Iran strikes Gulf allies again; Nationwide storm brings snow, tornado risk

Iran hits American allies again, drones, missiles and new attacks across the Gulf

Iran's foreign minister now firing back at President Trump. Plus, the Strait of Hormuz choking global oil

Trump now pressuring other countries to send in warships. And a wild weather whiplash

Blizzard winds in the plains help ignite massive wildfires, while snow and bitter cold slam the Midwest

The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world

These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow News. Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli

This morning, Iran is continuing its attacks on U.S. allies across the Middle East

Officials in the United Arab Emirates say operations at Dubai International Airport

the world's busiest hub for international travel, are gradually resuming after a drone struck a fuel tank

sparking a fire and temporarily halting flights. The UAE also says a Palestinian civilian was killed in a missile strike early Monday in the capital of Abu Dhabi

Officials say the missile hit a vehicle in the Al-Bahia area. Authorities say seven people now have been killed in the United Arab Emirates since the war began

Also in the UAE, another drone strike sparked a fire at an industrial oil facility

Saudi Arabia says it intercepted three drones over Riyadh and its oil-rich western region

while Bahrain says its air defense systems also responded to attacks Monday morning

Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister is pushing back on President Trump's claim over the weekend

that Iran is, quote, totally defeated and seeking a deal. No, we never asked for a ceasefire and we have never asked even for negotiation

We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes. And this is what we have done so far

And we continue to do that until President Trump comes to the point that this is an illegal war with no victory

His comments come as the Israeli military says, it has destroyed about 70% of Iran's missile launchers

during the first two weeks of the war Israel also says it has sent additional ground troops into Lebanon for what it calls a limited and targeted operation aimed at protecting border communities from the Iran group Hezbollah

In a related story, the fight over the Strait of Hormuz is starting to pull in the rest of the world

President Trump is urging several major powers to send warships to the region

as Iran targets ships in the narrow waterway that carries about one-fifth of the world's oil

In a Truth Social post over the weekend, Trump called on countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom to help keep the strait open and safe

saying global shipping cannot be held hostage by Iran's attempts to disrupt tanker traffic

But so far, there are no firm commitments. Several governments say they are reviewing the situation or coordinating with allies while stopping short of promising to deploy ships

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most critical energy choke points in the world

and the fighting there is already rattling global markets. Trump told reporters last night these countries should be protecting their own energy lifeline

We are demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is their territory

It's a place for which they get their energy, and they should come and they should help us protect it

Meanwhile, Iran is signaling it still holds leverage over the shipping lanes

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqqis says Tehran is already fielding requests from other countries worried about getting their ships through the strait

But we have been approached by a number of countries who wants to have a safe passage for their vessels

And this is up to our military to decide. And they have already decided to let, you know, a group of vessels belongs to different countries to pass in a safe and secure

The international response may be starting to take shape. The European Union says it is now weighing possible naval missions to help reopen the waterway

including expanding an existing Red Sea escort operation or forming a coalition of willing countries

A powerful coast-to-coast storm system is sweeping across the country this morning

dumping heavy snow across the Midwest and pushing dangerous weather toward the eastern half of the

country Parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin were buried under more than a foot of snow over the weekend Look at this wall of white here Blizzard conditions making travel nearly impossible in some areas This video is from Marshfield Wisconsin where they received more than two feet of snow

In Minnesota, highways around the Twin Cities were covered in blowing snow

and visibility dropped sharply along I-94. More snow is expected through today as the system slowly moves east

But that same storm is creating bigger problems farther east. The system is now pushing toward the eastern and southeastern United States

where forecasters are warning of strong storms, damaging winds, and possibly tornadoes as the day unfolds

Behind that front, a blast of frigid air is expected to sweep across much of the east and southeast

sending temperatures plunging well below normal for this time of year. By the way, the wind chill here in Omaha, Nebraska, minus 14 this morning, three inches of snow on the ground

We had blizzard conditions yesterday. Yep, we're in the thick of it. Meteorologists say more than 100 million people could see severe weather or a sharp temperature drop as this sprawling system moves across the country

Which leads to this. The largest wildfire in Nebraska history is burning out of control this morning

Combined with three other major fires, more than half a million acres across central and western Nebraska are on fire

Powerful planes winds are fueling the flames. Governor Jim Pillen says an elderly woman died trying to escape the fire in Morrill County in the state's western panhandle

Look at all that smoke. The Nebraska National Guard has deployed Blackhawk helicopters, scooping water from a nearby lake and dropping it on the flames from above

The largest fire alone has burned more than 450,000 acres. Investigators believe strong winds knocked down power lines, sparking an electrical fire that quickly spread

The governor has declared a state of emergency, freeing up additional resources

as crews from Omaha, Lincoln and other cities head west to help

As of Sunday, the fires were zero percent contained. Forecasters say wind gusts near 60 miles an hour, combined with extremely dry conditions

are helping the flames spread rapidly across the region. The CEOs of some of the nation's largest airlines are urging Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security

The heads of American Delta Southwest and JetBlue are also calling on lawmakers to pass a bipartisan measure that would guarantee federal aviation workers get paid during government shutdowns

In an open letter Sunday, the CEOs said it's, quote, difficult, if not impossible, to put food on the table, put gas in the car and pay rent when you are not getting paid

The letter was also signed by the leaders of major cargo carriers, including UPS and FedEx

The warning comes as airlines prepare for record spring break travel numbers, the upcoming FIFA World Cup, and a major winter storm moving across the country that could further strain the airlines, flights, and people's plans this week

Some airports are already warning passengers to get this, arrive three to four hours early

and expect long security lines, as more than 300 TSA workers have reportedly quit

since the partial government shutdown began on February 14th. Finally this morning, Paul Thomas Anderson's political thriller

One Battle After Another, dominated the 98th Academy Awards. The film took home six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay

In accepting Best Adapted Screenplay, Anderson said he wrote the film for his children

to say sorry for the housekeeping mess left in the world and expressed hope that their generation would bring back common sense and decency

Sinners followed with four wins, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan

and Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler. K-pop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for Golden

Sentimental Value took Best International Feature. And Mr. Nobody Against Putin won Best Documentary Feature

I have to say, I was already in bed, but congratulations to all the winners

I did watch the selection show for March Madness. Basketball is going to be big over the next few weeks

I think it's what, Duke, Arizona, Florida, and Michigan, the top four seats

I think that got that right. I hope. All right. Going to be some great basketball between now and April

No noise, no sides, just the story. NewsGuard gives us a perfect score for reliability

All sides gives us a center rating with balanced certification. We give you facts first without the spin

Those are unbiased updates for this Monday. We'll see you back here tomorrow. For all of us here at Straight Arrow News, I'm Craig DeGrelly

Stay warm and have a great day