MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Israel's defense minister says the Israeli military has killed two senior Iranian officials.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
They are the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and the commander of Iran's paramilitary Basij forces. Iran did not immediately confirm the killings.
MARTIN: NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi is in Beirut and has the latest information for us. Good morning, Hadeel.
HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: Good morning.
MARTIN: So how significant are these latest killings?
AL-SHALCHI: These would be the highest-profile assassinations since the February 28 attack that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israel killed Ali Larijani, head of the Supreme National Security Council and public policy adviser to the supreme leader. An Israeli military official speaking on condition of anonymity described him as Iran's de facto leader and that he's been directing Iran's attacks in this war. Now, Larijani is a former parliamentary speaker and senior policy adviser. He used to advise the late supreme leader on strategy in nuclear talks with the Trump administration. He also served as a secretary of Iran's top security body known as the Supreme National Security Council.
And the Israeli military also confirmed the death of Gholamreza Soleimani, who was the head of the Basij forces. That's the militia responsible for violently cracking down on the street protests against the Iranian government earlier this year. It killed thousands in those protests, and it's estimated that the militia is made up of 1 million members.
MARTIN: Now, Iran is not the only front in this war. So let's move to where you are, Lebanon. Israel announced a ground incursion into the south. What can you tell us about that?
AL-SHALCHI: Right. So the Israeli military here says it has begun, quote, "limited and targeted ground operations" against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group. Troops are going deeper into parts of southern Lebanon. Israel has also issued new evacuation orders for people in the south. The Lebanese government now says a million people are displaced.
I was in the south over the weekend, and the couple of towns I visited in the Bekaa Valley are already empty because of these evacuation orders. You know, I saw stores that are shuttered. The streets are hauntingly quiet. So many buildings I saw, including homes and schools, have been turned to rubble because of Israel's airstrikes. And the very few people still there told me they're worried to leave because they may never be able to go back again. And, you know, their fears may be justified. This week, the Israeli defense minister said those evacuated south of the Litani River, which is considered a front line in the conflict, will not be allowed to return to their homes until, quote, "the safety of northern Israeli residents is guaranteed."
MARTIN: Now, we reported yesterday that the State Department is giving U.S. embassies talking points. It's trying to encourage more countries to impose sanctions on Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, Iran's proxy in Lebanon. What can you tell us about that?
AL-SHALCHI: Well, I mean, it's clear that the U.S. is trying to build an international coalition. According to a State Department cable seen by NPR, the U.S. says Iran responds better to collective, not unilateral action. So the cable is telling U.S. diplomats to lobby their host governments to designate the IRGC and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations, that they should work on that with Israeli diplomats. It also says the goal of the U.S. and Israeli strikes are to, quote, "neutralize Iran's nuclear program, destroy its ballistic missile program, disrupt its proxy networks and diminish its naval capabilities."
Now, the State Department didn't respond to NPR's request for comment, but it's obvious that the U.S. didn't prepare - homefront or public opinion. They didn't seek any international legitimacy. They didn't forge any coalition among the Europeans, the Arabs, amongst oil consumers. And now we're seeing President Trump expressing frustration that no one is on board with his war.
MARTIN: That is NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi in Beirut. Hadeel, thank you.
AL-SHALCHI: You're so welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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