Laila Fadl

I'm Laila Fadil, that's Stephen Skeap, and this is Up First from NPR News.

Japan's prime minister spoke warmly of President Trump in a visit to the White House.

This week, a Trump administration official resigned, saying that Israel had pressured the U.S.

into war.

Israel struck Iranian natural gas infrastructure, and President Trump claimed no one warned him.

Now, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is giving his account of those events, while Israel's military launches a new wave of airstrikes across Iran.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takeuchi sat with Trump at the White House.

She also joined five other U.S.

allies, including the U.K.

and France, in a statement supporting a coalition to reopen the Strait.

But they did not commit to sending military aid.

During the Oval Office meeting, Trump was also asked about the $200 billion the Pentagon is reportedly asking for to help pay for the war.

It's known that a Marine unit, 2,200 troops, was dispatched to the region with their vehicles, support ships and aircraft.

We don't know the objective, if any, and we'll look this morning at one possibility.

Khark Island.

It's in the Persian Gulf.

It's the main location for Iran's oil infrastructure.

The U.S.

has already bombed its defenses from the air, and President Trump has been talking about bombing it again.

And I'm Leila Faldin.