NPR News: 03-31-2026 9AM EDT

This NPR News Now broadcast from March 31, 2026, delivers a snapshot of global tensions, domestic economic strains, federal funding disputes, a looming space milestone, and college basketball highlights, with Middle East developments dominating amid U.S. military posturing and Israeli operations.

U.S. and Israeli Stances on Iran and Lebanon

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated at the Pentagon that the Trump administration is keeping its options open for potential ground troop deployments to Iran, emphasizing unpredictability to deter adversaries. He noted that Iran perceives "fifteen different ways we could come at them with boots on the ground," and the U.S. could execute any such plans if ordered by the president, though negotiations or other approaches might prevail instead. This comes as Israel's military asserted it retains ample targets and ammunition for strikes inside Iran, responding to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comment that Israel is past the halfway point in its ongoing war. Netanyahu has directed forces deeper into Lebanon, raising concerns of a prolonged occupation; the operations have displaced over 1.2 million people there. Separately, four Israeli soldiers and two U.N. peacekeepers were killed in incidents on Monday, underscoring the mounting casualties.