Intense Strikes On Iran, Trump Approval Poll, Georgia Special Election Runoff

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said that Tuesday would bring the most intense strikes across Iran. Now video from the Red Crescent shows rescuers in the rubble of what appear to be residential buildings. I'm Leila Fauldin. That's Steve Inskeep, and this is Up First from NPR News. A new poll finds a majority of Americans do not support US military action in Iran, and the president's approval rating on the economy has hit its lowest point yet. What does that mean in a midterm election year? Also in Georgia, the special election to fill Marjorie Taylor Greene's vacant house seat is heading to a runoff. A Democrat had a strong performance and now faces a Republican who was endorsed by president Trump. What can that election tell us about the midterm voting? Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day. The last time The United States and Israel attacked Iran, they called it the twelve day war. The current war may need some different name because we have reached day 12 with no sign of the end. Iran is talking of imposing more pain in retaliation for The US and Israeli attacks. Its government said they now consider banks and economic centers a target in the Middle East. This after Iranian say one of their banks was targeted. Pete Hegseth, the civilian head of the US military, made a promise on Tuesday. Today will be, yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran. That was yesterday. So how much damage is The US doing? NPR's international correspondent, Ava Trau, is in Dubai. Hi there. Good morning. What have you learned? Well, Internet is cut across Iran, and many people are fearful of sharing what they're seeing even in messages due to fear of retaliation from the government. But, you know, based on the information that is coming out from official statements and activist groups, we know that already more than 1,200 people have been killed across Iran. The Iranian Red Crescent Rescue Service also published a video overnight showing a residential area struck in the capital Tehran standing over the rubble of a building there. Mhmm. And people who've left Tehran through the Turkish border have been telling NPR they're fleeing because the sky is red from bombings. And they have also reported multi story residential buildings being flattened into Tehran. Now in addition to homes, we've also seen damage emerging from centuries old landmarks and palaces into Tehran and cities south like Ishfaan, 300 miles south of Tehran. But, you know, the Pentagon and Israeli military are only confirming hits on military targets. And a new video from the US military shows strikes on Iranian vessels yesterday, including 16 Iranian minelaying ships near the Strait Of Hormuz. You know, that's that narrow waterway that much of the world's oil was passing through. Through. Oh, I'm glad you mentioned oil. I I want to tell you in Dubai what's happening here in …