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

[JennieM]

Trump's address raises doubt about war aims, former US ambassador to Nato tells BBC​

Ivo Daalder, former US ambassador to Nato, says Trump's speech didn't answer many critical questions including why the US is still carrying out military action in Iran if Trump says Iran's nuclear capabilities, navy, and missiles have been destroyed.

"I don't see why we think we should be safer... and I think the American public have a similar sense of doubt," he tells the BBC's Sumi Somaskanda.

He says while Trump didn't come out strongly against Nato allies and repeat threats to pull out of the alliance in this speech, he is likely to do later on social media.

Iranian city 'hit hard' by strikes, say residents, while video shows huge blasts at missile base

Footage from the Iranian city of Isfahan, verified by the BBC, shows major explosions at the base - seemingly after a US or Israeli air strike.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

12h ago
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese - one of America’s allies who is most consistently supportive of Donald Trump on the world stage - said on Thursday he believed the original objectives of the war in Iran had been met and it was not clear what more remained to be achieved.

Now those objectives have been realised it is not clear what more needs to be achieved or what the end point looks like.”

‘Be serious’: Macron criticises Trump and says opening strait of Hormuz by force ‘unrealistic’ – Middle East crisis live

French president defends alliance after Trump threatened withdrawal, and says strait could only be secured in coordination with Iran after a ceasefire

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

Trump's rhetorical flip-flopping fails to calm traders' fears​

Lucy Hooker
Business reporter

Earlier this week, Trump seemed eager to calm traders’ fears, promising that an end to this conflict was in sight, and sending Brent Crude briefly below $100 a barrel.

Wednesday’s speech seems to have done the opposite. On Thursday Brent Crude is back up over $107.

That’s a reflection in part of the bellicose rhetoric around sending Iran "back to the stone ages".

But just as importantly perhaps there was nothing in the speech indicating how progress towards peace might be made, or how the Strait of Hormuz, the route for a large proportion of the world’s energy supply, would be reopened, beyond suggesting he doesn’t see it as America’s problem.

Trump is still talking about an end to the conflict within a few weeks.

But after the last month of rhetorical flip-flopping oil traders will need a bit more convincing than that.

Iranian city 'hit hard' by strikes, say residents, while video shows huge blasts at missile base

Footage from the Iranian city of Isfahan, verified by the BBC, shows major explosions at the base - seemingly after a US or Israeli air strike.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[imstilla.grandma]

• Futures tracking Wall Street’s main indexes fell this morning after Trump signaled more aggressive attacks on Iran, dampening expectations for a swift conclusion to the war. Meanwhile, oil prices surged.
• LEAVE IRAQ NOW: The American Embassy in Iraq has warned U.S. citizens to leave the country immediately because Iran-affiliated militant groups may target U.S. citizens and their associates within 24 to 48 hours.
• VIRTUAL HORMUZ MEETING: More than 30 countries planned to join a virtual meeting on how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S., which relies on the strait for only a small percentage of its energy imports, is not attending.
• Live updates: U.S. tells Americans in Iraq to leave immediately amid threat from Iran-backed militias

 

[su5ie]

Irish Defence Forces must continue to hold the blue line in Lebanon

In a wider geopolitical context of escalating conflict, and growing militarisation, someone must stand up for peace

www.irishtimes.com

 

[otto]

"China is once again calling for an immediate end to the war in the Middle East. According to Beijing, there is no military solution to the conflict. This is a response to a speech by US President Donald Trump, in which he announced his intention to strike hard at Iran for several more days.

"The problem cannot be solved by military means, and an escalation of hostilities is not in the interest of either party," said a spokeswoman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We once again call upon the parties involved to immediately halt the military operations and to initiate a process of peace negotiations as soon as possible."

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/liveblog/krijgt-filipijnen-opnieuw-olie-en-gas-uit-straat-van-hormuz-ve~1774500481071/

 

[otto]

Commendable contradictions ...

"Trump had said that he is not worried about Iran's enriched uranium, because it is believed to lie deep beneath the rubble ... says that it would take Iran months to get to it ... made no mention of the removal of enriched uranium.

According to Trump, regime change was never his goal, yet it is taking place. He emphasized that multiple leaders have been eliminated. The new leaders are said to be "less radical, more rational." What he bases this on, and who he is specifically referring to, remained unclear.
...

Trump has suggested that Iranians have power for the taking if the regime is weakened by the attacks. At other times, Trump has acknowledged that protesting in Iran is still life-threatening. In his speech, Trump said that 45,000 protesters were killed during the massive protests in Iran in January; in late February, he cited a figure of 32,000.
...

According to Trump, the Strait of Hormuz, which is controlled almost entirely by Iran, will "open up again on its own" when the war is over. ... He reiterated that countries using the Strait of Hormuz must retake the strategic waterway themselves.
...

Trump attempted to put the war into perspective by comparing it to World War I and World War II and the American conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq."

Trump claimt successen in oorlog tegen Iran, maar geeft opnieuw geen einddatum

De president hield vanuit het Witte Huis een toespraak over de oorlog tegen Iran.

nos.nl

 

[otto]

"In a social media post on Monday morning, Trump threatened to attack Iran's electricity and water desalination plants if the strait was not "immediately 'Open for Business.'"
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-ground-troops-iran-scenarios-9.7147222
On Tuesday afternoon in the White House, Trump told reporters that the U.S. was "not going to have anything to do with" making the strait safe for shipping because his country doesn't need it."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-iran-war-address-to-the-nation-whats-next-9.7150819

 

[otto]

"We have to be serious. And if you are serious, you don't say the opposite of what you said the day before," says Macron."

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/liveblog/krijgt-filipijnen-opnieuw-olie-en-gas-uit-straat-van-hormuz-ve~1774500481071/

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2039723054373183940

"Donald Trump charged his top military officials
with crafting a plan to seize Iran's nuclear material,
and what they created may be one of the most daring and dangerous missions ever.

The operation,
which would heavily rely on US special forces like Navy SEALs or Army Rangers
- both of which are already in the Middle East -
calls for hundreds or thousands of boots on the ground in Iran to capture its nuclear material."

 

[otto]

"Although Trump has said Iran was getting close to developing nuclear weapons before he launched the war, on Wednesday night he said the sites were hit so hard it would take months to get access to what he called the "nuclear dust."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-iran-war-address-to-the-nation-whats-next-9.7150819

 

[otto]

"A bridge was hit during a US-Israeli attack on Tehran, Iranian state television reports. It reportedly involved the B1 bridge in Karaj, in western Tehran. Two casualties were reportedly reported in the attack.

Iran is now threatening attacks on bridges throughout the Middle East, including in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates."

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/liveblog/belgie-wil-meehelpen-aan-ontmijning-van-straat-van-hormuz-zegt-~1774500481071/

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7624206157204163870

 

[otto]

"During his first run for the White House, President Trump assailed his predecessors for wasting trillions of dollars on unnecessary wars in the Middle East and argued that the money could have been used for the benefit of the United States.

“We could have rebuilt our country twice,” Mr. Trump said in a 2016 speech in Charlotte, N.C., arguing that costly American military adventures served only to further destabilize the region: “Imagine if that money had been spent here at home.”
...

“Trump would have you believe that spending taxpayer dollars on health care, food assistance and child care is a ‘little scam’ but wants Congress to authorize $200 billion for an illegal war he has no clue how to manage,” said Representative Don Beyer, Democrat of Virginia."

Iran War Live Updates: Trump Speech Rattles Markets, Macron Criticizes Shifting U.S. Goals

The French president said President Trump could not be taken seriously because he had repeatedly changed his goals for the Iran war. He also criticized the president for berating NATO.

www.nytimes.com

 

[otto]

"The Iranian government said on Thursday that a strike had destroyed the Pasteur Institute of Iran, a storied scientific research facility in the capital, Tehran. The Pasteur Institute is one of Iran’s leading public health institutions, and produces and distributes vaccines. Hossein Kermanpour, spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Health, said the attack was “a direct assault on international health security,” in a post on social media on Thursday.

Iran War Live Updates: Trump Speech Rattles Markets, Macron Criticizes Shifting U.S. Goals

The French president said President Trump could not be taken seriously because he had repeatedly changed his goals for the Iran war. He also criticized the president for berating NATO.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Dotta]

"China enters the game over Iran. ​

'Beijing is waiting for its opponent to falter'.​

While Donald Trump calls NATO a 'paper tiger' and the Middle East burns,
China and Pakistan are coming up with a five-point peace proposal for Iran.

It's not just an attempt to extinguish the flames;
it's a geopolitical demonstration of force.

Their proposal rests on five key pillars:

1.Immediate ceasefire.

2. Beginning peace negotiations as soon as possible.
Guaranteeing the territorial integrity of Iran and other countries in the region.

3. Safety of shipping lanes.

4. Protecting the population and infrastructure:
providing humanitarian assistance and stopping attacks on civilian and energy targets.

5. Political solution:
return to negotiations within the framework of the United Nations Charter and international structures.

Commitment to a rules-based world is also a characteristic of European countries,
which may find common ground with China in this area."

Chiny wchodzą do gry o Iran. "Pekin czeka, aż przeciwnik sam się zachwieje"

Podczas gdy Donald Trump nazywa NATO "papierowym tygrysem", a Bliski Wschód płonie, Chiny i Pakistan wychodzą z pięciopunktową propozycją pokojową dla Iranu. To nie tylko próba ugaszenia pożaru, to geopolityczna...

wiadomosci.wp.pl

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2039767267009802402

 

[JennieM]

9 min ago

Blowing up bridges ‘will not compel Iranians to surrender,’ top diplomat says​

BY TOQA EZZIDIN

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday evening that striking civilian infrastructure “only conveys the defeat and moral collapse of an enemy in disarray”.

Araghci’s comments came after Trump shared footage on social media of a section of a bridge collapsing in Iran, threatening more attacks. Araghci’s post on X contained a photo of what appeared to be the same bridge.

“Every bridge and building will be built back stronger. What will never recover: damage to America’s standing,” he wrote.

https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-04-02-2026

 

[JennieM]

51 min ago

Trump sons’ drone venture denies conflicts of interest​

BY BERNARD CONDON

FILE - Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump listen to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file)

This latest Trump venture, Powerus, has its sights on $1.1 billion set aside by the Pentagon to build up a U.S. manufacturing base for armed drones to fill a hole left when the Trump administration banned such imports from China.

The Florida-based company denied any conflicts when it announced the Trump brothers’ deal. Asked about potential Powerus conflicts of interest specifically, Eric Trump sent the AP a statement last month saying, “I am incredibly proud to invest in companies I believe in. Drones are clearly the wave of the future.”

The company recently raised $60 million from investors and hopes to tap additional financing by doing a “reverse merger” with a Trump company listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange that owns a few golf courses. Such a merger allows a private business to quickly go public, shortening the process of filing paperwork and meeting various requirements of a regular initial public offering.


54 min ago

Company backed by Trump sons is pitching drone interceptors to Gulf states being attacked by Iran​

BY BERNARD CONDON

A drone maker backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. is trying to sell to countries that now depend on the U.S. military led by their father, positioning them to benefit from the war he began.

Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich told The Associated Press that the company is making sales pitches that include drone demonstrations in several Gulf countries to show how its defensive drone interceptors could help them ward off Iranian attacks.

“These countries are under enormous pressure to buy from the sons of the president so he will do what they want,” said Richard Painter, a former chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush. “This is going to be the first family of a president to make a lot of money off war — a war he didn’t get the consent of Congress

https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-04-02-2026

 

[JennieM]

8:02 PM BST

War crimes investigation of Israel sought in France​

BY THOMAS ADAMSON, SAM METZ, ABBY SEWELL

The complaint filed Thursday with France’s war crimes unit in Paris involves an Israeli strike on a Beirut apartment building in November 2024, well before the current war. The International Federation for Human Rights says it killed seven civilians, including the parents of a French-Lebanese artist, Ali Cherri.

The human rights group said the strike hit just hours before a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, and that bombing a civilian building could constitute a war crime under French criminal law and international humanitarian law. Amnesty International said its own investigation found no evidence of a military objective in or near the building, and that civilians received no effective advance warning.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry referred questions to Israel’s military, which did not immediately respond Thursday, but has said it follows international legal norms and strikes only legitimate military targets.

https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-04-02-2026

 

[JennieM]

47m ago

US striking civilian structures a sign of 'moral collapse', says Iranian foreign minister​

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Washington’s recent strikes on civilian infrastructure will not force Tehran to back down, adding that such actions “convey the defeat and moral collapse of an enemy in disarray”.

“Striking civilian structures, including unfinished bridges, will not compel Iranians to surrender,” Araghchi said in a post on X. “It only conveys the defeat and moral collapse of an enemy in disarray. Every bridge and building will be built back stronger. What will never recover: damage to America’s standing.”

Donald Trump earlier boasted about the strike on the B1 bridge in Karaj, west of Tehran, which killed at least two people and injured several others. He warned there was “much more to follow” and urged Tehran to “make a deal before it is too late”.

Trump urges Iran to make deal ‘before it is too late’ after strike on key bridge near Tehran – Middle East crisis live

US president warns there was ‘much more to follow’ after B1 bridge on the Karaj northern bypass in western Tehran, Iran, was targeted on Thursday

www.theguardian.com