Good morning, everyone. I'm Kate Baldwin. It's Tuesday, March 17th. Here are the five things you need to know to start your day.

Number one, the war. Explosions lit up the night sky in Baghdad as new drone and rocket attacks hit near the U.S. embassy compound there.

An air defense system that's capable of firing 4,500 rounds a minute shot down a drone

that was able to make it about 600 meters or just shy of 2,000 feet from the embassy grounds.

No injuries were reported, but that's not a sign that things are calming down or winding down at all

as the war with Iran stretches into a third week.

Still, President Trump continues offering vague timelines as a way of reassurance. Monday, he said

the conflict will be wrapped up soon. Just as two senior White House officials tell CNN,

Iranian officials have tried to reopen talks, but President Trump does not want to negotiate.

Iran denies any outreach occurred. Adding to the confusion but President Trump does not want to negotiate. Iran denies any outreach occurred.

Adding to the confusion, President Trump not only demanded that European and Asian allies

send ships to help, then shortly after he declared to reporters that the U.S. doesn't

need anybody's help.

And European nations say they have no appetite to send ships

to try and secure the Strait of Hormuz. Still, President Trump claims he will announce,

soon, a coalition to do just that, and said a former U.S. president has told him he wished

he'd done exactly what Trump is doing now.

Was it George W. Bush? No. Was it George Lovie Bush?

No.

Was it Bill Clinton?

I don't want to say.

That person said, I wish I did it.

...