Middle East War Week 3, Trump Messaging 'Winning', Voting Act
Up First from NPR
NPR
4.6 • 59K Ratings
🗓️ 16 March 2026
⏱️ 13 minutes
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Summary
President Trump is repeating one message as the war enters its third week 'the U.S. is winning', even as gas prices soar and Americans grow more skeptical of the Middle East war.
And Senate Republicans are pushing a bill to require proof of citizenship to register to vote, but it may not have the votes to clear the Senate.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Hannah Block, Dana Farrington, Ben Swasey, Mohamad ElBardicy and HJ Mai.
It was produced by Iman Maani and Nia Dumas.
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(0:00) Introduction
(1:52) Middle East War Week 3
(5:53) Trump's Message of Winning
(9:37) Voting Act in Senate
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | President Trump is telling NATO allies they face a, quote, very bad future if they don't help secure the state of Hormuz. |
| 0:08.7 | The Iranian regime is blocking the key oil shipping route and attacking Gulf countries as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran enters its third week. |
| 0:16.1 | I am Michelle Martin. That's A. Martinez, and this is up first from NPR News. |
| 0:22.2 | As the public remains deeply ambivalent about the war with Iran, President Trump is doubling |
| 0:26.4 | down on his message that the U.S. is winning? Is that the reality on the ground, or is he just |
| 0:31.0 | trying to manage a global energy crisis? And Republicans are pushing a bill to require proof of |
| 0:36.0 | citizenship to register to vote. |
| 0:38.1 | Millions Americans don't have easy access to those documents. |
| 0:40.9 | Does it have the votes to pass? |
| 0:42.8 | Stay with us. |
| 0:43.4 | We've got news that you can start your day with. |
| 0:52.6 | There is no sign the Iran war is ending anytime soon, and Iran is exacting a painful price. |
| 0:59.1 | Iran is attacking Gulf countries and blocking the strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route. |
| 1:04.0 | President Trump is pressuring countries to help reopen it, |
| 1:06.9 | and a second front in the war is heating up with new Israeli ground operations in Lebanon, |
| 1:12.6 | and also potential diplomacy. |
| 1:16.2 | NPR's Daniel Estrin is with us from Tel Aviv. Daniel, what do they stand? |
| 1:25.9 | Well, Iran is continuing to attack Gulf countries. It says it's punishing those Gulf countries for allowing the U.S. to use their territory to mount attacks on Iran. |
| 1:28.5 | And so we are seeing the global implications. |
| 1:34.7 | Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest airport, temporarily suspended flights yet again after a drone attack started a fire. And then there's the effect to the world's oil trade. |
| 1:40.4 | Iran is largely blocking that key shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz, and President Trump |
| 1:45.5 | says he's speaking to about a half a dozen countries asking them to send military help to reopen |
... |
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