North Korea launches several ballistic missiles off its coast, Saudi Arabia to host talks between U.S. and Ukraine, and lawmakers to consider legislation to protect military pay in event of government shutdown.
1. North Korea launched several ballistic missiles off its western coast on Monday, coinciding with the start of Freedom Shield, an annual large-scale military exercise conducted by the United States and South Korea. The missiles were fired toward the Yellow Sea at around 1:50 p.m., according to a text message sent to reporters by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. No further details were immediately available. The launches mark North Korea’s first ballistic missile test in nearly two months. In January, the regime fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles that traveled roughly 155 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan, or East Sea. On Feb. 26, it launched several cruise missiles that flew approximately 990 miles in a circular flight pattern off its western coast.
2. Saudi Arabia is to host talks on Tuesday between the United States and Ukraine in a new diplomatic push after an argument erupted during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Feb. 28 visit to the White House. The oil-rich kingdom may seem like an unusual venue for talks aimed at smoothing over relations after the blowup. But Saudi Arabia under its assertive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been positioning itself as an ideal location for possible peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow — and even the first face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
3. In a sign of another concerning congressional funding fight, House lawmakers are again considering legislation which would protect military pay in the event of a government shutdown later this month. The measure, introduced last week by Navy veteran Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., would ensure paychecks continue for members of the military, including the Coast Guard, as well as some Defense Department civilian employees and contractors in the event of a funding lapse. The legislation has not advanced in the House beyond its initial introduction, but it would provide a quick vehicle for emergency action if lawmakers can’t reach a federal funding deal in the next few days.
4. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he rejects a U.S. push for talks between the two countries because they would be aimed at imposing restrictions on Iranian missile range and its influence in the region. Speaking to a group of officials on Saturday, Khamenei did not identify the United States by name but said a “bullying government” was being persistent in its push for talks. "Their talks are not aimed at solving problems, it is for ... let’s talk to impose what we want on the other party that is sitting on the opposite side of the table.”
5. North Korea unveiled for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to South Korea and the U.S. The state media agency on Saturday released photos showing what it called “a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine,” as it reported leader Kim Jong Un’s visits to major shipyards where warships are built. The Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, didn't provide details on the submarine, but said that Kim was briefed on its construction. The naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-ton-class or 7,000-ton-class one which can carry about 10 missiles, said Moon Keun-sik, a South Korean submarine expert who teaches at Seoul’s Hanyang University. He said that the use of the term “the strategic guided missiles” meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons.
- Security