Top Items:
Jonathan Larsen / Jonathan Larsen's Substack:
U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus — To support my reporting and keep it free for everyone, you can become a paid subscriber. Thank you. — A combat-unit commander told non-commissioned officers at a briefing Monday that the Iran war is part of God's plan …
Discussion:
Raw Story
RELATED:
Judd Legum / Popular Information:
The casino-fication of war — On February 28, the United States and Israel began major combat operations in Iran. For some, the consequences of this action were fatal. By Monday, the war had claimed the lives of at least six U.S. soldiers, hundreds of people in Iran, and dozens more in neighboring Gulf states.
Discussion:
Wonkette, 404 Media, New York Sun, CBS News, MS NOW, NPR, Newsweek and Reuters, more at Techmeme »
James LaPorta / CBS News:
Military officials question fortifications at site where U.S. troops were killed in Iranian strike — Add CBS News on Google — The first American service members to die in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran were killed in an apparent Iranian drone attack on a makeshift office space in Kuwait …
Discussion:
New York Times, DNYUZ and The War Zone
Edward Luce / Financial Times:
Donald Trump's dangerous ‘war of whim’ — Anyone who claims to know where this conflict will go is bluffing — The trouble with strongmen is that they can easily change their minds. — In his inaugural address last year, President Donald Trump promised to be a “peacemaker” who ended wars of choice.
Discussion:
Reuters, The Independent, The Wrap, Scripps News, Blue Virginia, Mediaite, Bloomberg, NewsMax.com and CBS News
Associated Press:
Live updates: Strikes escalate across the Middle East as Iran attacks US embassy in Saudi Arabia — Watch a live view of the Beirut skyline. — EDITED BY BRIDGET BROWN, LORIAN BELANGER AND BRIAN P. D. HANNON — Iran struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia's capital with a drone early Tuesday …
Discussion:
NPR, The Hill, Associated Press, Bloomberg, The Times of Israel, NewsMax.com, Washington Times, CBS News, France 24, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, DNYUZ, UPI, Breitbart and Middle East Monitor
Lisa Needham / Public Notice:
Trump's Iran War and the Article One crisis — PN is supported by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ — 🧠 Subscribe to PN 🧠 — The Trump administration has offered very little in the way of justification for attacking Iran. Instead, it was bomb first, offer a feeble explanation later.
Discussion:
NPR, Straight Arrow News and DNYUZ
Wall Street Journal:
Trump's Case for War With Iran Faces Growing Scrutiny — U.S. intelligence showed threats from Iran loomed, as they had for years. But they were not imminent. — WASHINGTON—The Trump administration, in pressing its case for war with Iran, has made a number of accusations …
Discussion:
The Hill, Robert Reich, Letters from an American, Just Security, Politico, Metro.co.uk, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, New York Times, Vox, PJ Media, ABC News, The Independent, Jewish Insider, The Post Millennial, Washington Times, Fox News, NewsMax.com, Raw Story, NOTUS, SpyTalk and The Contrarian
Yaroslav Trofimov / Wall Street Journal:
Gulf States in Race Against Time to Repel Iran's Onslaught — Only so many air-defense interceptors are available to knock down an almost limitless number of drones — Persian Gulf nations targeted by Iran have, so far, managed to limit the damage by deploying sophisticated U.S …
Discussion:
Semafor, Al Jazeera, DNYUZ, Middle East Monitor and Reuters
Chris Stein / The Guardian:
US strikes on Iran triggered by Israel's plan to launch attack, Rubio says — Democrats disturbed by rationale that Trump ordered pre-emptive strikes out of concern about Tehran retaliation — Israel's determination to attack Iran and the certainty that US troops would be targeted …
Discussion:
Politico, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Mediaite, The Hill, France 24, The Independent, The Times of Israel, Axios, Reuters, CNBC, DNYUZ, Wall Street Journal, NewsMax.com, RedState, Semafor, HuffPost and Columbian
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
Pete Hegseth's Crazed, Angry Tirades on Iran Give Dems a Big Opening — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth knows that playing a decisive tough guy on television is the way to keep Donald Trump happy, so he did just that while addressing reporters Monday about the United States' bombing of Iran.
Discussion:
MS NOW, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, Deadline, Fox News, Washington Times, Townhall and The Gateway Pundit
Isaac Arnsdorf / Washington Post:
How Trump assassination attempts played into his decision to attack Iran
Discussion:
DNYUZ, Fox News, The Hill, New York Post and Al Jazeera
Axios:
Rubio's war remarks blow open MAGA's Israel divide
Rubio's war remarks blow open MAGA's Israel divide
Discussion:
HotAir, ABC News, United States Department …, Bloomberg, Blaze Media, DNYUZ, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, NPR, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Mediaite, New York Post, Al Jazeera, MS NOW and New York Magazine
Victor Davis Hanson / American Greatness:
Trump's Way of War … War is the use of arms to settle differences—tribal, political …
New York Times:
An Emboldened Israel Is Seizing Opportunities to Remake Region
An Emboldened Israel Is Seizing Opportunities to Remake Region
Discussion:
Reuters, France 24, DNYUZ, Al Jazeera, PBS NewsHour, The Forward, WTOP News and Bloomberg
Marc A. Thiessen / Washington Post:
We're witnessing the birth of the Trump Doctrine
We're witnessing the birth of the Trump Doctrine
Discussion:
The White House
emptywheel:
“Squirter:” The Catastrophic Stupidity that May [Have] Set Off a Larger Religious Conflict
“Squirter:” The Catastrophic Stupidity that May [Have] Set Off a Larger Religious Conflict
Discussion:
DNYUZ and Washington Post
Ian Ward / Politico:
‘Pretty Bad for Vance’: The VP's Silence on Iran Peeves Allies
‘Pretty Bad for Vance’: The VP's Silence on Iran Peeves Allies
Discussion:
MS NOW, RealClearPolitics, DNYUZ, The Free Press, Raw Story, Fox News, NBC News and The Hill
Rachael Bade / The Inner Circle with Rachael Bade:
🚨EXCLUSIVE: Trump hits back at Tucker, Megyn Kelly in phone interview with “The Inner Circle”
🚨EXCLUSIVE: Trump hits back at Tucker, Megyn Kelly in phone interview with “The Inner Circle”
Tyler Pager / New York Times:
In Plunging Into a Mideast Conflict, Trump Gambles His Presidency
In Plunging Into a Mideast Conflict, Trump Gambles His Presidency
Discussion:
New York Post, The Hill, Newsweek, LAist, DNYUZ and The Atlantic
Punchbowl News:
3/3/26☀️ AM: … Republicans on Capitol Hill are about to give President Donald Trump …
Washington Post:
White House rationale for war keeps shifting
White House rationale for war keeps shifting
Discussion:
Blaze Media, Chicago Tribune and New Republic
Reuters:
Iran war live: Iran warns will attack ships trying to pass Hormuz; drones hit US embassy in Riyadh
Iran war live: Iran warns will attack ships trying to pass Hormuz; drones hit US embassy in Riyadh
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Times, The Guardian, Axios, Bloomberg, New York Post, Human Events, IJR, NewsMax.com, France 24, Informed Comment, Iran War Dispatches …, Metro.co.uk, Daily Mail, Breitbart, DNYUZ, Joe.My.God., Middle East Monitor, One America News Network, Al Jazeera, News Talk 105.9, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, Deadline, RedState, New York Sun, Washington Examiner and WTOP News
Jonathan Karl / ABC News:
Iran operation could last weeks, Trump tells ABC News, saying of Khamenei, ‘I got him before he got me’
Iran operation could last weeks, Trump tells ABC News, saying of Khamenei, ‘I got him before he got me’
Discussion:
Reuters, Politico, DNYUZ, Bloomberg, Fox News, The Intercept, RADAR, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill and New Republic
Will Sommer / The Bulwark:
MAGA Already Hates Trump's Iran War
MAGA Already Hates Trump's Iran War
Discussion:
DNYUZ, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Raw Story, The Independent and Mediaite
Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:
Can Donald Trump Win a War with Iran If He Can't Explain Why He Started It?
Can Donald Trump Win a War with Iran If He Can't Explain Why He Started It?
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Associated Press, HuffPost, The New World, Washington Examiner, HotAir, The Capitolist and Fox News
Politico:
Iran war provides another litmus test for New York Democrats
Iran war provides another litmus test for New York Democrats
Discussion:
Mondoweiss and Jewish Telegraphic Agency, more at Mediagazer »
Haley Britzky / CNN:
No warning, no siren: Six US service members killed in Iranian strike that hit makeshift operations center in Kuwait
No warning, no siren: Six US service members killed in Iranian strike that hit makeshift operations center in Kuwait
New York Times:
How Trump Decided to Go to War
How Trump Decided to Go to War
Discussion:
The Bulwark, The Hill, Drezner's World, Reason, NOTUS, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Poynter, New Republic, Good Politics/Bad Politics, Raw Story, The Federalist, DNYUZ, Media Matters for America, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, Stop the Presses, NBC News, The Contrarian, Wall Street Journal, Semafor, MS NOW and Esquire
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Administration to Drop Defense of Law Firm Sanctions — Justice Department plans to withdraw appeals defending punitive executive orders issued by the president, people familiar with the matter said — The Trump administration plans to abandon its defense of the president's executive …
RELATED:
Carol Leonnig / MS NOW:
Kash Patel's latest firings ousted agents with expertise in Iran — The FBI director gutted a specialized, global espionage unit of counterintelligence agents, just days before Operation Epic Fury. — When FBI Director Kash Patel fired a dozen FBI agents and staff last week for their role …
RELATED:
Andrew Howard / Politico:
The bruising, messy House primary battles to watch today … Here's what POLITICO is watching today. — The vulnerable incumbents — Republican and Democratic incumbents alike are facing challenges in mostly safe House seats, and it's worrying leaders of both parties.
RELATED:
Andrew Solender / Axios:
Dem leaders fume as insurgents wage costly civil war
Dem leaders fume as insurgents wage costly civil war
Discussion:
New York Times
Joseph Cox / 404 Media:
CBP Tapped Into the Online Advertising Ecosystem To Track Peoples' Movements — Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bought data from the online advertising ecosystem to track peoples' precise movements over time, in a process that often involves siphoning data from ordinary apps like video games …
Discussion:
Wired
Reuters:
Exclusive: U.S. Marines fired on protesters storming consulate in Karachi, officials say — U.S. Marines opened fire on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate over the weekend, two U.S. officials said on Monday—a rare use of force at a diplomatic post …
Laura Esposito / The Daily Beast:
Doctors Sound Alarm on White House ‘Secrecy’ Over Trump's Neck Rash — CONCERNING CONDITION — Medical experts aren't buying the White House's explanation for the president's bright-red rash. — Doctors are voicing skepticism over the White House's handling of Donald Trump's troubling new skin condition.
Discussion:
New York Times, DNYUZ, Raw Story, CNN and The Guardian
RELATED:
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Ties to Israel plague Democrats in top primaries post-Gaza … Despite that record, Illinois Senate primary opponent Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) said that Stratton's 2019 meeting with Livni raises questions about her leadership. — “Illinois voters believe that judgement matters,” …
Joe Patrice / Above the Law:
Law School Tells Students, ‘You MUST Be Aligned Politically With President Trump,’ For Summer Job — In The Hunt for Red October, we learn that Soviet submarine carried a “political officer,” a Communist Party appointee whose job wasn't navigating or torpedoing things, but making sure everyone …
Assigned:
She'd Never Changed Her Gender Marker. Kansas Invalidated Her License Anyway. — A trans Kansas resident recently changed her name but not her gender marker on her license, fearing what Kansas may do if she did. The Kansas DMV still flagged her ID. — Andrea Ellis of Wellington …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and Truthout

