Up First from NPR Israel and Iran Trade Airstrikes, Trump Meets Japan PM, Kharg Island Future
45 snips
Mar 20, 2026 
Carrie Kahn, NPR’s Tel Aviv based international correspondent covering Israel and the broader Middle East, joins the conversation on intensifying Israel-Iran airstrikes. She tracks disputed claims about U.S. coordination, rising tensions from Jerusalem to Lebanon, and why Kharg Island and a Marine deployment could reshape what comes next.
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Netanyahu Denies Dragging Washington Into War
- Benjamin Netanyahu publicly claimed Israel acted alone on an Iranian gas strike while Carrie Kahn reported a source said Washington and Israel coordinate on all targets.
- He also asserted Iran can no longer enrich uranium without evidence, as missile sirens, Gulf refinery hits, and Ramadan tensions widened the war’s regional stakes.
Japan Balances Trump Pressure With China Concerns
- Trump pressed Japan to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, using Japan’s heavy dependence on Middle East oil as leverage.
- Franco Ordonez said Tokyo wants to stay close to Washington over China, but constitutional and political limits stopped any military commitment.
Marines Have Long Planned For Iranian Island Seizures
- Tom Bowman said Marines have long kept plans ready to seize Iranian islands like Kharg as a way to choke Tehran’s oil revenue.
- He recalled a senior officer casually saying America would first take some islands before an aide cut him off for entering classified territory.