Sri Lanka transferred more than 200 sailors from an Iranian naval vessel to shore after it sought assistance while anchored outside the country’s waters. Sri Lanka says it acted under international law and is staying neutral.

U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to rule out talks with Iran absent its “unconditional surrender.” Israeli warplanes bombed Beirut and Tehran as Iran launched more retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries on the seventh day of the war.

The USS Cincinnati returned to its homeport in San Diego following an eight month deployment conducting sustained operations throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Iranian fighter planes flying less than 100 feet above ground came within minutes of hitting the U.S. military’s largest base in the Middle East, CNN reported this week.

Underfunding, staffing cuts and aging equipment are “dismantling” the services that paralyzed veterans receive at two dozen specialty treatment centers that the Department of Veterans Affairs runs across the nation, an advocacy group has warned lawmakers.

An unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile carrying two reentry vehicles was successfully test-launched at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to the Air Force.

The Department of Homeland Security has announced plans to purchase the former campus of Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama to use as a Coast Guard training center.

NATO has increased its ballistic missile defense posture across the alliance in response to an Iranian missile fired at Turkey.

Iranian drone attacks struck two residential towers and a hotel, sending residents scrambling down darkened stairwells as a separate drone targeted a building that houses the Israeli embassy.

In an update Thursday on the U.S. offensive against Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said: "Iran is hoping that we cannot sustain this, which is a really bad miscalculation. ... Our timeline is ours and ours alone to control." From Stars and Stripes' Matthew Adams:

House members on both sides of the aisle vented their frustration Thursday with Elbridge Colby, the undersecretary for defense policy, over the Pentagon's communication with Congress and the U.S. attacks on Iran. From Stars and Stripes' Matthew Adams:

ICYMI: The House joined the Senate on Thursday in resisting attempts by lawmakers to curtail President Donald Trump's ability to continue the U.S. military offensive against Iran, blocking a resolution that would have required Congress to weigh in on the campaign. (from @svetashko.bsky.social)

The Air Force is extending the public comment period for a contentious project that would add up to seven telescopes to a small parcel of land atop a Maui mountain regarded as sacred by some native Hawaiians. The comment period will now run through April 15. (from @wyattwolson.bsky.social)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged this week that some Iranian air attacks may still hit their targets even as he asserted that U.S. military superiority is quickly giving it control of the Islamic Republic’s airspace.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he should be involved in choosing Iran's next supreme leader as the U.S. and Israel hammered the country for a sixth day. Iran, meanwhile, kept up retaliatory attacks on Israel, American bases and countries around the region.

ANALYSIS | Three overlapping military exercises beginning Monday in the Indo-Pacific show the United States' seriousness and "greater sense of urgency" in defending its interests against increasing aggression in the region from China and North Korea. (from @brianmcelhiney.bsky.social)

Years of delayed maintenance and staffing shortfalls continue to drag down overall readiness, according to a Defense Department watchdog agency report that acknowledged the military’s ability to carry out specific missions despite those limitations. From Stars and Stripes' Phillip Walter Wellman:

Two Iranian fighters flying less than 100 feet above the ground reportedly came within two minutes of hitting the U.S. military's largest base in the Middle East this week.

Ukraine is offering drone warfare expertise to help the U.S. and its allies counter Iranian drones and preparing to send military experts to the Middle East. From stars and Stripes' John Vandiver:

The Trump administration is following through with its threat to designate artificial intelligence company Anthropic as a supply chain risk in an unprecedented move that could force other government contractors to stop using the AI chatbot Claude.

The State Department said Thursday that the U.S. and Venezuela have agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations in a major shift in a historically adversarial relationship.

A Japanese court on Thursday upheld Marine Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton's conviction for strangling and attempting to sexually assault a woman at her Okinawa home in 2024. (from @brianmcelhiney.bsky.social & @keishirkoja.bsky.social)

U.S. and South Korean forces will proceed with the large-scale Freedom Shield exercise next week, despite the American offensive against Iran, with Army Brig. Gen. W. Bochat saying the conflict in the Middle East would not affect the focus of the drills. From Stars and Stripes' Yoojin Lee:

LATEST | In an update on the U.S. campaign against Iran, CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday that American forces have struck nearly 200 sites in Iran and dropped dozens of 2,000-pound penetrator bombs in the past 72 hours. From Stars and Stripes' Matthew Adams:

A new agreement between the the Army, Navy and state of Hawaii hopes to streamline future civilian evacuations during emergencies through an area controlled by the military. (from @wyattwolson.bsky.social)

AeroVironment, Inc., which has an office in Huntsville, Alabama, announced that it will build facilities for testing missile defense and sensor systems at Redstone Arsenal as part of a three-year contract.

JUST IN: The House resisted another attempt by lawmakers to curtail President Donald Trump’s ability to continue his military offensive against Iran, blocking a resolution that would have required Congress to weigh in on the campaign.

An unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile carrying two reentry vehicles was successfully test-launched at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The U.S. Coast Guard has “recovered” one of two people who went missing on Thursday after a boat overturned off the coast of Cape Cod.

Underfunding, staffing cuts and aging equipment are “dismantling” the services that paralyzed veterans receive at two dozen specialty treatment centers that the Department of Veterans Affairs runs across the nation, an advocacy group warned lawmakers.

Pizza Cat appears to be unharmed! 🐱🍕 Social media page People of the Deid shared photos of Al-Udeid Air Base resident Pizza Cat, as well as a cat believed to be her offspring, affectionately referred to by some as 'Pepperoni.' Local security forces have been caring for them. #Flashes

House members on both sides of the aisle vented their frustration regarding the Trump administration’s homeland‑focused National Defense Strategy and how the recent attacks on Iran fit into those priorities.

A new traveling exhibit tells the story of Japanese American soldiers who fought for the U.S. in World War II, even as their families were incarcerated as enemies of the state.

Check out photos from the annual joint-military Cobra Gold exercise in Thailand: www.stripes.com/theaters/asi... #Flashes

PHOTOS: Military forces and civilian first responders from multiple countries practiced working through language barriers as they responded to simulated disasters during a recent Cobra Gold humanitarian assistance drill in central Thailand. See more: www.stripes.com/theaters/asi... #Flashes

The Department of Homeland Security announced that it planned to purchase the 1926-acre campus of the former Birmingham-Southern College to use as a Coast Guard new training center.

The Senate unanimously voted to clear the way for a legendary Force Reconnaissance Marine to receive the Medal of Honor for his lifesaving actions in April 1967 that spared the lives of his nine-man team during a vicious fight in Vietnam. The bill now goes to the desk of the president.

UPDATE: Republicans invoked the war in Iran and the prospect of retaliatory terrorist attacks as they made another unsuccessful effort to pass a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security.

A day of relative peace was shattered in Manama, the capital city of Bahrain and home to U.S. sailors at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, as air sirens that have blared recurrently since Saturday warned of incoming Iranian attacks. #Flashes

#BREAKING: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is leaving the department and being replaced by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) #Flashes

GALLERY | The USS Cincinnati returned to its homeport in San Diego following an eight month deployment conducting sustained operations throughout the Indo-Pacific. View additional photos here: www.stripes.com/branches/nav... #Flashes

WATCH: Soldiers from the 18th Military Police Brigade are competing in the Best Warrior Competition in Germany. Day 3 featured a 12-mile ruck and live-fire ranges back in Grafenwoehr. Stay tuned for more 🔜 🎥: Lydia Gordon / Stars and Stripes

WATCH: Soldiers from the 18th Military Police Brigade are competing in the Best Warrior Competition. Soldiers tackled the obstacle course early on day two in Grafenwoehr, followed by a Chinook flight to Ansbach for land navigation. After a long day, the soldiers returned to Grafenwoehr.

Iran launched a new wave of attacks against Israel, American bases and countries around the region, while warning the U.S. would “bitterly regret” torpedoing an Iranian warship.

HAPPENING NOW: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warns that the Trump administration will be forced to act by itself if Latin American governments fail to effectively combat criminal organizations.

Republicans are calling on Democrats to reconsider letting funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapse in the wake of the conflict in Iran. Both the House and the Senate are expected to hold votes on the matter.

North American Aerospace Defense Command scrambled two U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighters and two F-22 Raptor fighters, among other aircraft to intercept, identify and monitor the Russians.

WATCH: Sirens continued into Thursday evening in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, with alerts instructing U.S. military personnel to shelter in place. The U.S. naval base in Bahrain appears to have taken extensive damage following several days of Iranian missiles and drone attacks.

Years of delayed maintenance and staffing shortfalls continue to drag down overall military readiness, according to a DoD watchdog agency report that acknowledged the military’s ability to carry out specific missions despite those limitations.

KTOWN NOW | The Armed Services Blood Program is asking the Kaiserslautern Military Community to step up and donate ahead of possible increased demand.