Steve Inskeep

Our next report on the war takes us to the western border of Iran, and it helps to get the geography down.

NPR's Jane Araf is on the Iraqi side of the border in the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

And she spoke with the deputy prime minister there, Kubad Talabani, on Sunday.

She's in the city of Sulaymaniyah.

Hi there, Jane.

Okay, so what does the Iraqi Kurdish leader say about these Iranian Kurdish groups who seem to live on his territory?

Appreciate that statement that Iran's the size of Western Europe.

You realize what it would take to invade and take over such a place.

I want to explain further where you are.

The Kurdistan region of Iraq broke away from the Iraqi government many years ago, but it's still part of Iraq.

How vulnerable is it to getting involved in the war, whether it wants to or not?

Has Iran been in contact with the Kurds during this war?

Okay.

NPR's Jane Araf reporting from the Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah.

Thanks so much.

Let's get another voice from near Iran's western border.

Our co-host Leila Fadl is there.

The war has created an enormous bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz.

NPR international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam joins us next.

Jackie, good morning.