AI Summary
5 min readA U.S. delegation is preparing to travel to Islamabad for another round of peace talks with Iran, even as a two-week ceasefire is set to expire by Wednesday and Iranian officials say they have no plans to participate in talks with the U.S. this week. On the ground near the Iranian border in Van, Turkey, NPR spoke with Iranians who expressed sharply divided hopes for the outcome of the conflict.
Peace talks and divided hopes near the Iranian border
Reporter Duri Buskaran spoke with Iranians in a train station waiting room near the border. One woman, who asked not to be named due to the risk of arrest when she returns to Iran for speaking to foreign media, said she is hopeful the U.S. and Iran can find a compromise to end the war. "Anything that can bring peace back to the people in any way possible," she said, while also expressing hope that the Iranian government ends its crackdown on internal critics.
Another woman, who also asked not to be recorded, said she is nervous about the talks and does not want the war to end. She explained that Iranians are willing to receive "an entirely burned and flattened Iran, but an Iran that does not have the Islamic Republic ruling it."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:05) **U.S.-Iran Peace Talks and Ceasefire Deadline** - A U.S. delegation is preparing to travel to Islamabad for talks, while Iran says it won't participate this week as a two-week ceasefire nears its Wednesday expiration.
- 2 (01:14) **Businesses Seek Tariff Refunds** - NPR's Scott Horsley reports that roughly 330,000 businesses wrongly forced to pay tariffs are now preparing to file for refunds, comparing the process to getting tickets for a hot concert.
- 3 (02:09) **FBI Director Cash Patel Sues The Atlantic for Defamation** - Patel files a $250 million lawsuit over an article alleging excessive drinking, claiming the outlet aimed to destroy his reputation and drive him from office.
- 4 (02:57) **American Library Association Lists Most Challenged Books of 2025** - The ALA reports over 90% of challenges came from conservative activist groups and officials, not individual parents, with 4,235 titles challenged—just shy of the 2023 record.
- 5 (04:02) **Boston Marathon and NFL Draft Updates** - Defending champion John Korir of Kenya breaks the course record (2:01:52); Sharon Lokedi wins the women's race (2:18:51). The NFL draft in Pittsburgh is expected to double the city's population, prompting remote learning for many students.
- 6 Standout Quotes
- 7 "Anything that can bring peace back to the people in any way possible." — An Iranian woman near the border, speaking on condition of anonymity.
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