Up First from NPR

Israel Reacts To Iran Deal, Trump Meets World Leaders At G7, Georgia Primary Preview

12 min
Jun 16, 2026about 1 month ago
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Summary

The US and Iran signed a deal to negotiate an end to their war, but Israel is excluded from talks and opposes the agreement's lack of provisions on Iran's nuclear capabilities. President Trump is meeting G7 leaders in France to discuss the Iran deal and Ukraine, while Georgia holds high-stakes Republican primary runoffs where Trump's endorsements diverge from Governor Kemp's picks.

Insights
  • Israel's exclusion from Iran negotiations creates a significant diplomatic rift and potential spoiler risk, with Netanyahu facing domestic political pressure ahead of fall elections.
  • Trump's endorsements in Georgia Republican primaries directly contradict Governor Kemp's picks, exposing a fracture within the GOP between Trump-aligned and establishment candidates.
  • European G7 leaders are using the Iran deal as an opportunity to push for greater European independence from US foreign policy, particularly on Ukraine negotiations.
  • The Iran nuclear question remains unresolved in the agreement, which only commits to future negotiations rather than addressing Israel's stated primary concern.
  • Multiple primary elections across states reveal voter sentiment on Trump's influence within the Republican Party and candidate electability in swing states.
Trends
Increasing divergence between Trump-backed and establishment Republican candidates in key swing statesEuropean nations consolidating diplomatic independence from US leadership on Middle East and Ukraine policyNuclear proliferation concerns remaining unresolved in major geopolitical agreements despite military interventionPrimary elections becoming referendums on Trump's political influence and endorsement power within GOPIncumbent vulnerability in swing state Senate races creating high-stakes general election matchupsFar-right political factions using foreign policy disagreements to challenge moderate coalition partnersRanked choice voting adoption expanding in US electoral systems at local and state levels
People
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli PM rejected Iran deal terms, excluded from negotiations, facing domestic political pressure before elections.
Donald Trump
Negotiated Iran deal, meeting G7 leaders, endorsing Republican primary candidates in Georgia and other states.
Emmanuel Macron
Met with Trump at G7 summit, praised Iran deal, advocated for European independence from US foreign policy.
Volodymyr Zelensky
Met with G7 leaders to discuss Ukraine-Russia war negotiations and international support.
Brian Kemp
Endorsed Derek Dooley for Senate and Bert Jones for governor, opposing Trump's primary endorsements.
Kerry Khan
Reported from Tel Aviv on Israel's reaction to Iran deal and Netanyahu's domestic political challenges.
Daniel Kurtzleben
Covered Trump's G7 summit activities, Iran deal reactions, and European diplomatic dynamics.
Stephen Fowler
Covered Georgia Republican primary runoffs, Trump endorsements, and other state primary elections.
Ori Ben-Ami
Provided Israeli public perspective on Iran deal, calling it shameful for leaving Israel out.
Mike Collins
Trump-endorsed candidate in Georgia Republican Senate primary runoff against Derek Dooley.
Derek Dooley
Candidate in Georgia Senate primary runoff, endorsed by Governor Kemp, opposed by Trump.
Bert Jones
Endorsed by both Trump and Kemp for Georgia governor, involved in 2020 election overturn efforts.
Rick Jackson
Candidate in Georgia gubernatorial runoff, positioned as more moderate alternative to Bert Jones.
Vladimir Putin
Recently spoke with Trump, Russia fired missiles at Ukraine amid G7 discussions on war negotiations.
Ursula von der Leyen
Called for increased pressure on Russia to negotiate end to Ukraine war at G7 summit.
Mark Wayne Mullen
Appointed Homeland Security Secretary, creating open Senate seat in Oklahoma with multiple candidates.
John Ossoff
Democratic incumbent described as most vulnerable on ballot, facing Republican primary winner in Georgia.
Quotes
"Trump doesn't do everything I say, nor do I do everything Trump asks. We are partners and often we agree and sometimes we disagree. That happens in the best of families."
Benjamin Netanyahu
"I think it's a lot for us. We did a lot of effort. We've been through a hell of a time here in Israel. It seems like not for a lot of benefit."
Ori Ben-Ami
"It's not so much what is in the agreement, but what is not."
Kerry Khan
"Kemp's argument that Trump's candidate isn't right for the senate, but is right to be the next governor, highlights this big divide in the Republican Party."
Stephen Fowler
Full Transcript
The US and Iran have a deal to end the war, but Israel is not happy. Israel's Prime Minister rejects Iran's demands for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese land. I'm Leila Faldil, that's a Martinez, and this is Up First from NPR News. President Trump is meeting with world leaders in France today. They're expected to discuss the deal with Iran, but European leaders are eager to talk about Ukraine. And voters in several states are heading to the polls today, including high-stakes runoffs in Georgia, a swing state where President Trump's endorsement is facing another test. He's backing a different candidate in the state's Senate race than Georgia's Republican governor. Stay with us, we've got the news you need to start your day. The US and Iran will sign an agreement to negotiate an end to the war this Friday in Switzerland, what those negotiations will look like are still not clear. But what is known is that Israel, which began the war with the US, will not be a party at those talks. Israel's Prime Minister has been sidelined in the agreement and could be a spoiler in negotiations to end the war. For more we go to NPR's Kerry Khan in Tel Aviv. So Kerry, what's in the agreement that Israel does not like? It's not so much what is in the agreement, but what is not. We don't have a lot of the details yet, as you said, but first and foremost, for Israel, there is no stated plan to deal with Iran's nuclear capabilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that's why Israel started the war with Iran in the first place to prevent what he said was this imminent nuclear threat, right? But the agreement being signed is just a commitment to negotiate and that's concerning to Israel. Also unclear what will happen to Iran's proxies fighting with Israel, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. And Israel rejects Tehran's demands for Israel's withdrawal from all Lebanese territory, which Israel has significantly attacked and occupied during this war. That's something Netanyahu says will not happen and that could be a major sticking point in getting this pact even signed. What is Netanyahu saying publicly about that and not being part of the negotiations to end the war? He is not happy and he's getting a lot of heat here at home for it. He held a press conference last night and immediately addressed the criticism that his goals were not met, especially Iran's nuclear question, which he calls his life's mission not to allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon. He says that will remain his priority. He was asked, of course, about his relationship with Trump. Recently Trump has publicly called Netanyahu crazy, difficult, ungrateful. Netanyahu clearly didn't want to address any rift. He just said, look, Trump doesn't do everything I say, nor do I do everything Trump asks. We are partners and often we agree and sometimes we disagree. That happens in the best of families, was all he would say. All right, so what is Rayleigh saying about the deal? There seems to be widespread dissatisfaction with the deal from the streets to the political corridors. Here's Ori Ben-Ami. He's a communication and relationship coach that we talked to in Tel Aviv. He called the deal shameful as it leaves Israel out of the picture and Hezbollah still active in Lebanon and Hamas still in Gaza. I think it's a lot for us. We did a lot of effort. We've been through a hell of a time here in Israel. It seems like not for a lot of benefit. Political opponents and Netanyahu's allies are hammering him over it. Remember, elections are coming this fall. The far right, even those in Netanyahu's governing coalition are calling it dangerous. Just remember, a few months back Netanyahu saw a very different political landscape here for himself. The U.S. together would bring down Iran and he would sail to another electoral victory. Now just months before voters go to the polls, he has this very public rift with the U.S. president and he is left out of negotiating the war's end. This is MPR's Kerry Khan in Tel Aviv. Kerry, thanks. You're welcome. It's President Trump's first full day at the G7 summit. Qatar and the UAE are not part of that group, but their top officials will be meeting with Trump today. Key stakeholders to the deal he just came to with Iran. But as much as the European members of the G7 want the war to end, they are just as focused on getting Russia to negotiate an end to its war in Ukraine. MPR's White House correspondent Daniel Kurtzleben is here. So Daniel, what has the president done so far at the conference? Well yesterday he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and this morning he and other G7 leaders met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. And while Iran has understandably gotten a lot of attention in the run up to the summit, leaders at the G7 have been eager to talk Ukraine. Just this week, Russia fired dozens of missiles at Ukraine, killing 11 and sparking a fire on one of Ukraine's religious landmarks. And that all just came hours after Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky. And ahead of the G7 amid all that, EU Commission President Ursula Vodner-Lyon said one goal would be to increase the pressure on Russia in order to get Putin to negotiate. But of course, the topic of Iran will be central at this G7 meeting as well. Like you said, Trump will meet with leaders from Qatar and the UAE, both of which had targets Iran attacked during this war. And then after all that, there's a bigger meeting between G7 leaders and Middle Eastern leaders. So what's the reaction been to the Iran deal there at the G7? Well, Macron praised it in brief remarks yesterday, calling the agreement important in that it deals with the nuclear issue. But of course, we don't know how that will shake out and further U.S.-Iran talks. It's also possible that the leaders of G7 countries, that's a group that includes Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, that they're going to praise Trump this week even while they're pretty frustrated with him. I mean, this war did hurt their economies after all. And additionally, we did see Trump get upset when some European countries didn't help out with the war to his liking, such as allowing the U.S. to use their airspace. But zooming out, as our colleague Franco Ardonias has reported, Trump's repeated antagonism toward European nations, whether it's regarding NATO or Greenland or tariffs, it's pushed those countries together, making them more willing to just kind of band together and push back against the U.S., like with Iran, for example. And Macron has been one of the louder European voices calling for those nations to be a little more independent from the U.S. All right, so what's left on President Trump's G7 agenda? Well, in addition to those meetings he still has planned, there are other big topics the White House says it wants to talk about, like AI regulation, the Ebola outbreak in Africa, and critical minerals. Beyond that, Trump has a private dinner with Macron before he leaves at the Palace of Versailles, no less, which seems like it'll be the kind of spectacle Trump really enjoys. But altogether, he just seems to have come into the summit feeling like he has a better hand because of the Iran breakthrough. But there are still a lot of challenges to discuss, not to mention he's just not been on the best of terms with a handful of leaders here. As for news, one more thing, there is the possibility of more news from Trump at the end of this trip, because often at this type of summit, the president does take questions right before he leaves. All right, that's MPR's Danielle Kurzleib and thanks a lot. Thank you. Another Tuesday brings another set of primary elections that tell us how American voters are feeling about the state of politics. Yeah, that includes a set of runoffs in Georgia, which got some major endorsements over the weekend. MPR political reporter Stephen Fowler is covering this from Atlanta. All right, so there are Georgia runoffs for the Republican nominations for governor and U.S. Senate. What do we need to know there? Let's start with the Senate. John Ossoff is on paper the most vulnerable incumbent on the ballot for Democrats, and whoever wins this Republican primary will set up a high-profile big-money matchup in November. So, in the wee hours of the morning Sunday, after early voting already finished, President Trump made a lengthy endorsement for his pick to try and beat Ossoff, Congressman Mike Collins. Trump dinged Collins' opponent, former football coach Derek Dooley for not living in Georgia, for not voting in 2016 and 2020, and for saying that Trump lost Georgia in 2020, which he did. Dooley has the financial and political support of outgoing Governor Brian Kemp, whose argument among other things is that Dooley is the more electable candidate in a purple state like Georgia in a year that will likely be harder for Republicans at the ballot box. Kemp also rejected Trump's falsehoods around the 2020 election. The two have not had the best relationship since then. Was that a factor in the endorsement? Election strategists and voters alike that I've talked with in the last little bit say that that certainly didn't help Dooley's chances, and the Collins' endorsement is not inherently a surprise if you're paying attention. Mike Collins has been one of the more prototypical Trump-era congressmen. He's very brash online and with his campaign messaging, especially when it comes to emphasizing Trump's policies around immigration. What was surprising is Governor Brian Kemp's endorsement Sunday in the race to replace him of current Lieutenant Governor Bert Jones, who also has Trump's backing. Why was that surprising? Well, in that conversation about electability in a divided state like Georgia, Jones is the more hard-right candidate, and he's less appealing to middle-of-the-road voters than this billionaire healthcare executive outsider Rick Jackson, who's also in the runoff. Bert Jones was heavily involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, and he's the leader of the state senate, where he helps shepherd through some of the more controversial legislation in recent years in Georgia around everything from abortion restrictions to voting law changes. So Kemp's argument that Trump's candidate isn't right for the senate, but is right to be the next governor, highlights this big divide in the Republican Party that we're seeing right now. All right, there are other primary contests this midterm season, and you've been keeping track of some of them. Well, what else is worth keeping tabs on? Well, in Oklahoma, there is a series of musical chairs that left seats open after former Senator Mark Wayne Mullen was appointed the Homeland Security Secretary. Mullen's current replacement isn't running for a full term, so you've got a house representative, among others, seeking a promotion, then others looking to earn the nod for that house seat. In Alabama, you've got some runoffs, including both party's nominee for U.S. Senate, and another case where President Trump has his pick facing somebody else in a runoff. Then there's D.C., where a highly consequential mayoral primary and the race to be the district's non-voting member of Congress are on the ballot, plus A, a rollout of a new ranked choice voting system for all you election nerds out there like me. That's MPR's nerdy Steven Fowler. Steven, thanks. Thank you. And that's a first for Tuesday, June 16th, I'm Leila Faldil. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Tina Craya, Rebecca Metzler, Ben Swayze, Muhammad Edvardisi, and Taylor Haney. It was produced by Ziad Butch and Ben Abrams. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Nisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carly Strange, and our supervising senior producer is Vince Pearson. Join us again tomorrow. Music Millions of people in the U.S. get their flu shot each year, but a new scientific innovation could turn that routine into a one-shot stop, a universal flu vaccine, which would Protect not only against seasonal influenza, but also will prevent pandemic influenza. Learn about the revolution in fighting the flu on shortwave. Listen in the MPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.