Trump’s war on Iran: grave dangers and, at best, limited benefits

February 28, 2026
Matthew Bunn
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have launched a large-scale war against Iran, recklessly and unnecessarily endangering American, Israeli, and Iranian lives. As with the 2003 Iraq war, the path to conflict has been paved with false statements. Pandora’s box is now open: The consequences will be lasting but are impossible to predict in the opening hours of the assault.

Going to War, Again, for Israel

February 28, 2026
Chris Hedges
Once again, America is going to war for Israel. Once again, many will die for the Zionist state, including American service members. Once again, we will stumble blindly into a military fiasco. Once again, we will do the bidding of a foreign power whose interests are not our interests, but whose lobbyists have bought up our political class, including Donald Trump. Once again, we will violate the U.N. charter by attacking a country that does not pose an imminent threat.

An image of a girls’ elementary school hit by an airstrike on Saturday in Minab, Iran posted by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on X.

Iran Attacked by the US and Israel When Peace Was Within Reach

February 27, 2026
Bamo Nouri
US and Iranian negotiators met in Geneva earlier this week in what mediators described as the most serious and constructive talks in years. Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, spoke publicly of “unprecedented openness,” signalling that both sides were exploring creative formulations rather than repeating entrenched positions. Discussions showed flexibility on nuclear limits and sanctions relief, and mediators indicated that a principles agreement could have been reached within days, with detailed verification mechanisms to follow within months.

LIVE BLOG: Iran Launches Crushing Retaliation after Large-Scale US-Israeli Attack

February 28, 2026

US–Israeli aggression on Iran kills many civilians, spurs massive Iranian retaliation, and the Axis of Resistance vows further response amid global alarm.

‘Bombs Will Be Dropping Everywhere’: Trump Launches Illegal Regime Change War Against Iran

February 28, 2026
Jake Johnson

“The US once again used the veneer of negotiations as a cover to bomb Iran.”

Trump Announces Attacks, Regime Change Operations in Iran

February 28, 2026
Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

In a Truth Social post the president tells the 'Iranian people' that when the US is done 'the government is yours to take'

People watch as smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.(AP Photo)

US, Israel attack Iran live: Israel claims Khamenei killed, Iran denies

February 28, 2026
Nils Adler and Joseph Stepansky

US and Israel Launch War on Iran, Call for Regime Change

February 28, 2026
Sharon Zhang

The first casualties reported by Iran were those from strikes on an elementary girls’ school.

A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran, Iran, on February 28, 2026.

The Strait of Hormuz and Iran: Where Geography becomes a Weapon

February 27, 2026
Jasim Al-Azzawi
( Middle East Monitor ) – For decades, American military planners have operated on a simple assumption: that overwhelming force, applied decisively, could resolve almost any crisis in the Persian Gulf. Iran, it turns out, has spent years making that assumption obsolete — not by building a navy capable of matching America’s, but by turning a narrow strip of water into the world’s most expensive dare.

210111-A-IY623-1020 STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Jan. 11, 2021) The patrol coastal ship USS Firebolt (PC 10) transits the Strait of Hormuz, Jan. 11. Firebolt is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and Pacific through the Western Indian Ocean and three critical chokepoints to the free flow of global commerce. (U.S. Army photo by Specialist Evens Milcette Jr.) Picryl .

Tehran urges Washington to drop ‘excessive demands’ as USS Ford approaches Israel

February 27, 2026

Intelligence assessments have refuted Trump’s recent claims that Iran was working to build missiles capable of reaching the US

Gen Z doesn't have the same hang-ups about Iran as older Americans

February 27, 2026
Jack Hunter

Most adults in a new poll believe Tehran is an enemy, but the variation among age groups reflects different life experiences and of course, news consumption

US and Iran wrap up ‘most serious’ nuclear talks in Geneva

February 27, 2026

Both sides report progress but key differences remain, with technical negotiations set to resume in Vienna next week

US allows staff to evacuate from Jerusalem as UK pulls officials from Iran

February 27, 2026

The move comes as prospect of war with Tehran grows and US troops are redeployed from bases across the region

A road sign points the way towards the US embassy in Jerusalem in April 2024 (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP)

The crown prince waiting for Iran’s Islamic Republic to fall

February 27, 2026
Simon Theobald

Reza Pahlavi has a roadmap, foreword and millions of diaspora supporters — but his vision for Iran raises more questions than it answers

CENTCOM: US Military’s First Kamikaze Drone Unit Is Ready for Potential Attacks on Iran

February 26, 2026
Dave DeCamp

The drones the US deployed to the Middle East were designed by reverse engineering Iran's Shahed-136 drones

LUCAS drones are positioned on the tarmac at a base in CENTCOM area of operations on November 23, 2025 (CENTCOM photo)

Chris Hedges: The Suicidal Folly of a War with Iran

February 26, 2026
Chris Hedges

Despite the fact that no one asked for it, another regional war looms in the Middle East.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) completes the third and final scheduled explosive event of Full Ship Shock Trials while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, Aug. 8, 2021. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Novalee Manzella / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

Iran answers Trump's main demand to avoid war before last ditch talks

February 25, 2026
Shane Croucher
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has emphasized Tehran’s position that it will not develop nuclear weapons in response to U.S. President Donald Trump saying he had not yet heard such a promise.

حملهٔ آمریکا به ایران

این روزها مذاکرات بین دولت‌های ایران و آمریکا توسط ویتکاف و عراقچی با میانجی‌گری دولت عمان بر سر مسئلهٔ اتمی‌ ایران خبر داغ روز است. البته سال‌هاست که این مذاکرات در مراحل و زمان‌های مختلفی‌ صورت گرفته است، ولی‌ با توجه به جنبش اخیر در ایران، این مذاکرات مرحلهٔ جدیدی را طی می‌کنند. نیروهای آمریکائی در خلیج فارس آمادهٔ حمله به ایران می‌باشند، و این تهدید نه تنها در شکل مذاکرات تاثیر می‌گذارد، بلکه هدف از این مذاکرات را زیر پرسش قرار میدهد، و حتّی عنوان این نشست، یعنی‌ مذاکره، با توجه به حضور این نیروها در وضعیت و مقام حمله، به نظر مسخره و ابلهانه می‌آید.ا

Iran and Ukraine: Narrow World

February 25, 2026
Peter Bach
If you think about it, the world’s not that wide. It only feels that way on maps. It gets pretty narrow at key pressure points like the thin ribbon of water called the Strait of Hormuz. The global economy likes to think it “breathes” through this over-tight passage. But listen carefully and you can hear it gasp—tankers inching through with creaking trepidation, markets peering at the horizon, traders watching pulsing radar screens like heart monitors.

The Strait of Hormuz. Photograph Source: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC – Public Domain

Iran dismisses Trump’s nuclear claims as ‘big lies’

February 25, 2026

The US president has accused Tehran of seeking atomic weapons during his State of the Union address

Jeremy Scahill: Prospects for avoiding US-Iran war ‘remain fragile’

February 25, 2026
Maximillian Alvarez
Maximillian Alvarez:
Welcome everyone to the Real News Network podcast. I’m Maximillian Alvarez. I’m the editor in chief here at The Real News, and it’s so great to have you all with us. 

Iranian Foreign Minister: Iran Will Never Develop a Nuclear Weapon

February 24, 2026
Dave DeCamp
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday reaffirmed Iran’s long-standing position that it does not seek nuclear weapons and will never develop them. The comments come as Trump administration officials threaten war over claims Tehran may be pursuing a bomb, even as President Trump insists he already “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.

Anticipating war: Voices from Iranian society

February 24, 2026
Fereshteh Sadeghi

As Washington sharpens its threats, Iranians – still scarred by last year’s war – are compelled to confront who stands with the country, and who awaits foreign bombardment.

Iran-China Missile Deal Advances Amid IRGC Drills and Deadly Helicopter Crash

February 24, 2026

Iran edges toward Chinese anti-ship missile deal as drills intensify and nuclear talks approach critical stage.

 

Trump Admits War Would Be Disastrous for Ordinary Iranians as He Weighs Military Assault

February 24, 2026
Jake Johnson

“The stakes are clear,” said the National Iranian American Council. “There’s a chance to avert war and disastrous outcomes for the people of Iran, but time may be running out.”

Iran vows ‘ferocious retaliation’ as Trump weighs ‘limited’ strike

February 23, 2026

A spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security committee said that this week’s negotiations will determine whether US soldiers ‘go to hell or return home

Insectopolis and the Fantastic Peter Kuper

February 23, 2026
Paul Buhle
Who would expect a noted and prolific political-cultural comic artist to devote an entire, oversized volume to insect life?

Can Anti-Billionaire Populism Deliver a ‘Blue Wave’ for Democrats?

February 23, 2026
Conor Lynch

Hopes for a major gains in the midterm are high, but the party is still divided on whether to embrace voters’ anger at the uber rich.

What if today's Iran is resigned to a long, hellish war with the US?

February 23, 2026
Sajjad Safaei

Tehran learned from the June attack and its comparative advantage now is to drag Washington into a protracted regional conflict

Israel and American Hawks are pushing US to Iran War with Catastrophic Consequences

February 22, 2026
Hugh J. Curran
Orono, Maine (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – It seems clear that Israeli proponents of conflict in the Middle East, as well as supporters in the US media and politics, are determined to take America to war with Iran. This observation was forcefully stated by the global affairs analyst, Patrick Henningsen, who has recently returned from Iran.

“IRIGF Regional Headquarters.” US Defense Intelligence Agency. Public Domain. Via Picryl

US Pulls Troops from Gulf Bases; Iran Warns: ‘All American Assets Are Targets’

February 21, 2026
US evacuates troops from Gulf bases as Iran warns of retaliation, rejects nuclear transfer, and tensions edge toward possible confrontation.

 

Iran’s internet blackout as media event: Networks, algorithms, and the politics of visibility

February 21, 2026
Bahar Almasi

During Iran’s internet blackout, state violence unfolded unseen with competing propagandists filling the digital void

Iran says US military build-up ‘unnecessary and unhelpful’, deal achievable

February 20, 2026

Top Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi says US ‘has not asked’ for zero uranium enrichment in nuclear talks.

February 20, 2026
Trita Parsi

The deal Trump wants is a no-go for Tehran, which is resigned to retaliating if bombed again, limited or otherwise

From Tehran to Gaza: Frontlines of Resistance

February 20, 2026
M. Reza Behnam
Forty-seven years ago, after a millennium of monarchical rule, Iran reinvented its political system. The Islamic Republic was birthed by the Revolution of 1979; considered one of the most consequential historical events of modern times.

Iran Crisis Exposes the Impotence of America’s Neoliberal War Machine

February 20, 2026
Nicolas J. S. Davies
( Code Pink ) – After some delays, the United States is dispatching a second aircraft-carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, from the Caribbean to the Middle East to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and threaten Iran.

A new war in the Middle East seems only a matter of time

February 20, 2026
Lucas Leiroz

The U.S., Israel and Iran escalate their tensions.

Iran, Egypt to restore full diplomatic ties after 47 years

February 20, 2026

The landmark agreement follows months of high-level talks and a structured roadmap aimed at reviving political and economic cooperation

Trump appears to be gearing up to attack Iran. How close are we to war?

February 19, 2026
Michael Arria

Donald Trump says he will decide whether to attack Iran within the next 10 days. Mondoweiss talks with Center for International Policy Senior Fellow Sina Toossi about Trump’s threats, Israel's role, and how Iran might respond if the US starts a war.

President Trump Threatens War With Iran at His First ‘Board of Peace’ Meeting

February 19, 2026
Dave DeCamp

The US president convened the meeting as he's overseeing the largest buildup of US airpower in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq

‘The tankers just keep coming’: US military movements spike fears of imminent attack on Iran

February 19, 2026
Jessica Corbett

“HANDS OFF IRAN Mr. TRUMP,” said Yanis Varoufakis. “And to the rest of us: Let’s do whatever it takes to oppose another war crime—this time against the Iranian people.”

Trump sets deadline for Iran deal

February19, 2026

The US president hinted at possible military action during his Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ inaugural speech

“Extremely Dangerous Situation”: Trita Parsi Warns U.S. & Iran Have Incentives to Escalate Conflict

February 18, 2026
As U.S. and Iranian officials continue negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, President Trump has ordered a buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers. “This is an extremely dangerous situation, which both sides are actually incentivized to escalate,” says Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. “Both sides actually believe that a short, intense war may improve their negotiating position.”

 

Iran-US nuclear talks may fail due to both nations’ red lines – but that doesn’t make them futile

February 17, 2026
The latest rounds of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran are going well enough for now, according to the steady drip of public statements from the main parties involved.

The aftermath of an Israeli strike in Tehran on June 23, 2025. Elyas/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Iranians dance through tears as they mourn slain protesters

February 18, 2026

Holding 40th-day memorials for killed demonstrators, people across Iran mix mourning and music as a form of protest

بازداشتن یک انسان از زندگی‌

گرچه فرزند ناخواسته و یا برنامه‌ریزی نشده در بین گروه قلیلی از افراد یافت می‌شود، ولی‌ اکثریت قریب به اتفاق خانواده‌ها از داشتن نوزاد و تولید یک انسان شادی می‌کنند و فرزند جدید یک موهبتی است که آنرا قدر می‌شمرند. بدین دلیل است که جمعیت دنیا همواره رو به افزایش است. البته عوامل دیگری نیز در کثرت جمعیت دخیل می‌باشند، مانند نوآوری‌های پزشکی‌ و رفاه از طریق گسترش تکنولوژی در سطح جهانی‌.ا

From Waltz to Hormuz: Why a Gulf Escalation would backfire Systemically

February 17, 2026
‏Peiman Salehi
( Middle East Monitor ) – Most analyses of potential US escalation against Iran in the Gulf remain confined to deterrence logic and regional balances of power. The debate often focuses on credibility, retaliation, and red lines. Yet such framing misses a deeper structural reality. When viewed through the lens of classical international relations theory, a Gulf crisis is not merely a bilateral confrontation. It is a stress test for the global industrial system.

“Map of Straits of Hormuz” Public Domain. Via Picryl.

Trump stalls over Iran strike plan, Iran holds all the aces

February 17, 2026
Martin Jay

Trump may pretend that Israel is a client state of Washington which has to toe the line, but in reality, it is clear that Israel is calling the shots.

When Trump’s bluff meets reality on Iran

February 16, 2026
Leon Hadar

Fantasy that maximum pressure plus military threats will produce Iran’s capitulation has been tested repeatedly and failed each time

The USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group are locked and loaded to attack Iran. Image: X Screengrab

Iranian FM holds ‘in-depth technical discussions’ with IAEA chief in Geneva

February 16, 2026

The talks come as the Pentagon weighs a potential ‘weeks-long’ war against Iran