Up First briefing: U.S., Israel's war with Iran; Texas Latinos; SCOTUS - NPR

US Israeli War With Iran, Trump's War Address, Gulf Countries Bear The Brunt

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LEILA FADEL, HOST:

The Middle East is being engulfed by the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Iran is retaliating with strikes on allies of the U.S., and Israel is pounding Lebanon after Hezbollah fired rockets. President Trump says this could go on for weeks.

FADEL: I'm Leila Fadel. That's A Martínez, and this is UP FIRST from NPR News.

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FADEL: Three U.S. service members were killed by Iranian strikes. Here's what the president said about that.

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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That's the way it is. Likely be more.

MARTÍNEZ: And America's Gulf allies are taking the brunt of Iran's retaliation. Waves of missiles and drones are turning expat cities such as Doha and Dubai into battlefields. Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day.

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MARTÍNEZ: After a weekend of the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran, around the world there have been celebrations, such as this one in the heart of Tehran.

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FADEL: And protests like this one in Iraq.

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UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: (Shouting in non-English language).

FADEL: And as the U.S. and Israel continue to strike Iran, Iran is retaliating against countries that host American military bases. The Pentagon says three U.S. service members have been killed. And a new front is now open in Lebanon, with Israel pounding the country after Hezbollah fired rockets.

MARTÍNEZ: NPR's international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam is here to bring us up to date. Jackie, tell us the latest.

JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: Well, the U.S. and Israel say they are hitting hundreds of targets in Iran, and that includes key targets such as antiaircraft defense systems, ballistic missiles and launchers, command and control centers. President Trump said the military had also sunk nine Iranian warships, although CENTCOM only confirmed one. Other targets include senior military and political figures in Iran, including the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Saturday. Iran has responded with deadly strikes on Israel and attacking Gulf states. And last night, the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon launched rockets into Israel, which responded with airstrikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon, widening this war even further.

MARTÍNEZ: In Iran, what was the response to the killing of the supreme leader?

NORTHAM: Mixed. You know, NPR has spoken to a few people in Iran, who say they're very happy about Khamenei's death. And we're seeing on social media statues of Khamenei being pulled down by Iranians, and people briefly took over a government building in one town. But there were also huge crowds at pro-regime rallies mourning Khamenei's death and shouting death to America. You know, in the wake of his killing, a temporary leadership council is being formed and will remain in place until a panel of Shia religious leaders makes a final decision on a new supreme leader.

MARTÍNEZ: OK. Now, President Trump started this war, and he's now indicating there's a chance for diplomacy. He said Iran's new leadership wants to talk with him and that he plans to do so as well. So does that give us any sense of how Trump will try to end the war?

NORTHAM: Well, you know, Trump gave several justifications for attacking Iran - you know, preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons and indicating he wanted regime change - but he says the war will continue until his objectives are met. You know, it's clear Trump doesn't want to get mired down in a protracted conflict in the Middle East. And in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, he said the military intends to sustain its assault on Iran for, quote, "four to five weeks" if necessary. I spoke with Richard Fontaine, who's the CEO of the Center for a New American Security, and he says Trump reopening negotiations would be a sign that Iran is less of a threat and the U.S. could get a better deal. Here he is.

RICHARD FONTAINE: On the other hand, if things are going well militarily and maybe it looks like there's some cracks here and there in the security forces or, you know, uprisings, he could keep this going potentially indefinitely so as to play this out.

NORTHAM: You know, A, we're only three days into this war, and Iran appears to be digging in, you know. So there's still the potential that this war will further escalate.

MARTÍNEZ: All right. That's NPR's international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam. Jackie, thanks.

NORTHAM: Thank you.

MARTÍNEZ: Smoke plumes were seen rising from the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait, according to The Associated Press, as Iran retaliates following U.S. and Israeli attacks.

FADEL: President Trump says U.S. strikes will continue, quote, "at full force." He's warning the American people that more U.S. lives will likely be lost after three service members were killed in the war over the weekend.

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TRUMP: We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen. And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That's the way it is. Likely, be more.

FADEL: That's from a six-minute video Trump posted online on Sunday, where Trump also said the U.S. would, quote, "avenge" their deaths.

MARTÍNEZ: NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez is covering the conflict. Franco, what else did President Trump say?

FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: Yeah. President Trump says hundreds of targets in Iran have been hit, including the Revolutionary Guard facilities and Iranian air defense systems. And he added that nine naval ships have been destroyed, as well as Iran's naval building. And, A, he's boasting that Iranians around the world are cheering the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

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TRUMP: This wretched and vile man had the blood of hundreds and even thousands of Americans on his hands and was responsible for the slaughter of countless thousands of innocent people all across many countries.

ORDOÑEZ: It's unclear what thousands of American lives Trump is referring to here, but there are just so many questions.

MARTÍNEZ: Now, the White House says Iran wants to talk and that Trump will speak with them. What does that mean?

ORDOÑEZ: Yeah, A. I mean, the White House told NPR that Iran wants to restart negotiations and that Trump will eventually speak with whoever is in charge. But a top Iran security official says on X that they won't negotiate. And if the White House does reopen talk, it does raise questions about what that means. You know, does the regime get to stay in control, even if it's badly damaged?

MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, but he's - hasn't Trump been calling on Iranians to take over the government themselves?

ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. I mean, exactly.

MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.

ORDOÑEZ: I mean, he did that again yesterday, telling them to, quote, "seize this moment," to be brave, to be heroic.

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TRUMP: America is with you. I made a promise to you, and I fulfilled that promise. The rest will be up to you, but we'll be there to help.

ORDOÑEZ: And he again called on the police and Revolutionary Guard to lay down their weapons. He offered immunity, and he says they should join protesters.

MARTÍNEZ: All right. So lots of questions then about what comes next, but we really haven't seen much of Trump since the war started.

ORDOÑEZ: Not at all. I mean, the only time we've seen him is getting on and off the plane yesterday, going into the building, and he didn't take questions. I mean, it's been all so controlled. I mean, except for some brief phone calls with select media, it's been largely social media posts and these two video addresses. He hasn't addressed the American people in person or answered questions from the press pool, and he hasn't gotten Congress involved. I mean, Democrats and some Republicans are unhappy that he didn't seek congressional authorization for a war, and some want to vote to restrain Trump. And that's going to be a big debate this week.

MARTÍNEZ: All right. Now, has the president given any more insight, though, into how long this whole thing will last?

ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. As we heard, he's, you know, saying combat operations will continue until U.S. objectives are met. And he has said that could be a week, but he's also told other media outlets, like The New York Times, that it could be four to five weeks. Really, he has said that there are strong objectives, that the U.S. has strong objectives. But again, he hasn't explained what those specific objectives are. And without knowing what specifically the U.S. hopes to accomplish, A, I mean, it's really hard to predict how long any of this will last.

MARTÍNEZ: That's White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. Franco, thank you very much.

ORDOÑEZ: Thank you, A.

MARTÍNEZ: Iran is retaliating against the U.S., targeting its Arab neighbors where U.S. troops are based.

FADEL: The countries hit include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and even Oman, which had been mediating nuclear talks.

MARTÍNEZ: We're joined now by NPR international correspondent Aya Batrawy in Dubai. So tell us what it's been like where you are.

AYA BATRAWY, BYLINE: Yeah. So here in Dubai, my apartment rattled with the sound of loud booms on Saturday. To say that this was unexpected is an understatement. Dubai is billed as a safe haven, a luxury destination, and it's never been targeted by missiles like this before. But drones have also been launched by Iran and its neighbors. I want you to have a listen to what that sounded like in Bahrain, where a drone struck a residential building there over the weekend.

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BATRAWY: So that was one of...

MARTÍNEZ: Wow.

BATRAWY: ...Several verified videos online of that one attack. And, you know, despite these hits, the numbers of casualties have actually been very low at this point, with most drones and missiles intercepted. But this morning, Kuwait's defense ministry says several U.S. war planes crashed and that crews were safe after ejecting, but the circumstances around that are still unclear. And this comes after three U.S. troops, as you heard already, were killed and five seriously wounded as part of a ground support team in Kuwait over the weekend. And Iran's missiles also got through defenses, and they hit an airbase in Qatar where there are thousands of U.S. troops and hit the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, according to state media there. But I also want to say that civilian areas have suffered. You're talking about luxury hotels in Dubai and across the Gulf and seaports. That is how this region imports the bulk of its food. But Dubai's airport, which is the world's busiest for international transit, connecting Europe to Asia and Africa, was also struck by a drone, and flights there remain suspended now for - since Saturday. So this war has engulfed the region.

MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, it really has. And another overnight development was the Iran-backed Hezbollah group getting involved. Tell us what's happening in Lebanon.

BATRAWY: So, you know, there was a ceasefire there for about the last 15 months. Although Israel would continue to strike Hezbollah, Hezbollah had not struck back. However, all of that changed last night. Israel says a few rockets and drones were launched, landing in open spaces. Now, that's in response to the Israel killing the supreme leader of Iran. Now, the military ordered 50 villages in Lebanon and in southern suburbs of Beirut to be evacuated. And then airstrikes pounded those areas in Lebanon, killing more than 30 people already and wounding a hundred and fifty, according to Lebanon's health ministry. NPR's producer in Beirut, Jawad Rizkallah, spoke with families fleeing to school shelters with their kids and lugging mattresses. Of course, this is all happening in Ramadan, as people are fasting, and everyone who spoke to said they were exhausted that the scene is being repeated again.

MARTÍNEZ: So, OK, a lot unfolding as we speak. What can we expect there going forward?

BATRAWY: All right. So if Gulf Arab states continue to get hit, they have said that they reserve the right to strike back to defend their national security. So that could happen, and that would obviously widen the scope of this war dramatically. Also we've heard the U.K., France and Germany saying they will take steps to defend their interests and those of their allies in the region. And some of those interests are about oil. You know, Saudi Arabia says one of its largest oil refineries was targeted today by Iranian drones, sparking a fire and temporarily shutting down production there. We've already seen oil prices spiking today on trading. You know, the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf, that narrow shipping lane, where a fifth of the world's oil passes from the Gulf to China and India and beyond, has effectively been shut down since Saturday - shipping insurance firms are concerned about naval attacks. So the scale of the fallout of this war really depends on how long the U.S. and Israel continue this war.

MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR international correspondent Aya Batrawy in Dubai. Thank you very much.

BATRAWY: Thank you, A.

MARTÍNEZ: And one thing really quick. If you enjoy starting your day with UP FIRST, please consider signing up for NPR+. Your subscription will help keep the NPR network strong and support local public radio stations through a recurring monthly donation, and you get some cool perks with it, too, such as ad-free listening, bonus episodes and early access to some NPR content. Visit plus.npr.org to sign up.

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MARTÍNEZ: And that's UP FIRST from Monday, March 2. I'm A Martínez.

FADEL: And I'm Leila Fadel. Today's episode of UP FIRST was edited by James Hider, Tina Kraya, Anna Yukhananov, Miguel Macias, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange. Join us again tomorrow.

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