NPR News: 04-04-2026 8AM EDT

This NPR News Now broadcast from April 4, 2026, recaps key developments amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran war, including retaliatory threats and a reported drone strike, alongside a fresh legal challenge to a Trump executive order on voting, Wall Street's volatile week driven by the conflict's energy fallout, a heated coaches' dispute in women's college basketball semifinals, and NASA's Artemis II crew nearing the moon.

Iran Vows Strikes After Drone Attack on Mediator

NPR's Aya Batrawi, reporting from Dubai, detailed Tehran's pledge to target U.S. data centers and defense and tech firms in the Gulf following the assassination of its top leaders. An apparent overnight drone strike hit an office building during off-hours, when it was empty of personnel, resulting in no reported injuries. Iranian media claimed the attack severely wounded a figure named Harazi—whose role involved talks with Pakistani mediators on potential U.S.-Iran negotiations to end the war—and killed his wife. The perpetrator remains unknown. In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guard publicly listed 18 U.S. tech and defense companies for future assassination attempts, explicitly naming Palantir, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and others. This escalation ties into broader war dynamics, heightening risks to U.S. interests in the region.