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EPISODE · Aug 31, 2026 · 15 MIN

Trump Venezuela Oil Deal, US & Iran Renew Strikes, House Back From Recess

from Up First from NPR · host Jodiveb

President Trump announced a new oil partnership that would give the U.S. majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan reserves, even as the deal raises questions about Washington’s goals for democracy there. The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire for the first time in nearly a month after American forces struck Iranian rocket launchers near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran retaliated against U.S. bases in Jordan and the UAE. The House is back for one week with midterms approaching, aiming to keep the government funded through Election Day while Republicans look for a message that can cut through high prices and an unpopular president. Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Dana Farrington, Willem Marx, Mohamad ElBardicy and Adam Bearne. It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange. (0:00) Introduction (01:57) Trump Venezuela Oil Deal (05:42) US & Iran Renew Strikes (09:23) House Back From Recess See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy 🔗 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: 📩 Get the full transcript and daily news alerts: 👉 https://goo.su/rXoU5U8 👈 📌 Support the show by visiting our sponsors and partners. 🎧 New episodes every morning at 6 AM ET.

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