U.S. forces carried out new defensive strikes on Iran on Wednesday as President Trump insisted November’s midterm elections won’t make him rush to make a deal to end the Iran war.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
At what point would we say the Iran war is back on?
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The U.S. and Iran are engaged in peace talks, but they’re still exchanging fire. In a few moments, we’ll speak with former U.S. special envoy for Iran Robert Malley about mixed messages from the Trump administration and Iranian leaders about a possible deal to end the war. We begin with attacks we’re tracking from Lebanon to the Strait of Hormuz and even in Gaza, where, despite a ceasefire there, Israel is ramping up strikes.
INSKEEP: NPR international correspondent Aya Batrawy is following all of this from Dubai. Hi there.
AYA BATRAWY, BYLINE: Hey. Good morning.
INSKEEP: Let’s start with the situation in the Gulf. What’s happening?
BATRAWY: Well, U.S. Central Command says its forces shot down Iranian drones around the Strait of Hormuz and struck an area along Iran’s coast overnight. This morning, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says it responded to that U.S. attack on Bandar Abbas by targeting, quote, “the American base from which that attack originated.” Kuwait this morning says it intercepted drones, so it appears Iran’s attack was on U.S. positions there. Also, the Revolutionary Guard says it fired at an American commercial vessel trying to transit the strait yesterday and forced it to turn around. But, of course, Steve, all this is happening alongside an effort by both sides to permanently end the war.
INSKEEP: Although Israel, the U.S. ally, has insisted it does not favor making a deal with this Iranian government and also that it wants to continue its war in Lebanon. In fact, the Israeli military says it struck a target in Beirut today. So what is happening in Lebanon?
BATRAWY: What’s happening there is that Israel just issued evacuation warnings for one of the country’s biggest cities there, Tyre. This displacement for Tyre in southern Lebanon really expands Israel’s war, pushing it deeper into Lebanon. NPR’s Jane Arraf and Jawad Rizkallah were speaking with families fleeing Tyre near the main coastal road, who told them they have no idea where they’re going to sleep and that they had no choice but to flee because of Israel’s deadly airstrikes on that city.
Now, there’s already more than a million people displaced by Israel in this war in Lebanon, and people are sleeping on sidewalks in the capital, Beirut, with shelters overflowing. Lebanon’s health ministry says nearly 3,300 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in this war. Hundreds of them are women and children, and more than 100 medics and first responders. And Israel says that more than 20 Israeli soldiers and several civilians have been killed by Hezbollah fire. But Iran says there can be no deal with the U.S. without that war in Lebanon also ending, so Israel ending that war is going to be key.
INSKEEP: I appreciate hearing more than a million people displaced. That is, like, the entire population of my home city, Indianapolis – a million people. So how is President Trump moving ahead with negotiations, given all the exchanges of fire you just described?
BATRAWY: You know, it’s hard to say if a deal is imminent. But all indications are that Trump is pursuing a diplomatic solution with Iran right now, not more war. That’s what Gulf Arab states want as well, including mediators like Oman, which has long been a neutral, peaceful and trusted go-between for Washington and Tehran. But yesterday, Trump shocked people with a threat to blow up Oman. It was in response to a question at the White House about whether Iran and Oman, which border the Strait of Hormuz, would control access to this waterway under any deal. Have a listen.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Nobody’s going to control. It’s international waters. And Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. They’ll be fine.
BATRAWY: Now, meanwhile, Steve, a person familiar with the matter and not authorized to speak publicly told NPR Trump just shared with Israel’s prime minister and several leaders in the region a draft of the Iran deal for their comments. And to emphasize, this is only an interim deal to extend the current ceasefire to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This would not include details on Iran’s nuclear program. And again, Iran is insisting, for that deal to happen, that war in Lebanon has to end.
INSKEEP: OK, so many, many things yet to be negotiated. NPR’s Aya Batrawy, thanks, as always. Appreciate it.
BATRAWY: Thanks, Steve.
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