Iran ; explosions across Tehran following Israeli and US strikes, 28 February 2026

[GatorsNorth]

Trump seeks to justify Iran war, but stated objectives shift​

• Trump's stated objectives for Iran war shift repeatedly

… conflicting statements from the president

… did not give a televised address to the nation, as is customary in moments of military action. He took no questions from reporters at Monday's event.

VARYING MESSAGES​

[…]

Trump’s timeline for the Iran operation has also shifted since it began. He first told the Daily Mail it could take “four weeks, or less,” then told The New York Times four to five weeks. In separate remarks on Sunday and Monday, he left open the possibility that the operation could continue longer until ⁠its objectives are achieved.

In his notification to Congress about the Iran strikes obtained by Reuters, Trump did not provide any timeline.

"Although the United States desires a quick and enduring peace, it is not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary," Trump wrote.

Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who has served as a State Department official focused on the Middle East, said Trump appeared to have deliberately left the war's ultimate outcome ⁠undefined.

"I'm not sure they're committed to any particular outcome," Alterman said.

[…]

Trump seeks to justify Iran war, but stated objectives shift

Trump’s timeline for the Iran operation has also shifted since it began.

www.reuters.com

MOO. I am really not understanding why the messages from DC seem to change every single day, and I’m not a stupid person. MOO

 

[otto]

combat-unit commander told non-commissioned officers at a briefing Monday that the Iran war is part of God’s plan and that Pres. Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth,” according to a complaint by a non-commissioned officer. From Saturday morning through Monday night, more than 110 similar complaints about commanders in every branch of the military had been logged by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF). The complaints came from more than 40 different units spread across at least 30 military installations, the MRFF told me Monday

That's wild! Someone's been reading too much Nostradamus and his predictions about Religious War.

"The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) says it has received more than 200 complaints from service members across all branches of the armed forces, including the marines, air force and space force.

One complainant told MRFF in a complaint, viewed by the Guardian, that their commander had “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ”.

“He said that ‘President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth’”, the NCO added."

US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’, watchdog alleges

Religious freedom group says 200 troops sent complaints of superiors using extremist Christian rhetoric to justify war

www.theguardian.com

https://ia601800.us.archive.org/18/items/dli.ministry.01432/20990.160.R.137_text.pdf

 

[nao]

Moo ..I guess it's one countries god against another countries god i would laugh if people were not dying...moo

 

[imstilla.grandma]

A drone struck the parking lot of the U.S. consulate in Dubai, according to a U.S. official and Dubai’s government media office.

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, came under attack twice on Tuesday, causing part of the roof to collapse, according to people familiar with the matter.

President Trump said Iran's military has been largely neutralized, including its navy and air force. He said the U.S. could start escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz—the strategic waterway where Iran warned it could begin attacking ships.

Israel struck a building Iranian clerics use to choose the country’s supreme leader. Iranian official media said the building had been evacuated.

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-israel-us-strikes-2026?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqeWlXm68yw6HX9xpIUpjeD5RCLwRVr-GBQY-P-6l9E0fp1A8PV9fLnc_SQ-fvQ%3D&gaa_ts=69a774ae&gaa_sig=JKACAT2plsQwSYBXr3jnS-4tZBZQGsfX0cEiEJ-xOE5vADjUbfh9PW5U7K8k7CDBDmIZdJThTkkdFFuC2TVUTw%3D%3D

 

[otto]

This is wild too!

"At a meeting of the UN Security Council, US First Lady Melania Trump emphasized the importance of peace and education for the development of children worldwide. It was the first time a first lady had chaired a meeting of the United Nations' most important policymaking body.
...

She emphasized the importance of universal education and growing up in peace. "Conflict stems from ignorance, but knowledge creates understanding. Fear then gives way to peace and harmony," the first lady said. When children grow up in conflict, they often develop into rigid thinkers who cling to prejudices and have little regard for the dignity of others, she continued. "When a country restricts opinions, it restricts its own future."
...

Although Melania Trump remained silent on the Iran war, top UN diplomat Rosemary DiCarlo did address it during the hearing. She recalled that armed conflicts have not reached this high since World War II, and that the conflict in the Middle East also underscores the importance of the issue. "The reality is clear: when conflict breaks out, it's the children who suffer the most."

Vredesoproep van Melania Trump bij VN is primeur, 'hypocriet' vindt Iran

Voor het eerst leidde een first lady de vergadering van de VN-Veiligheidsraad. De presidentsvrouw riep op tot vrede en begrip.

nos.nl

 

[MassGuy]

Last Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called President Trump with a stunning tip: Iran's supreme leader and his top advisers were all set to meet at one location in Tehran on Saturday morning.

• They could all be killed in a single devastating airstrike, Netanyahu told Trump and his team, according to three sources briefed on the discussion.

Inside the room: An initial CIA check, conducted at Trump's direction, confirmed the information about Khamenei gathered by Israeli military intelligence.

• Preparations accelerated as Trump told Netanyahu he would consider moving forward — but first came the president's State of the Union address the following night.
• U.S. officials said Trump made a "deliberate decision" not to focus excessively on Iran so as not to spook the ayatollah and drive him underground before the strike could be executed.

By Thursday, the CIA had fully "confirmed that these people were all going to be together, and we needed to take advantage of it," a source said.

• That same day, Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff called from Geneva after hours of talks with Iranian officials and delivered a blunt verdict: negotiations were going nowhere.
• "If you decide you want to do diplomacy, we will push and fight to get a deal. But these guys showed us they weren't willing to make the deal you will be satisfied with," a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the call said Trump was told.

Trump was now convinced of two things: the intelligence was solid, and diplomacy was dead. On Friday at 3:38 p.m. EST, he gave the final order.

• Eleven hours later, bombs fell on Tehran, Khamenei was killed and the war had begun.

https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/trump-netanyahu-call-iran-war-israel-coordination

 

[nao]

A drone struck the parking lot of the U.S. consulate in Dubai, according to a U.S. official and Dubai’s government media office.

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, came under attack twice on Tuesday, causing part of the roof to collapse, according to people familiar with the matter.

President Trump said Iran's military has been largely neutralized, including its navy and air force. He said the U.S. could start escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz—the strategic waterway where Iran warned it could begin attacking ships.

Israel struck a building Iranian clerics use to choose the country’s supreme leader. Iranian official media said the building had been evacuated.

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-israel-us-strikes-2026?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqeWlXm68yw6HX9xpIUpjeD5RCLwRVr-GBQY-P-6l9E0fp1A8PV9fLnc_SQ-fvQ%3D&gaa_ts=69a774ae&gaa_sig=JKACAT2plsQwSYBXr3jnS-4tZBZQGsfX0cEiEJ-xOE5vADjUbfh9PW5U7K8k7CDBDmIZdJThTkkdFFuC2TVUTw%3D%3D

Moo...oh yes gotta get that oil moving..moo

 

[MassGuy]

Moo ..I guess it's one countries god against another countries god i would laugh if people were not dying...moo

This has to do with nuclear bombs, drones, ballistic missiles, and funding terrorism.

God has nothing to do with that.

 

[mickey2942]

And, if it is not off topic, now Pakistan is bombing Afghanistan. This is a disturbing development.

Pakistan declares state of ‘open war’ after bombing major Afghan cities

Wave of strikes comes after Taliban forces attack Pakistani border troops following earlier action from Islamabad

www.theguardian.com

Pakistan does have nuclear weapons.

 

[SouthAussie]

That same day, Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff called from Geneva after hours of talks with Iranian officials and delivered a blunt verdict: negotiations were going nowhere.

"If you decide you want to do diplomacy, we will push and fight to get a deal. But these guys showed us they weren't willing to make the deal you will be satisfied with," a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the call said Trump was told.

I wonder what the deal that Kushner and Witkoff were offering was. Will we ever know the truth of exactly what was on the table.

imo

 

[GatorsNorth]

And, if it is not off topic, now Pakistan is bombing Afghanistan. This is a disturbing development.

Pakistan declares state of ‘open war’ after bombing major Afghan cities

Wave of strikes comes after Taliban forces attack Pakistani border troops following earlier action from Islamabad

www.theguardian.com

Pakistan does have nuclear weapons.

MOO. This “conflict” seems to have a ripple effect and I’m not liking it. MOO

 

[nao]

This has to do with nuclear bombs, drones, ballistic missiles, and funding terrorism.

God has nothing to do with that.

Moo.. America is happy to sell their war equipment... actually USA is kinda touchy if you don't buy from them. So yea I agree MassGuy ....moo

 

[Cryptic]

I think they excluded Bahais, and I don't know enough details about that religion to understand, why. (Growing too fast, perhaps?).

The Iranian regime is far more tolerate of Christianity and Judaism than Bahais because Christianity and Judaism pre-date Islam. Likewise, both are "Abrahamic religions. Therefore, Christians and Jews are and are considered "People of the book" in the Koran.

Meanwhile Bahaism emerged after Islam (when people were expected to accept Islam as the final message. They are Abrahamic in the full sense of the word, and are not mentioned in the Koran So.... far less tolerance.

 

[SouthAussie]

MOO. I am really not understanding why the messages from DC seem to change every single day, and I’m not a stupid person. MOO

It is possible that they are seeking a reason that will satisfy most US citizens. Typically, the longer a war and killing goes on the less favourable it is. imo


Only 27% of Americans approved of the U.S.-Israeli bombing of Iran, while 43% disapproved, according to a new poll by Reuters/Ipsos conducted over the weekend, before news that six U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iranian retaliatory attacks. And it’s not the only poll.

Most Americans Disapprove of War With Iran, Polls Show

There is a strong partisan divide in support for Trump’s latest military operations.

time.com

 

[otto]

The EU could be drawn into the conflict in the Middle East via Cyprus.

"Experts are convinced that the attacks on Iran are illegal under international law. ... Europeans benefit from Iran not acquiring nuclear weapons and from a different regime being established there for the benefit of the population. But the method used is inelegant," he believes, "and we must be careful not to accept Trump's approach as normal."

The US president himself leaves no doubt about it. "I don't need international law," he told the New York Times earlier this year. His top adviser, Stephen Miller, spoke of "might makes right" when discussing Greenland, which Trump had his eye on. EU leaders did, however, challenge him on this point.
...

EU member state Cyprus is under high tension. Cyprus is in the firing line, 400 kilometers off the coast of Israel. A British military base was struck by an Iranian drone shortly after Prime Minister Starmer authorized the US to use military bases for "defensive" actions against Iran. Iran sees the island as a target.
...

Greece and France have sent ships and fighter jets to protect Cyprus, and the UK is considering sending a warship. Cyprus could invoke Article 42.7 of the EU Treaty, which requires countries to assist each other in the event of an attack – a variation on NATO Article 5, which states that "an attack on one is an attack on all."
...

Cyprus has not yet requested assistance from the EU. Should it do so, the risk of the EU becoming directly involved in the war is very real."

Jetten en hele EU worstelen met Iran-oorlog, kritiek én begrip voor Trump

Europese leiders kijken verschillend naar de legitimiteit van de Iranoorlog die Washington en Jeruzalem voeren. De gevolgen van de oorlog voor de EU kunnen groot zijn.

nos.nl

 

[Seni]

Recommended reading:

Albert Hourani "A history of the Arab peoples" ( amongst other works)

For Lebanon

Robert Fisk "Pity the Nation"

 

[MassGuy]

Moo.. America is happy to sell their war equipment... actually USA is kinda touchy if you don't buy from them. So yea we agree MassGuy ....moo

The US has never sold those things to Iran and never will. That’s utter nonsense.

 

[Kalanit]

I always consider the source.

The article headline is obviously not a fact (certainly not a provable one anyway).

Which leaves us with a far left opinion piece from a far left source.

Jmo

Especially considering the stated reasons are the same as they've been all along, with weeks of warning/looming deadlines for Iran to comply. Here's a very interesting article from last Friday, re Trump's meeting with Saudi officials and why we needed to act now, as well as the clearly defined conditions of a deal to avoid attack:

Report: Saudi defense minister tells US not striking Iran would ’embolden’ regime

Source tells Times of Israel that Prince Khalid bin Salman was urging Washington to have a clear plan and objectives of what it wants to achieve before taking any action

www.timesofisrael.com

"Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman reportedly told US officials in a private meeting in Washington on Friday that the Iranian regime would be emboldened should US President Donald Trump refrain from ordering an attack on the Islamic Republic."
...
"The US has said a deal with Iran will have to include a ban on uranium enrichment in Iran, the removal of already-enriched uranium from Iran, a cap on Iran’s stockpile of long-range missiles and a rollback of Iran’s support for proxies in the region — all terms that Tehran has said it will not accept."

 

[Charlot123]

Moo ..I guess it's one countries god against another countries god i would laugh if people were not dying...moo

Well, the “Big Three” essentially pray to the same Abrahamic God. Each religion adds own prophets, though. Different interpretations of routines, rituals and how to venerate the deity come with human fight over money and power, but the God himself is the same. The underworld has undergone huger transformation in different religions, though.

 

[Dotta]

MOO. This “conflict” seems to have a ripple effect and I’m not liking it. MOO

These 2 countries (Afghanistan & Pakistan) have a long history of border conflict
(so called Durand Line), among other issues.

JMO