NPR News: 03-22-2026 7PM EDT

This NPR News Now broadcast from March 22, 2026, rounds up key developments including sharp US-Iran rhetoric over the Strait of Hormuz, fallout from a partial government shutdown affecting airport security, a pioneering lawsuit on social media addiction, Supreme Court arguments on mail-in ballots, the latest World Happiness Report spotlighting youth declines in the US, and softening market futures.

US-Iran Escalation Over Strait of Hormuz

President Trump posted on social media Saturday threatening to "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants unless the Strait of Hormuz reopens within 48 hours. Iran's President Massoud Pezeshkian responded on X that the strait remains open "for all except those who violate our soil." An Iranian armed forces spokesperson escalated further, stating nothing could stop Iran from "destroying all American infrastructure in the Middle East region" if Trump follows through, and that the strait would stay "totally closed" until Iran rebuilds any hit power plants. These exchanges heighten risks of direct conflict in a vital oil chokepoint, where closure could disrupt global energy supplies.