AP Afternoon Wire

"Iran War, Mexican cartel fights, Pete Hegseth."

Views expressed in this World and U.S. news update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 20 March 2026, 2016 UTC.

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By Amy Langfield March 20, 2026

Good afternoon and welcome to your afternoon news update from AP. Today, the U.S. deploys thousands more troops to the war as Iran threatens world tourism sites; how civilians are fighting a Mexican cartel; and Pete Hegseth’s Christian rhetoric draws renewed scrutiny. UP FIRST A cleric beats his chest as he mourns during the funeral procession of Iran's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib and, according to Iranian officials, his wife and daughter, in Tehran, Iran, Friday. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Live updates: US deploys thousands more troops to the war as Iran threatens world tourism sites A U.S. official confirmed that three more warships and roughly 2,500 more Marines are bound for the Middle East, where the U.S. military says it has about 50,000 troops. On one of the holiest days on the Islamic calendar, Iran fired on Israel and energy sites in neighboring Gulf Arab states, insisting that it can still build missiles and issuing a new threat, to deny safety to its enemies in “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide. Israel, meanwhile, pounded Tehran with airstrikes. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ A look at who holds the reins of power in Iran since the country’s top leaders were killed Israel strikes Iran’s feared Basij from commanders down to street level, but its grip remains strong Ukraine is using its drone expertise to help 5 countries against Iran attacks, Zelenskyy says

TOP STORIES Members of a local self-defense group formed by residents in response to cartel violence patrol in Guajes de Ayala, Mexico, March 10. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) They were under siege by a Mexican cartel. Now these civilians fight back with AK-47s and grenades Jesús Domínguez pushes through thick brush lining a rugged mountainside with an AK-47 slung over his shoulder and a grenade fastened to his leather belt. He marches alongside a pack of camouflage-clad men patrolling the rural stretches of Mexico against one of the country’s most powerful drug cartels. Armed with military-grade weapons smuggled from the U.S., the 50-man force is one of dozens of “autodefensa,” or “self-defense,” groups that have emerged over the past decade in Mexico to fight increasingly sophisticated cartels in areas far out of the reach of security forces. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Self-defense groups become last line of defense against cartel expansion in central Mexico Pete Hegseth’s Christian rhetoric draws renewed scrutiny after the US goes to war with Iran Since becoming defense secretary, Pete Hegseth has found no shortage of ways to bring his strand of conservative evangelicalism into the Pentagon. He hosts monthly Christian worship services for employees. His department’s promotional videos have displayed Bible verses alongside military footage. In speeches and interviews, he often argues the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and troops should embrace God, potentially risking the military’s secular mission and hard-won pluralism. Now the defense secretary’s Christian rhetoric has taken on new meaning after the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran, an Islamic theocracy. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Supreme Court revives suit from evangelical Christian challenging restrictions on demonstrations Judge rules US government overreached with transgender health care declaration Trump administration sues Harvard, saying it violated civil rights law and seeking to recover funds Many states count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day. Those grace periods could go away White House urges Congress to take a light touch on AI regulations in new legislative blueprint Does California’s race for governor finally have a leader? Swalwell sees attacks from left and right 3 Democratic pastors in Iowa are running for Congress, a snapshot of a national trend

ADVERTISEMENT IN OTHER NEWS Chuck Norris appears at a ceremony in Garland, Texas in 2010. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) Chuck Norris: Martial arts master and actor whose toughness became internet lore, dies at 86 Media layoffs: CBS News shutters its storied radio news service after nearly a century, ending an era Epstein fallout: Norway’s crown princess talks about her ties to Epstein for the first time Strava exercise app: France takes ‘appropriate measures’ after sailor’s jogging app exposes aircraft carrier’s location Policy shift: Jehovah’s Witnesses ease policy on transfusions, allowing storage and use of one’s own blood Churches and Mining Network: Vatican launches campaign to encourage divestment from mining industries Children’s Ibuprofen: Nearly 90,000 bottles of children’s liquid pain medication recalled Monte Verde: New study challenges a site that’s key to how humans got to the Americas Quiz: Do you know what happened this week? Test your knowledge WATCH: Stuck in long TSA lines? Here’s how to save time at the airport TRENDING Vegetables grow in a front yard garden in Oakdale, N.Y. in 2022. (Jessica Damiano via AP) Nobody said vegetable gardens must be in the backyard. Put them out front if it’s sunny If you’ve dreamed of growing a vegetable garden but your backyard is too shady, is paved or is simply too small, consider the front yard. Planned properly, it will not only provide a nice harvest but might even bring new friends to your gate. Such gardens were commonplace a few generations ago, their popularity shrinking over the years in favor of lawns, which became a suburban status symbol. Fortunately, front-yard vegetable gardens are making a comeback.

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