Amid Iran war, some soldiers banned from wearing uniforms off base

Military bases on American soil have banned service members from wearing their uniforms off base as threats of retaliatory attacks against soldiers bubble up since the United States jointly launched its war in Iran.

Following the United States and Israel's initial attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, U.S. bases in the Middle East came under heavy fire from Iranian missiles and drones, killing seven U.S. soldiers stationed in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Six soldiers were later killed in an air tanker crash in Iraq, and at least 200 have been wounded across the Middle East.

Threats to U.S. troops have not been confined to the war zone. Bases on American soil have shut down in response to reports of active shooters, suspicious packages and other unidentified threats. Since the war began, a growing number of military bases in the continental United States clamped down on security, banning visitors and ordering service members to change out of uniform when they leave the premises.

See how Middle Eastern countries are caught in the crossfire of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Bahrain
Smoke rises in the sky after blasts were heard in Manama, Bahrain, Feb. 28, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Syria
Syrian children stand on the wreckage of an Iranian rocket that was reportedly intercepted by Israeli forces in the southern countryside of Quneitra, near the Golan Heights, close to the town of Ghadir al-Bustan.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Iraq
A plume of smoke rises near Erbil International Airport in Erbil on March 1, 2026. Loud explosions were heard early on March 1 near Erbil airport, which hosts US-led coalition troops in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, an AFP journalist said.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Iraq
Members and officers from the Iraqi Interior Ministry's Explosives Directorate inspect the fuel tank of a rocket that landed in a rural village in the Siyahi area near the city of Hilla in the central Babil province on March 1, 2026. Iraq, which has recently regained a sense of stability but has long been a proxy battleground between the U.S. and Iran, warned that it did not want to be dragged into the war that started on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Qatar
A prayer appealing to God for protection is projected on the dome of al-Hazm shopping mall in Doha on March 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Qatar
Motorists drive past a plume of smoke rising from a reported Iranian strike in the industrial district of Doha on March 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bahrain
A building that was damaged by an Iranian drone attack, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Manama, Bahrain, March 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Saudi Arabia
The empty terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh is pictured on March 1, 2026. Global airlines cancelled flights across the Middle East after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, plunging the region into a new conflict. In Saudi Arabia, Iranian missiles targeting Riyadh's international airport and the Prince Sultan Airbase, which houses U.S. military personnel, were intercepted, a Gulf source briefed on the matter told AFP.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> United Arab Emirates
A food delivery bike drive close to a plume of smoke rising from the Zayed Port following a reported Iranian strike in Abu Dhabi on March 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> United Arab Emirates
An oil tanker is pictured offshore in Dubai on March 1, 2026. Attacks have damaged tankers, and many ship owners, oil majors and trading houses suspended crude oil, fuel and liquefied natural gas shipments via the Strait of Hormuz.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Oman
Smoke billows from an oil tanker under U.S. sanctions, that was hit off Oman's Musandam peninsula, in this screen grab from a video obtained by Reuters on March 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kuwait
Smoke rises from a reported Iranian strike in the area where the U.S. Embassy is located in Kuwait City on March 2, 2026. Black smoke was seen rising from the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City on March 2 after the latest volley of Iranian strikes, an AFP correspondent saw,

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Saudi Arabia
A satellite image shows efforts to control a fire as smoke rises in the Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia after a drone attack, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia March 2, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Turkey
People make their way after crossing from Iran into Turkey at the Kapikoy Border Gate in eastern Van province,Turkey, March 2, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> United Arab Emirates
Delivery persons ride motorcycles along a road as a tall smoke plume billows following an explosion in the Fujairah industrial zone on March 3, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> United Arab Emirates
Pieces of missiles and drones recovered after Iran's strikes are displayed during a press briefing by the UAE government held in Abu Dhabi on March 3, 2026. Iran stepped up its attacks on economic targets and US missions across the Middle East on March 3, as the US president warned it was "too late" for the Islamic republic to seek talks to escape the war. As drones and missiles crashed into oil facilities and U.S. embassies in the Gulf, Washington's ally Israel bombarded targets in Iran and pushed troops deeper into Lebanon to battle the Tehran-backed militia Hezbollah.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lebanon
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on March 3, 2026. The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for dozens of locations in Lebanon on March 3, including warning residents in two southern Beirut neighbourhoods to stay away from several buildings ahead of an imminent operation.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lebanon
Emergency personnel work at the site of an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 3, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lebanon
Rescuers gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Jamaa Islamiya offices in the southern Lebanese coastal city of Sidon on March 3, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> United Arab Emirates
Tankers are seen off the coast of the Fujairah, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 3, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See how the Iran war's fallout is hitting the Middle East

See how Middle Eastern countries are caught in the crossfire of thewar launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.BahrainSmoke rises in the sky after blasts were heard in Manama, Bahrain, Feb. 28, 2026.

Fatal shooting, suspicious packages at US bases

On March 16, areportof a suspicious package near an entrance gate at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base, the headquarters of U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, prompted a gate closure. The FBI's Tampa office laterstatedthat "possible energetic materials" were found inside the package. MacDillissueda shelter-in-place order two days later on March 18, citing an unidentified targeted "threat."CENTCOM is the military branch leading operations in the Iran war. It's unclear if the threats were related.

On March 17, officials at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in southern New Jersey said that "suspicious packages"were foundon the base, prompting a lockdown. They later determined the packages did not pose a threat.

Reports of an active shooter sent Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexicointo lockdownthat same day. A military veteran was killed and an active-duty service member was injured, according tonews reports.

It's not clear if any of these incidents were linked to the war in the Middle East. Local authorities said investigations are ongoing. But a handful of separate U.S. attacks since the war began, including a shooting at a Virginia Reserve Officers' Training Corps class, are being investigated as terrorism. Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, a class instructor, was killed on March 12 whena man who'd served time in prisonfor colluding with the Islamic State allegedly opened fire on an ROTC class at Old Dominion University in Norfolk.

Uniforms banned for soldiers off base

Military installations have tightened security, banning service members from wearing their uniforms off base in some locations. Fort Huachuca, an Army base in Arizona where more than 5,600 service members are stationed, received an order on March 13 prohibiting soldiers from wearing uniforms away from the base "to ensure force protection efforts align with current global events," according to a copy of the order obtained by USA TODAY.

"This prohibition applies to all off-post activities, including but not limited to dining, shopping, and appointments," according to the order.

The Army's Combined Arms Command issued a similar order to its members the same day, according to spokesperson Lt. Col. Bryen Freigo. The order is "a prudent and proactive measure intended to reduce their visibility and is not in response to any specific or credible threat," he told USA TODAY in an email.

The Pentagon referred questions about these bans to U.S. Northern Command, which said there was no across-the-board ban at U.S. bases.

A temporary ban was also issued Feb. 28 at Shaw Air Force Base, east of Columbia, South Carolina, saying that military members were "no longer authorized" to wear uniforms off base. The baserescindedthe policy on March 15.

Advertisement

The Navy declined to say whether it had banned the use of uniforms off base but said it was "implementing additional force protection measures," including changes to uniform policies in specific situations, "to reduce the vulnerability of our personnel," according to an emailed statement. The day the war started, Naval Support Activity Annapolis, across the river from the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland, announced increased security at its entrance gates and halted all public visits "as a result of current world events," according to a Facebookpost.

Recent US-based attacks connected to Middle East conflict

At least two other attacks in recent weeks reportedly had connections to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

A gunman who police said killed two people and injured more than a dozen others at a bar in Austin on March 1was wearing an Iranian flag shirt, according to videos and photos shared online.

Less than two weeks later, police said Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, slammed his truck into a Michigan synagogue and exchanged fire with police before he was killed. According to local leaders in Dearborn Heights,Ghazali's family membersin Lebanon had been killed days earlier in Israeli attacks that have blanketed the country and killed hundreds in another front of the Iran war.

Uniform bans common in recent US wars

Steve Gabavics, a retired Army colonel who served for decades in the military police, estimated that threats to bases have increased by 10% to 15% as a result of the Iran war.

It's nothing new for the military to clamp down on security at bases or installations in response to U.S. wars abroad, including restricting service members from wearing uniforms off base, according to Gabavics. "I've seen it every time we've had a major international conflict," he said.

More:How much is the Iran war costing taxpayers? Here's what estimates show

Gabavics, who commanded military police across the Military District of Washington, said during his time in the role, there may have been dozens of sleeper cells tied to Iran scattered across the Washington, DC, region, and around a hundred across the country.

But the greater threat to service members, he said, likely stems from "lone wolf" attackers inspired by ideology.

Last November, two uniformed National Guard soldiers on patrol were shot blocks from the White House. Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old from Summersville, West Virginia, was killed, and another soldier suffered serious wounds. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan man arrested andchargedin the shooting, had worked with violent,CIA-backed "zero units"during the U.S. occupation of his country.

Service members in uniform do "create a target," Gabavics said. "We're trying to prevent having an easy target for somebody who does want to do something like this."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Some soldiers prohibited from wearing uniforms off base amid Iran war

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 20, 2026

Amid Iran war, some soldiers banned from wearing uniforms off base

Military bases on American soil have banned service members from wearing their uniforms off base as threats of retaliator...

Read More

Fire at South Korean auto parts factory injures at least 55

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A fire at an auto parts factory in South Korea's central city of Daejeon injured at least 55 people on Friday, with officials warning the toll could rise.

South Korea Fire

The National Fire Agency said 24 were seriously hurt in a blaze likely caused by an explosion. Officials could not immediately confirm whether any of the injured were in life-threatening condition. Nam Deuk-woo, fire chief of the city's Daedeok district, said authorities were searching for at least 14 other people believed to have been inside the facility when the fire broke out.

Videos and photos from the scene showed thick gray smoke billowing from the complex and some workers jumping from a building.

The fire was reported at about 1:18 p.m. Nam said the cause was not immediately known, but the blaze appeared to have spread rapidly, with witnesses reporting an explosion.

Advertisement

He said the fire destroyed a factory building that firefighters were unable to enter because of concerns it could collapse. Efforts focused on preventing the blaze from spreading to an adjacent facility and removing chemicals from the site. The agency said the facility contained about 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of highly reactive chemicals.

Some people were injured when they jumped from the building to escape, while others suffered from smoke inhalation, Nam said. Police were tracking mobile phone signals of the 14 people still unaccounted-for.

More than 500 firefighters, police and other emergency personnel were deployed, along with about 120 vehicles, evacuation aircraft and equipment, including an unmanned water cannon vehicle and two firefighting robots used in areas difficult for crews to access.

President Lee Jae Myung called for the full mobilization of personnel and equipment to contain the fire and support rescue operations.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 20, 2026

Fire at South Korean auto parts factory injures at least 55

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A fire at an auto parts factory in South Korea's central city of Daejeon injured at least 5...

Read More

Judge rules US government overreached with transgender health care declaration

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge saidthe government overreachedby issuing a declaration that called treatments like puberty blockers and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for young people experiencing gender dysphoria, according to a ruling Thursday in Oregon.

Judge Mustafa Kasubhai's ruling was centered on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. not going through the proper administrative procedures when issuing thedeclaration in December. The declaration also warned doctors that they could be excluded from federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid if they provide these treatments.

The judge also denied the defendants' motion to dismiss the case.

The judge's ruling was at the end of a roughly 6-hour hearing and will be followed by a written decision.

"Today's win breaks through the noise and gives some needed clarity to patients, families, and providers," the Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the lawsuit, said in a statement Thursday. "Health care services for transgender young people remain legal, and the federal government cannot intimidate or punish the providers who offer them."

A spokesperson for HHS did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

The New York Times reported that the judge spoke about the broader implications associated with this case, especially as it relates to democracy.

Advertisement

"The notion that 'I will go forward and issue a declaration and see if we can get away with it' is not a principle of governance that adheres to the overarching commitment to a democratic republic that requires the rule of law to be regarded and respected and honored as a sacred," the judge said.

The decision is the second major legal setback for Kennedy and theU.S. Department of Health and Human Servicesthis week. Another federal judge in Boston on Mondaytemporarily blockedseveral of Kennedy's vaccine policy changes. The judge ruled Kennedy likely violated federal procedures in revamping a key vaccine advisory committee and slimming down the childhood vaccine schedule without the committee's input. Federal officials have indicated they plan to appeal that ruling.

A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia in December sued HHS, Kennedy and its inspector general over the declaration, alleging that it is inaccurate and unlawful and asking the court to block its enforcement.

The lawsuit says that HHS's declaration seeks to coerce providers to stop providing gender-affirming care and circumvent legal requirements for policy changes. It also says federal law requires the public to be given notice and an opportunity to comment before substantively changing health policy — neither of which, the suit says, was done before the declaration was issued.

HHS's declaration based its conclusions on a peer-reviewed report that the department conducted earlier this year that urged greater reliance on behavioral therapy rather than broad gender-affirming care for youths with gender dysphoria.

The report questioned standards for the treatment of transgender youth issued by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and raised concerns that adolescents may be too young to give consent to life-changing treatments that could result in future infertility.

Major medical groups and those who treat transgender young people have sharply criticized the report as inaccurate, and most major U.S. medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, continue to oppose restrictions on transgender care and services for young people.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 20, 2026

Judge rules US government overreached with transgender health care declaration

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge saidthe government overreachedby issuing a declaration that called treatments like ...

Read More

Anti-apartheid activist, human rights campaigner and UN diplomat Nicholas Haysom dies at age 73

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Nicholas Haysom, a white South African anti-apartheid activist who was tapped by prisoner-turned-presidentNelson Mandelato help draft the country's new constitution that enshrined equal rights for Black people, minorities and white people, has died at 73.

Haysom went on from high-level positions promoting human rights in his home country to a distinguished career as a U.N. diplomat, serving in hot spots from Afghanistan and Iraq to Somalia and South Sudan.

His daughter, Rebecca Haysom, told The Associated Press that he died Tuesday in New York "after a long, valiant battle with heart and lung complications."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Haysom "devoted his life to justice, dialogue, and reconciliation -- from his central role in South Africa's democratic transition serving as chief legal and constitutional adviser to president Nelson Mandela to years of leadership in U.N. posts in some of the world's most complex and fragile settings."

His legacy "will endure in the peace processes he advanced, the institutions he strengthened, and the principles he helped bring to life around the world," the U.N. chief said in a statement.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa,a former anti-apartheid activist, said the country mourns "a distinguished diplomat and a pioneer of our democratic administration whose commitment to justice and peace made our country, our continent and the world a better place."

"I remember him for applying his legal acumen, mentorship, wisdom and integrity to the development of our constitution," Ramaphosa said in a statement urging South Africans "to honor his contribution to our nation and the international community by upholding the fundamental rights and maintaining the peace he advocated so passionately and eloquently."

He came from a family that believed in equality

Nicholas Roland Leybourne "Fink" Haysom grew up in Durban in a liberal family that believed in racial equality, especially his mother who was an activist against apartheid. At university, he said he became a critic of apartheid as well and decided to go to law school at the Universities of Natal and Cape Town to tackle the conditions of how people lived.

He went on to become president of the anti-apartheid National Union of South African Students and he said in a U.N. interview last year that he was arrested or detained about half a dozen times, once serving six months in solitary confinement in about 1980. Ramaphosa said he also had a creative side: He was South African Playwright of the Year in 1987.

Nobody at that time thought apartheid would end, Haysom said, and it was a "tremendous moment" when Mandela was released in 1990. At the time, Haysom was a member of a very activist human rights law firm.

The African National Congress, which Mandela led, asked Haysom to join its Constitutional Commission, and he said he spent several years with "a very exciting group of intellectuals" conceptualizing the new South Africa, and negotiating with the National Party, which instituted and enforced the apartheid system of racial segregation, on how to get there.

Having been a pariah in much of the world, Haysom said the group wanted to find the perfect formula for a constitutional state that appreciated the need for equality among all its citizens and recreated a social contract "which we wanted to be a lesson for the world." It wasn't easy, he said, but "the South African constitution is still regarded as perhaps one of the most progressive constitutions in the world."

Advertisement

"And I think that's what led to me being asked to be Mandela's legal adviser ... while he was president," Haysom said, a position he held from 1994 to 1999.

Mandela wanted to set an example for the first post-apartheid government to respect the law, Haysom said, "and he was really at the forefront of creating a society built on respect for legal equality and human rights."

He saw Mandela every morning and said he was "tremendously gracious."

"But he was steely, strong in the conviction he had that he was embarking on the right path, and he persevered," Haysom said. "As I say to my children, the lesson of Mandela is not just being a nice person, it's perseverance in your ideals that'll change the world."

He worked across the decades to end ethnic discord

Under Mandela, Haysom joined a team that helped end ethnic violence in Burundi between Hutus and Tutsis in the 1990s. He then was asked to try to find a formula to restore peace in Sudan between the north and south, which eventually led to South Sudan seceding and becoming an independent country in 2011.

Haysom then spent from 2005 to 2007 in Iraq trying to find a formula for its communities — Shia, Sunni and Kurd — to live together, an issue he saw in all conflicts. From 2007 to 2012, he served in then-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's office as director for political, peacekeeping and humanitarian affairs. He then spent four years in Afghanistan from 2012 to 2016 in two U.N. roles.

Most of the rest of his U.N. career was focused on Sudan and South Sudan, where he had been head of the peacekeeping mission since 2021 except for a brief stint in Somalia. He was ordered to leave by the Somali government in 2019 after questioning the arrest of a former leader of the al-Shabab extremist group.

Haysom is survived by his wife Delphine and their two sons Charles and Hector, as well as his three older children, Rebecca, Simone, and Julian, from his previous marriage to Mary Ann Cullinan.

Haysom said there was a time when he was "quite probably inappropriately proud" of his efforts particularly in Burundi, Sudan and South Africa, but after a few years all those peace agreements were in trouble.

It's a recognition, he said, that peace doesn't last forever and democracy requires "constant engagement by people of good intention."

Gerald Imray contributed to this report from Cape Town, South Africa

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 20, 2026

Anti-apartheid activist, human rights campaigner and UN diplomat Nicholas Haysom dies at age 73

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Nicholas Haysom, a white South African anti-apartheid activist who was tapped by prisoner-turned-pr...

Read More

Tens of millions under heat alerts as record temperatures hit the West

Anearly-season heat wavebaking the West this week obliterated numerous all-time records in California and Arizona on Wednesday and Thursday.

The summerlike conditions are expected to persist and expand east in the coming days.

Across Southern California and the Desert Southwest, around 38 million people are under heat alerts. High temperatures in the upper 90s and triple digits have been common throughout the region, thanks to a sprawling heat dome that remains parked over the West.

On Thursday, Palm Springs, California,hit 107 degrees Fahrenheit,setting a new all-time record for the month of March. The previous record, of 105, was set on Wednesday.

The city of Indio in the Coachella Valley also set a record high for March on Thursday, when temperatures climbed to 108 degrees.

A number of daily records were broken across California, as well, including a101-degree reading in Riverside on Thursday. Records set the prior day included highs of 95 degrees inAnaheim, 88 degrees in Sacramento and 85 degrees in both San Francisco and San Diego, according to the NWS.

In Arizona's Yuma County, the community of Martinez Lake hit a jaw-dropping 110 degrees on Thursday, setting a new record for the highest March temperature in U.S. recorded history,according to the National Weather Service.

Phoenix, meanwhile, recorded its earliest triple-digit day on Wednesday, with a high of 102 degrees. Temperaturesreached 104 degrees there on Thursday.

"This is not only the first 100° day of 2026, but it is also the earliest occurrence of 100° in Phoenix (which last occurred on March 26, 1988)," the local office of the National Weather Servicewrote Wednesday on X.

Advertisement

Phoenix is forecast to hit 106 degrees on Friday and Saturday. An extreme heat warning is in effect for the region through Sunday.

Las Vegas has similarly sizzled. On Thursday, the city set a new March record of 95 degrees,according to the local office of the National Weather Service. Temperatures there could reach 100 degrees on Friday.

Even parts of Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming are experiencing unseasonably warm conditions. The National Weather Service office in Boise said Wednesday afternoon that the city measured a high of 80 degrees.

"This is the earliest date for 80 degrees in records dating back to 1875, and only the second time Boise has ever reached 80 in winter, the other time being March 19, 1997," the NWS officesaid on X.

Heat will continue to build heading into the weekend and is expected to move east into the Rockies and the central and southern Plains.

"By Saturday, expect maximum temperatures in the middle to upper 90s across Texas and low to middle 90s as far north as Nebraska and South Dakota," the NWSsaid Thursday.

Colorado could set new temperature records, as well, with Friday forecasts showing highs of 84 degrees in Denver, 86 degrees in Fort Collins and 83 degrees in Boulder. On Saturday, the projected highs tick up even further. TheNational Weather Service warnedthat extreme heat, combined with gusty winds and low humidity, areincreasing the risks of wildfiresin the state.

This week'sheat domeis caused by a stubborn ridge of high pressure that has trapped hot air over the West like a lid on a pot.

While it can be challenging to tease out the exact influence of climate change on specific weather events,global warming is known to make heat waves more frequent, more intense and longer-lasting.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 20, 2026

Tens of millions under heat alerts as record temperatures hit the West

Anearly-season heat wavebaking the West this week obliterated numerous all-time records in California and Arizona on Wedn...

Read More

What we know on the 21st day of the US and Israel’s war with Iran

The US-Israel war against Iran is nearing the end of a third week, with Israel saying it won't attack any more major Iranian energy sites –– as Tehran's retaliatory strikes on Gulf nations push global oil prices up.

Countries around the world, as well as the United Nations, are working to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Arab and Islamic leaders urge Iran to cease its attacks. US President Donald Trump made headlines today for downplaying the hefty bill of war costs –– and for cracking a joke about the Pearl Harbor attack during a summit with Japan's leader.

Advertisement

Here's what to know on Day 21.

What are the main headlines?

• Energy strikes: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the country will heed Trump's call not to repeat attacks on key Iranian energy sites like the South Pars field, part of the world's largest natural gas reserve. Netanyahu said Israel acted alone in striking a facility linked to the gas field Wednesday. However, two US and Israeli sources familiar with the strike have contradicted Trump's claim that the US "knew nothing" about it.

• Oil market: Tehran has retaliated with strikes on energy infrastructure in Israel and Qatar. The global oil benchmark hit $115 a barrel Thursday, and one expert said gas prices could remain high for at least several weeks.

• Strait of Hormuz: The United Nations' maritime organization said it will start negotiating with countries to establish a humanitarian corridor to free around 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf. The UN did not give a timeframe for when talks would begin, or whether Iran –– which has a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz –– would cooperate. The United Kingdom has also sent military planners to work with the US to come up with a "viable collective plan" to reopen the vital waterway.

• Wartime funding: Trump is seeking $200 billion in new Pentagon funding, calling it a "small price to pay" to equip the military. His administration also bypassed Congress to expedite the sale of billions of dollars' worth of weapons to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, as Gulf allies take the brunt of Iran's retaliation for US and Israeli military action.

• Pearl Harbor joke: When a reporter asked Trump why he didn't tell allies like Japan about his intention to strike Iran, the president responded in part with a joke about the World War II attack on Pearl Harbor –– while sitting next to Japan's prime minister in the Oval Office.

• Boots on the ground: Trump said he's not deploying US troops, when asked about Reuters' reporting that his administration is considering sending thousands to the Middle East. But he also added: "If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you, but I'm not putting troops."

What's happening on the ground?

• US aircraft hit: An F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, sources told CNN. US Central Command said the pilot is in a stable condition.

• Strikes on the ground: Countries across the Middle East intercepted drones and missiles early Friday morning, including Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. The attacks come as Muslims around the region celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festival, that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

• High casualties: More than 18,000 Iranian civilians have been injured since the latest conflict began, according to state media, citing the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Meanwhile in Lebanon, the death toll surpassed 1,000 on Thursday. Scores more have been killed around the region, including US service members and foreign nationals.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 20, 2026

What we know on the 21st day of the US and Israel’s war with Iran

The US-Israel war against Iran is nearing the end of a third week, with Israel saying it won't attack any more major ...

Read More

Why people are turning to salt rooms and halotherapy to unwind

The way to a healthier lifestyle might be... salty?

Salt rooms, also called salt caves, are spaces that boost breathing and alleviate stress by exposing our bodies to air containing naturally occurring minerals, according toMargaret Smiechowski, the owner ofSalt Cave Inc.andOceanair Himalayan Salt Cavein Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Breathing very small salt particles boosts our respiratory health, skin and overall wellness in a gentle session that lets us check out from our busy lives.

"The experience is simple, relaxing, and surprisingly powerful," she said. "Just breathing, resting, and allowing nature's oldest mineral to do its work."

The history of halotherapy

Salt therapy, also known as halotherapy, isn't a new wellness trend, according to Smiechowski, who has been building salt rooms and salt caves across the United States for more than two decades. The practice has been ongoing for decades, originating in Eastern Europe as a natural method before studios and spas started advertising salt rooms.

The beginnings trace back toWieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage site in southern Poland, which became a halotherapy destination in the 1800s after Feliks Boczkowski studied salt's beneficiary effects on miners, according to theSalt Therapy Association. The site is now ahealth resortmore than 400 feet underground people can visit to get treatments.

Modern salt rooms you may see at your local shopping center today attempt to recreate the conditions of natural subterreanean salt mines like Wieliczka, Smiechowski said. This is done by infusing air with microscopic particles of pharmaceutical-grade salt, which are small enough to enter your mouth or nose and fill your body with mineral-rich air.

Take halotherapy with a grain of salt, doctors say

Inhaling teeny salt particles can provide anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory method for a variety of health conditions, according to theSalt Therapy Association, an organization that promotes salt therapy. These include respiratory conditions such as asthma, allergies, colds, bronchitis, COPD, cystic fibrosis and ear infections, among others.

Halotherapy is also a service used for skin conditions including psoriasis, eczema, acne and rosacea. The salt normalizes pH levels and encourages reparative and regenerative cycles for our skin, as well as boosting skin growth and strength, according to theSalt Therapy Association.

It's important to remember that halotherapy is not a medical treatment, according toBruce A. Brod, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. So any potential benefits should be taken with a grain of salt.

"There's no scientific evidence or high-quality medical literature to support any benefit to skin health from salt rooms," Brod says. "I haven't had patients ask me about using salt rooms, but if someone did, I'd tell them that while the experience might feel relaxing, there is limited evidence on any particular health benefits to the skin."

He added that he is concerned salt exposure could interact negatively with our skin, irritating conditions or disturbing prescribed topical medications, curbing their effectiveness.

There is still much research to be done on the extent of benefits halotherapy provides, according to Laxminarayan Prahhakar, pulmonology fellow at Northwell's Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"There is inconsistent evidence but there is data that shows improved lung function, and mucus clearance for people with chronic respiratory diseases.," Prahhakar says. "Depending on their respiratory condition, they would require inhalers, antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications. These treatment options should be discussed with their healthcare provider."

But the risk of salt therapy remains extremely low, and at the bare minimum can be an enjoyable break from our busy routines. Zoning out amid the soft glow of the salt room can help reduce stress and boost mental health, Smiechowski says. The session can be a retreat for our minds and bodies.

Advertisement

Wellness:How much vitamin D3 should you take every day?

What to know about trying a salt room

There are two kinds of salt room to look for: "Active" salt rooms involve a halogenerator dispersing crushed pure sodium chloride into the air, according to theSalt Therapy Association. "Passive" salt rooms attempt to mimic a natural salt cave, stocking a room with types of salt such as Dead Sea, Himalayan and Rock Salt. The salt isn't pumped through the air, so it's not considered halotherapy. But "passive" salt therapy in a controlled climate does provide many of the same psychological benefits, according to the association.

You may see a crop of salt rooms popping up in your community, so Smiechowski advises to look out for a few key elements:

• Salt-covered walls throughout the room

• A professional halogen generator system, which propels the mini salt particles through the air.

• Proper humidity and climate control

• Clear information about how the therapy works

"If any of these elements are missing, the therapy may not be effective," she said.

The lack of standards for salt rooms is a concern for Brod, too, he says, especially if people have a health vulnerability that could be exacerbated by the wrong treatement.

"We just don't know and the research has not been done," he says. "I am not aware of any authoritative standards being set by medical regulatory agencies at the state or national level."

If you do visit one, Smiechowski says to prepare to get comfortable in the space, relax and breath in the air while reclining. You may not notice the salt, even if it's doing its job, she said.

"When guests leave the session, they shouldn't be covered in salt," Smiechowski said. "Instead, the experience is subtle. You might notice only a slight saltiness on your lips."

Better rest:How to go to sleep fast and stay asleep through the night

Are salt rooms safe for kids?

Not only does breathing the air clear mucus and reduce airway inflammation for kids, but it can provide a tactile activity for young ones, Smiechowski said. The floor is typically laid with salt crystals, which kids can dig or play with as they breath in the healthy air.

"It is likely low risk ... but overall more research is needed," says Melanie Brown, medical director of Pediatric Palliative and Integrative Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "For children especially, we want to be careful not to substitute therapies like salt rooms for treatments that we know are effective. If a child has asthma or another chronic respiratory condition, evidence-based care and making a plan with your pediatrician or pulmonologist should always come first."

Brown says too look out for how salt rooms are maintained before taking kids.

"Parents should pay close attention to cleanliness, air quality and infection control when considering these spaces and always discuss any treatments with your medical care provider."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What is a salt room? Why people use halotherapy for health benefits

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 20, 2026

Why people are turning to salt rooms and halotherapy to unwind

The way to a healthier lifestyle might be... salty? Salt rooms, also called salt caves, are spaces that boost b...

Read More