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What recent military actions are occurring between the U.S. and Iran?
Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theschmidt.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corova Coleman. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at the Pentagon this morning. He says the U.S. and Israeli forces continue to strike targets across Iran.
NPR's Greg Myrie says the two countries are dividing targets between them. The U.S. has really been focused on the southern coast of Iran. It's been using long-distance missiles and other weapons to hit targets along the coast. But he said as the U.S. gains more control, it will send planes over in Iran and move deeper inland.
Israel has been hitting Iran's leaders in Tehran, in that area, and also in western Iran. So it showed a little bit of the division of labor there. NPR's Greg Myhre reporting. Stocks opened higher this morning as crude oil prices start to level off. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 70 points in early trading.
Crude oil prices have jumped more than 10 percent since the U.S. and Israel launched their attack on Iran over the weekend. Most of that jump came Monday and Tuesday. Prices appear to be stabilizing, with Brent crude now trading above $80 a barrel.
President Trump is hoping to restart tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz just south of Iran by offering Navy escorts through that critical choke point. U.S. gasoline prices continue to climb. They're up about 20 cents a gallon on average over the last couple of days. AAA says the price of diesel fuel now tops $4 a gallon.
If that's sustained, it could raise the cost of everything that travels by truck or train. Asian economies are heavily dependent on imported oil. Asian stocks were down overnight. Scott Horsley, Empire News, Washington. The Pentagon says U.S. forces, along with troops from Ecuador, have launched military operations in that South American country.
John Bartlett reports the Pentagon says it is against designated terrorist organizations. The U.S. military's Southern Command said its raids were aimed at tackling illicit drug trafficking in a country which has become a hub for the global cocaine trade.
Ecuador's president, Daniel Noboa, who is a close Trump ally, said the US was among regional allies taking part in a new phase of Ecuador's war on the drug cartels, which handle around 70% of the world's cocaine. The Southern Command, reflecting the Trump administration's commitment to tackling drug trafficking, said it was taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists.
It's accused of inflicting, quote, terror, violence and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere. For NPR News, I'm John Bartlett in Santiago, Chile. In the Texas Democratic primary election for the U.S. Senate, the Associated Press has called the race for state Senator James Tallarico. He defeated Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. His opponent in the general election has yet to be decided.
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