Iran War Week 5, Trump's Mixed Messages, TSA Back Pay

March 31, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The latest Up First episode covers week five of the US-Iran war in the Gulf, with updates on the Strait of Hormuz blockade, ongoing attacks, President Trump's conflicting signals on negotiations and escalation, and partial back pay for TSA screeners amid the ongoing Homeland Security shutdown.

Strait of Hormuz Blockade and Gulf Attacks

Iran has restricted the Strait of Hormuz for over a month, trapping most oil and gas tankers while allowing limited passage, such as 20 Pakistani ships—two per day, far below pre-war levels. NPR's Aya Bertrawi, reporting from Dubai, described empty hotels during peak tourism season, government financial aid for businesses, and central bank measures for liquidity as residents withdraw cash or seek loans. Food shortages emerged, with basics like carrots hard to find due to the closed main port, though luxury items persist on menus.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

1 (00:02) **Iran War Teaser** - Pakistan offers to host US-Iran talks amid US Marine deployments and Iranian attacks on US troops in Saudi Arabia
2 (00:19) **Trump's Mixed Iran Signals** - Trump claims Iran agreed to most of 15-point plan but threatens to destroy energy infrastructure without deal
3 (01:42) **Gulf War Impacts in Dubai** - Tourism slump, business aid packages, cash liquidity measures due to war disruptions
4 (03:27) **Strait of Hormuz Stalemate** - Limited ship passage despite US claims of progress; Pakistan hosts talks unlikely as US deploys thousands more troops
5 (04:16) **Iranian Counterattacks Escalate** - Strikes hit UAE/Bahrain aluminum plants, Kuwait desalination; US confirms 12+ troops wounded, radars damaged in Saudi
6 (05:14) **Trump's Inconsistent Social Media** - Posts tout negotiations with "reasonable" Iranian regime while threatening strikes on power, oil, desalination plants
7 (06:58) **US Troop Buildup Contradicts Optimism** - 50,000 troops now in region despite claims of ahead-of-schedule progress and imminent Hormuz deal

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Pakistan says it is ready to host U.S.-Iran talks in the coming days, but Iran is still attacking U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and other targets across the Gulf as the war enters its fifth week.
President Trump is sending mixed messages on the war, claiming Iran agreed to most of his demands while threatening to obliterate its energy infrastructure if a deal isn't reached soon.
And TSA workers are finally getting paychecks after more than 40 days without pay, but Congress still hasn't reached a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Gerry Holmes, Rebekah Metzler, Russell Lewis, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Adriana Gallardo.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Ava Pukatch.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:51) Iran War Week 5
(05:23) Trump's Mixed Messages
(09:15) TSA Back Pay

To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy