuel imports, Havana's open talks with Washington. The U.S. oil blockade has pushed the island into one of the worst energy crisis in years, leaving Cubans in the dark for up to 12 hours a day. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel says the negotiations have been aimed at easing bilateral tensions, though he insists they must be held with respect for each country's political system.

The White House is urging a deal, something Donald Trump has said, could be reached, quote, easily. Two other news now, and there's been two violent attacks in the U.S. at a Virginia University and a Michigan synagogue. In Michigan, a suspect crashed a truck into Temple Israel Synagogue in suburban Detroit. Inside the center's preschool was some 140 children. All were evacuated safely. The suspect died after a confrontation with synagogue security. At Old Dominion University in Virginia, a gunman opened fire in a classroom,

killing one person and injuring two army personnel before students subdued him. The FBI has opened a terrorism investigation into the shooting. The shooter identified as Mohamed Jaloh was also killed. For more on any of the stories from today, check out Reuters.com or the Reuters app. Don't forget to follow us on your favorite podcast player. If you're listening on a smart speaker, just ask for the latest news from Reuters seven days a week.

We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.