News Summary at 9:12 a.m. EDT

Iran’s rial hit a record low as Washington prepares to roll out additional sanctions, AP reported from Tehran. The currency dropped to 2.02 million rials per U.S. dollar when trading opened Monday. Iran’s official Central Bank rate was about 1.5 million, but AP noted the market rate is what most Iranians pay. The rial was already pressured before U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, yet it has continued to sink repeatedly as nearly six months of war take a larger toll. Iran’s Foreign Ministry says Tehran will respond harshly to the expected measures, including for its neighbors. The roundup also covered Israeli-Syrian contacts after strikes in Syria and U.S. talks tied to restarting a future security agreement.