NPR News: 03-18-2026 3PM EDT

This NPR News Now broadcast recaps developments in the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran, including intelligence testimony and humanitarian effects, plus economic responses to related pressures like rising fuel costs, alongside lighter updates on sports and space.

Iran War Intelligence and Testimony

Top US intelligence official Tulsi Gabbert testified that Iran's government remains intact but significantly weakened by US and Israeli strikes on its leadership and military. CIA Director John Ratcliffe called Iran a long-standing threat to the US, countering the recent resignation of National Counter Terrorism Center head Joe Kent, who quit protesting the war over lack of imminent threat. Senate Democrats questioned Gabbard and other officials on the conflict's status.

Humanitarian Toll in Iran and Israel

Iranians are fleeing to Iraq's Kurdistan region amid the war; one woman from a border city vaguely cited economic woes before tearfully wishing airstrikes had killed her, fearing reprisal. At least 14 people have died in Israel since the war began, including from a missile intercepted before impact.