Lebanese Warfront, US Troops Deployed To Middle East, TSA and Travel

0:02Israeli airstrikes killed three journalists, ten paramedics and a U.N. peacekeeper in Lebanon this weekend. Israel's prime minister ordered the military to expand its invasion of southern Lebanon. Well over a million Lebanese people have already been displaced by Israeli attacks. I'm Leila Fondil, that's Michelle Martin, and this is Up First from NPR News. Iran agreed to let 20 ships through the Strait of Hormuz as Pakistan emerges as a mediator in the war. But thousands of U.S. troops are arriving in the Middle East, and Iran says any ground invasion will be met with force. So is a deal coming, or is this war widening?

0:37And Congress still hasn't reached a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security. President Trump says he has a plan to pay TSA. How soon could paychecks go out? Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.

0:57Sailing a successful business takes more than just grit. It takes the right relationship. KeyBank pairs the right strategy with the right financial tools to keep your business moving forward. KeyBank opens doors. More at key.com slash b2b. This message comes from Mercy Corps. Helping families persevere through crisis, hunger, and natural disaster. And equipping vulnerable communities so they can adapt and thrive. Your support helps deliver life-changing support in over 35 countries. Visit mercycorps.org slash donate to build a stronger tomorrow. This message comes from Travel Nevada. Pop quiz.

1:39Where can you find 60 million acres to discover? The Silver State, a place like no other. The desert has a way with words. Ghost hounds, saloons, and burrows and herds. No bluffs or limericks, just wide open, wild and terrific. It's time to get a little out there, to the heart of Nevada to be more specific. Plan your trip at www.travelnevada.com. One front in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is widening in Lebanon. Last night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he's expanding his invasion of that country. The toll inside Lebanon is devastating. Officials say well over a million people have been displaced.

2:21More than 1 ,200 people have been killed, including just this weekend alone, three journalists, 10 paramedics, and a UN peacekeeper. NPR's Lauren Frayer has just returned from southern Lebanon and joins us now in Beirut. Good morning, Lauren. Good morning, Leila. So where are you returning from exactly, and what did you see and hear? Frightened civilians fleeing Israeli bombardment, war planes constantly overhead, sonic booms, but also resilience. We went to a Palm Sunday procession in the rain. I was in the southern town of Jazeen in the mountains. Here's what it sounded like at a school converted into a shelter for the displaced.

3:06And that's the principal of the school, Colette Sleem, describing these waves and waves of people fleeing northward. Her school is now full. You could hear children playing in the yard there. And she's now forced to turn people away. It's worth looking at a map to understand the geography of this. First, last week, Israeli officials said they would take Lebanese territory up to the Latani River. That's a river that runs east-west, about 10 to 20 miles north of the current Israel-Lebanon border. A few days later, they ordered residents out of a zone about 10 miles beyond that, north of the Zaharani River.

3:41And now Netanyahu's announcement about this widening invasion is creating more confusion and more fear here. I mean, what does Israel say is its aim here? Why is it invading further into Lebanon? So Israel says it wants to create a buffer zone where Hezbollah can no longer fire rockets across the border into northern Israel, which it is still doing by the thousands. An Israeli soldier with U.S. citizenship, grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, is the latest Israeli killed in combat inside Lebanon. You'll know, Leila, this is a zone that Israel occupied in the 1980s and 90s, and many Lebanese fear history is repeating itself now.

4:20Israeli officials say in Lebanon they want to duplicate the Gaza model, and we've all seen images of the destruction in that territory. Now, Jazin is also where three Lebanese journalists were targeted and killed over the weekend, right? That's right. Ali Shaib, a veteran television correspondent, really a household name here in Lebanon, along with sibling journalists Fatima Fatouni and her cameraman brother Muhammad Fatouni. Afterward, their father Abbas Fatouni appeared on TV. He's saying he was proud of his children, and Israel, as you noted, says it targeted them deliberately. And why? Well, Shahab worked for a Hezbollah-affiliated TV channel.

5:03the Israeli military accuses him and Mohammed Fatouni of being militants operating under the guise of journalists. It says it's aware of reports that a female journalist, Fatima was there, and takes steps to mitigate harm to civilians. But after the killings, an Israeli military spokesperson posted a picture on social media of one of the TV journalists dressed as a combatant in military garb and then admitted that the photo was fake. It was photoshopped. Press freedom groups say accredited journalists deserve protection no matter what outlet they work for. Lebanese officials call this a crime that violates international law and say they're taking this to the U.N.

5:39Security Council. That's NPR's Lauren Frayer in Beirut. Thank you for your reporting, Lauren. You're welcome. We turn now to Iran, where the Strait of Hormuz remains mostly closed and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have joined the war. But additional U.S. troops have reached the Middle East and more are on the way. The U.S. military has not said what the mission will be. But the focus is on the critical waterway that remains closed to almost all oil tankers. NPR's Greg Myrie is covering this and joins me now. Good morning, Greg. Hi, Leila. So how many troops are we talking about here? Yeah, more than 2 ,000 Marines arrived in the region over the weekend.

6:17Another 2 ,000 or so Marines are on the way by ship. A similar number of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne are expected soon. So overall, the U.S. is going to have roughly 50 ,000 troops in the Middle East. Now, this expanding force gives President Trump additional options, but these are still relatively small numbers. They could carry out specific limited operations, but it's not nearly enough for a major sustained ground invasion. And as we noted, neither Trump nor the Pentagon has hinted at the mission, but clearly the most urgent issue is the Strait of Hormuz. So they're speculation, and at this point it's just that, speculation, that the troops may be part of an effort to try to open the strait for oil tankers.

7:03In the meantime, Iran carried out another significant attack against a U.S. base, this time in Saudi Arabia. What happened? Yeah, Iran struck the Prince Sultan Air Base outside the Saudi capital Riyadh on Friday, and this is a big deal for several reasons. A dozen or more U.S. troops were injured. A very valuable plane was apparently damaged or destroyed. It was an E-3 AWACS. And this is essentially a flying command center that gives you a picture of the battlefield. Now, the Pentagon hasn't provided details, but multiple news reports and photos verified by Agence France-Presse show the plane was split in half.

7:43And a direct hit on a key plane at an important airbase deep deep inside Saudi Arabia suggest Iran is somehow acquiring very detailed targeting information. And one possibility is the Iranians are getting help from Russia. And there's a somewhat unexpected source on this. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian intelligence shows Russian satellites are gathering information on U.S. targets in the Middle East. Now, he was in the Middle East over the weekend, the Ukrainian president. Why? Ukraine is the world leader when it comes to defensive drones that can shoot down incoming drones and Iranian drones in particular.

8:23Ukraine was forced to learn very quickly because Russia was buying drones from Iran and firing them at Ukraine. At this point, Russia has taken that Iranian technology and is making its own upgraded drones. Now, Zelensky says Ukrainian drone teams are already helping Middle Eastern countries, and he was in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar seeking their help in his war with Russia. Now, we're watching this war expand in the Middle East. A lot of people being killed, infrastructure destroyed. Is there any diplomatic progress to end this war? Yeah, Pakistan is taking the lead role as mediator.

9:03It's one of the few countries with pretty decent relations with both the U.S. and Iran. And Iran has agreed to allow Pakistani-flagged oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, two a day, up to a total of 20. So that helps Pakistan. But there's no real sign of a possible U.S.-Iran breakthrough. The mistrust was summed up by Iran's parliament speaker, who accused the U.S. of talking about diplomacy while secretly planning a ground invasion. NPR's Greg Myrie. Thank you, Greg. Sure thing, Layla. A quick request before we We continue. Please rate and review Up First on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

9:40One listener recently told us that three stories is just right and provides enough of a summary to decide what to research further. Your reviews help signal to the algorithms that this kind of trusted journalism matters. We read every one and we appreciate the support.

10:04TSA agents still are not being paid. It's been over 40 days since funding was cut off and began causing long lines at airport security checkpoints across the country. Congress has not reached a deal to pay them due to a disagreement over immigration enforcement tactics. President Trump says he's ordering the Department of Homeland Security to find money in its budget, although it's unclear exactly how that will work. NPR's Joe Hernandez joins us now with the latest on U.S. air travel and the next steps for TSA. Hi, Joe. Good morning. So what happened in airports across the U.S. this weekend? Well, a version of a story we've been hearing for weeks now, which is long lines at TSA checkpoints at many airports across the country.

10:44These are the longest wait times in TSA history. So we're talking three, four hours or even more. Over the weekend, BWI Airport in Baltimore was telling travelers to arrive three to four hours before their flights. NPR spoke with one traveler in the security line there, Darren Davis, who was flying from Baltimore to Atlanta, which he does often. This process usually takes about maybe 15 minutes, at least on the Baltimore side. I have no idea how long this is taking at this point, to be really honest. You just kind of got to smile and nod and hope you get through. but is at least four times a time.

11:18And that's in Baltimore. Atlanta is just unspeakable at this point. But it can be hard to understand why these wait times are fluctuating so much. So wait times can be several hours at airports like Houston and New Orleans one day and then much shorter the next day. So in addition to the headache of these long lines, travelers are also dealing with the kind of unpredictability of this whole situation. Let's just get to the why here for those who don't know why the government isn't paying TSA agents. How did this all start? Yeah, it has to do with the dispute in Congress over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

11:50That includes TSA, and it also includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. There have been several proposals now to fund DHS with added restrictions on immigration enforcement that Democrats have been pushing for, but lawmakers haven't been able to reach a deal yet. And in the meantime, TSA agents are missing paychecks, they're calling out from work, and that's leading to these long lines. Now, one of the ways the Trump administration has chosen to deal with that so far is by sending ICE agents to some airports. White House border czar Tom Homan told CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday that those ICE agents will stay there as long as they're needed.

12:27Look, we're going to continue an ICE presence there until the airports feel like they're in 100 percent, you know, in a posture where they can do normal operations. And some airports have had close to 40 percent of TSA agents call out last week. Now, the Trump administration says they have a plan to pay TSA workers. What is that plan, and when will that happen? Right. So Trump signed a memo ordering Homeland Security to use department funds to pay TSA workers. It's not exactly clear how that will work, since it's not an appropriation from Congress, but the administration says TSA staff could start getting paid as early as today.

13:06Even if those paychecks do go out, there are still a few issues here. One is that so far during the shutdown, close to 500 TSA officers have quit. And then Congress still has to figure out how to fund DHS. But lawmakers have just left on recess. That's NPR's Joe Hernandez. Thank you for your reporting, Joe. You're welcome.

13:28And that's Up First for Monday, March 30th. I'm Leila Faldin. And I'm Michelle Martin. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Jerry Holmes, Andrew Sussman, Alfredo Carbajal, Mohamed El-Bardisi, and Adriana Gallardo. It was produced by Zia Butch and Eva Pukach. Our directors, Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott and our technical directors, Carly Strange. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow.

14:09This message comes from KeyBank. Scaling a successful business takes more than just grit. It takes the right relationship. KeyBank pairs the right strategy with the right financial tools to keep your business moving forward. KeyBank opens doors. More at key.com slash b2b. This message comes from Mercy Corps. Around the world, Mercy Corps is delivering life-saving aid and staying alongside communities, helping families recover, rebuild, and find hope. Visit mercycore.org slash donate to build a stronger tomorrow. This message comes from Travel Nevada. Pop quiz. Where can you find 60 million acres to discover?

14:51The Silver State, a place like no other. The desert has a way with words. Ghost towns, saloons, and burrows and herds. No bluffs or limericks. Just wide open, wild, and terrific. it's time to get a little out there, to the heart of Nevada to be more specific. Plan your trip at www.travelnevada.com.