UAE to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz; Pentagon considers deploying 10,000 more troops; Chinese-linked site in Kuwait attacked.

Meanwhile, Trump extends his deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz by 10 days, and the U.S. is using unmanned boats for the first time ever against Iran.

Tania Novakivska

Mar 27, 2026

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The latest news at this hour:

UAE TO HELP REOPEN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ: The UAE has informed Washington and other Western allies that it will participate in a multinational task force aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

There is a growing belief among some Gulf states and the Trump administration that there is no way to open the strait without a naval escort, the Financial Times reported.

*Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026. Photo by AFP via Getty Images*

PENTAGON CONSIDERS DEPLOYING 10,000 MORE TROOPS: The Pentagon is considering sending an additional 10,000 ground troops to the Middle East, despite the possibility of peace talks with Tehran.

This decision would give Trump more military options in the region. These forces, likely to include infantry and armored vehicles, would join the approximately 5,000 Marines and thousands of paratroopers already deployed to the region.

A CHINESE-LINKED SITE IN KUWAIT ATTACKED: A site associated with China’s Belt and Road Initiative near the port of Mubarak Al-Kabeer came under attack by drones and cruise missiles, causing material damage, but no human casualties, according to the Times of Israel.

This is the first attack on a China-linked project in the region since the war began on February 28. China, which continues to purchase Iranian crude oil, has not commented on the attack.

A few hours earlier, the country’s main commercial port, Shuwaikh, was attacked.

THE U.S. USING UNMANNED BOATS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER: The U.S. has deployed unmanned high-speed boats for patrols as part of an operation against Iran, according to Reuters.

This marks the first time Washington has used such drones in an active conflict. The vessels can be used for surveillance or for kamikaze strikes, meaning that drones destroy themselves when they hit the target.

The potential for using unmanned boats in conflicts has been studied in recent years, following its use by Ukraine to inflict significant damage on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

Unmanned surface vessel (USV) sails alongside U.S. Coast Guard cutter Maui in the Gulf waters during a joint naval exercise between US 5th Fleet Command and Bahraini forces, on October 26, 2021. Photo by MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images

IDF ANNOUNCES IT BOMBED KEY IRANIAN WEAPONS FACILITY: According to military officials, Israel struck Iran’s most central facility for the production of naval missiles and mines.

The facility was used for the planning, development, assembly, and storage of “modern missiles designed to be launched from cruise ships, submarines, and helicopters at mobile and stationary maritime targets,” according to the IDF.

It also announced a strike on a facility producing ballistic missiles and air defense systems.

TRUMP EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR THE OPENING OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ: U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he would extend the deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz until April 6th, threatening the destruction of all Iran’s power plants.

This statement followed Iran’s rejection of the U.S. 15-point proposal to cease hostilities.

U.S. ALARMS PENTAGON WITH ITS IMMENSE USE OF TOMAHAWKS: Over the course of this four-week-long war, the U.S. has fired more than 850 tomahawks, according to the Washington Post. Only a few hundred of these U.S. cruise missiles are produced each year, and that limited supply might force the U.S. to reconsider keeping their Tomahawks in other countries, including in the Indo-Pacific.

Photo from a U.S. Navy-released handout depicting a Tomahawk land attack missile in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 1, 2026.

UKRAINE AND SAUDI ARABIA SIGNED A DEFENSE COOPERATION AGREEMENT: During an unannounced Zelenskyy visit to the Persian Gulf countries, a framework agreement was signed on the eve of a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

This agreement lays the foundation for future contracts, technological cooperation, and investments, according to Zelenskyy.

Russia has been using Iranian Shahed-type drones since 2022 to launch attacks on Ukraine, who now has the most experience in countering them. Earlier this month, Ukraine dispatched more than 220 Ukrainian experts to advise several Middle Eastern countries on how to intercept drone attacks on energy infrastructure.