The United States moved diplomats across the Middle East and closed some embassies as the war with Iran intensified on Tuesday.
A Martinez, Host:
The war in the Middle East continues to expand.
Leela Fadel, Host:
Israeli warplanes are attacking Iran and Lebanon this morning, and the US is calling on its citizens to evacuate more than a dozen countries across the region as Iran retaliates.
MARTENEZ: NPR’s Daniel Estrin has been in Tel Aviv since the war broke out this weekend. Daniel, right. In a few days, what stage is everything at right now?
DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: Yesterday, Israel focused on targeting regime symbols in Iran. So it bombed the headquarters of Iran’s intelligence ministry, the state broadcaster, the presidential office, the National Security Council building. Today, Israel’s military says its focus is on Iran’s missiles and missile launchers. And already, Israel says it has destroyed hundreds of ballistic missiles and dozens of missile launchers in Iran.
And you’ll actually see a huge drop in the number of missile attacks on Israel, which could all be due to the deteriorating infrastructure. Iran may be rationing its munitions, gearing up for a long war.
MARTENEZ: Now, President Trump talked yesterday about maybe this is a permanent – what? – Four or five weeks or maybe a little more. how is it there I mean, how – what are people thinking about how long this can last?
ESTRIN: Well, the Israeli military said today that it is preparing for weeks of war. I spoke with an official in the region, who spoke on condition of anonymity, who said Israel hopes to achieve its war goals within two weeks. But the question of war aims is important. We are hearing a lot of mixed messages about goals. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Fox News yesterday that the goal is regime change.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: We are first going to create the conditions for the Iranian people to control their own destiny, to form their own democratically elected government, which will make Iran a completely different Iran.
Estrin: However, US officials are pushing back on the idea that this is a regime-change war. They are only saying that the result will be good. On the ground in Iran, we don’t see Iranians pouring into the streets under bombardment, protesting against their government, trying to take it over. And Israel said today that it is not planning to send ground troops to Iran. So the question is whether regime change, or whether conditions will allow the Iranians to overthrow their government – is that possible.
MARTENEZ: And didn’t President Trump just a few days ago tell people in Iran to stay in shelters, not to go out yet? I remember what he said, right?
Estrin: That’s right. Yes. Bombs fall.
Martinez: Yes.
ESTRIN: And then, he called for the Iranians to take over their government.
Martinez: Yes.
Estrin: And now we’re hearing a different message from the US
Martinez: Yes. And then, of course, the war is expanding across the region.
Estrin: Yes. Hezbollah and Lebanon fired at Israel and Israel was firing back. Israel says it is sending ground troops into Lebanon along the border to patrol the border to prevent Hezbollah infiltration. I must say, this is a very low grade war between Israel and Hezbollah. We don’t see Israel taking over key Lebanese infrastructure. You know, the US supports the government of Lebanon. Hezbollah fire is not very intense.
However, what is happening in the Gulf is bigger. Iran is hitting US positions in the Gulf. Several US service members were killed. Iranian drones hit the US embassy in Saudi Arabia, causing minor damage. Qatar says Iran shot down warplanes. This is the first instance of Iran sending warplanes to Qatar, and the first instance we know of of a Gulf Arab country actually attacking Iranian aircraft.
That’s an expanded role for the Gulf Arab countries, what Qatar did, attacking Iranian warplanes. And now we are seeing if the Arab countries attacked by Iran will now actively join the war.
MARTENEZ: That’s NPR’s Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv. Daniel, thank you.
Estrin: You’re welcome.
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