Trump Rejects Iran's Ceasefire, UK Foiled Plot Near US Base, Trump Press Corps Fight

Up First from NPR

The episode examines the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran following President Trump's rejection of a ceasefire proposal involving

Key takeaways

• President Trump rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting sanctions.
• Five men were arrested near RAF Fairford in the UK on suspicion of terrorism offenses involving explosives.

Main topics

• Iran-U.S. ceasefire negotiations
• UK terrorism investigation

Notable quotes

We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed.

Conclusion

The episode highlights a period of significant unilateral executive ac

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:02) President Trump says he doesn't like Iran's latest proposal for a ceasefire. The Speaker 2 (0:06) idea was similar to the last ceasefire. Its offer would reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts sanctions and its blockade. Is there any path forward? Speaker 1 (0:14) I'm Steve Inskeep with Leila Fadl, and this is Up First from NPR News. Speaker 1 (0:20) British police say they foiled a planned attack near an air base that U.S. forces used to strike Iran. Five men were arrested after suspicious white vans were spotted near that base. Authorities are asking who the men are and if Iran was involved. And Speaker 2 (0:35) the president's fight with the press has left some of his biggest events without major TV coverage. CNN was kept off Air Force One this weekend. Is Trump's fight with the media costing him politically? Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day. Speaker 7 (0:53) This November, there's a wave of Democrats running for office who are all members of the clergy. But can they convince the party's secular base? I don't think religion Speaker 3 (1:02) should play into government and politics at all. I thought the country was founded on that. On Speaker 7 (1:08) the Sunday Story, how Democratic pastors are reframing the role of faith in American politics. Listen now to the Sunday Story from the Up First podcast on the NPR app. Speaker 8 (1:18) Hey, how are you feeling right now? Exhausted from the summer? Overwhelmed with the new school year? Restless? Anxious? LifeKit is here to help. Consider us your mental health accountability buddy, with episodes on everything from navigating social anxiety to unlearning perfectionism. Listen to the LifeKit podcast in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Tanya Mosley, co-host of Fresh Air. Each week we go beyond the headlines and dive deep into an issue like the Epstein files, the dismantling of voting rights, and the conflicts abroad. Listen to Fresh Air interviews to better understand our world. Find us on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 2 (2:04) President Trump says he rejected an Iranian offer to suspend hostilities for seven days and immediately reopen the Strait of Speaker 1 (2:11) Hormuz. The president said the Iranian offer, quote, would not be acceptable and that Iran is, in his words, losing so badly. Speaker 2 (2:18) Joining us to discuss this and more is NPR international correspondent in the Gulf, Ayyab Atrawi. Good morning, Ayyab. Good morning, Leila. Okay, so today marks seven months since the U.S. and Israel launched war on Iran and killed its supreme leader. Where do things stand right now? So Iran's latest offer, which you Speaker 5 (2:35) mentioned, is basically that the two sides agree to something similar to the memorandum of understanding that they had agreed to back in June. And that deal barely lasted a few weeks. So what Iran wants is the U.S. to lift its naval blockade on its oil exports and to unfreeze billions of its dollars in foreign banks in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. But Trump already says he rejects those terms. Now, Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Arakci, he was on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. And I'd like you to listen to how he described. his country's position seven months into this war. Speaker 6 (3:05) We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed. And I repeat, we stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even it comes to a doomsday war. But at the same time, we are ready, we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose. Speaker 5 (3:22) So as you heard there, he talked about being ready for a doomsday war or for diplomacy. Now, Trump says Iran is desperate to make a deal because U.S. sanctions are strangling its economy. And he