NPR News: 07-23-2026 7AM EDT

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Kristen Wright· Host0:13

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright. US Central Command says it carried out a twelfth straight night of strikes against Iran. And Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels say they struck two oil tankers in the Red Sea. As a result, oil prices are surging. NPR's Deepa Shivaraman reports.

Deepa Shivaraman0:32

Gas prices are going up again. Inflation is up. And at the same time that Americans are struggling with these higher prices, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this week that the Iran war so far has cost thirty-seven point five billion dollars, that's with a B, which is pretty big for a price tag for a war that Trump said would end months ago. And, you know, not to mention American troops who have been killed and injured in action as well.

Kristen Wright· Host0:56

President Trump blamed inflation on the Biden administration during a rally in Marietta, Georgia yesterday. House Republicans advanced a ninety-five billion dollar budget blueprint, mostly for the war with Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held direct talks with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of a ministers' summit in the Philippines today. NPR's Charles Maynes reports their conversation focused heavily on Russia's war in Ukraine.

Charles Maynes1:23

The meeting between Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov lasted just over half an hour. Ahead of it, Rubio