Here's who is (and isn't) impacted by US military draft changes

Many men will soon be automatically registered into the U.S.military draft pool, according to the federal agency that oversees the system.

Eligible men are already required to register with theSelective Service System, which oversees the database of people who could be called for service in the event of amilitary draft. The agency is now moving to an automatic registration process, rather than requiring men to sign up manually.

Here's what to know about the new military draft registration process and who is eligible:

Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Smoke rises following an explosion after the U.S. and Israel reportedly launched an attack against Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026, in this screen grab taken from video.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. Two loud blasts were heard in Tehran on February 28 morning by AFP journalists, and two plumes of thick smoke were seen over the centre and east of the Iranian capital.

Israel's defence ministry announced it had launched a "preemptive strike" on Iran as sirens sounded in Jerusalem and people across the country received phone alerts about an "extremely serious" threat.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> U.S. President Donald Trump pumps his fist after disembarking Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 27, 2026. Hours later, Trump made live comments about the military strikes he launched against Iran.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Buildings inin Tehran stand after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, February 28, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Latest photos capture US and Israeli strikes against Iran

Smoke rises following an explosion,after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.

Who is automatically registered for the military draft?

Virtually all male U.S. citizens and immigrants ages 18-25 are required to register for the draft, even those who believe they would be exempt from serving,according to the SSS website. Eligible men will soon be automatically registered for the draft instead of having to sign up manually.

Men who are serving in the military on full-time active duty continuously from ages 18 through 26 do not have to register for the draft. Those who are hospitalized or incarcerated continuously on or before their 18th birthday through age 25 are also exempt. Men who are on non-immigrant visas are exempt, according to the SSS website, as long as they remain on a valid visa up until they turn 26.

The Military Selective Service Act only requires draft registration for men. Women can enlist in active duty combat in order to serve.

What is the military draft age limit?

Eligible men must register within 30 days of their 18th birthday, according to the SSS website. The agencysaidit accepts registrations after that up until a man reaches his 26thbirthday.

When does automatic military draft registration take effect?

The agency will implement the switch to automatic registration by December, according to SSSwebsite.

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What changed from previous draft rules?

The agency is moving to an automatic registration process, rather than requiring eligible men to sign up manually. According to the SSSwebsite, the change "transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources."

Does this mean there's going to be a military draft?

Thewar and current ceasefire in Iranhas sparked renewed questions about whether the U.S. willenact a military draft.

In a March 8interviewon Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said bringing back the draft is "not part of the current plan right now," but she added that PresidentDonald Trump"keeps his options on the table."

There is no draft at present and there has not been an active military draft since 1973,according to the SSS.Returning to an active draft would require Congress to amend theMilitary Selective Service Act, according to SSS.

What has Trump said about a military draft?

A USA TODAY reviewof Trump's appearances and interviews in early March indicated he had not commented publicly on the possibility of enacting a draft around that time. But in aSeptember 2024 Truth Socialpost during the campaign, Trump described a vote for his opponent, former Vice PresidentKamala Harris, as a vote for bringing back the draft.

"A VOTE FOR PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP IS A VOTE FOR PROSPERITY & PEACE," Trump wrote.

Contributing:Kinsey Crowley

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:US military draft shifts to automatic registration. Who's impacted?

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April 11, 2026

Here's who is (and isn't) impacted by US military draft changes

Many men will soon be automatically registered into the U.S.military draft pool, according to the federal agency that oversees the syst...

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Exclusive: US intelligence indicates China is preparing weapons shipment to Iran amid fragile ceasefire, sources say

US intelligence indicates that China is preparing to deliver new air defense systems toIranwithin the next few weeks, according to three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments.

It would be a provocative move considering Beijing said it helped broker thefragile ceasefire agreementthat paused the war between Iran and the US earlier this week. President Donald Trump is also set to visit China early next month for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The intelligence also underscores how Iran may be using the ceasefire as an opportunity to replenish certain weapons systems with the help of key foreign partners.

Two of the sources told CNN there are indications that Beijing is working to route the shipments through third countries to mask their true origin.

The systems Beijing is preparing to transfer are shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs, the sources said, which posed an asymmetric threat to low-flying US military aircraft throughout the course of the five-week war and could again if the ceasefire falls apart.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said, “China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue.”

“As a responsible major country, China consistently fulfills its international obligations. We urge the U.S. side to refrain from making baseless allegations, maliciously drawing connections, and engaging in sensationalism; we hope that relevant parties will do more to help de-escalate tensions.”

Earlier this week, an embassy spokesperson told CNN that since the US-Israel-Iran war began Beijing had “been working to help bring about a ceasefire and end to the conflict.”

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Trump indicated during a press conference on Monday that theF-15 fighter jet shot downover Iran last week was hit by a “handheld shoulder missile, [a] heat-seeking missile,” and Iran said it had used a “new” air defense system to hit the jet without providing more details. It’s unclear if that system was Chinese manufactured.

Shipping MANPADS to Iran would mark an escalation in China’s support for the country since the US and Israel launched their joint military campaign in February.

Chinese companies have continued to sell the Iranians sanctioned dual-use technology that enables the Iran to keep building weapons and enhance its navigation systems, sources said, but the Chinese government directly transferring weapons systems would mark a new level of assistance.

Trump is expected to meet with Xi next month in Beijing, and the White House said on Wednesday that high-level talks had taken place between the US and China as Iran ceasefire negotiations played out earlier this week.

One of the sources familiar with the intelligence said China sees no real strategic value in overtly entering the conflict and trying to protect Iran against the US and Israel, which they know would be unwinnable. Instead, Beijing is trying to position itself as a continued friend to Iran — whose oil it heavily depends upon — while remaining outwardly neutral so they can maintain deniability after the war is over.

Sources said the Chinese could also make the argument that air defense systems are defensive rather than offensive in nature, differentiating their support from that of Russia. Moscow has been providing support to the Iranian regime throughout the course of the war in the form of intelligence sharing that has helped Iran proactively target US troops and assets in the Middle East, CNN has reported.

Iran has long had established military and economic relationships with both China and Russia. Iran has aided Russia extensively in its war on Ukraine through the provision of Shahed drones and also sells China the bulk of its sanctioned oil.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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April 11, 2026

Exclusive: US intelligence indicates China is preparing weapons shipment to Iran amid fragile ceasefire, sources say

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Court rules in favor of 4 men deported by the US to Africa and denied lawyer meetings for 9 months

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The Supreme Court in theAfrican kingdom of Eswatinihas ruled that four men sent there by the United States last July under the Trump administration'sthird-country deportation programcan finally meet with a lawyer after they were denied in-person legal counsel for nine months while held at a maximum-security prison.

A lower court had previously ruled that local lawyer Sibusiso Nhlabatsi, who is working on behalf of the men's U.S.-based lawyers,could meet with them, but the Eswatini government immediately appealed that decision.

In a ruling delivered on Thursday, the Supreme Court dismissed arguments by Eswatini authorities that the deportees didn't want to meet with Nhlabatsi, and that they had no right to legal counsel anyway because they had not been arrested or charged with a crime in Eswatini.

Eswatini is ruled by a king as Africa’s last absolute monarchy, and authorities have been accused of clamping down onpro-democracy movements, sometimesviolently.

U.S.-based lawyer Alma David of Novo Legal Group, who represents two of the four deported men, said in a statement Friday that the fact that it took nine months of litigation to allow the men to meet with a lawyer “speaks volumes about how hard the government of Eswatini is fighting to deny these men the most basic of rights.”

The four men from Cuba, Yemen, Laos and Vietnam have been allowed to speak by phone with their U.S.-based lawyers.

Eswatini is one ofat least eight African nationsto have struck deals with the U.S. government to take deported migrants who are originally from other countries. The Trump administration has used the program inits immigration crackdownas a means of quickly removing migrants who are in the U.S. illegally and who can't easily be sent to their home countries.

Criticism that deportees are denied their rights

Critics have said the program allows the deportees' legal rights to be violated in countries thathave questionable rights recordsand where the deportees have no ties.

U.S. authorities have insisted they followed due process with the deportations but have largely handed over responsibility for the treatment of the deportees to the countries receiving them.

Eswatini government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli said in a cell phone message to The Associated Press that “the judgment is still new, and the Government has not yet convened to consider any potential future actions, if necessary.”

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The four men sent to Eswatini were convicted of serious crimes in the U.S. and had deportation orders, the U.S. government has said. Their lawyers say they completed their prison sentences in the U.S. and their detention at Eswatini's maximum-security Matsapha Correctional Complex is illegal because they have not been charged with any crime in the African nation.

The US is paying African governments millions

The U.S. agreed to pay Eswatini’s government $5.1 million to take deportees, according to documents released by the U.S. State Department. Eswatini has received at least 19 deportees from the U.S. in separate batches since July and said it could hold them in prison for up to a year. Two of them have been repatriated to their home countries.

The seven other African nations known to have agreed on deals to take deported migrants are South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Congo.

Details of only some of the deals have been published by the State Department, including that the U.S. would pay Rwanda $7.5 million.South Sudan's government asked the U.S.to drop sanctions against a senior official accused of corruption and help it prosecute an opposition leader in return for taking deportees, according to documents related to that deal. There is no indication the U.S. considered those requests.

Senate Democrats have questioned a $7.5 million payment madeto Equatorial Guinea, where the president and his family are accused of systemic corruption, embezzlement and repression. Many elements of the deals have been cloaked in secrecy, including where some of the deportees sent to Africa are being held and how long they will be detained.

More deals are being negotiated

A report in February by Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the Trump administrationhad spent at least $40 millionto deport roughly 300 migrants to countries other than their own, including in Africa, Central America and elsewhere.

At the time, internal documents reviewed by The AP showed 47 deportation deals between the U.S. and third countries had been agreed or were being negotiated.

AP writer Nokukhanya Musi in Manzini, Eswatini, contributed to this report.

AP Africa news:https://apnews.com/hub/africa

byNeo

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April 10, 2026

Court rules in favor of 4 men deported by the US to Africa and denied lawyer meetings for 9 months

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The Supreme Court in theAfrican kingdom of Eswatinihas ruled that four men sent there by the United Stat...

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The Latest: Trump pulls back on threats as US, Israel and Iran reach a 2-week ceasefire deal

Iran, the United States and Israel said they reached a deal for a two-week ceasefire war, with Tehran saying it would negotiate with the United States in Islamabad beginning Friday.

Iran War

Trump initially said Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan, but he later called the plan fraudulent without elaborating.

Trump’s threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran hit a new extreme hours before the ceasefire when he warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight,never to be brought back again,” if Iran failed to make a deal that included reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement Wednesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it supports Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, but that it doesn’t include the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, where more than 1,500 peoplehave been killed.

Here is the latest:

Governments in Asia welcome ceasefire

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday that the two-week ceasefire in the war in Iran “augurs well for the restoration of peace and stability, not only to the region but also the rest of the world.”

Indonesia also welcomed the latest development as an effort to keep the door open for diplomacy in order to promote de-escalation.

Yvonne Mewengkang, spokesperson for Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs, said: “The Indonesian government will always support any constructive diplomatic efforts, including those that have the potential to lead to a more permanent resolution, with the protection of civilians as our primary focus.”

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South Korea’s Foreign Ministry in a statement praised mediation efforts by countries including Pakistan and called for a swift restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East. It said it expects the “prompt and safe” resumption of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz for all vessels, including South Korean ships.

Trump says moment could mark a new ‘Golden Age’ for Mideast

Trump in a social media post declared the ceasefire agreement a “big day for World Peace” and that the U.S. “will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz.”

“There will be lots of positive action!” Trump predicted in his post.

“Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process. We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will.”

Trump’s message on his Truth Social website signals Washington’s concern about Iran maintaining its chokehold over the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which 20% of all oil and natural gas passes in peace time.

Sirens go off in Bahrain

Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens Wednesday morning, hours after the U.S. and Iran say they reached a two-week ceasefire in the war for negotiations.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry announced the warning.

It wasn’t immediately clear from the ceasefire when it would begin.

Iran has fired missiles on the Gulf Arab states and Israel after the announcement.

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Stephen Curry injury update: Warriors star listed as out vs. Lakers

theGolden State Warriorsare going to rest Stephen Curry in their Thursday evening game against theLos Angeles Lakers.

Curry waslisted out on the latest NBA injury reportdue to management of a right knee injury that has been described as runner's knee.

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The 38-year-old returned against the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings after missing 27 games from Feb. 3 to April 2. He scored 29 points against the Rockets on April 5 and 17 against the Kings on April 7.

Curry has averaged 27 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists appearing in 41 games for theWarriorsthis season. He has shot the ball at an efficient clip, a norm for the 12-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer.

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Stephen Curry injury update: Warriors star listed as out vs. Lakers

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