Over the previous 5 months, President Trump has change into immediately concerned in three separate conflicts, however up to now, his report is blended at finest.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran seems to be holding, no less than for now. President Trump is claiming credit score and has billed himself as a peacemaker since reentering workplace in January. Over the previous 5 months, Trump has change into immediately concerned in three separate conflicts, however up to now, his report is blended at finest. To clarify, we’re joined now by NPR nationwide safety correspondent Greg Myre. Hello, Greg.
GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Hello, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK, I really feel like a lot has occurred in even the final 24 hours. What’s the present standing on the Israel-Iran ceasefire?
MYRE: Nicely, it is holding, although it actually would not really feel very strong or safe but. Trump raged at each Israel and Iran this morning, saying they had been each taking pictures after the deal took impact. And Trump, as we all know, is a really robust supporter of Israel, so his sharp criticism was placing.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Israel, as quickly as we made the deal, they got here out and so they dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I might by no means seen earlier than. The largest load that we have seen. I am not pleased with Israel.
MYRE: So most taking pictures over the previous 12 days has been at evening. It is now early Wednesday morning in each international locations, so this would be the first large check of whether or not it is working. And, Ailsa, at this level, I really feel compelled to cite Mark Twain, who stated, “giving up smoking is the simplest factor on this planet. I do know as a result of I’ve performed it hundreds of occasions.” Nicely, the identical factor is true with Mideast ceasefires.
CHANG: Yeah.
MYRE: They’re straightforward to declare. It has been performed numerous occasions. The laborious half is making them stick, and that is exactly the place we’re proper now.
CHANG: That quote is so apt. OK, however will we really know the way a lot harm has been performed to Iran’s nuclear program?
MYRE: Nicely, at this level, we do not know for certain, and it is already shaping as much as be a significant level of rivalry. Trump stated U.S. airstrikes completely obliterated the nuclear services. He angrily denounced the media at this time for questioning his place. However members of the nationwide safety neighborhood are providing assessments which can be no less than considerably at odds with the president. One U.S. official, talking on situation of anonymity, tells our NPR colleague Tom Bowman that the Protection Intelligence Company believes the harm was restricted at Iran’s most vital nuclear website, Fordo, and Iran’s program has most likely been set again just a few months. Now, we must always add that the chairman of the joint chiefs, Gen. Dan Caine, stated Sunday at a Pentagon information convention that the Iranian websites sustained extraordinarily extreme harm, however a full evaluation was nonetheless ongoing.
CHANG: OK, so some competing claims within the U.S., however how do you suppose Israel and Iran are more likely to characterize the conflict?
MYRE: So Israel can say it significantly weakened Iran, its largest rival within the area. And Iran can say it withstood a double-barrel assault from the U.S. and Israel and continues to be standing. So they may each declare some form of success, although it is lower than a full victory for Israel, and Iran has suffered one other in a collection of latest setbacks.
CHANG: All proper, let’s flip to a different conflict within the Center East – Israel and Hamas in Gaza. What is the image there proper now?
MYRE: Yeah, you recognize, this battle has actually been ignored the previous couple of weeks, however greater than 40 Palestinian civilians had been killed in Israeli strikes at this time. That is based on Palestinian officers. The humanitarian disaster stays dire. And a reminder, Israel and Hamas had a ceasefire on January 19, the day earlier than Trump was inaugurated. He claimed credit score for that truce, simply as he is performed in Iran, saying it would not have occurred with out him. However the ceasefire collapsed with an Israeli offensive in March. Trump has not sought to restrain the Israelis in Gaza, and that conflict grinds on beneath situations worse than the day he took workplace.
CHANG: All proper, to Europe now. The president has additionally tried to dealer peace within the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. How is that effort going?
MYRE: Yeah, Ailsa, Trump simply arrived within the Netherlands for a NATO summit the place this conflict will characteristic prominently. Trump might meet Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy there. Briefly, the combating has intensified not too long ago, principally as a result of Russia has ramped up missile and drone strikes. And Trump runs cold and warm on this conflict, at occasions saying a ceasefire is close to, then backing away and saying the 2 sides simply might need to battle it out.
CHANG: That’s NPR’s Greg Myre. Thanks, Greg.
MYRE: Positive factor, Ailsa.
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