Michelle Martin

Aya, good morning.

Thanks for joining us.

So what's it like there today, more than a month into the war?

So President Trump said in an online post yesterday that if a deal isn't reached soon with Iran to open the strait, the U.S.

would blow up and obliterate Iran's electricity plants.

So what can you tell us about efforts to open the strait?

And you just played us that sound of missiles being intercepted above you in Dubai.

What can you tell us about Iran's counterattacks on other parts of the Gulf?

That is NPR's Aya Bertawi in Dubai.

Aya, thank you.

Thanks, Michelle.

That social media post from President Trump about the state of Hormuz touting negotiations while making escalating threats is just one example of his inconsistent messages about the war.

On Truth Social, he talked about how serious negotiations with Iran are, and he was probably going to make a deal soon.

NPR White House correspondent Deepa Shivran is with us now to tell us about this.

Good morning, Deepa.

Good morning.

So tell us more about what President Trump is saying now.

So the timeline the administration has set for the war to end was roughly six weeks.

This conflict is now in week five.

But thousands more troops were sent to the region this weekend.