The Morning Briefing: October 12, 2026

Good morning. President Trump’s claimed “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine is already being called broken by Kyiv, Iran says the U.S. response to its plan for reopening the Strait of Hormuz was “insufficient,” Houthi missiles struck Riyadh’s airport a fourth time in a week, and polls 22 days out show the president’s approval at record lows. Here is what you need to know for Monday, October 12, 2026.

Trump declares an “energy ceasefire” nobody else knew about; Zelensky says Russia broke it within hours

President Donald Trump announced Sunday morning that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to what he called an “energy ceasefire” — a deal that came as news to Kyiv. “Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” he wrote on Truth Social. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios the announcement “was news for me,” while saying Ukraine would honor such a truce if Russia did. On Monday, Zelensky accused Moscow of violating it within hours, citing overnight strikes including a hit on a power plant in Kharkiv, but said Kyiv would abide by the deal as long as Russia does. The Kremlin declined to confirm anything, saying only that “contacts are ongoing.” French President Emmanuel Macron said Russia had in fact intensified its strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure in the hours after the announcement.

The claim lands two days after Trump’s 90-minute call with Vladimir Putin and the controversial Russian diesel deal — and Bloomberg noted Trump made a near-identical ceasefire announcement on September 14 that Putin rebuffed. In a Warsaw address Monday, Zelensky called for “the same unity from America” as from Europe, where Finnish President Alexander Stubb promised F-16 munitions “in the coming days” to counter Russia’s jet-powered drones. Read our report on the announcement that caught Kyiv off guard and Zelensky’s account of the strikes that followed.

Iran says U.S. answer to its Hormuz plan was “insufficient”; tanker attacks at wartime high

The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz hardened on Sunday as Iran dismissed Washington’s response to its seven-condition plan for reopening the waterway as insufficient, even as a supertanker burned in the strait hours after U.S. strikes on a blockade-running ship. It was the heaviest week of attacks on shipping since the U.S.-Iran war began on February 28: maritime sources counted at least 12 attacks on oil, LNG and LPG tankers in the week of September 28–October 5, while the U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Centre noted continued harassment by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Traffic through the strait fell to its lowest level in more than two months, and an Iranian adviser claimed Tehran had “full control” — a claim Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected, saying Iran had “lost complete control” and oil was flowing near pre-war levels.

Diplomacy has not stopped either: the Kremlin says Putin delivered Iran’s position on ending the war directly to Trump after meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Turkmenistan last week, and Trump has promised no new U.S. strikes on Iran before the November 3 midterms. Read our report on the Hormuz plan standoff and the burning supertanker.

Houthi projectile hits Riyadh airport again; death toll from the week reaches 13

Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport was struck again on Sunday when an unidentified projectile hit Terminal 4 and started a fire, killing one person and injuring 11 — the fourth missile attack on the airport in a week. The death toll from the October 10 strike on Terminals 3 and 4 has risen to 13, with more than 300 wounded. The Houthis have claimed a wider campaign against Saudi aviation, while Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemned the attacks and pledged support for the Saudi response under a joint defense pact. President Trump has said he is weighing whether to join Saudi strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. Read our report on the latest strike and the regional response.

22 days to the midterms: new polls put Trump at record lows; diesel deal draws legal fire

A Financial Times-Focaldata poll released Monday has President Trump’s approval at 34% overall, with just 25% of registered voters approving of his handling of jobs and the economy and roughly one-fifth approving of his inflation record. It joins a grim run for the White House: a Reuters/Ipsos survey put him at a record-low 32%, with only 24% of Hispanic Americans approving — the group that helped power his 2024 win — and a Pew poll last week had him at 30%, a new second-term low. Registered voters favor Democrats by more than five points on the generic congressional ballot, and the Cook Political Report projects Democratic House gains of 9 to 19 seats.

The controversy over Trump’s Russian diesel deal is spreading: Sen. Thom Tillis said the arrangement may break the law, and a federal judge ordered the administration to halt its taxpayer-funded ad campaign, which officials said ended Sunday at a cost of $19 million. Read our report on Tillis’s warning and the judge’s ad ruling.

Sports: Lions torch Cardinals, Jets win, Commanders and Giants tie; Brewers take NLCS Game 1

The Detroit Lions turned in their most complete performance of the season in a 45-21 rout of the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, while Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 151 yards and two scores — his 58th career touchdown, passing Barry Sanders for the most by a player under 25 in NFL history. Green Bay demolished Chicago 31-7 behind Jordan Love’s 367 yards, the Jets got their first win 17-12 over Cleveland behind eight sacks, and Washington and the Giants played to a 27-27 tie after the Commanders blew three separate leads. Elsewhere, the Jaguars edged the Eagles 19-17 in London, the Bengals sent Miami to 0-5, the Patriots routed the Raiders 45-17, the Steelers beat the Colts 34-22, and the Texans — who traded for Marvin Harrison Jr. — got their first win over Tennessee.

In the NLCS opener, the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 behind Brice Turang’s homer and a bullpen that blanked the Dodgers’ lineup, snapping a seven-game postseason losing streak against L.A. Game 2 is Monday night in Milwaukee. The ALCS starts tonight with the Guardians at the Rays. Read our report on the tie, the Patriots rout and the Texans’ Harrison trade.

What to watch today: CPI week begins, Hurricane Simon nears Puerto Vallarta, North Korea launches missiles

Markets open the week looking to Wednesday’s September inflation data, with consensus expecting about 3.6% year over year — a hot print would complicate the Federal Reserve’s October 27-28 meeting, especially with consumer sentiment near record lows at 46.3. Hurricane Simon was pounding Mexico’s Pacific coast as a Category 3 storm Sunday night near Puerto Vallarta, while the cleanup continued from Tropical Storm Rachel’s damage to Long Beach. And North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan early Monday, adding another security item to a crowded morning agenda.

Reporting based on coverage by CNN, Reuters, the Associated Press, Le Monde, the Financial Times and the National Hurricane Center. The Morning Briefing is published each weekday by US News America.