Greg Myrie

That is NPR's Tamara Keith. Tam, thank you.

That is NPR's Tamara Keith. Tam, thank you.

And that's Up First for Monday, December 9th. I'm Michelle Martin.

And that's Up First for Monday, December 9th. I'm Michelle Martin.

And that's Up First for Monday, December 9th. I'm Michelle Martin.

Today's episode of Up First was edited by James Heider, Andrew Sussman, Roberta Rampton, H.J. Mai, and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Butch, Katie Klein, and Ben Abrams. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott and our technical directors, Carly Strange. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow.

Today's episode of Up First was edited by James Heider, Andrew Sussman, Roberta Rampton, H.J. Mai, and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Butch, Katie Klein, and Ben Abrams. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott and our technical directors, Carly Strange. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow.

Today's episode of Up First was edited by James Heider, Andrew Sussman, Roberta Rampton, H.J. Mai, and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Butch, Katie Klein, and Ben Abrams. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott and our technical directors, Carly Strange. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow.

Hi, Leila.

Hi, Leila.

Hi, Leila.

Right, so the rebels have effectively captured Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, which is in the northwest, and they've been pushing south now for several days in the direction of the capital, Damascus, though that's still quite a distance away. Syria's government army is trying to regroup. Syria is getting at least some help from its traditional allies. Russia is carrying out airstrikes.

Right, so the rebels have effectively captured Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, which is in the northwest, and they've been pushing south now for several days in the direction of the capital, Damascus, though that's still quite a distance away. Syria's government army is trying to regroup. Syria is getting at least some help from its traditional allies. Russia is carrying out airstrikes.

Right, so the rebels have effectively captured Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, which is in the northwest, and they've been pushing south now for several days in the direction of the capital, Damascus, though that's still quite a distance away. Syria's government army is trying to regroup. Syria is getting at least some help from its traditional allies. Russia is carrying out airstrikes.

Iran is trying to rally diplomatic support. So right now we're watching to see if the rebels can continue to gain ground or if the Syrian army, along with its allies, can stop the advance and mount a counterattack.

Iran is trying to rally diplomatic support. So right now we're watching to see if the rebels can continue to gain ground or if the Syrian army, along with its allies, can stop the advance and mount a counterattack.

Iran is trying to rally diplomatic support. So right now we're watching to see if the rebels can continue to gain ground or if the Syrian army, along with its allies, can stop the advance and mount a counterattack.

Yeah, Leila, I think we really need to begin with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th last year. The very next day, the Lebanese group Hezbollah joined in, firing rockets into northern Israel as a show of support for Hamas in Gaza. And then the fighting kept spreading in the region. We saw the first ever direct confrontations between Israel and Iran.

Yeah, Leila, I think we really need to begin with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th last year. The very next day, the Lebanese group Hezbollah joined in, firing rockets into northern Israel as a show of support for Hamas in Gaza. And then the fighting kept spreading in the region. We saw the first ever direct confrontations between Israel and Iran.

Yeah, Leila, I think we really need to begin with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th last year. The very next day, the Lebanese group Hezbollah joined in, firing rockets into northern Israel as a show of support for Hamas in Gaza. And then the fighting kept spreading in the region. We saw the first ever direct confrontations between Israel and Iran.