US-Iran Negotiations, Middle East Reacts To Possible Deal, DRC Ebola Outbreak Spreads

Summary

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Up First from NPR

Date: May 25, 2026
Hosts: Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep
Main Stories: US-Iran Negotiations, Middle East Reactions, DRC Ebola Outbreak

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Overview

This episode dives into three major news stories:

1. The status and complexities of US-Iran negotiations toward a possible ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
2. Regional and political reactions, especially in the Middle East, to the proposed US-Iran deal.
3. The escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the challenges of containment amid regional violence and misinformation.

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1. US-Iran Negotiations: Progress and Political Fallout

Key Points:

• President Trump announced talks have produced a “largely negotiated” memorandum of understanding with Iran, focused on ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, the scope of this agreement is limited.
• The deal does not cover Iran’s nuclear program—a sticking point for both sides.
• Trump urged negotiators “not to rush into a deal,” tempering expectations and underscoring the preliminary nature of the agreement.

“It isn't even fully negotiated.”
— Mara Liasson (US Correspondent) [04:08]

Internal US Political Friction:

• Prominent Republicans (e.g., Lindsey Graham, Roger Wicker) are skeptical or outright critical, worrying Iran would be seen as emboldened.
• Senator Roger Wicker called the deal “a disaster,” reflecting deep party divides. [04:22]
• The war and its economic fallout (notably high gas prices) have unsettled voters as midterms approach.

Election Implications:

• Republicans may benefit from any deal that lowers gas prices before November but risk backlash for appearing soft.
• Mara Liasson explained the political minefield:

  “In the end, Democrats in competitive districts have to find ways to separate themselves from their party. Republicans in these districts have to find a way to separate themselves from Trump.” [06:06]

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2. Middle East Perspective and Deal Details

Key Points:

• Nature of the Agreement: NPR’s Aba Traui clarified this is a preliminary deal, essentially extending a ceasefire for 60 days and reopening talks.
• What’s Included: Gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for global energy transport. Nuclear program issues remain off the table.
• Iran’s Demands: In exchange, Iran wants its foreign assets unfrozen and the end of Israel’s war in Lebanon against Hezbollah. [08:16]

“This would only be a preliminary agreement, not a final deal. It would essentially extend the current ceasefire by another 60 days… Iran gradually opening the Strait of Hormuz.”
— Aba Traui (International Correspondent) [07:12]

Regional Leaders & Concerns:

• Gulf leaders (from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Bahrain, Pakistan) made a rare unified call with Trump, pushing for a negotiated end to the war.
• The region is motivated by both high economic costs and the safety of 2 million Muslim pilgrims in Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

"Official statements about that call show that they spoke in rare unison, urging Trump to end the war through talks."
— Aba Traui [09:33]

Ongoing Sticking Points:

• Israel, led by Netanyahu (also facing elections), wants war in Lebanon to continue, describing actions as self-defense.
• Iran insists the war in Lebanon must end before nuclear negotiations resume.
• Previous flexibility from Iran (e.g., storing uranium abroad) has evaporated since the start of the war. [10:00]

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3. Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Key Points:

• Current Situation: Over 200 dead in eastern DRC, with more than 900 suspected cases.
• Challenges: Outbreak response hampered by degraded healthcare, multiple armed conflicts, and reduced US aid.
• Geography: The impacted region is the size of Florida, notably Ituri province—a gold mining area plagued by violence and hard to access.

“There's a perfect storm of factors making this one difficult. Eastern Congo is extremely vulnerable. The healthcare infrastructure is degraded. Aid budgets have been slashed, and all of this in a region is in the grip of extreme violence.”
— Emmett Livingstone (Reporter, Kinshasa) [11:06]

Misinformation and Public Trust:

• Historical oppression, lack of exposure to outsiders, and rampant conspiracy theories result in deep suspicion, hindering health efforts.
• Volunteers going door-to-door face resistance from locals who don’t believe Ebola is real.

“For some people, the outbreak is very real and they are seeking information… For others, there is still suspicion and misinformation claiming that Ebola is fabricated.”
— Gabriela Arenas, International Red Cross (quoted by Emmett Livingstone) [13:16]

Logistical & Aid Shortfalls:

• Dire need for more PPE and medical supplies.
• US funding cuts have made conditions worse and slowed containment efforts.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If a deal is struck to end the Iranian conflict because it's believed that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected from Iranian terrorism, then Iran will be perceived as being a dominant force.”
  — Senator Lindsey Graham (paraphrased by Mara Liasson) [04:13]

• "These are populations that have been oppressed by one group or another for a very long time... there are also a phenomenal amount of misinformation and conspiracy theories that are circulating."
  — Emmett Livingstone (on Ebola response challenges) [12:45]

• “I just want to underline this. Health officials are going door to door warning people about Ebola. And some people are just saying, nah, don't believe it, not happening.”
  — Steve Inskeep [13:44]

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• US-Iran Negotiations & Political Reactions: 02:42 – 06:33
• Middle East Regional Analysis: 06:33 – 10:17
• DRC Ebola Outbreak: 10:27 – 14:09

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode delivered a sober, nuanced rundown of high-stakes international crises. The hosts and correspondents emphasized uncertainty, political complexity, and the human impact—whether among oil-hauling ships trapped by war or Congolese villagers caught in both violence and a viral outbreak. The tone was urgent but measured, reflective of NPR’s in-depth, fact-driven style.

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Transcript

[Layla Fadel]

You know, I always forget when our, like, holidays are. And I feel like I'm always hosting on those days because I don't know,

[Steve Inskeep]

because you are hosting on those days. But, you know, I feel good about showing up on a day like this because I figured, you know, like, anybody who, anybody who listens to me on a holiday needs me.

[Layla Fadel]

Well, I hope a lot of people are sleeping in.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yes. Yes.

[Layla Fadel]

And listening to us later than maybe

[Steve Inskeep]

a little bit later, like 6am 6am,

[Layla Fadel]

7am but still listen, you still need to be informed on holiday.

[Steve Inskeep]

You gotta be informed. You gotta keep up on events.

[Layla Fadel]

President Trump said an agreement with Iran is, quote, largely negotiated and would move everyone closer to peace.

[Steve Inskeep]

He says the deal would open the Strait of Hormuz. So why do some Republicans call it a disaster?

[Layla Fadel]

I'm Layla Fadel. That's Stephen Skip. And this is up first from NPR News. This is a preliminary deal with Iran. It wouldn't include the unconditional surrender President Trump was demanding, nor does it address a key US Iran's nuclear enrichment. Has Iran capitulated at all?

[Steve Inskeep]

Also, an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 200 people. Groups are struggling to respond amid violence, misinformation and less U.S. support. Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day.

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[Aba Traui]

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with the Capital One Saver card, earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment. Capital One what's in your wallet? Terms apply [e-mail] Secretary of State Marco

[Layla Fadel]

Rubio says a deal with Iran is close.

[Emmett Livingstone]

Some progress has been made. Significant progress, although not final progress has been made.

[Steve Inskeep]

President Trump spoke with leaders of several Gulf countries and Israel on Saturday. Trump then then said an agreement had been, quote, largely negotiated. Rubio spoke a bit more carefully, telling reporters he's expecting a response from Iran soon. We will get to what Iran has said so far in a moment. We begin with what we know from officials on the U.S. side.

[Layla Fadel]

NPR's Senior National Political correspondent Mara Liasson is covering this and joins me now. Hi, Mara.

[Mara Liasson]

Hi there.

[Layla Fadel]

So what are US Officials saying publicly about this possible deal?

[Mara Liasson]

Well, it's not actually a deal yet, but Trump posted that he'd spent Saturday talking with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the uae, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, Bahrain and Pakistan about, quote, a memorandum of understanding and that one aspect of these negotiations, according to Trump, would be to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Foreign Ministry says the memorandum of understanding is aimed at ending the war, but that Iran is rejecting any discussions about its nuclear program. So no change there. Trump later posted something that tamped down expectations. He said he told U.S. negotiators not to rush into a deal. He also reiterated that Iran cannot develop a bomb. But he also posted, quote, nobody has seen it or knows what it is. It isn't even fully negotiated.

[Layla Fadel]

Okay, so it's not even clear that this is anything really yet. What has the reaction been politically?

[Mara Liasson]

There are Republicans who supported the strike on Iran who've been very skeptical about this deal. Memorandum Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina posted on X. If a deal is struck to end the Iranian conflict because it's believed that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected from Iranian terrorism, then Iran will be perceived as being a dominant force. He later urged Trump to stick to his guns and get a good deal. Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on X that the deal was a disaster. And in a previous post, he said Trump is being ill advised to pursue a deal that would not be worth the paper it's written on. So I, I think as we get more details about this, we might get more reaction like that.

[Layla Fadel]

Yeah. So it's been a little over 12 weeks since the US and Israel started this war. Most Americans don't like it. Gas prices have spiked and inflation is on the rise. Republicans are increasingly nervous about the midterms. Given all of this economic news, would a diomara with Iran now help them in November?

[Mara Liasson]

It certainly would help them more than not having a deal, especially if the Strait of Hormuz opens and gas prices come down. Before November. That would be helpful for Republican incumbents. We are seeing a deeply unhappy electorate. Democrats have an advantage. When people are asked that generic ballot question, who would you prefer to run Congress, Democrats or Republicans? And if it was a decade ago, we'd be saying, whoa, it looks like there's a blue wave forming. But the structural advantages that Republicans have make them more powerful in the midterms. They have lots more money. There's been a new round of court sanctioned partisan redistricting. And even before that mid cycle redistricting, Republicans had a map with fewer competitive seats than in the past. We also know from polling that even though voters are negative about Trump and the war and the ballroom and the economy, they're also reluctant to vote for Democrats because the Democratic brand is so unpopular. So that means in the end, Democrats in competitive districts have to find ways to separate themselves from their party. Republicans in these districts have to find a way to separate themselves from Trump. And we know that some Republicans in Congress are balking for the first time at voting for some of Trump's unpopular policies.

[Layla Fadel]

That's NPR senior national political correspondent Mara Lyson. Thank you, Mara.

[Mara Liasson]

You're welcome.

[Steve Inskeep]

So that's how the war looks from here. Let's see how it looks from the Persian Gulf region. About 1500 ships are still waiting to travel through the Strait of Hormuz.

[Layla Fadel]

Iran has controlled this waterway since the start of the war three months ago. Neither the US War nor a short lived US Military operation to open the strait has brought about Iran's capitulation.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, so what is in this agreement exactly? NPR international correspondent Aba Traui is in the United Arab Emirates, joins us once again. Hi there.

[Aba Traui]

Hi. Good morning.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay. The president's statement over the weekend triggered these headlines. It gave me the impression the war is over, but it sounds like the terms are not resolved. So what is in the agreement?

[Aba Traui]

Right. This would only be a preliminary agreement, not a final deal. It would essentially extend the current ceasefire by another 60 days. And think of it more as a starting point for direct talks between the US And Iran for that to even happen. And so what we've heard from Washington and Tehran is that this deal would include Iran gradually opening the Strait of Hormuz, which is critical to getting energy flowing again from the Gulf to the rest of the world. And what this deal does not include are details on Iran's nuclear program. Here's Secretary of State Marco Rubio explaining this to reporters yesterday.

[Emmett Livingstone]

It will require some future work on negotiating the details. When you're talking about a nuclear program as an example. These are highly technical matters and ones that would probably need to be addressed over some period of time.

[Aba Traui]

And later, in response to a question by the New York Times, Rubio said technical talks on nuclear enrichment can't happen in 72 hours, quote on the back of a napkin.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, so this is some kind of interim deal or a deal to make. A deal doesn't seem to address Iran's nuclear enrichment. What is Iran giving up if it's not giving up the possibility of nuclear weapons?

[Aba Traui]

Right. Well, it has to open the Strait of Hormuz. This is its leverage, which it did not have before the war. It will have to start letting ships through again and without demanding any tolls. The US has made that clear. But Iran now also has demand, Steve. One is that the US Unfreezes its billions of dollars in foreign banks and another is that Israel ends its war in Lebanon against the Iran backed Hezbollah. And but just like Trump is facing midterms this year, so is Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He's also facing elections in Israel this year and he wants both wars to continue. Netanyahu says Trump told him in their last phone call on Saturday that Israel will be able to continue its war in Lebanon, which he described as self defense. But Iran has been saying that ending that war in Lebanon must come before any nuclear talks. And this is one of the points that are still under negotiation.

[Steve Inskeep]

I'm fascinated by all the points you just raised there. One in particular. You say that Iran expects to get some of its many, many billions of dol of frozen assets unfrozen to them. This is something that enraged Republicans back in 2015 when the US made a nuclear deal with Iran that included some money to Iran. And so now the Iranians seem to expect money again. That's one issue here. Another has to do with continuing the war in the region. What do Arab nations, including the one where you are, the uae, think about that?

[Aba Traui]

Right. So there was this call over the weekend between Trump and all the key regional leaders here from Pakistan to Turkey and beyond. And official statements about that call show that they spoke in rare unison urging Trump to end the war through talks. Gulf Arab states have also paid a heavy price for this war. We know that they were hit hard by Iran. Also, Steve, there are 2 million, around 2 million Muslim pilgrims right now in Saudi Arabia performing the Hajj. That's another reason why there's a push to hold off on any return to war right now to ensure their safety and protect the sanctity of that pilgrimage. And there's pressure building to reach a deal because this war does not seem to have actually softened Iran's position much. You know, Iran before this war had agreed to storing its highly enriched uranium abroad. According to Mediat Oman at the time and today, Iran's state media says there are no commitments on that.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPRZiha Batrawi, thanks as always.

[Aba Traui]

Thanks, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

The latest government figures Show More than 200 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak. That's out of more than 900 suspected cases.

[Layla Fadel]

The virus is spreading in eastern Congo. The region is larger than Florida. Armed groups and national armies are fighting there, which is complicating efforts to contain. The World Health Organization warns the risk of the virus spreading rapidly in the country is very high. The outbreak involves a rare strain of Ebola which doesn't have an approved vaccine or treatment.

[Steve Inskeep]

Reporter Emmett Livingstone is covering this from the Congolese capital, Kinshasa. Welcome.

[Emmett Livingstone]

Hello.

[Steve Inskeep]

What's making this outbreak hard to contain?

[Emmett Livingstone]

There's a perfect storm of factors making this one difficult. Eastern Congo is extremely vulnerable. The healthcare infrastructure is degraded. Aid budgets have been slashed, and all of this in a region is in the grip of extreme violence. Ebola has had several outbreaks in the DRC. The first one was in 1979. But this latest one was only really noticed when a nurse turned up ill on April 24 and was then buried in a town called Mongolu. The epidemic was then only announced on May 15, by which point lots of people had already died. Three Red Cross volunteers who had handled infected bodies before the outbreak was known about have also since died.

[Steve Inskeep]

When Layla refers to a region the size of Florida where this outbreak is happening, what's that region like?

[Emmett Livingstone]

Well, first maybe a little bit about the epicenter of the outbreak, Mongolu in Ituri province. Now this is a gold mining town where the population is extremely vulnerable. People live in unsanitary conditions. It was considered almost a no go zone until very recently. It's had no humanitarian missions and it's hard to reach. Ituri province is also fractured by extreme violence with multiple armed groups fighting, such as the adf, which is linked to the Islamic State. And then more broadly, eastern Congo is facing several overlapping conflicts. There are four different national armies fighting on the ground at the moment. And the biggest conflict is the one with Rwanda backed M23 rebels. And some Ebola cases have been confirmed in that area too.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, doesn't sound good. And so part of the problem here is the war or wars going on. What Other challenges do aid groups face when they try to deal with this.

[Emmett Livingstone]

Apart from the conflict, one of the largest challenges is dispute trust in healthcare, which is there for historical reasons. These are populations that have been oppressed by one group or another for a very long time. Then there's also a phenomenal amount of misinformation and conspiracy theories that are circulating. Gabriela Arenas, the regional operations coordinator for the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent in Africa, told journalists that their volunteers are going door to door in an effort to combat fear and false rumors.

[Aba Traui]

For some people, the outbreak is very real and they are seeking information how to protect themselves and better protect their families. For others, there is still suspicion and misinformation claiming that Ebola is fabricated.

[Emmett Livingstone]

On top of that, there is an urgent need for PPE and other medical equipment, which is all in short supply. And of course, all of this is compounded by US Aid cuts, which have definitely had a huge impact on eastern Congo.

[Steve Inskeep]

I just want to underline this. Health officials are going door to door warning people about Ebola. And some people are just saying, nah, don't believe it, not happening.

[Emmett Livingstone]

That's correct. That's correct. I mean, I think it has to be understood, and it's difficult to understand from the outside that many of these areas are almost entirely cut off from commerce or interaction with the global economy. So they're simply not used to outsiders coming in and telling them about things like this.

[Steve Inskeep]

Emmett Livingstone in Kinshasa, thanks so much.

[Emmett Livingstone]

Thank you.

[Steve Inskeep]

On this holiday weekend, it's worth finding something else in the up first feed. The Trump administration is rolling back federal efforts to fight climate change, so city and state governments are stepping in.

[Emmett Livingstone]

We think we are standing what can

[Steve Inskeep]

be the future of energy in Denver? It's the Sunday story, climate solutions on the local level. Listen now in the UPVERSE podcast feed from NPR News. And that's up first for this Monday, may 25th, memorial day. I'm steve inski.

[Layla Fadel]

And I'm layla faudel. Today's episode of up first was edited by christian dove kalamer, tina kraia, tara neal, mohamed del vardisi and taylor haney. It was produced by ziad bach and nia dumas. Our director is christopher thomas. We get engineering support from zo van genhoven. Our technical director is carly strange. Join us again tomorrow.

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