War on Iran; NY protest attack suspects; Epstein : NPR

Trump gives mixed signals about war with Iran. And how Epstein built ties with scientists Trump declares early victory, Lebanon calls on Israel to speak, New York protest attack Good morning. You are reading the Up First newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today's top stories President Trump said yesterday that the United States has begun attacking Iran's drone facilities and sites where Iranian missiles are manufactured and launched. Trump provided this update at a news conference where he took questions from reporters for the first time since the United States and Israel attacked Iran. The president gave conflicting messages throughout the day, sometimes suggesting that the end of the war was near and other times that it was not. - 🎧 Instead of discussing unconditional surrender or regime change, Trump compared the situation in Iran to that in Venezuela, where the regime remains in place, but the leader changes, NPR's Mara Liasson tells Up First. But Liasson says Iran is very different from Venezuela, which is a small and weak country in the United States. inner courtyard. He adds that the president did not provide answers when asked if not pushing for regime change meant he was betraying his promise to give freedom to Iranians. Iran's biggest goal today is survival, Liasson says. They want to make it uncomfortable for the United States and Israel to continue the war. Iran wants the price of staying in the region to be high, and Liasson says this means they want to keep gas prices high. With US oil prices approaching $4 per gallon, continuing the war could become increasingly difficult for Trump. - 🎧 Iranian health officials report that the US and Israeli campaign has killed 1,200, while Lebanese authorities count 500 deaths. In Lebanon, President Joseph Aoun is pushing for direct negotiations with Israel and an end to the bombing, says NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi. Aoun is seeking international support to equip the Lebanese Armed Forces in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group. Last week, Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into this war after it launched rockets into Israel. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, told NPR that Israel views the Lebanese government's approach toward Hezbollah positively, but that the war will continue. Federal authorities have charged two Pennsylvania men, Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, with terrorism-related crimes. The charges come after an attempted bomb attack during an anti-Muslim protest this weekend outside the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Balat and Kayumi allegedly attacked right-wing protesters with explosives. Federal investigators say the suspects were motivated by ISIS, a group that radicalizes young Muslims around the world. - 🎧 Balat and Kayumi began speaking to authorities after their arrest and allegedly waived their Miranda rights, according to court documents filed yesterday. The documents say the two men told police they saw ISIS material on their phones. Balat reportedly wrote that he had "pledged allegiance to the Islamic State" and expressed his desire to carry out an attack "bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing" that killed three people in 2013, according to NPR's Brian Mann. Police believe the men's alleged actions are part of the Islamic State's pattern of mobilizing young Muslims using social media. A new lawsuit filed yesterday accuses the Trump administration of violating the First Amendment by threatening to deny visas or deport noncitizens who work on or research social media platforms, fact-checking, or other activities that the government considers "censorship" of American speech. The lawsuit alleges that these non-citizen academics and independent researchers live in "generalized quarters."