What we know about backchannel conversations between the U.S. and Iran

0:00Support for this podcast and the following message come from Allianz. Travel insurance. You're so excited to finally make it to Ireland. But the stomach bug you caught in Dublin wasn't exactly on your bucket list. Benefits like emergency medical coverage can have your back. Learn more at AllianzTravelInsurance.com. Today on State of the World, what we know about conversations between the U.S. and Iran. You're listening to State of the World from NPR. We bring you the day's most vital international stories up close where they're happening. It's Monday, March 23rd. I'm Greg Dixon. In a few minutes, we'll go to an underground disco in eastern Turkey, where Iranians who have fled their country are celebrating a major holiday.

0:46First, some important developments in the war between the U.S. and Iran. Over the weekend, President Trump threatened to bomb Iranian power plants within 48 hours if they didn't let ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz. But then, in a social media post just before the deadline, Trump backed off the threat, citing very good and productive conversations with Iran. NPR has confirmed that back-channel efforts are underway, with regional players working behind the scenes to de-escalate tensions and prevent a broader conflict. For more on what we know, we're going to hear from NPR's Aya Batraoui in Dubai.

1:24She spoke to Scott Detrow. Tell us more about these ongoing discussions that Trump mentioned and what Iran's response was. Right. So just hours before that 48-hour deadline was set to expire here overnight in the Gulf, Trump posted on True Social that there had been, quote, very good and productive conversations, and that based on the tenor and tone of what he said were these in-depth conversations, he instructed the U.S. military to hold off on striking Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days, subject to the outcome of those discussions. And he posted this just before U.S.

1:57markets were due to open on jitters of his previous deadline. Here's what Trump told reporters this morning before boarding a flight. We want to see peace in the Middle East. We want the nuclear dust. We're going to want that. And I think we're going to get that. We've agreed to that. Yeah, we've agreed to that. But Scott, Iran's foreign ministry says there's been no dialogue. Iran's parliament speaker called it, quote, fake news used to manipulate financial and oil markets. But Iran did say there are efforts by countries in the region to reduce tensions right now. So tell me more about that. What do we know at this point about these backchannel efforts?

2:30Right. So there's very little officially confirmed, but we do know that there's been calls between Iran's president and foreign minister to counterparts in Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt. And NPR has been told these countries are carrying messages and playing a role in trying to deescalate. We also know that Egypt's president traveled to almost every Gulf capital to meet with rulers here in recent days. Egyptian officials tell NPR there is an effort to try and lay the groundwork for a 30 to 60 day ceasefire or a detente of some kind to keep Saudi Arabia and the UAE from directly responding to Iran's attacks and the war widening.

3:02Now, they spoke on condition of anonymity because they're not authorized to speak to press. We also know that Oman, which was a mediator before with Iran in the U.S., says it's also trying to get the Strait of Hormuz open. I asked Dania Thefer in Qatar, who runs the Gulf International Forum think tank, about whether there's a unified Gulf Arab stance now on the war. And she says Iran's attacks are hardening positions here. I think the more Iran hits the Gulf states, the more incentive it creates for them to join the other side. And she says whether Gulf Arab states hit back depends on how long this war goes on for and how hard they keep getting hit.

3:36And Aya, to that end, none of this is theoretical for you. You're in Dubai, which has been targeted by Iranian drones and missiles in this war. I'm curious what the concern is now where you are. I mean, Trump's warning over the weekend that he would hit Iranian power plants really just led to Iran doubling down on its reasons for closing the Strait of Hormuz. They say it's because of the war that they won't allow any ships used by the U.S. and Israel or its partners to get through. And Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps then threatened to attack power plants across the Gulf, including here where I am in Dubai, as well as a nuclear power plant Abu Dhabi and other places in the Gulf, as well as water desalination plants and IT infrastructure.

4:14So any attack on Iranian power plants would have dramatically escalated this war beyond the energy prices we've already seen spiking globally and the people already killed across this region. But another thing, Scott, right now there are some 4 ,500 Marines headed to the Gulf from U.S. bases in Japan and San Diego. And there's real concern, too, about whether they try to blockade or take a key island Iran uses for oil and how Iran could respond to that. That was NPR's Aya Batraoui speaking with Scott Tetreault.

4:47Celebrations for Nauru's are underway. That's the New Year's holiday observed by Iranians, Kurds, Afghans, and other ethnic groups. For many Iranians, it's a somber holiday this year because of the ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel and the anti-government protests in January, in which Iran's government killed thousands of its own citizens. But NPR's Emily Fang ran into some Iranians still trying to celebrate. in a city on the Turkish side of the border with Iran. I was threading my way through the packed streets of Van, a Turkish city close to Iran when a voice rose above the crowd. Disco Irani?

5:25Curious, I stopped and turned around. Let's go to the disco. It was, it turned out, a Nauru's party for Iranians, exiled or escaping the war in Turkey.

5:38This man led us downstairs into the dark underground club. Like all the Iranians I spoke with, he did not want to use his name. All of them planned to return to Iran, and they faced retribution from the Iranian government for speaking with foreign media.

5:55There's disco lights strobing, a DJ pumping Arabic, Turkish, and Persian beats. The man is boyishly joyful. Where are the cameras? I like cameras more, he jokes, when I pull out my microphone. But the words that come out of his mouth tell a tale of woe. He'd been one of the young men who took to the streets this past winter, calling for an end to Iran's theocratic regime.

6:25I hate politics, but I've been forced to fight for freedom in my country, he says.

6:33Life is too short, and I want to live honorably, he says. Fleeing one protest in January, he fell into a mud pit. It sucked him under to his armpits like quicksand, he said, until the passing couple pulled him out. Just over a week ago, he came to Turkey. But he says he felt like he died already, waiting to be shot, trapped in that pit months ago. In the club, Iranian men, women and children dance and try to be merry. One of them is a devout, silver-haired Sufi mystic.

7:07Can I be truly joyful after all that I have gone through, he asks, his eyes mournful under a black felt fedora. Iran declared his Guna Badi dervish sect heretics. His teachers were killed, he imprisoned. He came to Turkey three years ago.

7:27But he wants to share in other people's joy tonight, he says, floating from table to table inside the club. The DJ counts down the last seconds here before the sun passes the equator on the date night and day are equally long.

7:47It's now the new year, a new start and the coming of spring. One of the young Iranians celebrating told me about his last days in Iran and the first days of U.S. and Israeli strikes. I was so some people are cheering. They said we want the freedom. We want the freedom. And after that, I hear the gunshots, the sound of the shotgun, and the greener launchers. He said he was imprisoned for 35 days after the protests in January. But he would not have left Iran, he says, if not for his sick mother, who insisted they leave. Because I love my country. This is my home. This is my everything. But this government destroyed my youth and my future.

8:29The 27-year-old is tense. He drags on a cigarette, motionless, while the smoke curls around purple beams of light. I don't want to think about anything. I just want to have fun for one night in my life. And with that, he stubs out the cigarette and gets up to dance. We all dance. Emily Feng, NPR News, Van, Turkey.

8:54That's the State of the World from NPR. Thanks for listening. This message comes from Mint Mobile. If you're tired of spending hundreds on big wireless bills, bogus fees, and free perks, Mint Mobile might be right for you with plans starting from 15 bucks a month. Shop plans today at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for three-month five-gigabyte plan required. New customer offer for first three months only. Then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. Support for NPR and the following message come from Warby Parker, the one-stop shop for all your vision needs.

9:31They offer expertly crafted prescription eyewear, plus contacts, eye exams, and more. For everything you need to see, visit your nearest Warby Parker store or head to warbyparker.com. This message comes from Squarespace, a platform for building a custom on-brand website. Choose from award-winning templates, showcase your work, and manage payments. Visit squarespace.com slash NPR to get 10 % off your first purchase of a website or domain.