US and Israeli strikes against Iran - 28 February 2026, Media, Maps & Timelines *NO DISCUSSION*

[imstilla.grandma]

President Donald Trump will address the nation Wednesday night to deliver an “important update” on the war in Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on social media.

Leavitt did not provide more details about what Trump is expected to say. His remarks are scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.

Trump discussed the war in a phone interview with NBC News on Tuesday morning, saying that “we’re doing great” and that the conflict is “coming to an end.” He later told reporters that he expects the U.S. to "leave" Iran within two or three weeks, adding that Iran does not have to make a deal with the U.S. for the war to end.

The war is entering its second month. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed and nearly 350 have been injured since U.S.-Israeli strikes began Feb. 28, according to a U.S. official familiar with the operations.

NBC News reported this month that Trump has repeatedly been offered off-ramps to the war but has turned them all down.

In the U.S., consumers are feeling the financial burn of the conflict. The average price of a gallon of gas exceeded $4 Tuesday, hitting its highest level since 2022, as Iran continues to clamp down on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes.

Americans have expressed their anger over high oil prices, with polls showingvoters are dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy.

Trump to address the nation with 'important' update on the Iran war

Trump will speak at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday after he said he expects the U.S. to leave Iran "soon."

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2039236170257674746

 

[sds71]

WSJ: The United Arab Emirates is preparing to help the U.S. and other allies open the Strait of Hormuz by force, Arab officials said, a move that would make it the first Persian Gulf country to become a combatant, after being hit by Iranian attacks.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2039268904627798070

 

[SouthAussie]

It’s been a good month for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the U.S.-Israeli war against its ally Iran.

the suspension of U.S. sanctions, which was meant to lessen the blow of a global energy crisis, has further allowed the Kremlin to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars more than usual on oil sales.

European officials are also taking note of Russia’s gains. Gen. Michael Claesson, the commander of Sweden’s armed forces, told The Hill last week that Moscow is benefiting from the war in Iran by “pouring” increased oil revenue into its war coffers.

U.S.-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine appeared to come to a complete standstill in February as Washington was gearing up for its war against Tehran.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5810168-putin-benefits-iran-war/

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[redflag71]

Trump says Iran’s president asked for ceasefire, but U.S. wants Hormuz Strait open first:​

Trump says Iran's president asked for ceasefire, but U.S. wants Hormuz Strait open first

 

[otto]

Does the US misunderstand NATO Article 5?

"NATO is a mutual defence alliance. At the heart of the treaty establishing the organisation is Article 5, which states that an armed attack against one shall be considered an attack against them all."

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10472/

"US President Trump is strongly considering leaving the NATO alliance. He calls NATO a "paper tiger"; in other words, the alliance looks strong and efficient, but it isn't. Trump is unhappy that NATO member states, including the United Kingdom, are being hesitant in this war. He is counting on military support. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US must "review" its membership."

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/liveblog/trump-overweeg-serieus-om-uit-navo-te-stappen-britse-premier~1774500481071/

"Singling out the UK, the US president rebuked Sir Keir Starmer for refusing to get involved in the American-Israeli war against Iran, suggesting the Royal Navy was not up for the task.

“You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work,” Trump said, referring to the state of Britain’s fleet of warships.

Asked if the Prime Minister should spend more on defence, Mr Trump added: “I’m not going to tell him what to do. He can do whatever he wants. It doesn’t matter. All Starmer wants is costly windmills that are driving your energy prices through the roof.”
...

Mr Trump’s demand for Nato to help in his war with Iran has led to questions about Article 5, the “attack on one is an attack on all” mutual defence clause.

It has only ever been invoked once, after the 9/11 attacks on the US. More than 1,100 non-US troops were killed in the subsequent war in Afghanistan, including 457 British soldiers. The clause relates only to when a Nato member is attacked, and therefore would not apply to the war in Iran, which began with joint US-Israeli air strikes on Feb 28."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/01/donald-trump-strongly-considering-pulling-us-out-of-nato/

 

[otto]

Trump says Iran’s president asked for ceasefire, but U.S. wants Hormuz Strait open first:​

Trump says Iran's president asked for ceasefire, but U.S. wants Hormuz Strait open first

Ceasefire, or guarantees that conflict will not be repeated?

"Iran has the will to end the war with Israel and the US, but is seeking guarantees that the conflict will not repeat itself. ... Pezeshkian said that the country "has the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met – particularly the guarantees needed to prevent a recurrence of the aggression."

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/liveblog/trump-overweeg-serieus-om-uit-navo-te-stappen-britse-premier~1774500481071/

 

[otto]

"Trump has been furious with his allies for weeks. The war in Iran is not going the way he wants, and he believes his NATO partners should help.
...

However, European NATO countries remain, for the time being, persistent in their refusal to participate in Trump's war. NATO is a defensive organization that only takes action when one of its members is attacked; therefore, several NATO countries refuse to make military bases available to the Americans and do not want to send military aid to open the Strait of Hormuz.
...

Even before Trump's second term began in 2025, a law was passed in the United States prohibiting the president from withdrawing Americans from NATO without congressional approval. That decision was made with a possible re-election of Trump in mind, who had already expressed negative views on the alliance during his first term."

Trump dreigt met vertrek uit NAVO nu steun van bondgenoten bij Iran-oorlog uitblijft

Gisteren liet Trump zijn frustratie over het uitblijven van Europese en Canadese steun voor de oorlog die de VS en Israël tegen Iran zijn begonnen de vrije loop.

nos.nl

 

[Rikissa]

Article from 1 April 2026:

Donald Trump said this past weekend he wants to “take the oil in Iran” by seizing control of a key export hub, echoing a refrain he has returned to for over a decade.

It’s a sign of his disregard for international law and belief in “fossil-fuel imperialism”, experts say.


“Trump truly believes that the US is entitled to whatever resource it so desires,” said Patrick Bigger, co-director of the Transition Security Project, a research initiative focused on the climate and geopolitical concerns of militarization. “It’s a real ‘might-makes-right’ logic that is both abhorrent and spectacularly miscalculated.”

‘Fossil-fuel imperialism’: Trump’s hankering for Iranian oil runs deep

Experts say the US believes it is entitled to resources it desires – a perspective president has supported for decades

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

Trump says Iran’s president asked for ceasefire, but U.S. wants Hormuz Strait open first:​

Trump says Iran's president asked for ceasefire, but U.S. wants Hormuz Strait open first

'False and baseless': Iran's foreign ministry denies country has asked US for ceasefire​

IMAGE SOURCE, AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Iran's foreign ministry says President Donald Trump's claim that the country has asked for a ceasefire is "false and baseless".

Iranian state TV is reporting the remarks as having been said by foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

It comes after Trump said earlier in a Truth Social post that Iran's "New Regime President", who he did not name, had asked for a ceasefire - and that he would consider it "when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear".

Updates: Iranian bridge cut in half by strike as Trump warns ‘more to follow’

Local officials say eight people were killed by the strike on the under-construction bridge in Karaj, a city west of Iran's capital Tehran.

www.bbc.co.uk

33m ago

Iran says Trump's claim of ceasefire request is 'false and baseless'​

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, called Trump’s claim that it has asked for a ceasefire is “false and baseless”, according to a report on Iranian state television.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard separately issued a statement saying the strait of Hormuz “is firmly and decisively under the control” of its forces, AP reported.

“This strait will not be opened to the enemies of this nation through the ridiculous spectacle by the president of the United States,” it added.

Middle East crisis live: Iran’s president says his country has no ‘enmity’ for American people ahead of Trump’s address

In his letter to the American people, Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian laid out the longstanding, historical grievances behind Tehran’s distrust of Washington

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

Death toll in Lebanon rises to more than 1,300 - health ministry​

IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS

In Lebanon, the number of people who've died since the war started on 28 February now stands at 1,318, according to health ministry figures reported by Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA).

A further 3,935 people are reported to have been wounded - adding that 50 have died in the past 24 hours alone.

Updates: Iranian bridge cut in half by strike as Trump warns ‘more to follow’

Local officials say eight people were killed by the strike on the under-construction bridge in Karaj, a city west of Iran's capital Tehran.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[otto]

Are Trump threats that US will leave NATO based in reality?

"If it depends on Trump, the United States already has one foot out of NATO. Can an American president decide that unilaterally, or do other powers play a role here? Short answer: no.

In the United States, a law was passed in 2023 under former President Joe Biden stating that a president must submit such a withdrawal to Congress.

Specifically, one of these two things must happen for the US to withdraw from NATO: either a two-thirds majority in the Senate must approve the departure, or a separate law must be passed by Congress. Both paths promise to be a difficult task."

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/liveblog/trump-zegt-dat-iran-om-staakthetvuren-heeft-gevraagd-teheran-~1774500481071/

 

[JennieM]

UK to host meeting of 35 countries on reopening key oil shipping channel​

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will host a virtual meeting of around 35 countries on Thursday to discuss viable diplomatic measures for reopening the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's busiest oil shipping channels.

Iran has effectively blocked the strait with a mix of threats, including drones, missiles, and potentially mines, since the US and Israel attacked the country on 28 February. As a result, global energy prices have risen.

At a Downing Street news conference earlier, UK PM Keir Starmer said the best way to address rising costs of living is to push for de-escalation and ensure the strait is reopened.

Updates: Iranian bridge cut in half by strike as Trump warns ‘more to follow’

Local officials say eight people were killed by the strike on the under-construction bridge in Karaj, a city west of Iran's capital Tehran.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

3:42 PM BST

Securing Iran’s enriched uranium by force would be risky and complex, experts say​

BY STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN

Should the U.S. decide to send in military forces to secure Iran’s uranium stockpile, it would be a complex, risky and lengthy operation, fraught with radiation and chemical dangers, according to experts and former government officials.

President Trump has offered shifting reasons for the war in Iran but has consistently said a primary objective is ensuring the country will “never have a nuclear weapon.” Less clear is how far he’s willing to go to seize Iran’s nuclear material.

Given the risks of inserting as many as 1,000 specially trained forces into a war zone to remove the stockpile, another option would be a negotiated settlement with Iran that would allow the material to be surrendered and secured without using force.

Iran has 972 pounds (440.9 kilograms) of uranium that’s enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency.

Live updates: Trump claims Iran wants a ceasefire, Iran calls remarks 'false and baseless'

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Iran’s president wants a ceasefire ahead of his speech. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman says Trump’s remarks were “false and baseless.”

apnews.com

 

[otto]

"Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s war has been an abject disaster. It’s a victory for the West that the murderous Ayatollah, Ali Khamenei, is now dead, but little has otherwise changed: Khamenei’s son is in charge and the theocratic, autocratic regime remains functional. Israel’s apparent belief that the Iranian people would successfully overthrow the regime if a bombing campaign commenced was entirely mistaken.
...

The Middle East is on fire, thousands of civilians are dead, and the U.S. troop death toll threatens to skyrocket if Trump launches any sort of ground invasion, as he’s indicated he might.The Strait of Hormuz remains throttled; a global energy crisis is already here, and with it, far higher prices at American gas pumps.
...

Economic conditions in America will only deteriorate. Iran will fight on, shooting rockets at the Gulf States and blocking the Strait of Hormuz until the war ends on terms they find acceptable."

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trumps-propaganda-machine-is-flailing-on-the-iran-war.html

 

[JennieM]

Trump faces legislative hurdles if he tries to pull the US out of Nato​

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

Trump has threatened to leave the Nato alliance before - and this time it's over what he perceives as the failure of allies to come to America's aid during the war in Iran.

Nato is heavily reliant on the size and capabilities of the US military, and a US withdrawal could spell disaster and the end of a transatlantic alliance that has endured since the aftermath of the World War Two.

The president, however, would face significant legislative hurdles if the country were to go ahead.

Foreseeing this possibility, in 2023 Congress approved a measure that was explicitly aimed at preventing a US president from unilaterally withdrawing the US from the alliance without congressional approval.

Doing so would require approval of two-thirds of the Senate or a specific act of Congress - a tough, but not impossible, hill for Trump to climb.

Notably, that measure was a bipartisan effort pushed for, in part, by then-Senator Marco Rubio.

Now Trump's secretary of state, Rubio has recently struck a much different tone - this week he referred to Nato as a "one-way street" which the US was going to have to "re-examine".

Updates: Iranian bridge cut in half by strike as Trump warns ‘more to follow’

Local officials say eight people were killed by the strike on the under-construction bridge in Karaj, a city west of Iran's capital Tehran.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

32m ago16.51 BST

Reeves says she's 'angry' about Trump starting Iran war, with no 'clear plan' how to get out of it​

In her interview with Jeremy Vine, Rachel Reeves, the [UK] chancellor, also said she was “angry” about Donald Trump’s decision to go to war in Iran.

I’m angry that Donald Trump has chosen to go to war in the Middle East, a war that there’s not a clear plan of how to get out of. It’s why we didn’t want to enter this.

Yes, it will have implications for our economy. I get that.

We are monitoring very closely what’s happening, trying to bring the oil and gas into the UK so that those supplies are there, and to try and get the prices down.

We are preparing, as you would expect … every single eventuality.

It is no surprise that Reeves, and other ministers, are angry about Trump’s decision to launch this war. Anger may even be an understatement. But mostly ministers have not said this in public, and this may be the harshest public statement we’ve had from a member of the government about Trump’s decision making.

Reeves criticises Trump for starting Iran war with no ‘clear plan’ to get out of it – UK politics live

‘I’m angry that Donald Trump has chosen to go to war in the Middle East,’ chancellor says

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

6h ago
Ebrahim Azizi, the chair of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, has mocked Donald Trump for declaring “regime change” in Iran, saying the only change the US has achieved in the war is losing access to the strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, he said:

Trump has finally achieved his dream of ‘regime change’—but in the region’s maritime regime!

The strait of Hormuz will certainly reopen, but not for you; it will be open for those who comply with the new laws of Iran.

Middle East crisis live: Iran says Trump’s claim of ceasefire request ‘baseless’

Trump claimed Iran’s ‘new president’ requested a ceasefire – but Iran’s president remains Pezeshkian, the same person it was before the war

www.theguardian.com

 

[otto]

What is true?

"Pezeshkian said that Iran "has the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met – particularly the guarantees needed to prevent a recurrence of the aggression."
...

The president of the new Iranian regime "asked the United States for a ceasefire," US President Donald Trump writes on Truth Social.

Meanwhile, Trump tells the British news agency Reuters that the United States will "leave Iran soon," but that they might return for "precision strikes." "I can't say exactly" when the Americans leave, says Trump, "but we are going to be gone pretty soon."
...

US President Trump's claim that Iran has requested a ceasefire is false and unfounded.

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/liveblog/trump-zegt-dat-iran-om-staakthetvuren-heeft-gevraagd-teheran-~1774500481071/