The New York Times - The Evening - March 17, 2026 - Israel kills top Iranian leaders (Ali Larijanı and Gholamreza Soleimani)

 

March 17, 2026

	By Matthew Cullen

Good evening and happy St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.

Israel kills top Iranian leaders The Senate debates voting rules Plus, Alabama’s famous leprechaun

Ali Larijani in 2024. Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times

Iran’s leadership suffers a double blow

Israeli airstrikes killed two more of Iran’s top leaders: Ali Larijani, who had been the country’s de facto ruler during the war, and Gholamreza Soleimani, who led Iran’s powerful plainclothes militia. The killings were the most damaging blows to Iran’s regime since the first day of the war, when the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died in an Israeli attack. See a chart of Iran’s remaining leaders.

As the country’s top security official, Larijani was among Iran’s most influential figures — a close confidant of Khamenei who was in charge of preparing for a war and putting down the recent anti-government protests. Upon hearing the news of his death, Iranian officials said they feared for their lives.

The attacks again demonstrated Israel’s ability to target its enemies. Less clear was whether the killings would bring it closer to achieving its war goals. Larijani was seen as an influential pragmatist with the clout to negotiate with the U.S. His death could embolden Iranian hard-liners.

In related news:

A top U.S. counterterrorism official, Joe Kent, resigned, citing his opposition to the Iran war. In his resignation letter, which you can read here, Kent accused President Trump of starting the war “due to pressure from Israel.” A tanker anchored near the Strait of Hormuz was hit by a projectile. Trump said that the U.S. did not “need or desire” help from allies to open the Strait of Hormuz. “I’m disappointed in NATO,” he said. The U.S. is turning to an unlikely source for help with rising oil prices: tankers with ties to Iran.

Joshua Lott for The New York Times

The Senate begins a bitter debate about voting rules

Under pressure from the president, Senate Republicans began what is expected to be a prolonged debate over a bill designed to crack down on voter fraud, which is exceedingly rare. The legislation would require voters to show identification to vote and proof of citizenship to register. The bill is unlikely to pass the Senate because of opposition by Democrats, who argue that it would suppress voting rights.

Trump has called the bill his “No. 1 priority,” saying it would “guarantee the midterms” for Republicans. John Thune, the Republican leader in the Senate, said he wanted the debate to showcase Democratic resistance, but he has resisted calls to push through a filibuster or undermine the procedure.

In other election news:

Illinois, a deep-blue state, is holding its primary elections today. Democrats will pick nominees in five major open races: one Senate seat and four House contests. Follow here for the latest updates, and check out the results as they come in later tonight. Trump has effectively gutted the election security infrastructure that he created in his first term, causing some officials to worry about potential cyberattacks and foreign influence.

The New York Times

Dozens dead after a Pakistani strike in Kabul

At least 75 people, and possibly many more, were killed when a Pakistani airstrike hit a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital. Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack and five others in Afghanistan yesterday, but a Pakistani official said the target had been an ammunition depot.

The strike was the deadliest single attack of an escalating conflict between the two neighbors. Pakistan, which once supported the Taliban, declared “open war” last month against Afghanistan’s government and has accused the Taliban of harboring an Islamist terrorist group that has attacked Pakistan.

Aurora Innovation

Driverless big rigs are coming to American highways

Later this year, multiple companies are expected to begin hauling freight across long stretches of U.S. highways in driverless trucks. Some fully autonomous trucks have already racked up thousands of miles.

Most of the driverless shipping routes will begin in Texas, where the cities are far apart, the weather is typically pleasant for driving, and regulation is at a minimum.

In related news: Driverless taxis have been targeted in anti-robot attacks, trapping their riders inside.

More top news

Court: A federal judge threw a top prosecutor from the New Jersey U.S. attorney’s office out of his courtroom and ordered the office’s leadership to appear in court. Politics: Trump said that Gov. Gavin Newsom of California should not be president because of his dyslexia. Weather: March weather is famously volatile, and this year has been especially harsh. Here’s why. Nigeria: At least 23 people were killed and more than 100 injured after bombs exploded at a teaching hospital and two markets. An official attributed the attack to Boko Haram. Climate: If the Thwaites Glacier were to collapse, it could push up global sea levels by two feet. These maps show what that would look like in Bangkok, New Orleans and other cities. Guns: Sourced from shops, shows, websites and apps, a supply line delivers guns from the U.S. to Mexican cartels. Our reporter went inside it. Ohio: A loud boom that shook buildings in Cleveland this morning was likely a meteor. Cameras captured its flight.

TIME TO UNWIND

Bronx Zoo

This red fox took a covert overseas voyage

It’s a tale that seems like something out of a children’s book: A roughly 2-year-old red fox sneaked aboard a huge cargo ship in England and remained unseen until the vessel was en route to New York. Once he was discovered, the fox was brought to the Bronx Zoo, where he remains this week, dining on apples, sweet potatoes and mice.

How the fox found enough food to sustain him while aboard the ship is not clear. But zoo officials said they would find him a suitable home if he continued to display good health.

Buddy Guy at the Academy Awards. Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York Times

Overalls are having a moment

Long a staple of work wear and children’s wardrobes, several notable men have put overalls in the spotlight.

There was Buddy Guy, the musician and “Sinners” cast member, who wore leather overalls to the Oscars; Graham Platner, the Senate candidate, who has farmed oysters in overalls; Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté, who skated at the Olympics in overalls; and Rob Rausch, who frequently sported them on reality TV.

More on style: Why do so many men buy dress shoes that are too big?

Meg Webster with her work “Stick Spiral” (1986). Emiliano Granado

Dinner table topics

Meg Webster is an artist who routinely destroys her sculptures. Vocal lessons: Scientists are tutoring a group of Australian birds with the hopes of bringing their distinctive song back from the edge of extinction. Looking for rotisserie chicken heaven? It’s in Montreal. Your picks: We asked readers to vote on the worst casting decisions. Here are the results.

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

Sang An for The New York Times

Cook: There’s no better day to make some traditional Irish soda bread.

Watch “Merrily We Roll Along” and other theater productions from your couch at home.

Grow a native garden with tips from an expert.

Stay cool as the temperatures rise with these tips.

Test yourself: Take our quiz to see how well you know these lines from Irish poets.

Play: Here are today’s Connections, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.

ONE LAST THING

Emily Kask for The New York Times

The magic of an Alabama leprechaun lives on

Twenty years ago, word spread around Mobile, Ala., that a leprechaun had been spotted up in a tree on a quiet residential street. It was, of course, a joke. But long lines of visitors started to show up, hoping to catch a glimpse, and a news clip about the craze became one of the first viral videos on YouTube.

Ever since then, the leprechaun has remained a mascot of sorts for Mobile. So, ahead of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day, my colleague Rick Rojas went back to the spot of the sighting to talk with the people who were involved in the excitement. “It was just something fun for the sake of being fun,” one local said.

Have a lucky evening.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow — Matthew

Eli Cohen was our photo editor.

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