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

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🗓️ 20 March 2026

⏱️ 13 minutes

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Summary

Iran and Israel are trading airstrikes as the Israeli prime minister pushed back against claims he forced the U.S. into the war with Iran. Japan’s prime minister visited President Trump at the White House, where they talked about Iran and China, and 2,200 Marines are on their way to the Persian Gulf.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Hannah Bloch, Rebekah Metzler, Andrew Sussman, HJ Mai and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Ava Pukatch.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:53) Israel and Iran Trade Airstrikes
(05:49) Trump Meets Japan PM
(09:06) Kharg Island Future

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Israel launched more airstrikes on Tehran.
0:05.0	The Israeli Prime Minister also answered questions.
0:07.5	What is Benjamin Netanyahu saying about Iran's nuclear program and claims that he pushed the U.S. into war?
0:13.8	I'm Leila Faudil.
0:14.9	That's Steven Skipe, and this is up first from NPR News.
0:20.9	Japan's Prime Minister spoke warmly of President Trump in a visit to the White House.
0:25.5	I firmly believe that it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world.
0:32.6	Trump took the occasion to compare his surprise attack on Iran with Japan's on Pearl Harbor.
0:38.2	Also, how could 2,200 U.S. Marines change the war?
0:41.4	The strike force is on its way to the Persian Gulf.
0:43.8	Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day.
0:52.6	We are at the end of a week that called attention to U.S. cooperation with Israel in the war against Iran.
0:59.0	This week, a Trump administration official resigned, saying that Israel had pressured the U.S. into war.
1:05.1	Israel struck Iranian natural gas infrastructure, and President Trump claimed no one warned him.
1:10.1	Now Israel's prime minister,
1:11.8	Benjamin Netanyahu, is giving his account of those events, while Israel's military launches
1:16.3	a new wave of airstrikes across Iran. NPR's Carrie Khan is covering all this from Tel Aviv. Hi there,
1:22.1	Carrie. Hi, good morning. How is Benjamin Netanyahu talking through all this?
1:26.9	Yesterday at a press conference with foreign reporters, he said Israel acted alone striking that
1:32.0	Iranian gas compound and said, quote, President Trump asked us to hold off on any future
1:37.4	attacks and we're holding off. I don't think any two leaders have been as coordinated as
1:43.0	President Trump and I.
	...

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