Middle East

The war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza directly impacts many Minnesotans. And while MPR News does not have journalists stationed in the region, we do have a responsibility to our audiences to report on how this ongoing conflict affects people here. Our goal is to provide MPR News audiences with a variety of perspectives, context and factual information. We are committed to using language that is as precise as possible.

As you will see here, the majority of the coverage on our air and our website is provided by our national and international news partners, NPR and the BBC. The language and terminology used to describe the conflict are changing. If you have questions or concerns about our coverage please reach out to us.

U.S. and Iraqi officials say kidnapped journalist had been warned of threats
U.S. and Iraqi officials say U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was born and raised in Wisconsin, was warned of threats before she was kidnapped in Baghdad. They say she was told she might be abducted in the days before her abduction.
President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with allies who have been unwilling to help the U.S. war effort, telling them to “go get your own oil” as the conflict with Iran and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent average U.S. gas prices past $4 a gallon.
Trump says the U.S. is in talks with Iran to end the war. Iran denied having talks.
Trump said the U.S. will postpone any strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for five days, even as Israel continued hitting Tehran and Iran warned it could retaliate across the Gulf. Iran denied having talks.
Pete Hegseth holds Pentagon briefing as war with Iran intensifies
Iran hit a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea and set Qatari liquefied natural gas facilities and two Kuwaiti oil refineries ablaze, sending international oil and gas prices soaring Thursday. 
Israel says it killed 2 top Iranian commanders in a targeted strike
Israel says it killed Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, the highest-profile assassinations since the targeting of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the war.