Iran’s New Threat to the U.S. - What You Need to Know – Monday, March 30, 2026

[0:05] This is what you need to know now. [0:08] More U.S. troops heading to the Middle East [0:10] as Iran now threatens to set Americans on fire if the U.S. puts boots on the ground. [0:15] The sooner they get paid, I mean, I'm sure that'll help all of us get through these lines quick. [0:19] It's payday for TSA officers for the first time in weeks, [0:23] giving new hope for travelers dealing with hours-long lines at airports. [0:27] French police say they foiled a possible terrorist attack planned in the port of Paris. [0:33] Mission to the moon. [0:34] And we hear from the astronauts just days away [0:36] from being launched deeper into space than any human in history. [0:41] The team is ready to go, and the vehicle is ready to go. [0:43] And I'll give you a first look at the world of Frozen [0:47] as it opens its gates at Disneyland Paris. [0:50] We have much more What You Need to Know now. [0:55] I'm Maggie Rulli from ABC News. [0:57] It's Monday, March 30th. [0:59] This is What You Need to Know. [1:00] We'll show you gas prices on the rise [1:02] and why a Barbie dream fest became a nightmare [1:05] for the U.S. economy. [1:06] But first, the big story. [1:09] The war with Iran now in its second month, [1:12] and the U.S. military presence in the Middle East is growing. [1:15] More than 50,000 American troops are in the region, [1:18] and more are on the way, [1:19] including 3,500 sailors and Marines [1:22] from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, [1:24] equipped with transport and strike fighter aircraft [1:27] and amphibious assault capabilities. [1:30] And another 1,500 soldiers from the Army's elite 82nd Airborne. [1:33] Those troops are trained to parachute [1:36] behind enemy lines. [1:37] Iran, publicly defiant, warning, [1:40] should the U.S. launch ground troops, [1:42] Iran would set fire to them [1:44] and punish their regional partners forever. [1:47] U.S. and Israel hit Tehran again this weekend. [1:49] Buildings reduced to rubble. [1:51] A university also damaged. [1:53] Iran is now threatening to target American universities [1:56] with campuses in the region. [1:57] But President Trump is still insisting [1:59] a deal with Iran is in the works. [2:01] I do see a deal in Iran, yeah. [2:05] Could be soon. [2:06] Very good. [2:06] They're agreeing with us on the plan. [2:08] They gave us most of the points. [2:10] Why wouldn't they? [2:11] Matt Rivers is in Doha with the latest on Peace Talks. [2:15] Well, Maggie, the foreign ministers for Egypt, [2:16] Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan [2:18] all met in Islamabad to try and lay out a roadmap for peace, [2:21] but not present the U.S., Iran, and Israel. [2:24] Still, the Pakistani foreign minister says [2:25] he thinks the U.S. and Iran will meet, quote, [2:27] in the coming days as thousands of U.S. troops [2:30] are still headed this way. [2:31] This as a new entrant into the war emerges. [2:34] The Houthis in Yemen firing a missile toward Israel, [2:36] over the weekend, a reminder [2:38] that the country could cause major havoc [2:40] should they try and close the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb [2:43] in the Red Sea. [2:44] 12% of the world's seaborne oil passes through there, [2:47] and with the Strait of Hormuz effectively already closed, [2:50] any disruption in the Red Sea would be catastrophic [2:53] for global oil supplies. [2:55] This as Israel continues to hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. [2:59] Rick Clennett is in Jerusalem. [3:01] Maggie, Israel expanding its operations [3:03] into southern Lebanon even further. [3:05] That was the announcement by Israeli Prime Minister, [3:07] Benjamin Netanyahu, who cited continued rocket fire [3:10] from Iran-backed Hezbollah. [3:12] They're trying to create a buffer zone there. [3:15] Meanwhile, five soldiers killed, [3:17] including an Israeli-American, [3:18] four Israeli civilians killed, [3:20] while the Lebanese death toll mounts. [3:22] 1,238 killed, more than a million displaced, [3:26] as the U.N. refugee agency warns [3:29] it's facing a humanitarian catastrophe. [3:32] In the U.S., oil prices have started climbing again. [3:35] Crude is now trading at $116, [3:37] a barrel in Asia today, [3:39] near its highest level since the start of the war. [3:42] According to GasBuddy, [3:43] the national average for a gallon of regular gas [3:45] is now $3.95. [3:48] Analysts expect it to increase in the coming days. [3:51] TSA officers are expected to get paid today [3:53] for the first time in weeks, [3:55] now that President Trump has signed an emergency directive. [3:58] Over the weekend, travelers were frustrated [4:00] as security lines slowed to a crawl [4:02] with waiting times of five hours [4:04] at about a dozen airports around the country. [4:06] As roughly 10,000 people were killed [4:07] and 10% of the TSA workforce called out. [4:10] I just found the back of the line, [4:12] which was actually so deep into Bush Airport [4:15] that I didn't even know some of these hallways existed. [4:18] As I was getting close to the front, [4:20] I would text the client and say, [4:22] hey, I'm about 30 minutes out. [4:24] Before lawmakers left Washington for a two-week recess, [4:28] House Republicans did not vote on a bill [4:29] passed by the Senate to fund most of DHS, but not ICE. [4:33] President Trump wouldn't say if he'd sign a bill [4:35] without ICE funding, but insisted that ICE [4:38] is vital to the country's well-being. [4:40] Meanwhile, White House Border Sar Tom Homan [4:42] says ICE officers will remain at airports [4:45] until TSA officers can resume normal operations. [4:48] Organizers of the No Kings demonstration [4:51] say approximately eight million people [4:53] participated in nationwide protests [4:55] against President Trump this weekend. [4:57] The crowds expressing their opposition [4:59] to many of the administration's actions, [5:01] including its immigration crackdown [5:03] and the war with Iran. [5:04] Though most of the more than 3,000 events [5:07] were peaceful, [5:08] in Los Angeles, authorities say they arrested 75 people [5:11] after rocks and bottles were allegedly thrown at police. [5:15] French police say they prevented an alleged bombing [5:17] outside a Bank of America branch in central Paris. [5:21] Authorities are investigating the incident [5:22] as a foiled terrorist attack [5:24] and looking into any connection [5:25] the suspects have to the Middle East. [5:28] Three suspects are now in custody. [5:30] It's just two days till liftoff [5:32] for NASA's new moon mission, [5:33] which will send four astronauts deeper into space [5:36] than any human has ever seen. [5:37] It's just two days till liftoff for NASA's new moon mission, [5:37] which will send four astronauts deeper into space than any human has ever seen. [5:38] It's just two days till liftoff for NASA's new moon mission, [5:39] which will send four astronauts deeper into space than any human has ever seen. [5:39] Perry Russell has the details. [5:41] Maggie, NASA says it is ready to launch Artemis II. [5:44] Four astronauts will slingshot around the moon [5:47] and come back to Earth in about 10 days. [5:49] It is a crucial step in NASA's multi-billion dollar project [5:53] to land humans on the moon, [5:54] build a lunar base, [5:55] and send future astronauts to Mars. [5:57] This mission has been plagued by delays, [6:00] from hydrogen fuel leaks [6:02] to an interruption of helium flow in the rocket. [6:04] Right now, the astronauts are in quarantine [6:06] at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. [6:08] Doing this because it's a unique opportunity. [6:12] We are going for all and by all. [6:14] This is what NASA embodies. [6:16] We have the opportunity to answer the question [6:19] that could be the question of our lifetime, [6:20] which is, are we alone? [6:21] And it was an emotional day [6:23] for pro golfer Gary Woodland, [6:25] the 41-year-old winning the Houston Open on Sunday. [6:28] The husband and father overcome with emotion [6:31] after taking his first tournament [6:33] since undergoing brain surgery two years ago. [6:36] Anybody that's struggling with something, [6:39] I hope they see me [6:41] and don't give up. [6:43] Just keep fighting. [6:44] That victory also means Woodland qualifies [6:46] to play in the Masters two weeks from now. [6:49] We have much more What You Need to Know. [7:01] Now to take three, [7:02] the stories you'll be talking about today. [7:05] Number three, some Barbie fans were calling [7:07] this weekend's Barbie Dream Fest in Fort Lauderdale [7:10] a Barbie bust. [7:11] Many participants complaining about a lack of vendors, [7:14] large unused spaces, and swag bags [7:16] that included hand sanitizer and a plastic hairbrush. [7:20] Some attendees paid upwards of $500,000, [7:21] which is a lot of money. [7:22] For the experience, [7:23] the company that licensed the Barbie brand from Mattel [7:26] says they will issue full refunds to all ticket holders. [7:30] Number two, a candy heist of pretty big proportions. [7:33] 12 tons of Kit Kat bars were stolen from a truck [7:36] that was transporting them from Italy to Poland. [7:39] Nestle says it can track the 400,000 chocolate bars [7:42] using unique batch codes, [7:44] but so far, no sign of the candy. [7:47] And number one, a polar bear at the Calgary Zoo [7:50] is getting settled with some extra help [7:52] from a translator. [7:53] Yele, a 20-year-old polar bear from Quebec, [7:55] was trained using French commands, [7:58] but it turns out no one at the zoo in Calgary spoke French. [8:01] The zoo is now bringing in a new caretaker [8:03] to help the little Ous Polaire with the language barrier. [8:06] And one more thing before you go. [8:08] For the first time in forever, [8:11] Arendelle's gates are open in Paris, France. [8:14] This weekend, Disney's new CEO, Josh D'Amaro, [8:16] inviting fans to Disneyland Paris. [8:19] I welcome you to Disney Adventure World, and especially, Disney. [8:21] I welcome you to Disney Adventure World, and especially, Disney. [8:21] I welcome you to Disney Adventure World, and especially, Disney. [8:21] I welcome you to Disney Adventure World, and especially, Disney. [8:21] I welcome you to Disney Adventure World, and especially, Disney. [8:22] And officially declare World of Frozen open. [8:27] And we got a Frozen welcome, too, from everyone in town. [8:31] Speak. [8:32] Well, hello. [8:34] Yoo-hoo. [8:35] We're about to have our very own royal encounter [8:38] and get to meet Anna and Elsa. [8:40] Thank you for welcoming us. [8:42] One, two, and three. [8:44] Let it go. [8:47] I haven't stopped singing. [8:48] All right, that's what you need to know. [8:50] For breaking news and live updates throughout the day, [8:52] check out ABC News Streaming on Disney+. [8:58] Every day on Disney+.