\tA plume of smoke rises over Tehran after a reported explosion on February 28, 2026, after Israel said it carried out a “preemptive strike” on Iran as sirens sounded in Jerusalem and phone alerts warned of an “extremely serious” threat. | Mahsa\/Middle East Images\/AFP via Getty Images\t<\/p>\n
Early Saturday, the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran, marking the start of what appears to be a far-reaching and open-ended war. President Donald Trump said the operation was meant to eliminate an \u201cimminent threat,\u201d destroy Iran\u2019s missile and naval forces, and ultimately encourage Iranians to overthrow their government.<\/p>\n
The strikes began in Tehran and appeared to target senior regime figures, possibly including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has since responded with retaliatory missile attacks on US, Israeli, and allied targets across the region. After weeks of military buildup, all signs point to a campaign far larger than recent clashes.<\/p>\n
Politically, the moment seems to mark a sharp reversal for Trump.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After years of condemning the Iraq war and even branding himself the \u201cpeace\u201d candidate, he has now embraced the kind of regime change conflict he long criticized. Allies once praised him for avoiding new wars, including politicians like JD Vance, while contrasting him with past hawks like Hillary Clinton, who infamously backed the Iraq war as a senator. That record now collides with a war whose goals and consequences remain deeply unclear.<\/p>\n
Follow here for all of our latest coverage and analysis.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tTrump\u2019s war with Iran, briefly explained<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tWhy did the US strike Iran?<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tWhat does \u201cAmerica First\u201d even mean anymore?<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tTrump\u2019s case for the Iran war makes no sense<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tDoes the US have enough aircraft carriers for all Trump\u2019s wars?<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tGen Z really doesn\u2019t want to go war<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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