Middle East

NPR -  Fighting between the U.S. and Iran resumed after Iran launched missiles at U.S. forces in the Middle East yesterday, just before 6 p.m. ET, according to U.S. Central Command. The U.S. intercepted all missiles. U.S. and Saudi forces responded with attacks on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, marking a rare show of force from Saudi Arabia in this conflict. The escalation in violence happened on the same day President Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy at the White House. Netanyahu wanted to use his meeting with the president to mend the U.S. and Israel's rocky relationship.

Five months into a war Israel and the U.S. launched together, both sides face conflicting priorities, NPR's Franco Ordoñez tells Up First. Israel wants to continue fighting to address security threats from Iran and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel does not want Trump to sign any agreement that would hinder its ability to defend itself, Ordoñez says. Trump supports maintaining Israel's security, but seeks a swift end to an unpopular war. He also wants to open the Strait of Hormuz and tackle rising gas prices. Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution tells Ordoñez that Trump and Netanyahu have a cooperative relationship, complicated by the fact that neither side knows how to end the conflict.