Middle East

Iran Fires Rockets On Airbase In Iraq Housing U.S. Troops

8:52pm January 07, 2020

by Franco Ordoñez

Iranian state-run television says Iran has targeted a U.S. airbase in the Anbar province of western Iraq, after vowing to retaliate for the U.S. killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

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U.S. Special Representative For Iran Brian Hook On What's Next

7:17pm January 07, 2020

by Michele Kelemen

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Brian Hook, special representative for Iran and senior policy adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

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Troops from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division prepare to deploy to the Middle East on Saturday at Fort Bragg, N.C.

War Powers Resolution On Iran Is Latest Attempt By Congress To Reclaim Clout

5:45pm January 07, 2020

by David Welna

The House is expected to vote on a War Powers Resolution that could force the president to pull back U.S. troops from hostilities with Iran. The catch: it would have to be veto-proof.

World News

Trump Plays Down Idea Of Quick U.S. Departure From Iraq

5:40pm January 07, 2020

by Mara Liasson

President Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. has no intention of a quick withdrawal of its forces from Iraq, saying a quick departure "would mean that Iran would have a much bigger foothold" in Iraq.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in 2018. He was interviewed by NPR on Tuesday.

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Transcript: NPR's Full Interview With Iran's Foreign Minister

5:40pm January 07, 2020

Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke to All Things Considered's Mary Louise Kelly about heightened tensions between Iran and the United States after the U.S. killing of Qassem Soleimani.

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Retired Lt. Gen. Sean McFarland On The Legacy Of U.S. Military Presence In Iraq

4:21pm January 07, 2020

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with retired Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland about the legacy of U.S. presence in Iraq and the future of the fight against ISIS as Iraq calls on U.S. troops to leave the country.

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Recent U.S. Veterans Are Coming To Consensus On Iran And Iraq — Across Party Lines

4:21pm January 07, 2020

by Quil Lawrence

Veterans groups across the political spectrum have found a growing consensus in favor of winding down American military involvement in the Middle East.

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Democratic Presidential Candidates Criticize Trump For Ordering Soleimani Strike

2:48pm January 07, 2020

by Don Gonyea

Following the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Iraq, leading Democratic presidential candidates have accused the president of acting without regard to potential consequences.

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Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., looks on as Negah Hekmati talks about her hours-long delay returning to the U.S. from Canada with her family days earlier, at a news conference on Monday.

Border Screenings Spark Travel Fears For Iranian Americans Amid Rising Tensions

2:47pm January 07, 2020

by Joel Rose

As many as 200 were held for questioning at a border crossing near Seattle. Some Iranian Americans are so concerned that they are canceling plans to travel abroad.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at a meeting with officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Tehran in September. Zarif spoke to NPR on Tuesday.

World News

Iran's Foreign Minister: U.S. Strike On Soleimani An Act Of Terrorism And War

12:54pm January 07, 2020

by Scott Neuman

Speaking with NPR in Tehran on Tuesday, Mohammad Javad Zarif said the U.S. "will pay" for the attack that killed Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani last week.