NPR News: 03-18-2026 12AM EDT

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Roman.

Iran now confirms that its top security official, Ari Larjeetani and one other leader were

killed during an Israeli air strike on Tuesday.

NPR's Kerry Khan and Tel Aviv reports he was believed to be directing Iran's effort

in the war since Israel assassinated the Iranian Supreme Leader in the first hours of the

war.

He is Ali Larjeetani and he is a long career in the Iranian political upper echelons.

He was the speaker of the parliament among other appointments and was a top adviser to

the assassinated Supreme Leader and after Israel killed the leader, it was widely believed

that Larjeetani was running Iran.

He was also involved in talks with the Trump administration before the war.

Iran has been hitting back today, sending missiles and drones into both Israel and the

neighboring Gulf states.

In a speech today at the United Kingdom's parliament, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

issued a clear message to President Trump.

The U.S. he said needs Ukraine to help fight the war in the Middle East.

NPR's Lorne Freyer reports from London.

The UK parliament speaker, Lindsey Hoyle, introduced Zelensky with a phrase that means glory

to Ukraine.

Slava Ukraine, Mr. President, the floor is yours.

Zelensky told members of parliament that Russia and Iran are collaborating on drone technology.

The regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred and that is why they are brothers

in weapons.

Zelensky said Ukraine is capable of producing 2,000 interceptor drones per day and can

supply half that amount to its allies.

His UK visit comes amid fears that the Iran war is boosting Russia's economy with oil

revenue and diverting global attention and resources away from Ukraine's defense.

Lorne Freyer and PR News London.

The head of the U.S. Postal Service says that agency is on track to run out of money in

less than a year and may have to stop delivering the mail.

As NPR's Hansi LaWong reports, the Postmaster General is asking Congress for help.

Tens of millions of households and businesses rely on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver

mail and packages six days a week to every address in the country.

But the Federal Agency generally receives no tax dollars to keep running, relies instead

on stamps and service fees.

With fewer people relying on U.S. P.S. then in past decades, Postmaster General David

Steiner is telling a House Oversight Subcommittee that U.S. P.S. is on track to run out of cash

to pay its workers and vendors in about a year.

So far, mail deliveries have not stopped because U.S. P.S. has been able to borrow $15 billion

from the U.S. Treasury and hold off on paying some pension obligations.

Steiner is asking Congress to change laws to allow the Postal Service to borrow more money

and reform how it pays for retirement benefits for postal workers.

Hansi LaWong and Pair News.

On Wall Street, stocks were mixed. The Dow was up the Nasdaq was down. The S&P was flat.

You're listening to NPR news.

The terror threat at Tampa's McDill Air Force Base, the home of U.S. Central Command,

was elevated to tonight to what's called Charlie Level, which means a terrorist action

targeting personnel or facilities could be likely on the base's Facebook page.

It said Israel said that its level was raised so the military could implement deliberate

security measures proactively. While historic storms dropped feet of snow over the

Upper Midwest, people in the Southwest are preparing for record-breaking heat.

Daniel Montoya, from a conversation KU&M reports,

the New Mexico Department of Health has issued a heat illness advisory

in response to an unprecedented heat wave.

The temperature in Albuquerque is expected to go from 76 degrees on Monday to 91 by Saturday,

almost two months earlier than the typical first 90-degree day,

which would be an all-time, much record high for the retirement march and would be to by

six degrees. That's Clay Anderson, a senior forecaster at the National Weather Service.

Even though the highs or numbers New Mexicans are used to seeing every summer,

Anderson says temperatures that get this high this quickly, especially this early in the year,

could catch people off guard before the body has had time to become acclimated to the heat.

For NPR News, I'm Daniel Montonio in Albuquerque.

Flight cancellations and delays are stacking up in security lines at airports are getting longer.

This is TSA agents have not been paid and are working without pay for more than a month

because of the partial government shutdown. More than 1,100 flights were canceled on Tuesday,

8,700 were delayed. I'm Dan Roman, NPR News in Washington.

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