Could Trump bomb Iran before settling on a rationale?

February 3, 2026
Paul R. Pillar

Even the shifting justifications could be resolved with diplomacy

US Claims It Downed Iranian Drone near Carrier – Tehran Denies

February 3, 2026

The US claimed it downed an Iranian drone near its carrier as naval tensions escalated across key Gulf waterways.

An alleged US military drone intercept near key Gulf waterways has intensified tensions with Iran, which denies any hostile action or confrontation occurred. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)

US Says It Shot Down Iranian Drone in the Arabian Sea

February 3, 2026
Dave Decamp

According to US Central Command, an F-35 jet from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln took down the drone

USS Abraham Lincoln transits the San Bernido Strait in the Philippines on December 25, 2025 (US Navy photo)

The Iranian Protests Explained

February 2, 2026
Daniel Falcone
In this interview, international relations scholar Stephen Zunes and Middle East historian Lawrence Davidson help to unpack the Iranian protests and explain their relevance within the context of U.S. and Israeli national interests.

Protests in Tehran on 8 January. Photograph Source: Standardwhale – CC BY 0

Iranian FM reveals 'fruitful' indirect talks with US in push for de-escalation

February 2, 2026

Araghchi warned that war would be a 'disaster for everyone' and said Tehran is prepared to confront an attack

Iran eyes progress towards US nuclear talks as tension eases

February 2, 2026
Paul Rogers

Iran examines regional proposals to ease tensions with the US as it expects a framework for talks in the coming days.

How a US/Israeli Strike on Iran could Provoke a wider Conflict

February 1, 2026
Paul Rogers
( OpenDemocracy.net ) – On his way back from Davos last weekend, Donald Trump warned the Iranian leadership of a naval force heading for the Middle East with an implied threat of military action. Since then, an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in the Indian Ocean bordering the Arabian Sea and within the US Central Command’s area of operations.

Iran warns of regional conflict if US attacks, designates EU armies 'terrorists'

February 1, 2026
Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Alexander Smith, Jane Merriman and Hugh Lawson

Iran Ayatollah's son 'has £100million in property on Billionaire's Row' in North London

January 31, 2026
ABUL TAHER and PADRAIC FLANAGAN

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who is touted as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's successor, is said to own 11 properties on Bishops Avenue (pictured)

Iranians seal windows and store food and water as they prepare for attack

January 31, 2026

While the US builds up its military assets in the Gulf, Iranians quietly brace for a new war

Iranians wait for minibuses after arriving at the Razi-Kapikoy border crossing in north-eastern Turkey on 31 January 2026 (AFP)

Iran’s Nationwide Internet Blackout Has Left Us Feeling Hopeless and Helpless

January 30, 2026
Ali Reza Nemati

As Donald Trump threatens further military action, the sense of exhaustion in Iran is palpable.

An Iranian woman looks at an electronic board displayed outside a currency exchange shop in downtown Tehran, Iran, on January 20, 2026, following recent unrest in Iran.

West’s hypocrisy over Iran and Gaza proves a regime-change operation in Tehran

January 30, 2026

Far from expressing any condemnation against the Israeli regime, the U.S. and the EU (with minor exceptions) have maintained an odious silence.

US war with Iran demands strategy, not just strength

January 30, 2026
M A Hossain

If and when US attacks Iran, what does Trump expect to achieve—and can any of it realistically be delivered by military force?

A US assault on Iran could quickly spiral into a wider regional war. Image: US Army

“Prevent the Bloodshed”: Filmmaker Sepideh Farsi on Iran Protests & U.S. Threats of Military Strikes

January 30, 2026
The latest reliable estimates of the death toll in Iran’s recent nationwide protests are growing, potentially reaching the tens of thousands. Some estimates place the number of civilians killed by government forces at 30,000 or more. We play a rare eyewitness account of the deadly massacre of protesters in Rasht, Iran, and speak to the Iranian filmmaker and political dissident Sepideh Farsi, who says U.S. military intervention “would only worsen the situation.” She warns that President Trump’s interest in U.S. military action on the country is “for business,” and “not for Iranian people.”

US aims to sway Saudi defence minister to get behind Iran strikes, sources say

January 29, 2026
Sean Mathews

As the Gulf urges the US to engage in diplomacy, the Trump administration is using a Washington visit to pressure the kingdom

The Biggest Threats the Iranian People Face Are America and Israel

January 30, 2026
Stan Cox

EU labels IRGC ‘terrorist organisation’ as Iran-US tensions roil

January 29, 2026

People walk past an anti-US billboard in Tehran, Iran, on 26 January 2026 (Majid Asgaripour/Wana via Reuters)

Iran vows to strike back 'like never before' as Trump intensifies war threats

January 28, 2026

The Islamic Republic has recently threatened to strike both Israel and US bases across West Asia if it comes under attack

‘No Retreat’ – Iran in Control of Hormuz as US ‘Armada’ Deploys, Regional Mediation Intensifies

January 28, 2026

Iran denied recent contact with the US as Washington deployed major military assets, Tehran carried out executions, and regional powers pushed for de-escalation amid mounting war fears.

Iran's battle for survival is the Arab world's fight too

January 28, 2026
David Hearst

Everyone in the region, whatever their past history with the Islamic Republic, should do their utmost to defend Iran and guarantee its sovereignty

An anti-US and anti-Israel banner hangs on a building in Tehran on 27 January 2026, as a US naval strike group has deployed to Middle Eastern waters (Atta Kenare/AFP)