SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Today marks two weeks of the war with Iran, which has widened across the Persian Gulf and into Lebanon. Overnight, President Trump says the U.S. struck an island that is critical to Iran's oil industry. Iran vows retaliation. And an Iraqi security official, unnamed because he's not authorized to speak publicly, tells NPR that an airstrike hit a radar installation at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. NPR's Carrie Kahn is in Tel Aviv. Carrie, thanks for being with us.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Thanks for having me.
SIMON: And let's begin. What do we know about strikes on that Iranian island?
KAHN: President Trump says the strikes on Kharg Island only hit military sites, but he said oil facilities could be next if Iran continues to interfere with ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that 20% of the world's oil supply passes through. Kharg Island is off the coast of Iran. It's in the northern Persian Gulf, and it is vital, Scott, to Iran's oil industry. Ninety percent of Iran's crude exports are handled there. Iran's military quickly threatened retaliation and said it would turn oil and energy firms working with the U.S. in the region into, quote, "a pile of ashes." And while a weakened Iran is still launching missiles and drones at several Gulf nations, already today, Dubai and Bahrain are reporting aerial infiltrations. Yesterday, Saudi Arabia's defense minister says it intercepted nearly a dozen drones.
SIMON: The intensity of the war and the rhetoric remain heightened in the region. Is there any sign that Iranian leadership seems to be softening after a couple of weeks of bombing?
KAHN: Well, I'll tell you that yesterday, Iran's leaders were out in public. The governor brought out thousands to this annual pro-Palestinian rally in this huge square in Tehran. Even the president and the head of the regime's feared security forces were there. The head of the forces, he's actually listed on this new bounty the U.S. put out, offering up to $10 million for information on top Iranian officials. Here's a bit of that rally from state TV, and you're going to hear an airstrike hit very close to the crowd.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (Non-English language spoken).
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken).
(SOUNDBITE OF EXPLOSION)
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Exclaiming) Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (Non-English language spoken).
KAHN: And the crowd doesn't disperse. And instead, you hear people chanting defiantly against Israel and the U.S. Iran is sustaining relentless air assaults. Israel says overnight it hit numerous command centers of the regime's security apparatus. U.N.'s defense secretary says it's obliterated Iran's navy and has near total control of Iranian airspace. But in Israel, the number of missiles and drones from Iran have dropped dramatically, although yesterday, a cluster missile from Iran did spark fires in several areas and several sites in central Israel.
SIMON: And, of course, you're reporting from Israel. What are you able to pick up about the goals Israel might have in this war?
KAHN: Leaders here are moving away from talking about regime change as the goal of the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his first press conference since the war this week, and he pretty much said regime change - probably not happening, expect just a weakened regime. An official in the region who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly told NPR that Israel is estimating one more week of fighting in Iran. The official said Israel is working on preparing the public here to accept the government's new line that this will not be a war leading to Iranian leadership change but a war that puts Israel in a much better security situation.
And Israel is also relentlessly striking in its other front, across the border in Lebanon. That has led to a devastating humanitarian crisis there. One in seven are now displaced. And that's according to a leading international refugee organization. There is a lot of concern about Israel expanding further into Lebanon. That same official in the region told NPR that Israel is not ruling out an expanded ground operation in southern Lebanon.
SIMON: NPR's Carrie Kahn in Tel Aviv. Thanks so much for being with us, Carrie.
KAHN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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