US and Iran Trade Strikes After Brief Pause, Fauci Pleads The Fifth, New Asylum Rule

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The US launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran overnight.

**Leila Fadel** (0:42)
It's in retaliation to a foiled surprise attack on US bases in Jordan. Do the attacks and counter-attacks mean a return to all-out war?

**Michelle Martin** (0:51)
I'm Michelle Martin, that's Leila Fadel, and this is Up First from NPR News.
Republican Senator Rand Paul wants to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt. Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a contentious Senate hearing. Why did he refuse to answer any questions?

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And a new Trump administration rule is making it even harder to seek asylum.

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What you're really seeing is a concerted attack on asylum from all fronts by the administration.

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Asylum cases can now be sent without interviewing applicants to immigration court where asylum approval rates are at their lowest in 20 years. Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day.

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**Leila Fadel** (2:41)
More attacks between the US and Iran are increasing fears of a return to all-out war.

**Michelle Martin** (2:47)
US Central Command says it launched a wave of airstrikes overnight while US bases in Jordan came under Iranian attack. Saudi Arabia joined Americans' attacks in Iraq on Wednesday.

**Leila Fadel** (2:58)
NPR's Jane Araf joins us now to talk about this from Amaan Jordan. Good morning, Jane.

**Jane Araf** (3:03)
Good morning, Leila.

**Leila Fadel** (3:04)
So just a few days ago, it looked as if the US and Iran were pausing attacks to give diplomacy a try. And now we're back to attacks. What happened?

**Jane Araf** (3:14)
CENTCOM says it launched a heavy wave of strikes against Iran overnight. It said the targets included military command centers and missile facilities. That's in retaliation for what the US military called a surprise Iranian attack on Wednesday at the Muafiqa Salty Air Base in the Jordanian desert, where the US has a major military presence. It's also where three US soldiers were killed in an Iranian attack this month. Iran itself launched more missiles at US forces in Jordan on Thursday.
The US and Jordan said they were shot down. A lot of analysts see this as Iran testing the US under a harder line regime that succeeded Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed by the US at the beginning of the war.

**Leila Fadel** (4:01)
Yeah, and then the US and Saudi Arabia, which has not been publicly involved before, attacked Iraq. Tell us what's happening there.

**Jane Araf** (4:08)
Yeah, Saudi Arabia has blamed Iran-backed militias in Iraq for damaging attacks on one of its major oil refineries. But the Iraqi government says Saudi Arabia has never provided any evidence. In retaliation, the US and Saudi on Wednesday launched a wave of airstrikes against at least seven militia bases, killing at least 20 people.
And the key thing is, you know, Leila, these are militias fostered and supported by Iran that flourished after the US invasion of Iraq. Some of them are now officially part of government forces. So that puts the new Iraqi Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaydi, in a huge bind. He promised President Trump in a Washington meeting that he would bring those militias fully under government control. But given how powerful they are, both in security and politics, it's proved impossible for previous governments and could be equally difficult for him.