Where this was said
Intro & US-Iran Military Escalation
At 0:33 · chapter starts 0:00
Windsor Johnston opens with a bulletin that the US has struck Iranian military targets for the fourth time overnight, hitting dozens of sites along the Strait of Hormuz while Iran retaliated against US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. NPR's Hadil Al Shalchi fills in the details from Istanbul: US Central Command confirmed the strikes lasted seven hours and zeroed in on Iranian naval capabilities and defense systems [1] — Hadil Al Shalchi "The US has now launched four rounds of strikes on Iranian military sites, and Iran is threatening to block the Bab El Mandeb Strait — a cho…" . The escalation is set against a US-reimposed blockade on Iranian ports, a pressure campaign that prompted Iran's Revolutionary Guard to make its most dramatic counter-threat yet — promising to close the Bab El Mandeb Strait, the narrow passage connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, which would effectively sever Middle East oil exports to the world. Amid the rising tension, the White House also signaled a tactical retreat: Trump backed away from a threat to impose a 20% fee on all ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz after Gulf allies pushed back. Sirens were heard in Bahrain and Kuwait, and Jordan confirmed it intercepted incoming missiles over its airspace — underscoring how rapidly the conflict is spreading beyond Iran's borders.
The US has now launched four rounds of strikes on Iranian military sites, and Iran is threatening to block the Bab El Mandeb Strait — a chokepoint that could halt Middle East oil exports entirely. Trump also walked back a proposed 20% fee on Hormuz shipping after Gulf allies pushed back.
The US launched a fourth round of overnight strikes targeting dozens of Iranian military sites along the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command said the latest round of strikes lasted seven hours and targeted Iranian naval capabilities and defense systems.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened to block the Bab El Mandeb Strait, a vital waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, which would halt Middle East oil exports.
President Trump walked back a threat to impose a 20% fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz after consultations with Gulf allies.
