NPR News: 04-07-2026 1PM EDT

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” That is what President Trump posted on social media as the U.S. escalated its military campaign against Iran, striking targets on Kharg Island early this morning. The war is now entering a more dangerous phase, with Trump threatening to seize the island—the center of Iran’s oil industry—and warning that bombing will expand to Iranian power plants and bridges. Under international law, striking those civilian sites could be considered war crimes. The episode covers this escalation, the economic fallout, a runoff election in Georgia, a new digital accessibility rule, and the return of the Artemis II crew.

The War with Iran Intensifies

The U.S. struck military targets on Kharg Island early Monday morning. A U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly told NPR these were restrikes on targets the U.S. had hit before, not oil infrastructure. President Trump has threatened to seize control of the island, which is central to Iran’s oil industry. In a social media post, Trump wrote, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” adding that he does not want that to happen but that it “probably will.” He previously described U.S. actions in Iran as an attempt to help Iranians from a repressive government.