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What recent actions has Israel taken against Iran?
Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is defending the decision to attack Iran alongside the U.S., claiming on Fox News Monday evening that Iran was rebuilding its atomic bomb program. You'd think they'd learn a lesson, but they didn't, because they're unreformable. They're totally fanatic about this, about the goal of destroying America.
So they started building new sites, new places, underground bunkers that would make their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months. Netanyahu echoed remarks made by President Trump Monday that the war was needed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
On Saturday, when he announced the strikes, Trump urged Iranians to, in his words, take back your country, implying a goal of toppling the Iranian government. State Department urging Americans to leave more than a dozen countries in the Middle East as the U.S. and Israel continue strikes on Iran. Here's NPR's Michelle Kellerman. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S.
is determined to wipe out Iran's ballistic missile capabilities and its navy to prevent it from threatening countries in the region. The hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military. The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now.
Iran is responding with drone and missile strikes across the region, and the State Department has been pulling some staff out of embassies in Gulf countries. The department is also urging Americans in the region to sign up for emergency alerts and leave when possible. The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon announced that it will be closed on Tuesday. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.
The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia is telling Americans to avoid the embassy until further notice following an Iranian drone attack Monday. Also, the State Department has ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family in Bahrain, Jordan, and Iraq. Oil prices have been spiking amid the U.S. military operation in Iran due to uncertainty about supply from the region.
Houston Public Media's Natalie Weber reports that Texas oil producers could stand to gain from increased prices. Texas produced 43% of the nation's crude oil in 2024. That's according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration under the Department of Energy. University of Houston Energy Fellow Ed Herz says these producers could benefit from a disruption to Iran's oil exports.
It's a better thing for Texas in terms of the producers here. Not so good for the consumers. Consumers have seen lower gas prices in recent months due to lower oil prices. However, these prices have been steadily on the rise in recent weeks. Over the last week, average national gasoline prices have risen by nearly six cents, according to GasBuddy, which tracks prices.
For NPR News, I'm Natalie Weber in Houston. This is NPR. Out of the 250th anniversary of America's founding, the Department of Education has hung banners featuring notable people outside its building in Washington, including one that has sparked controversy.
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