Trump Declares Early Victory, Lebanon Asks Israel To Talk, New York Protest Attack

Summary

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NPR Up First – Episode Summary

Date: March 10, 2026
Hosts: Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep
Featured Reporters: Mara Liasson, Hadil Al Shalchi, Brian Mann
Main Theme:
This episode examines President Trump’s declarations regarding the US and Israeli war with Iran, diplomatic dynamics in Lebanon as the government seeks negotiations with Israel, and a terrorism-related attempted attack targeting a New York protest.

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1. Trump Declares Early Victory in the War Against Iran

[00:02 – 05:55]

Key Discussion Points

• President Trump’s Press Conference:
  Trump publicly declared major progress in the US and Israeli war against Iran, yet his statements veered between announcing victory and emphasizing ongoing objectives.

  • “We're achieving major strides toward completing our military objective. And some people could say they're pretty well complete. We've wiped every single force in Iran out.” — Trump, paraphrased by Steve Inskeep [02:03]
  • Trump described the campaign as “just an excursion,” hinting at an off-ramp, but quickly shifted to demanding “total victory.”

• Contradictory Messaging:
  Mara Liasson, NPR’s national political correspondent, noted the President’s mixed signals:

  • “He said, ‘We've already won.’ But then in the next breath he said, ‘But we haven't won enough and we're determined to achieve total victory.’” — Mara Liasson [02:29]
  • Trump compared the Iran war’s endgame to Venezuela, suggesting a preference for changing leadership without total regime change.

• Impact on Financial Markets:
  The ambiguity had real-time effects — after Trump called the war “very complete” in a CBS interview, stock markets soared, showing the volatility triggered by his statements. [03:15]

• Definition of Victory:
  Trump defined victory as stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons “the following day,” and floated a plan for an “internal candidate” to replace Iran's leader, again likening it to Venezuela. [03:58]

  • Liasson cautioned this analogy as Iran’s regional stature far exceeds Venezuela’s.

• Iranian Perspective:
  According to Liasson, Iran is determined to “survive and make the cost of continuing the war as high as possible,” leveraging oil prices and the strategic Strait of Hormuz. [04:48]

• Civilian Casualties and Claims:
  Trump suggested Iran may have attacked its own girl’s school with a Tomahawk missile—an assertion not echoed by US officials or supported by evidence. [05:27]

Notable Quotes

• “We could call it a tremendous success right now as we leave here, I could call it. Or we could go further. And we're going to go further.” — Trump, via Steve Inskeep [02:52]
• “He compared it to Venezuela. He said the Venezuela model has worked really well. In other words, leave the regime in place, but the leader changes.” — Mara Liasson [04:04]

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2. Lebanon Asks Israel to Talk Amid Ongoing Conflict

[05:56 – 09:49]

Key Discussion Points

• Scale of Destruction:

  • 1,200 civilians killed in Iran, 500 in Lebanon reported by Iranian and Lebanese authorities. [05:56]

• Lebanese Appeals for Negotiation:
  President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon called for direct talks with Israel for an end to the bombing and requested logistical support from the international community. [07:14]

  • The Lebanese government took unprecedented action against Hezbollah, issuing arrest warrants for rocket launchers and even proposing one for Hezbollah leader Naim Qasim.

• Internal Divisions and Limitations:

  • The Lebanese army is described as “outgunned” by Hezbollah, with questions about their will or ability to act. [07:14]

• Israel’s Response:

  • An anonymous Israeli official said Israel sees “positive signs” in Lebanon’s stance toward Hezbollah but stated the war would continue, highlighting ongoing rocket fire and deep military operations already extended for 15 months. [08:24]

• Iran and Israeli Leadership Dynamics:

  • Following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son Mushta Bahomenei has become supreme leader. Israel has hinted at targeting him but maintains ambiguity. Social media posts from Israel drew attention to the succession, but military spokespeople refused specific comments. [09:18]
    • “Leave some room for surprise.” — Israeli military spokesperson [09:18]

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3. New York Protest Attack and Domestic Terror Threats

[09:57 – 13:49]

Key Discussion Points

• Attempted Attack in NYC:

  • Two Pennsylvania teenagers, Amir Bilat (18) and Ibrahim Kayyumi (19), were charged after allegedly throwing IEDs at an anti-Muslim protest organized by a far-right group. The devices did not detonate and no injuries occurred. [10:06]
  • The suspects were reportedly “inspired” by ISIS, aiming to surpass the Boston marathon bombing in lethality.

• Nature of the Devices:

  • NYPD described one device as a jar packed with shrapnel and TATP, a common bomb ingredient. [11:05]
    • “They could have caused death, destruction.” — Rebecca Weiner, NYPD [11:25]

• Investigation Details:

  • The suspects allegedly confessed, with Bilat pledging allegiance to ISIS and aspiring to a larger attack. There is no evidence they were directly recruited by ISIS; investigators believe online radicalization was a factor. [11:47]

• Mayor Mamdani’s Response:

  • Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, condemned both the anti-Muslim rally and violence, defending free speech rights while asserting a zero-tolerance approach to violence from any side. [12:21]
    • “I will defend that right every day that I am mayor, even when those protesting say things that I abhor. New York City will never tolerate violence, whether from protests or counter protests.” — Mayor Mamdani [12:32]

• No Link to Iran War:

  • NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated there is no evidence the attack was motivated by the US-Israel conflict in Iran, but that the ongoing war has raised security alerts. [13:23]

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4. Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Defining Victory:
  “We could call it a tremendous success right now... Or we could go further. And we're going to go further.” — Trump (via Steve Inskeep) [02:52]

• On Hezbollah/Lebanon:
  “These are some of the strongest rebukes ever by the Lebanese state towards Hezbollah. But again, whether they're able to follow through remains to be seen.” — Hadil Al Shalchi [07:14]

• On NYC’s Stance:
  “New York City will never tolerate violence, whether from protests or counter protests.” — Mayor Mamdani [12:32]

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5. Timestamps of Important Segments

| Segment | Time | Details | |-----------------------------|------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | Trump’s press conference | 01:41-05:55| Victory claims, market effects, definition of victory | | Lebanon’s negotiation effort| 05:56-09:49| Lebanese state vs. Hezbollah, direct talks with Israel | | New York bomb plot | 09:57-13:49| Details of the attack, investigation, mayor’s response |

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6. Tone and Takeaways

Hosts and reporters balance urgency with measured analysis, especially regarding the unpredictable situation in Iran, the fraught domestic politics of Lebanon, and the dangers of radicalization in the U.S. The episode is marked by the complexity of war messaging, frightening domestic incidents, and the persistent challenges facing diplomacy worldwide.

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For more context, the full episode provides sharp updates and firsthand analysis of these fast-moving international and domestic stories.

Transcript

[Leila Fadel]

President Trump says the US And Israeli war with Iran is a success, but that the US Will go even further.

[Steve Inskeep]

He compares the end game to Venezuela, where the leader changed while the regime stayed. How does this war end?

[Leila Fadel]

I'm Leila Fadel. That's Steve Inskeep. And this is up first from NPR News. Lebanon's government is asking Israel to talk. The country's president says Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into a war. It did not choose war. Will Israel come to the table?

[Steve Inskeep]

Also, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks of an alleged act of terrorism.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

New York City will never tolerate violence, whether from protests or counter protests.

[Steve Inskeep]

People were protesting the Muslim mayor. Then police say two teenagers allegedly inspired by ISIS tried to deploy improvised explosive devices. Stay with us. We've got the news. You need to start your day.

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[Leila Fadel]

President Trump took questions from reporters at a press conference on Monday for the first time since the US And Israeli war against Iran. The administration took several days to explain what its objectives were in this war. And Trump has given conflict conflicting reasons for why he launched the strikes. On Monday, he said, we're achieving major

[Steve Inskeep]

strides toward completing our military objective. And some people could say they're pretty well complete. We've wiped every single force in Iran out. That was one of several contradictory statements by the president throughout the day suggesting the war's end was near or not near. NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson has been listening to it all. Mara, good morning.

[Mara Liasson]

Good morning.

[Steve Inskeep]

What do you make of the president's many words?

[Mara Liasson]

I think that the dominant message was declaring victory. And after you declare victory, you tend to look for an off ramp. He said, quote, this was just an excursion. We're close to finishing very soon. He said, we've already won. But then in the next breath he said, but we haven't won enough and we're determined to achieve total victory. Here's A little sample of that.

[Steve Inskeep]

We could call it a tremendous success right now as we leave here, I could call it. Or we could go further. And we're going to go further.

[Mara Liasson]

But he didn't say what going further means. President Trump model, at least in past military excursions have been one and done. Venezuela very quick, got out. Same with the Iran bombing in June. It sounds like that's what he wants to do now.

[Steve Inskeep]

Mara, I just want to note that the president's remarks have been moving markets. Before this press conference in the afternoon, while the financial markets were still open, Trump told CBS the war was, quote, very complete. Stocks immediately soared. Somebody made billions of dollars. And then he comes to the press conference, he declares victory, but also hedges. I mean, I guess we could blame us, the media in a sense, because Trump always says many, many words and people grab a few and try to interpret them. But are you able to get a through line from all of these different statements?

[Mara Liasson]

Well, yes, there were some things that were different about yesterday. He wasn't talking about unconditional surrender or regime change. He was asked, what does victory mean for you? Here's what he said, where they're not

[Steve Inskeep]

going to be starting the following day to develop a nuclear weapon.

[Mara Liasson]

And that shouldn't be hard to claim. He also talked about having, instead of regime change, having an internal candidate that he would approve to be Iran's new leader. And he compared it to Venezuela. He said the Venezuela model has worked really well. In other words, leave the regime in place, but the leader changes. Now Venezuela is a small, weak country in the United States backyard. Iran is very different, a big country with regional ambitions. He was also pressed on why he had promised the Iranian people he would come to their aid. And he was asked, aren't you betraying them if you don't push all the way for regime change? But he didn't answer that question.

[Steve Inskeep]

I guess this is a good point to remember that a war has two parties, has two people with a vote. As military people will say, how does this look to Iran?

[Mara Liasson]

Well, I think their objective is to survive and to make the cost of continuing the war as high as possible. For the US And Israel, that means keeping the gas prices high, keeping the Straits of Hormuz strangled, if not closed. And the president did talk about that yesterday. He said he wants to keep the Straits of Hormuz open and he might have military escorts for oil tankers through the Gulf. But right now, the price of oil in the United States, the price of gas at the pump is going up. And if it keeps going up. That could make continuing the war politically difficult for the president.

[Steve Inskeep]

Mara, the president also talked about an Iranian girls school that was hit very early in the war. What is he saying about that?

[Mara Liasson]

He seemed to suggest that Iran did this himself. That's something no one else in his administration, including his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has claimed. He said it's easy to get a Tomahawk missile, although we know Iran does not have Tomahawk missiles. But he seemed to suggest that Iran got a Tomahawk and used it against its own civilians. But, but he also said that the US Was investigating and that he would support the conclusion of that investigation.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, so statements that have yet to be supported by evidence. Mara, thanks so much.

[Mara Liasson]

You're welcome.

[Steve Inskeep]

That's NPR's Mara Liasson. Now, we do not know how this war ends, but we do have some idea of the scale of its destruction so far. Iranian health officials contend the United States and Israeli campaign has killed 1200 people in Iran. Lebanese authorities report 500 deaths in an Israeli offensive there. And we go next to Lebanon where NPR's Hadil Al Shalchi has been sometimes underneath the bombs and covering this from Beirut. Hi there, Hadil.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Good morning.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, so we heard from President Trump. What do you hear from the other side in this war?

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Well, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said that President Trump is trying to put, quote, psychological pressure on Iran and they vow to continue standing up to the US And Israeli aggression with, quote, courage and strong will. It also said that the Iranian armed forces are waiting for the US Navy at the Strait of Hormuz. Their reaction elsewhere in the region has been pretty muted. But we know that the Gulf is calling for an end to the war and a return to negotiations. The price of oil, as you just heard from Mara, soared yesterday as Iran targeted oil installations in the Gulf.

[Steve Inskeep]

Now where you are in Beirut, we know there have been Israeli airstrikes. There's been an Israeli ground force that has moved into southern Lebanon and the president of Lebanon wants direct negotiations with Israel. What does that mean?

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Yeah. So Lebanon and Israel have been at war for decades. The first ever direct talks were just three months ago, actually. And then, yes, yesterday Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called for more direct negotiations with Israel and for an end to the bombing. He asked once again for help from the international community to provide the Lebanese armed forces with equipment and what he called logistical support to help in the Lebanese government's campaign to try and disarm and distance itself from the Iranian backed militant group Hezbollah, which operates mainly out of Southern Lebanon. Now, just last week, security authorities in Lebanon actually issued arrest warrants. It's unprecedented for those who they believed launched rockets into Israel, which dragged Lebanon into this war. And the justice minister even proposed to the Lebanese cabinet to issue an arrest warrant for the leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qasim. Now, these are some of the strongest rebukes ever by the Lebanese state towards Hezbollah. But again, whether they're able to follow through remains to be seen. You know, the Lebanese army says it's outgunned by Hezbollah and there are actually questions about political will within the army to go through with the disarmament.

[Steve Inskeep]

So how has Israel responded to this Lebanese effort at peace?

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

So an official briefed on the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic affairs, told NPR that Israel sees positive signs from the Lebanese government in its approach to Hezbollah, but that the war is continuing and will continue. Hezbollah is still showing it has capabilities, the official said, with rocket fire toward Tel Aviv yesterday. They also said that Israel has no patience to enter a war with Hezbollah every few months. But let's remember that Israel has been striking Southern Lebanon for 15 months now, even though a CE was brokered last year. The Israeli military is also pushing further into Lebanese land and there are fears for a wider ground invasion into Lebanon.

[Steve Inskeep]

Now, let's talk about Iran itself. Of course, the Israeli campaign continues there. The US Campaign continues there. They have a new supreme leader. President Trump has talked about assassinating him, too. What are the Israelis saying?

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

The Israelis are being a little bit coy about that particular point. In a post on social media yesterday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted a photo of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei carrying a gun with his son, who is the new supreme leader, also carrying a gun. And the caption was like father, like son. But when asked whether Mushta Bahomenei should be worried, the Israeli military spokesperson said that they don't comment on specific targets and they, quote, leave some room for surprise. What we do know is that the war continues. Bombs fell on Tehran just this morning.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Adal Shalchi. Thanks so much. You're welcome.

[Leila Fadel]

Two Pennsylvania men have been charged with terrorism related crimes following an attempted attack using explosive devices over the weekend in New York City.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay. There were no injuries. The device didn't go off. But federal investigators assert that the suspects, both of them teenagers, were motivated by isis. That group has worked to radicalize young Muslim men around the world. NPR's Brian Mann is covering this story. Brian, good morning.

[Brian Mann]

Good morning, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

What do you know about the suspects.

[Brian Mann]

So. Amir Bilat, who's 18, and Ibrahim Kayyumi, 19, are both from Pennsylvania. Neither have criminal records. Investigators say they arrived in New York City Saturday, apparently drawn by an anti Muslim protest organized by a far right group. It had been widely publicized. Authorities said yesterday the men were caught on camera throwing improvised explosive devices at the anti Muslim protesters. Jay Clayton is U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. At a press conference yesterday in Manhattan, he said the two suspects planned for this to be a deadly.

[Steve Inskeep]

These were ISIS inspired actions. And it is chilling that they wanted to do something more than the Boston marathon. More than three deaths.

[Brian Mann]

Rebecca Weiner heads the NYPD's anti terror organization. She said at least one of these devices was a jar, Steve, that was packed with nuts and bolts and screws and also a chemical called TATP, widely used in IEDs around the world. Weiner said it's very lucky this device didn't detonate when thrown into the crowd.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

They could have caused death, destruction.

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Extremely dangerous compound, an extremely dangerous place deployed.

[Brian Mann]

So Balat and Kayumi were charged yesterday with crimes that include aiding a foreign terror organization and using a weapon of mass destruction.

[Steve Inskeep]

Disturbing to hear the composition of that weapon, but why do authorities say the men were motivated specifically by isis?

[Brian Mann]

Officials say Balat and Kayumi started talking after their arrest. According to court documents filed yesterday. They allegedly waived their Miranda rights and told police they watched ISIS materials on their phone. Investigators say Balat allegedly wrote on a piece of paper that he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Bilat also allegedly told authorities he hoped to carry out an attack bigger than the Boston marathon bombing in 2013. Important to say, Steve, these are only allegations at this point. The two men were arraigned yesterday. They have not yet entered a plea. They're being held without bail.

[Steve Inskeep]

How is Mayor Mamdani responding to all of this?

[Brian Mann]

Yeah, Zoran Mamdani is New York City's first Muslim mayor. Speaking yesterday, he condemned that anti Muslim rally as bigotry, but said the far right activists who gathered had a right to free speech.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

I will defend that right every day that I am mayor, even when those protesting say things that I abhor. New York City will never tolerate violence, whether from protests or counter protests.

[Brian Mann]

And Mamdani praised NYPD officers who responded quickly to this alleged attack.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, so let's talk this through. Where does the investigation go next with the suspects in custody and at least according to the police, saying some things. Yeah.

[Brian Mann]

The FBI probe is continuing in New York City, also in Pennsylvania, where these men lived agents searched a storage unit in Pennsylvania last night. Officials have declined to say whether they think these men had actual contact with ISIS recruiters or self radicalized after looking at that material online. And why? PD officials say they do think these alleged actions are part of a pattern where the Islamic State is attempting to mobilize young Muslim men using social media.

[Steve Inskeep]

Brian, is there any evidence that this incident was in some way linked to the war in Iran?

[Brian Mann]

You know, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch spoke about this a couple times yesterday. She said there's no sign Kayumi and Balat were motivated by US And Israeli airstrikes in Iran. But she said the war does have the city's anti terror units on high alert. She says drone and heavy weapons teams are forward deployed throughout New York City. Officials say they also want residents to be vigilant.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Brian Mann, thanks so much.

[Brian Mann]

Thanks, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

And that's up first for this Tuesday, March 10th. I'm Steve Inskeep.

[Leila Fadel]

And I'm Layla Falden. Today's episode of up first was edited by Rebecca Metzler, Hannah Block, Alfredo Carbajal, Mohamed Alberdisi and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Buch and Nia Dumas. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Nisha Hyness. Our technical director is Carly Strange. Our supervising senior producer is Vince Pearson. Join us again tomorrow.

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[Brian Mann]

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