ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - March 17, 2026

David Muir, ABC's World News Tonight, America's most watched. newscast. Now streaming same day with all the breaking. news of the day on Disney plus most watched most trusted now. on Disney plus every night. Tonight, the breaking news as we come on the air. One of President Trump's top counterterrorism. officials resigns, saying Iran posed no imminent threat. Also tonight here, the explosive boom, the stunning sight. tonight seen in several states, the seven-ton meteor,

and you'll see it. Tonight, the director of the National Counterterrorism. Center resigning, claiming Iran posed no imminent. threat to the U.S. Tonight, President Trump responds. Also tonight here, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad coming under fire again. James Longman in Iraq. And just in tonight, the images, Israeli strikes. now hitting Iranian police right in the streets. of Tehran, after the major news today that an Israeli. strike has killed one of Iran's most powerful surviving leaders.

Here in the US tonight, that seven ton meteor. shooting across the sky. Whoa, what the f*** was that? The sonic boom burned over multiple states, six feet in diameter. The images tonight, digging out the major storm across. several states and the dangerous winds in the Northeast. Hundreds of thousands without power at this hour. Thousands of flights canceled and delayed. in New York City, the winds fueling a major fire. in Manhattan, reports of injuries just as the. annual ST Patrick's Day parade was set to begin.

tonight, the wife and mother who wrote a Children's. book about grief after the death of her husband now. found guilty of killing him. How prosecutors say she did it. The collision on the tracks at Amtrak train. filled with passengers and and 18 Wheeler. Tonight, just days before March Madness, a star player now under arrest. Tonight, one of the world's most elusive artists, hidden no longer, has Banksy been revealed. Also tonight, a former Syracuse University quarterback.

dies at just 28 years old. And tributes tonight to the longtime co-host. of Showtime at the Apollo. (upbeat music). From ABC News World Headquarters in New York, this is World. News Tonight with David Muir. Good evening. We begin tonight with several breaking stories, one incredible. sight, that seven-ton meteor across several states. in a moment here. But we begin with the war in Iran. President Trump's top counterterrorism official. resigning tonight, saying Iran posed "no imminent.

threat to the U.S.". Late today, the president lashing out after Joe Kent, his handpicked director of the National Counterterrorism. Center, quit his post. Tonight, President Trump also furious. NATO allies are refusing to help protect. the critical Strait of Hormuz, more than two weeks after. President Trump started the war. And tonight, Iran now confirming its national security chief. has been killed in Israeli airstrike. And a short time ago, the images coming in, flames rising from the US embassy in Baghdad. What we've learned, Iran-backed groups.

hitting multiple targets. Rachel Scott leading us off here with. this high level resignation tonight and President. Trump's response. Tonight the administration's top counterterrorism. official resigning in protest over President. Trump's war with Iran, declaring Iran posed no imminent threat. to our nation. Joe Kent, director of the National. Counterterrorism Center, writing, "I cannot. in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from. Israel and its powerful American lobby.

Kent accusing Israel of a misinformation campaign. to deceive Trump into believing that Iran. posed an imminent threat to the United States and that should. he strike now, there was a clear path to swift victory. This was a lie. President Trump, who has long supported. Kent's political career despite Kent's controversies and past. associations with anti Semites, today brushing off. his resignation. And I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security. Very weak on security.

I didn't know him well today. The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence. Committee, Mark Warner, saying Joe Kent's record. is deeply troubling, but on this point he is right. There was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran. It comes as the president lashes out at America's NATO allies. for refusing his demand to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, more than two weeks after President Trump launched the war. himself. Germany declaring, "It's not our war.". "We can't be at every place to support a war.

which we didn't start it.". From the UK, a similar message. And today, French President Emmanuel Macron... We are not part of the conflict. Saying France will never take part in operations to open. or liberate the street of her moves in the current context. I think that is making a very foolish mistake after calling. for Europe's help tonight The president's saying he. doesn't need it after all. Well, we don't need too much help and. we don't need any help actually The president clearly. frustrated with our NATO allies But they have been very clear.

that this is not their war saying the president did. not consult with them before launching those strikes. against Iran and tomorrow all eyes will be on Capitol Hill. The president's national security team will be testifying. before Congress and they will certainly face many. questions about whether Iran pose an imminent threat to. the United States, David. And you'll be watching that hearing for us, Rachel. Scott, tonight. Thank you. This evening, just in, new images of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad coming under attack again. What we've learned at this hour. And tonight from inside Iran, you'll see the flames.

shooting from the streets. Israel now targeting police checkpoints in Tehran. The Israelis say some Iranians are now helping. Israel with the targets. And Iran now confirming tonight its national security. chief has been killed. All of this as gas prices in the U.S. are up now about 90 cents a gallon since this. war began. James Longman from the region again tonight. Tonight, the dramatic images coming in from Tehran, raging flames in the streets. Videos circulating online show the Israelis. turning their focus to local regime targets.

The IDF says they've hit dozens of police checkpoints. and vehicles in Tehran. An Israeli intelligence source tonight tells ABC News. some Iranians themselves are now sharing locations. where regime militia are on patrol. for the Israelis to strike. This amid a brutal blow to Iran's chain of command. Israel killing Iran's top national security. chief Ali Larijani, calling him the de facto. leader of the regime. That same strike also killing the commander of Iran's feared.

religious militia, the Basij, Golamreza Soleimani. That militia behind the bloody crackdown on Iranians in the. streets protesting against the regime back in January. that left nearly 7,000 dead. Israel's tactic to help Iranians take to the streets. again despite enormous danger. And tonight Iranian proxies targeting the US embassy. in Baghdad yet again. Flames rising from the compound. This incredible video shows the moment a massive.

gun that protects the US embassy shoots an. Iranian drone out of the sky. And with oil prices rising, Iran struck a 17th ship today. in the critical Strait of Hormuz. In the US, gas prices have risen 90 cents since the start. of the war, now averaging $3.84 a gallon. And for only the second time in US history, diesel prices. have now hit $5 a gallon. Economists warn this will now have a ripple effect. across the US economy. And these attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad.

tonight, David, were pretty extraordinary. Flames could be seen inside the embassy compound. US forces are tonight responding here in Iraq against those. militia, but Iran is pulling at every lever across. this region to target American interests. David? James Longman and the team. inside Iraq tonight as those attacks are underway. James, thank you. Back here in the U.S. tonight and to this incredible sight. seen in several states, a seven-ton meteor. shooting across the sky. The sonic boom heard over multiple states.

The meteor six feet in diameter, the ground shaking. Here's Rhiannon Alley tonight. Tonight, NASA says this bright red fireball streaking through. the sky, moving at 40,000 miles per hour and seen. from at least 10 states, is a rare daylight meteor. crashing into Earth. The asteroid bursting through the Earth's atmosphere, sending. loud sonic booms, rattling homes from Ohio to Kentucky. The blast so powerful, it shook the ground. The rumbling registering on a seismograph.

It was just like a boom like that. The meteor seen just before 9 AM for. barely 5 seconds traveling more than. 34 miles in the upper atmosphere before breaking. apart above Medina, OH and seen across. the Northeast. Anybody see or hear what blew up? Definitely too big for fireworks. We felt a shockwave or not sure what it is, but it was big. NASA says the meteor nearly 6 feet in. diameter weighing roughly 7 tons. Lit up the sky. It was even spotted by a NOAA satellite in space,

unleashing the same amount of energy as 250 tons of TNT. This thing just broke apart violently scattered fragments. everywhere and this explosion generated a shockwave. or a pressure wave that traveled. to the ground. And that's the explosions people saw. Aisha Jones lives in Maple Heights. outside Cleveland and it just put. her small Children down for a nap when she says her. house shook. I immediately thought that somebody.

like ran into my house or something big hit the house. David Nasa says what makes this so uncommon. is that it went over a populated area and while. 40,000 MPH is really fast for a human, it's actually. slow for a meteor. David. Yeah, it's all perspective. Imagine being one of those drivers today who. we heard in that piece ran and thank you now to the. major storm tonight across several states, the. dangerous winds in the northeast and of course, continuing chaos at airports and behind it all, a. new blast of cold air moving in from florida. to the northeast. Freeze warnings tonight, the.

cold from florida to the Carolinas, new york to boston. when hundreds of thousands digging out thousands. of flights canceled and delayed tonight and here's. Gio Benitez tonight, travel trouble on the ground. and in the air as the Midwest digs out from a. record-breaking blizzard and neighborhoods up and down. the East Coast clean up after violent storms. Wind gusts over 70 miles an hour from. Florida to the Northeast. Outside Boston, wind tearing apart this scaffolding. leaving it hanging over the roadway in Brockton. Crews in Attleboro had to cut this massive tree into.

pieces and use a crane to clear it off this home. Just outside Philadelphia, Ryan Keene assessing. the damage after this tree fell. right on his son's bedroom. My roofer guys here to see. what damage is done there and we're. going to go from there. Those winds also knocking out. power to more than half a million. across the region. Meanwhile, the Midwest digging out. from record snow after dozens of trucks and cars got stranded for. more than a day on Interstate 43, just outside Green Bay.

That major Interstate finally reopening today. West of Marquette, Michigan families. using snow blowers and shovels trying. to dig out 9 foot snow drifts encasing. homes and another 1000 flights canceled. today and more delayed because of. weather with TSA staffing issues at. some major airports. The FAA temporarily halting Delta. flights to Atlanta this morning after. the airline ran out of room to park. their planes United also requesting. a ground stop for the same problem. overnight in Houston. And David, one more note here about air travel.

The CEOs for the major airlines. say that the soaring cost of fuel is raising. ticket prices. In fact, United fares are already. up 15 to 20%. David, one more example of how this. is hitting the consumer tonight. Gio Benito is on this again for us. Gio, thank you. By the way, those winds fueling a major fire. in New York City, just as the annual ST Patrick's. Day parade was set to begin. Here's Aaron Katursky with the pictures tonight. Oh my God. Tonight, two people injured after a wind. driven fire on a high rise rooftop clouds of thick.

roiling smoke darkening midtown Manhattan. Firefighters obscured by the blackened. haze and all hands gonna work fire from a commercial. building. The HVAC system ignited. atop a 28 story building at 43rd street and Fifth. Avenue just before 10 a.m. As firefighters, police officers and other. marchers were staging nearby for the annual ST. Patrick's Day parade. It took dozens of firefighters. to extinguish the fire, finally dousing the last of.

the flames after an hour and a half wind driven. event. Um, the units took about 140 fire and E. M. S. Personnel will be on scene to take care of the. The building was vacant, say for the. construction workers, turning it from office space. into residential apartments. It looks like the EMS and EMS lieutenant and a police officer. suffered smoke inhalation. The damage was contained in the building's roof. David, the cause of the fire is under investigation. David Aaron Katurski with us. Thank you, Aaron in North Georgia tonight.

A gunman reportedly killed by police. after storming a VA clinic and shooting a worker there. Police responding to the Pickens County. Veterans Affairs Clinic in Jasper this afternoon. confronting the suspect outside. Police say officers shot the suspected gunman. during the encounter. The shooting victim was then airlifted to a nearby. hospital. No word tonight on the victim's condition. or motive. We turned out of a case making national. headlines. The wife and mother who wrote a. Children's book about grief after the death of her. husband. She's now been found guilty of killing him. and how prosecutors say she did it.

Here's Trevor Ault. Tonight, vindication for the family of Eric Richens. after a jury swiftly convicted his wife, Corey, of his murder. Guilty of aggravated murder. It's been a long time coming, so just very happy that we. got justice for my brother. The Utah mother was accused of poisoning her husband. with a fentanyl lace cocktail, and a month before her arrest, She appeared on TV promoting a children's book. she said she wrote to help her kids cope with the grief.

My husband passed away unexpectedly last year. It completely took us all by shock. Prosecutors say Cori Richens killed her husband for money. because she was deeply in debt and wanted to start a. new life with a new man. They showed the jury body camera footage. the day of the murder, but they claimed Corey. was pretending to cry. Corey Richens hides her face because she doesn't. know how to react because she is not grieving. She's not grieving because she feels no grief. She just murdered Eric.

They also played this video of Corey laughing. during a celebration of life party. the day after the murder. David Corey Richens faces 25 years to life in prison. She'll be sentenced May 13th. What would have been her husband's 44th birthday? David. Trevor Alt with us tonight. Trevor, thank you. Tonight, disturbing allegations against a civil rights. icon, Cesar Chavez, the late co-founder of. the United Farm Workers. The union now says it will not take part. in this month's celebrations honoring Chavez, following allegations of possible abuse.

involving young women and girls. The union says it has no firsthand knowledge. of the allegations, calling them, quote, profoundly shocking. Chavez was credited with organizing migrant farm workers, starting in California, and helping to improve. their quality of life. When we come back tonight, the tributes this evening. for a well known name at the Apollo and the former. Syracuse University quarterback who has died at. just 28 years old. Also had a look at this, the. collision on the tracks and Amtrak train filled with. passengers and an 18 wheeler. Also tonight, just days before March Madness.

begins a star player now under arrest tonight. This evening, one of the world's. most elusive artists has Banksy been revealed. But what the artist is now. saying tonight about this. We'll be right back. Tonight, the collision involving an Amtrak. train and 18 wheeler just outside Houston. The train traveling from Los. Angeles had 100 passengers when it crashed near a. rail crossing. The impact knocking that green shipping. container from the truck's bed. Authorities say at least two people. injured. This could have been much worse tonight. Alabama men's basketball star Aiden Holloway arrested.

on drug charges just days before the N. C. Double tournament kicks off police. arresting Holloway Monday after they reportedly. found #2 of marijuana at home in Tuscaloosa. Holloway now out on bond tonight, Alabama's coach. saying the team plans to play without Holloway in. Friday's game against Hofstra. When we come back here tonight, the tributes. this evening for a well known name at the Apollo. and one of the world's most elusive artists has Banksy. been revealed tonight. What the artist is now saying.

To the index of other news tonight, former Syracuse University quarterback, Rex Culpepper has died at the age of 28. Culpepper played 30 games for Syracuse. between 2017 and 2020. Rex notably overcame cancer at the age of 20. while still part of the team. Tonight, SU releasing a statement saying, "Rex played football as fierce as he lived life.". There's no word yet on a cause of death tonight. Tributes this evening to Kiki Shepherd, the longtime co-host of Showtime at the Apollo. for 15 years, Shepard made her mark. on the Fame Talent Showcase with her signature style.

and sense of humor. She shared the Apollo stage with several celebrity co-hosts. including Monique, Steve Harvey, and Sinbad. Relatives tonight sharing that Shepard died. from a heart attack on Monday. Kiki Shepard was 74. Tonight, world famous graffiti artist Banksy. has kept the world guessing, of course, for decades, and this evening a new report claiming. to know the artist's identity. A Reuters investigation says Banksy is quote, beyond dispute, 51 year old Robin Gunningham from England. The Reuters report says he changed his name in 2008. to David Jones to maintain the mystery.

Well, tonight Banksy's lawyer pushing back, saying the artist quote, "Does not accept. many of the details" in the Reuters report. We'll see. When we come back tonight, America Strong this evening, the father and his two daughters, what that dad was about to reveal, and he's standing by right here tonight. - ABC World News Tonight with David York, sponsored by Teva in support of the mental health community. - Finally tonight here, America Strong, after 27 years of police sergeant.

and his emotional farewell on the radio. Tonight on this St. Patrick's Day, the bagpipes, the send off for a beloved police sergeant. on his final day. From his fellow officers and his proud daughters. In Ketchikan, Alaska, Sergeant Ty Walker now retiring, ending his final shift with this message from his squad car. After 27 years of service, I'm signing off for the last time.

To my brothers in blue, thank you. for standing in the line with me. And to the community, it's been my honor to serve you. Every shift I've started with this thought, leave everyone better than you find them. It wasn't always possible, but I did my best. God bless, stay safe. And then Sergeant Walker's daughters, Allie and Kaitlin, and his one-year-old granddaughter, Everly, sitting right there too. Sergeant Walker, for nearly three decades, you have shown up for strangers on their worst days.

The community of Ketchikan owes you a great debt, and your family is endlessly proud. We admire you more than words can express, and we are so grateful to call you our father. And right here tonight-- Hey, David. After 27 years, Sergeant Walker now officially retired. Retirement is great. It was an honor to serve my community. I wish you and all those in law enforcement well, especially those at my old department.

At his proud daughters to hi David, hi David, Ali and Caitlin. There was nowhere else we'd rather be for the man that gave. everything he had for a community. who didn't always see it showing up for the man that has shown up. for countless others was a no brainer so it was. such an incredible moment and I am. so grateful that I got to be there well. Sergeant Walker. Thank you for your service. Your granddaughter is waiting. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night. David Muir, the most trusted anchor in America,

the most watched anchor in America. Thank you for making World News Tonight with David Muir, the number one newscast in America.