War in the Middle East enters its third week
Images: AFP | Martin Bernetti
Israeli and US forces continued bombarding targets across Iran over the weekend, while Tehran kept up its strikes against Israeli and American targets across the Middle East, as the war in the region entered its third week.
Catch up quick
In addition to strikes from Israel and Iran targeting each other, Israeli forces also launched attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, while Tehran has continued its daily attacks on oil and other infrastructure around the Gulf region, essentially closing all ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz (a key global shipping lane for oil).
President Trump on Friday said he directed a bombing raid on Iran’s Kharg Island for the first time, and threatened further strikes on Iran’s oil export hub. The terminal accounts for ~90% of the country’s crude exports, with a loading capacity of ~7 million barrels/day.
Oil markets react: Brent crude oil futures closed above $100/barrel for the second straight day on Friday. Overall, the global oil benchmark has surged more than 40% since the Iran war began on February 28.
Casualties continue to mount. More than 1,300 people in Iran have been killed in Israeli and US strikes since the war began, according to the country’s UN representative.
- Lebanon’s Health Ministry on Sunday said 850 people have been killed by Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah since the war began, with 2,000+ others injured.
- In Israel, officials say 12 people have been killed by Iranian strikes since the war began.
The US military confirmed that all six crew members were killed after a US Air Force refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq. Officials say there’s no indication the craft, which was supporting operations tied to the Iran war, was brought down by enemy or friendly fire.
Domestic war coverage draws Trump admin’s ire. On Saturday, FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned broadcasters Saturday they could lose their licenses if their coverage of the war with Iran includes what he called “news distortions.” Carr’s comments echo criticism from President Trump over the weekend over what he framed as “intentionally misleading” headlines from the WSJ and NYT. Free-speech groups and Democratic lawmakers pushed back against Carr’s statement, saying it could violate the First Amendment.
Looking ahead…In an interview Saturday, Trump said he’s not ready to make a deal to end the war with Iran—despite the country’s willingness to do so—“because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” though he didn’t mention any specifics.
Separately, the Trump admin is expected to announce this week that multiple countries have agreed to form a coalition that will escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, per the WSJ.
📊 Flash poll: After 2+ weeks of conflict: do you support or oppose US involvement in the ongoing war in the Middle East?
See a 360° view of what pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that Trump and his admin don’t seem to appreciate the weight of the responsibility it bears for waging war—as evidenced by their false claims that Iran struck one of its own schools—and that this haphazard planning may be putting the lives of US soldiers and innocent civilians at risk.
- Others contend that practical reasons to oppose Trump’s war include the fact that it hasn’t toppled Iran’s dictatorship (and might have strengthened it), resulted in the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz raising gas prices, and left both the US and the Iranian people in a worse place than before it started.
- “Accountability, even in war” –Albany Times-Union Editorial Board
- “What would we think if Iran hit an American school?” –Nicholas Kristof, NY Times
- “Iran is an imperial trap. America walked right in” –Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that the war is currently going very well for the US and Israel, with the vast majority of Iran’s military capabilities already destroyed, and that Trump must now extend his list of goals to include ending Iran’s ability to control the global flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Others contend that by every metric, the US is winning the war against Iran, showcasing formidable military prowess, and reviving American deterrence through force; but the Trump admin must see the war through to its end and not stop until all of its objectives are met, and Iran can no longer menace its neighbors or threaten Americans.
- “Will Trump ‘Fight to Win’ in Iran?” –Wall Street Journal Editorial Board
- “Trump should finish the job in Iran” –Washington Examiner Editorial Board
- “Team Trump needs to start lifting the fog of the Iran war for the US public” –NY Post Editorial Board
Share this!
Recent Discussion stories
Discussion
| March 13, 2026TSA faces calls for privatization as its baggage grows
Government shutdowns can feel abstract until you’re dragging a suitcase through a TSA line that barely moves.
Discussion
| March 11, 2026Trump urges Congress to SAVE America
In a meeting of House Republicans in Florida this week, President Trump once again warned lawmakers that he won’t sign any bills—outside of DHS funding—until Congress approves a new voter ID measure called the SAVE America Act.
Discussion
| March 9, 2026Iran war enters second week, as US seeks “unconditional surrender”
Israeli and US forces expanded their bombardment of Iran over the weekend, while Tehran continued to fire missiles at targets across the Middle East, as the war in the region entered its second week.
You've made it this far...
Let's make our relationship official, no 💍 or elaborate proposal required. Learn and stay entertained, for free.👇
All of our news is 100% free and you can unsubscribe anytime; the quiz takes ~10 seconds to complete