NPR News: 03-10-2026 9AM EDT

Live from NPR News in Washington, on Corvo Coleman. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the

U.S. military is winning against Iran. He spoke at the Pentagon last hour. He insists the

war is not expanding in the Middle East and says the U.S. will widen its targets today.

Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran. The most fighters,

the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence, more refined and better than ever. So that's on

one hand. On the other hand, the last 24 hours have seen Iran fire the lowest number of missiles.

They've been capable of firing yet. Hegseth also echoed comments made yesterday by President

Trump. Trump said the U.S. has already won against Iran, but hasn't won enough. And Trump suggested

the war was mostly complete. Hegseth would not commit to any timetable this morning. Last week, he

said it could be a matter of as many as eight weeks for the war to be completed. Lebanon's

president is calling for direct talks with Israel to stop the war in his country. He wants

support to disarm Hisbalah. Israel has been striking southern Lebanon to hit Hezbollah strongholds.

NPR's Hadeel Al-Shelchi reports from Beirut.

Lebanese President Joseph Owen once again called on the international community to provide the

Lebanese armed forces with equipment and what he called logistical support to help in the Lebanese

government's campaign to try to disarm and distance itself from the Iranian-backed militant

group Hezbollah, which operates mainly out of southern Lebanon. He said Lebanon was ready to

enter direct talks with Israel to come to a solution under the supervision of international

mediators. An official briefed on the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic

affairs, told NPR that Israel sees positive signs from the Lebanese government in its approach to

Hezbollah, but the war is continuing and will continue. Hadeel Al-Shelchi, NPR News, Beirut.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has labeled Afghanistan as a state sponsor of wrongful detention.

It's a designation that Iran has, too, as NPR's Michelle Kelliman reports.

Rubio says the Trump administration has put a priority on bringing Americans home and stopping

countries from taking Americans hostage. Ending the cycle in which Americans are somehow viewed

as a valuable commodity that you can grab an American, you can unjustly hold them and then try to

trade them later on for some diplomatic concession or some political concession. We have to end

that cycle. In the case of Afghanistan, he says the Taliban kidnap individuals for ransom or

to seek policy concessions. He's calling on the Taliban to release Dennis Coil, who was arrested

last year, and Mahmoud Habibi, who's been held since 2022 without any charges. Michelle Kelliman

and Beirut News, the State Department. On Wall Street and pre-market trading,

Dow features are downed by about 100 points. You're listening to NPR.

There's a special election today in a Georgia congressional district formally represented by

Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene. She broke with President Trump over the Epstein files and now

the Warren Iran. She left office in January. There are 17 candidates running for her old job and

they're all running against each other today. Party affiliation does not matter in this Georgia

special election. Greene has not endorsed anyone. The Food and Drug Administration is approving the

drug look of Warren as a treatment for an ultra-rare genetic disorder. This comes after the Trump

administration touted the drug as a potential autism treatment last fall and Pierre Sidney Lepkin reports.

The FDA approved Luke of Warren to treat a genetic condition that causes seizures and developmental

delays. It is the first treatment approved for a type of cerebral folate transport deficiency,

the FDA said. The disease effects less than 1,000,000 people. The drug company GSK said in September

that it would apply to expand the drug's label to include this use at the FDA's request

to make its decision the agency relied in large part on a systematic review of existing medical

literature instead of new clinical studies. An agency official who spoke on the condition of anonymity

said the FDA initially looked at whether Luke of Warren could be used to treat autism spectrum

disorder, but the data was insufficient. Sidney Lepkin and Pierre News. Lawmakers in Wyoming have

instituted a new ban on abortion at about six weeks of pregnancy. Earlier this year, the Wyoming

State Supreme Court blocked to near total abortion bans. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News.