Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) Iran denied US President Donald Trump’s assertion that it wants ceasefire talks, launching fresh attacks across the Persian Gulf and forcing a suspension of flights at Dubai’s main airport.The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia reported drone and missile attacks overnight into Monday. Dubai halted flights at its main airport following a fire at a fuel tank that it said was caused by an Iranian drone. It announced a gradual resumption a few hours later, though Emirates said some of its scheduled flights for the day would be canceled.
2) As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its third week, pressure is growing on the person in the best position to end it: Donald Trump. But the US president’s ever-shifting explanations for why he went to war leave friends and adversaries at a loss to forecast when he’ll be ready to stop. And even if he does, Iran has shown little willingness to go along. Trump has gone from declaring the war over soon to calling on European and Gulf allies to help. They’re reluctant, and the likes of Russia are benefiting.
3) President Donald Trump predicted Cuba wants to make a deal with the US, but said he wants to finish the war with Iran before turning his attention to the Communist island nation.“I think we will pretty soon either make a deal or do whatever we have to do,” he told reporters Sunday on Air Force One. “We’re talking to Cuba, but we’re going to do Iran before Cuba.”Under Trump, the US has been tightening the screws on Cuba, imposing an almost total fuel blockade that has exacerbated already hours-long blackouts