Hormuz Latest, Trump Rallies Amid Sinking Approval, Tariff Refunds
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What recent actions has Iran taken regarding the Strait of Hormuz?
Iran says it's clamping down again on the Strait of Hormuz.
Putting the temporary reprieve of the ceasefire at risk.
So how temporary is that reprieve? And that's the question of the weekend. I'm Melissa Nadworny.
And I'm Scott Simon. And this is Up First from NPR News.
The deal to pause fighting was holding. Now it joins the same shaky ground as the ceasefire in Lebanon. We dig in on both.
Then we'll take you to a huge church in Arizona as President Trump rallies supporters as general support erodes.
And Monday is refund day, but not for IRS 1040 filers.
Though tariffs are a tax, we'll explain. So please stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your weekend.
How is the ceasefire in the Middle East affecting regional stability?
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First, a look at those ceasefires in the Middle East. Washington and Beirut have announced a 10-day ceasefire in the fight between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah. And the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to end next week.
But overnight, Iran reimposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, putting new pressure on President Trump. NPR's Quill Lawrence joins us. Quill, thanks for being with us. Good morning, Scott. Let's begin with the Strait.
Yeah, it's been a real whiplash.
What was the significance of President Trump's rally in Arizona?
Yesterday, with the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Iran announced it would open the Strait to commercial traffic for the duration of that ceasefire, but only along this prescribed route close to the Iranian coast. But then the U.S. said it would maintain its blockade of Iranian ports while those peace talks continue. So perhaps in response today, Iran's military said, no, the strait remains closed until the U.S. lifts its blockade of Iran. So it's been a confusing, what, 24 hours with a lot of questions left about is the strait reclosed or never really open to shipping. And so where does that put the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran?
Yeah.
Well, officially, it's set to expire on Tuesday, April 21st. There's talk of extending that deadline. One source on Capitol Hill, who's not authorized to speak publicly, told NPR that he's hearing at least the Pakistanis who are hosting these talks want to extend them. President Trump has said that a deal with Iran is very close. And yesterday he told reporters, quote, I think it's going to happen.
As you say, Pakistan's mediating the talks.
How are Trump's approval ratings impacting his campaign strategy?
Vice President Vance was in Islamabad last weekend, but did not seemingly make much progress. So what's the next step?
The next step could be direct talks between the U.S. and Iran, most likely there in Pakistan. And President Trump told reporters that if there's a deal, he might even go there and show up in person. But of course, that was before the news that Iran closed the strait. At this point, the deal is seems probably to hinge on a pause in Iran's nuclear enrichment program. The administration wants a 20-year pause while Iran is talking about a five-year pause, so there'll be some haggling over that timeline. We spoke to one analyst who said, yes, of course, a deal is better than war, but without any details, it's hard to say. For example, will there be international inspectors who will go in to see if Iran is just maintaining a peaceful nuclear infrastructure, not a weapons program?
Will the U.S. unfreeze billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets? Those were all factors in a deal forged during the Obama administration that President Trump scrapped in his first term. He called it a bad deal.
What are the upcoming changes regarding tariff refunds?
The unfreezing of these assets is something the Iranians apparently are insisting on this time. But we don't know to what extent President Trump will essentially rebuild the JCPOA. That was the deal that was hammered out into the Obama administration.
And give us more details, please, on the deal in Lebanon.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What recent actions has Iran taken regarding the Strait of Hormuz?
0:02–0:56
2
How is the ceasefire in the Middle East affecting regional stability?
0:56–1:49
3
What was the significance of President Trump's rally in Arizona?
1:49–2:58
4
How are Trump's approval ratings impacting his campaign strategy?
2:58–4:03
5
What are the upcoming changes regarding tariff refunds?
4:03–5:09
6
How can businesses apply for tariff refunds following the Supreme Court ruling?
5:09–6:24
7
What challenges might consumers face regarding tariff refunds?
6:24–7:41
8
What are the implications of the tariff refund process for small businesses?
7:41–15:32
Speakers
9 identifiedMore from Up First from NPR
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