Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. On the seventh day of war, Iran launched another wave of retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries, and Israel unleashed air strikes on Tehran and Beirut, Lebanon.

The Associated Press recording an explosion hours ago as large plumes of smoke were seen

rising in Beirut's southern suburbs. Tens of thousands of people have fled as Israeli forces

issued sweeping evacuation warnings and targeted Iran back to Zbullah strongholds.

Areas of the Kurdistan region of Iraq are also under attack tonight.

A major hotel in Arbil was hit shortly after the U.S. State Department warned four

nationals hotels were a target.

Iran backed militias in Iraq are claiming responsibility.

President Trump has projected the U.S. Israel War with Iran will last four to to five weeks, perhaps longer, amid concerns about weapon stocks, Trump's meeting today with some of the biggest U.S. defense contractors.

Here's NPR's Frank O'Donias.

White House officials are expected to press contractors to accelerate weapons production.

Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said the president would be joined by

Defense Secretary Pete Hagsif. The purpose of it is to talk about the president's aggressive

and fierce support for rapidly increasing the ability of U.S. manufacturers to produce

American-made weapons. U.S. officials who were not authorized to speak publicly told NPR that they're concerned

about a lack of missile interceptors and may have to draw from other stockpiles.

Levin and other officials have pushed back on those concerns, saying the U.S. has more than

enough weapons. Franco, Ordoñez, NPR News, the White House.

Customs officials say they're working on a streamlined system to deliver tariff refunds.

NPR Scott Horsley reports they hope to have the system up and running within 45 days.

Since the Supreme Court struck down many of President Trump's tariffs two weeks ago,

the companies that paid those import taxes have been wondering when and how they'll get their

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