Up First from NPR Intense Strikes On Iran, Trump Approval Poll, Georgia Special Election Runoff
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Mar 11, 2026 
Stephen Fowler, Georgia politics reporter, breaks down a tight special election runoff. Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor, walks through a new poll and its implications for the president and midterms. Ayah Batraoui, reporting from Dubai, gives on-the-ground accounts of intense strikes in Iran and regional energy effects. Multiple short takes on voting, polling, and escalating regional conflict.
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Widespread Civilian Damage And Strategic Naval Hits
- Iran reports massive civilian and cultural damage as strikes flatten multi-story residential buildings and historic sites in Tehran and Isfahan.
- Ayah Batraoui cites over 1,200 killed, Red Crescent rubble video, and U.S. military footage of 16 Iranian mine-laying ships struck near the Strait of Hormuz.
Strikes Are Driving Global Fuel Price Shocks
- Energy markets are already reacting: ships stalled at the Strait of Hormuz and strikes on Gulf refineries are driving global fuel price spikes.
- Ayah Batraoui notes the UAE refinery hit removed nearly a million barrels/day and sent fuel prices surging in fragile economies.
Information Flow Has Been Severely Restricted
- Reporting clarity is decreasing due to internet cuts, censorship, and delayed satellite imagery over the region.
- Ayah Batraoui says internet is cut in Iran, Planet Labs delayed imagery 14 days, and uncertainty surrounds the new supreme leader's status.