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

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

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth insisted the conflict would not be endless.

No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise,

no politically correct wars.

I'm Leila Falded with Amartinez and this is up first from NPR News.

Four U.S. service members were killed by Iranian strikes. President Trump has said this

about Americans dying.

He warned the U.S. military campaign could stretch for four or five weeks.

And America's Gulf allies are taking the brunt of Iran's retaliation.

Waves of missiles and drones are turning expats cities such as Doha and Dubai into battlefields.

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The US military says Kuwait shut down three US fighter jets and an apparent friendly fire incident

and that all crew members survived.

It's part of a widening war against Iran launched by the US and Israel over the weekend.

Iran is striking back, retaliating against countries that host American military bases.

US military officials say four service members have been killed so far.

This morning, Secretary of Defense Pete Hankseth and Dan Cain, the chairman of the joint

chiefs of staff, updated reporters on the unfolding operation.

And for more on that, we go to NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myrigreg.

What was learned this morning?

Yeah, we learned a few more details of the operation.

And what was really significant here is this is day three of this combined US

Israel air campaign in Iran.

We hadn't heard from US officials in terms of answering questions.

President Trump released a video as it was beginning on Saturday morning.

He's spoken individually to a couple journalists, but we hadn't seen US officials

talk really about why they were going to war, about what the goals were.

So this was significant with this press conference at the Pentagon with Hankseth in general Cain.

Here's Hankseth describing some of the goals.

The mission of Operation Epic Fury is laser focused.

Destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production,

destroy their navy and other security infrastructure,

and they will never have nuclear weapons.

So that was a pretty clear concise laying out of the goals, but then of course,

how do you do this and how will it be accomplished?

Some of the things like the offensive missiles, that's a big job that we don't know exactly

how many missiles Iran has, but it has fired off.

It seems a couple hundred of them.

There are estimates that they may have 2000 or more.

The Iranians put these on mobile systems so that they can move them around.

So this again points to what could be an extended operation, but at least we have a pretty clear

concise listening of what they're hoping to try to achieve.

Okay, now did Secretary Hanks lay out the shape of this campaign?

Anything more on that?

Yeah, so he framed this very much as a strictly military mission.

He didn't get into some of the larger political goals,

and in fact, he seemed to be somewhat dismissive of them.

Let's hear a little bit more of what he had to say.

No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire,

no democracy-building exercise, no politically correct wars.

So he's drawing a real contrast here with what the U.S. is trying to do in Iran

versus what it tried to do in Afghanistan or Iraq.

But of course, that leaves some questions about what they will do

after if and when the military goals are accomplished.

Do they consider it?

They've knocked out several Iran Supreme Leader and other top leaders.

So will that be sufficient?

Will the U.S. try to help install somebody else?

So he did leave open a lot of questions about what the goals are.

Now President Trump has called for Iranians to sort of shelter where they are now

because it's so dangerous, but then planned to rise up and take over.

And he told the New York Times in a brief interview that this war could take four to five weeks.

Okay, now we do know there are some American casualties so far.

What else do we know about that?

Yeah, that's right.

Four Americans have been killed in an apparent Iranian missile strike at a U.S. base

They haven't released many details about this.

There are U.S. bases all around the region.

And these were troops that were ground-based.

These were not U.S. forces on ships or airmen.

So that's certainly a vulnerability and will continue to be a vulnerability

because there are so many U.S. military targets.

And on a related note, the military has said three F-15 fighter jets have been lost.

And they said it was due to friendly fire.

It seems the Kuwaitis who are trying to protect their own territory

where the U.S. does have forces seem the Kuwaitis shut down these three American planes by mistake.

So it just shows you've got all other countries getting involved.

Lots of confusion in the fog of war.

And all of the American pilots were able to eject and are safe,

but these three planes were lost to friendly fire.

Now we heard from Secretary Hague Seth.

What about the chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Kane?

Now what do we find out from him?

Yeah, he offered us a few more details about the planning that this was going on for weeks.

And here's what jumped out at me was talking about just before the attacks began on Saturday

that cyber warriors were able to take down parts of the Iranian communication system

and blind Iran effectively for their networks.

So they couldn't see or communicate.

And he noted, as we've known, this was a daylight strike.

And he gave a little bit of explanation.

He said this was based on U.S. intelligence and an Israeli strike.

And what he was referring to was that the Americans found out

these senior Iranian leaders were meeting on Saturday morning,

which is the first day of the work week there.

And so that's why the Israeli struck on this on Saturday morning,

you'd expect a nighttime attack, but it was a daytime attack.

And they knocked out all of these leaders, including Ayatollah Ali Hamanay,

the Supreme Leader. Israel says they killed about 40 top Iranian leaders.

First to be clear, as the secretary said,

this is not a single overnight operation.

The military objectives at Senkham and the joint force have been tasked with.

We'll take some time to achieve.

And in some cases will be difficult and greedy work.

We expect to take additional losses.

So General Cain is also saying that this is going to be an extended campaign,

not something quick.

All right, that's NPR National Security Correspondent Greg,

Myrig Greg, thanks a lot.

Sure thing, eh?

After a weekend of the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran,

around the world, there have been celebrations,

such as this one and the heart of Tehran.

And protests like this one in Iraq.

And as the U.S. and Israel continue to strike Iran,

Iran is retaliating against countries that host American military bases.

U.S. military officials say four service members have been killed.

And a new front is now open in Lebanon with Israel pounding the country

after Hezbollah fired rockets.

NPR's International Affairs Correspondent, Jackie Northam,

is here to bring us up a date to Jackie. Tell us the latest.

Well, the U.S. and Israel say they are hitting hundreds of targets in Iran.

And that includes key targets, such as anti-aircraft defense systems,

ballistic missiles and launchers, command and control centers.

President Trump said the military had also sunk

nine Iranian warships, although sent-com only confirmed one.

Other targets include senior military and political figures in Iran,

including the killing of Iran's supreme leader,

Ayatollah Ali Hamani, 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.

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

Mixed. NPR has spoken to a few people in Iran,

who say they're very happy about Hamani's death.

And we're seeing on social media statues of Hamani 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

morning, Hamani'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.

Okay, 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?

Well, you know, Trump gave several justifications for attacking Iran,

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 what four to five weeks of necessary.

I spoke with Richard Fontaine, who's the CEO of the Center

for 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.

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 and definitely,

so as to play this out.

You know, we're only three days into this war.

And Iran appears to be digging in, you know,

so there's still a potential that this war will further escalate.

All right.

That's MPR's International Affairs Correspondent,

Jackie Northam, Jackie, thanks.

Thank you.

Iran is retaliating against the U.S.

targeting its Arab neighbors where U.S. troops are based.

The countries hit include Saudi Arabia,

Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan,

and even Oman, which had been mediating nuclear talks.

We're joined now by MPR International Correspondent,

Ayabat Rawi in Dubai,

so tell us what it's been like where you are.

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 built 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 at 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.

So that was one of 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. warplanes 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 in 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 the since Saturday.

So this war has engulfed the region.

Yeah, it really has.

And another overnight development was the Iran-backed

Hezbollah group getting involved.

Tell us what's happening in Lebanon.

So, you know, there was a ceasefire there

for about the last 15 months,

although Israel would continue to strike.

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 150, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

And Paris producer in Beirut,

Joedra, Skala 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.

So, okay, a lot unfolding as we speak,

what can we expect they're going forward?

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 UK France in 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 in temporarily shutting down production there.

We've already seen oil prices spiking today on trading.

You know, the straight of her moves

in the Gulf, that narrow shipping lane

were 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 US and Israel

continue this war.

That's NPR International Correspondent,

I but Rui, in Dubai.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, A.

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March 2nd of May, Martinez.

And I'm Layla Faldin.

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