Israel and Iran Trade Airstrikes, Trump Meets Japan PM, Kharg Island Future

Israel launched more air strikes on Tehran.

The Israeli Prime Minister also answered questions.

What is Benjamin Netanyahu saying about Iran's nuclear program and claims that he pushed

the U.S. into war?

I'm Leyla Faudel, that's Stephen Skipe, and this is up first from NPR News.

Japan's Prime Minister spoke warmly of President Trump in a visit to the White House.

I firmly believe that it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world.

Trump took the occasion to compare his surprise attack on Iran with Japan's on Pearl Harbor.

Also, how could 2,200 U.S. Marines change the war?

The strike force is on its way to the Persian Gulf.

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We are at the end of a week that called attention to U.S. cooperation with Israel in the war against Iran.

This week, a Trump administration official resigned, saying that Israel had pressured the U.S. into war.

Israel struck Iranian natural gas infrastructure, and President Trump claimed no one warned him.

Now, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is giving his account of those events,

while Israel's military launches a new wave of airstrikes across Iran.

NPR's Kerry Khan is covering all this from Tel Aviv.

Hi there, Kerry.

Hi. Good morning.

How has Benjamin Netanyahu talking through all this?

Yesterday at a press conference with foreign reporters, he said Israel acted alone,

striking that Iranian gas compound, and said, quote,

President Trump asked us to hold off on any future attacks, and we're holding off.

I don't think any two leaders have been as coordinated as President Trump and I.

He's the leader.

I'm, you know, his ally.

Even though Trump claims the U.S. didn't know about the Israeli striking advance,

just want to tell you that a person briefed on the matter did tell NPR that the U.S. and Israel

are coordinating on all targets.

And again, Netanyahu says it's fake news to say Israel dragged the U.S. into this war.

He said nobody can tell President Trump what to do.

And he claimed Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium.

He made that claim in Hebrew only, and he did not provide any evidence.

And yesterday in oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa was hit here.

There was no significant damage.

That's according to Israel's energy minister.

And I just need to tell you it's been a very active morning here in central

Israel with multiple anti-missile sirens sounding two just minutes ago.

Yeah, I know you've had to go down to the shelters a couple times.

We've been preparing for this report.

Remarkable the Netanyahu would claim that one of Israel's war aims and U.S. war aims has been achieved,

but he doesn't give evidence.

We'll look for more there.

And what else is happening in the war?

Well, in the Gulf, it's been active morning too.

Dubai reporting heavy explosions there as its air defense systems engaged in coming missiles

and drones.

An oil refinery in Kuwait was also hit today.

And Qatar officials tally damage estimates from an Iranian strike

to a major natural gas complex there.

They say it will top 20 billion dollars in lost revenue.

And yesterday Saudi Arabia's foreign minister had words of caution to Iran.

He said the kingdom's patience is, quote, not unlimited

and said, quote, reserves the right to take military action.

Okay, so a lot is happening at the time that should be a holiday or is a holiday for many people

across the Middle East, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, what's the mood like?

It's not celebratory mood here for sure.

It's tense here in Israel.

Israeli police use tear gas to disperse a group of Muslim worshipers this morning,

walking toward the old city in Jerusalem.

Since the war, Israeli authorities have closed the al-Aqsa mosque.

One of Islam's holiest sites, they cite safety concerns because of incoming missile fire.

And they say the compound doesn't have adequate shelter.

But Mustafa Abu Sué, a member of the Islamic authority that manages the mosque,

says those security concerns ring hollow.

He told me they are an excuse for Israel to exert more control over the sacred site.

He says people are sad and need to come together to pray, he says.

So if you tell them don't go to pray, that's the only place where they could have some hope.

What else can they do to find hope and community, he says, in these tough times?

And of course, in Lebanon, the humanitarian crisis there is dire.

More than 1.2 million people now displaced and the death toll topping 1,000.

And that's all from the pounding Israeli airstrikes there,

against Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants that continue firing missiles into northern Israel.

And Pierce Kerry Khan is in Tel Aviv.

Kerry, thanks so much.

You're welcome.

President Trump met Thursday with an ally who's helped he once in reopening the

Strait of Hormuz.

I expect Japan to step up because we have that kind of relationship and we step up

with Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanaitaka Ichi sat with Trump at the White House.

She also joined five other U.S. allies, including the UK and France in a statement

supporting a coalition to reopen the Strait.

But they did not commit to sending military aid.

During the Oval Office meeting, Trump was also asked about the $200 billion the Pentagon

is reportedly asking for to help pay for the war.

And Pierce Franco Ardonius is here.

Franco, good morning.

Good morning, Steve.

Okay, could Japan turn into an ally, a player in the Middle East?

Yeah, I mean, they definitely could.

I mean, one reason is that Trump just has so much leverage with Japan,

because of how much oil it receives from the Middle East.

Trump pointed out that as much as 90% comes through the Strait.

But also clearly, the Prime Minister wants to remain friendly with Trump for a lot of reasons.

And she was very careful speaking through an interpreter yesterday to acknowledge Trump's

power globally.

But even against that backdrop, I firmly believe that it is only you, Donald,

who can achieve peace across the world.

Franco, I'll just note she even kept her composure when Trump brought up Japan's attack

on Pearl Harbor in World War II.

He was at the time defending the U.S. surprise attack against Iran by saying Japan did the

same thing in 1941. Let's listen.

Who knows better about surprise than Japan?

Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor, okay?

And you were watching Franco, she maybe flinched a little bit,

but had nothing to say about that.

With that said, she also did not promise military support.

Yeah, I mean, that's right.

I mean, look, the two are clearly friendly,

but she does have some constraints constitutionally.

But she's also moved to increase Japan's defense spending.

Alexander Gray, who served as Chief of Staff at the National Security Council in the first

Trump administration, he's now at the Atlantic Council, he told me that Japan is the U.S.

is most important ally because where they sit, that they're linked by the biggest threat

that they both face, which of course is China.

I think when you watch the discussion about Iran or you watch the discussion about other

global flash points in the context of the U.S.

Japan alliance, you have to think about it in that larger context of the competition with China.

And I'll just add that I met with Japanese officials last night who echoed this

point about keeping relations strong.

Franco, the other story here, the president spoke openly now about asking Congress for $200

billion dollars to finance the war.

Yeah, that's a really big ask, and it's going to be a real test for lawmakers.

It's midterm season.

And while Trump did not ask Congress for authorization to go to war,

this debate will essentially be that.

And what are the political implications here very briefly?

They're going to be big.

There's so much uncertainty.

But really, there's also the question about the nuclear capabilities.

You know, what's going to happen if he can get rid of the nuclear program?

That's going to be a big deal.

But if it drags on, that's going to be a real challenge for Republicans.

And be our White House correspondent, Franco Arduñez, thanks.

Thank you.

Now, President Trump yesterday said he is not sending ground troops into the war with Iran

and added to reporters that if he did quote, I certainly wouldn't tell you.

It's no on that a Marine unit, 2200 troops was dispatched to the region with their

vehicles, support ships, and aircraft.

We don't know the objective if any.

And we'll look this morning at one possibility,

Hark Island.

It's in the Persian Gulf.

It's the main location for Iran's oil infrastructure.

The U.S. has already bombed its defenses from the air.

And President Trump has been talking about bombing it again.

As you know, we attacked

Kark Island and knocked it,

knocked it literally, destroyed everything of the island, except for the area where

the oil is, I call it the pipes.

NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman is asking what it would mean and what it would take

to seize and hold a chunk of Iranian territory.

Tom, good morning.

Hey Steve.

Okay, so what is known first about the government's interest in Kark Island?

Well, Steve, first of all, you know, Trump has talked about seizing the island back in the

late 1980s when he was plugging one of his books.

And so has the military, especially the Marines for decades.

Now, you either seize a Kark Island or several sites on the mainland for a foothold,

including a place called Bandar Abbas.

And I'm told you could see even more Marines heading to the Middle East for that job as well.

And Steve, I remember having lunch with a senior officer.

It was like a decade ago when talk turned to Iran and a possible war.

And this guy was saying, well, first of all, we would take some of their islands

and his aides at Sir, we're heading into classified territory.

Let's talk about something else.

So now we have this 31st Marine Exhibitionary Unit out of Okinawa,

2200 Marines, as you said, heading to the Middle East.

Now, of course, no one is talking about what the mission is.

It could be, you know, helping evacuate embassies, humanitarian mission or boarding ships.

But again, it could be what they've talked about for decades,

seizing some Iranian territory, and that could be this Kark Island.

You're telling me a valuable thing.

It seems likely that the Marines have plans off the shelf.

Absolutely.

But they had for years ready for any occasion.

Of course, the question, though, is whether you execute in this situation,

and that we do not know what would it look like if they tried to take an island of the Persian Gulf?

Well, the retired senior officers, I talked with, say,

the Marines aboard ship could punch through the Strait of Hormuz

with the help of American destroyers and land Marines.

And their armored vehicles are sure.

They have an infantry battalion of about 800 Marines.

They could seize the three oil facilities on the island,

two in the south, and one in the west.

The marine unit also has F-35 aircraft, as well as cobra attack helicopters,

along with drones, and also anti-drone technology to help with any threats.

I'm just thinking, though, the reason you would do this

would be to seize control of Iran's oil income.

They've still got oil flowing.

They still got money coming in, and this would stop that I would imagine Iran would resist.

Yeah, Iran would resist, of course, and with the missiles and drones in particular.

And we've seen the U.S. drop several 5,000 pound bombs on missile sites on the Iranian coast.

You know, that could be preparing the battlefield for these Marines to seize

Carg Island, or it could be just getting ready for U.S. escort ships

through the Strait of Hormuz.

But again, the Marines are heading their Steve,

and we just don't know what they'll be doing.

How would sending in ground troops, if the United States were to do so,

fit with President Trump's preference for no foreign wars,

and when he does get into one, making it short?

He would not fit in any way whatsoever.

All you have to do is look at Iraq and Afghanistan.

And P.S. Tom Bowman, thanks so much.

You're welcome.

And that's up first for this Friday, March 20th.

I'm Steve Inski.

And I'm Leyla Faldon.

In the military,

trans-service members are being forced out unless they stay hidden.

I get my head, I know I'm doing nothing wrong.

I feel like I'm hiding something, but I shouldn't have to hide it.

The Trump administration's latest transgender band requires

active duty trans-service members to go before separation boards.

We know that the outcome is generally predetermined,

and that the government has really set it self-up to

purge these people out of our ranks.

This weekend, on the Sunday story,

the Pentagon's push to remove trans troops

and how it may affect mission readiness.

Listen to the Sunday story right here

on NPR's Up First podcast.

Today's Up First was edited by Hannah Block, Rebecca Metzler,

Andrew Sussman, H.J. Maye, and Alice Wolfley.

It was produced by Ziyad Butch and Ava Poukech.

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