War with Iran - Recent Developments

See also our nonpartisan explanation of War Powers Law

Recent Developments:

Mon, April 13, 2026:

U.S. naval blockade taking effect as Trump demands Iran end nuclear program. Peace talks broke down over Iran’s nuclear program, which has survived two decades of international diplomacy seeking to curtail it and more than five weeks of bombing. - WP
Trump threatens military action in Strait of Hormuz if Iran challenges new blockade. The president threatened ships that attempt to come close to the U.S. naval blockade will be “immediately ELIMINATED.” - Politico
UK will not back blockade of Strait of Hormuz, PM Starmer says - Reuters
Macron, Starmer Tout Plan to Open Up Hormuz to Shipping - Bloomberg
Pope Leo says Trump won’t silence him as US-Vatican feud erupts over Iran
The pontiff added that he has “no fear,” after the American president accused him of being “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.” - Politico
Why time is on Iran’s side - Financial Times

Sun, April 12, 2026:

Sat, April 11, 2026:

Fri, April 10, 2026:

Thurs, April 9, 2026:

Wed, April 8, 2026:

Trump Says He ‘Exceeded’ His Objectives in Iran. But What Did He Accomplish? - NYTimes
Fact-checking Trump’s conclusion that Iran war was a ‘total’ US victory - PolitiFact
Ceasefire is threatened as Israel expands Lebanon strikes and Iran closes strait again - AP
Vance to Lead U.S. Delegation for Negotiations w/ Iran. Tehran warns that cease-fire must include Lebanon as Israel continues strikes. - WSJ
Iran demands $1 per barrel of oil passing through Strait of Hormuz, paid in crypto - Hill
Trump says he’s considering ‘joint venture’ with Iran for Strait of Hormuz tolls - Hill
President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened 50 percent tariffs on any country that supplies military weapons to Iran, though it’s not clear he has the legal authority to do so. - Politico
Trump administration expected to slash Iran war funding request. The eventual ask of Congress is likely to fall to between $80 billion and $100 billion, officials said, less than half the amount of an earlier proposal to offset costs of the conflict. - WP
Trump Made a Deal That Gives Him Nothing He Wanted. U.S. declarations of victory ring hollow. - The Atlantic
Red States Are Pausing Their Gas Taxes to Blunt the Impact of Trump’s Iran War. Indiana is the most recent state to temporarily suspend state gas taxes as fuel prices remain high. - NOTUS

Tues, April 7, 2026:

Mon, April 6, 2026:

Fri, April 3, 2026:

Thurs, April 2, 2026:

Global wave of energy rationing. Governments impose measures to cut fuel demand as Middle East conflict cuts off flows - FT

Wed, April 1, 2026:

Tues, March 31, 2026:

Mon, March 30, 2026:

Sun, March 29, 2026:

Trump Weighs Military Operation to Extract Iran’s Uranium. The president hasn’t made a decision, U.S. officials said, as he considers the risk to U.S. troops. - WSJ

Sat, March 28, 2026:

Strike on U.S. Base in Saudi Arabia Injures 12 American Troops, 2 Seriously. Combined missile and drone attack one of the most serious breaches of American air defenses in the course of the monthlong war with Iran. - NYT

Fri, March 27, 2026:

Thurs, March 26, 2026:

Wed, March 25, 2026:

Tues, March 24, 2026:

Mon, March 23, 2026:

Once again, Trump backs down: Markets rebound after Donald Trump postpones attack on Iranian energy. Stocks reverse losses and oil tumbles after US President says there have been ‘constructive’ talks with Tehran. - FT

Sun, March 22, 2026:

Sat, March 21, 2026:

President Trump says he is considering “winding down” operations in Iran. But many of his original war goals remain unaccomplished. - NYTimes

Fri, March 20, 2026:

GOP Sen. John Kennedy on Trump’s anticipated $200 billion for Iran war funding:
Kennedy: “I can assure you that we’re not going to vote to give $200 billion or $2 billion or $200 until we have hearings on the money.”
C-Span moderator: “At this point would you vote in favor?”
Kennedy: “Not without hearings.”
Nearly three weeks into a war that polls show is unpopular, top Republicans have yet to call administration officials to testify about it, arguing that hearings would put divisions on display. - NYT
U.S. Dispatches Marines and Warships to Middle East - NYT
US seeks to avert potential monthslong closure of Strait of Hormuz - CNN
Why the oil industry can’t help Trump tame rising gasoline prices - Politico
U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Some Iranian Oil to Get More to Market. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent estimated that the move would add about 140 million barrels of crude to the oil market. - NYT

Thurs, March 19, 2026:

Schumer Slams $200 Billion Funding Request - WSJ
“Let’s be clear: If Trump wants $200 billion, that means he believes we might be in a war with Iran for a very, very long time. Two hundred billion is more than what we spent even at the height of the war in Iraq. It’s more than we have spent altogether in Ukraine. It’s an indefensible number, one of the most wasteful and unthought out budget requests I have ever heard in my time in the Senate.”
Pentagon seeks $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war - AP
Congress must ‘adequately’ fund defense, Johnson says, amid talk of $200 billion war request - Politico
Pentagon weighs sending more troops to Middle East. The discussions, while evolving, would mark a drastic new step in the Iran war. - Politico
As Oil Prices Spiral, Damage to Infrastructure ‘Makes It Even Worse’.
Attacks on oil and natural gas facilities this week could make it much harder for Persian Gulf countries to rebuild and restart production when the war eventually ends. - NYT
State Dept. cuts limit good analysis during the Iran war effort - AP

Wed, March 18, 2026:

Pentagon seeks more than $200 billion in budget request for Iran war, administration official says. Some White House officials do not think the Pentagon’s request has a realistic shot of being approved in Congress.. That number would far surpass the costs of the administration’s massive airstrike campaign to date and instead seek to urgently increase production of critical weaponry expended, according to three other people familiar with the matter. - WP
The Strait of Hormuz: It Must Be Open for All or Closed to All - Haass
President Trump’s hype campaign for the Iran war has demolished decades of presidential decorum around wartime messaging — and is mortifying former defense officials and members of Congress. - Politico

Tues, March 17, 2026:

Mon, March 16, 2026:

Sun, March 14, 2026:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday called for “no quarter, no mercy for our enemies” during a press briefing. Legal experts have warned that any order resembling “no quarter” is illegal. - Axios
- TrillionsWeekly: In a military context, “no quarter” means essentially “take no prisoners,” but with an even harsher implication: it means refusing to spare the enemy’s life, even if they try to surrender.

Sat, March 13, 2026:

U.S. sending USS Tripoli, thousands of Marines to Middle East - Axios

Wed, March 11, 2026:

Was Pentagon’s use of AI to identify targets a factor in U.S. targeting of elementary school killing at least 175, many of them children - WP
Liquefied natural gas: the overlooked economic chokepoint.
Alternatives to Gulf supplies are scarce - Economist
How Trump and His Advisers Miscalculated Iran’s Response to War
In the lead-up to the U.S.-Israeli attack, President Trump downplayed the risks to the energy markets as a short-term concern that should not overshadow the mission to decapitate the Iranian regime. - NYT
Strait of Hormuz in crosshairs of Iran as attacks on ships escalate - CNN
Iran launched its “most intense operation since the beginning of the war.” - NBC
Bloomberg update:
- IEA sets record 400 million barrel release of oil, though timing, pace unclear
- Trump says US could strike more targets while downplaying mine risks
- Oil continued to climb as IEA move seen as temporary fix; stocks, bonds down
- Banks evacuate staff in Dubai after Iran says it will target financial firms
- Iran is seeking guarantee against future attacks for any ceasefire
Wealthy nations pledge record release of emergency oil reserves in a bid to calm surging prices - AP
A group representing many of the world’s wealthiest countries agreed Wednesday to release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history, in a bid to counter the effects of the Iran war on energy markets and the halt of cargo shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The International Energy Agency said it will make 400 million barrels of oil available from its members’ emergency reserves, which is more than double the 182.7 million barrels that the IEA’s 32 member countries released in 2022 in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (The IEA was founded in 1974 after the 1973–74 oil crisis to coordinate collective responses to major oil supply disruptions among industrialized countries.)
U.S. at Fault in Strike on School in Iran, Preliminary Inquiry Says. Outdated targeting data may have resulted in a mistaken missile strike, according to the ongoing military investigation, which undercuts President Trump’s assertion that Iran could be to blame. - NYT
Pentagon Tells Congress First Week of Iran War Cost More Than $11.3 Billion. In a Capitol Hill briefing, officials gave their most comprehensive assessment of the cost of the first six days of the war, but the number omitted several aspects of the operation. - NYT

Tues, March 10, 2026:

Iran tells world to get ready for oil at $200 a barrel as it fires on merchant ships - Reuters
U.S. Showers Iran With Bombs in Most Intense Strikes of the War, Pentagon Says. Iranians cowered under the barrage as Hegseth said the U.S. aimed to wipe out Iran’s capacity to obtain nuclear weapons “forever.” - NYT
- TrillionsWeekly: This heavy barrage comes only one day after President Trump said the war was “very complete, pretty much.” In addition, Hegseth’s aim to wipe out nuclear capacity forever is tactically impossible and is reminiscent of the ludicrous claims last year that Iran’s nuclear capacity had been “obliterated” before there was a shred of intelligence to support the claim.
The U.S. Built a Blueprint to Avoid Civilian War Casualties. Trump Officials Scrapped It. - ProPublica
The Pentagon dismantled its civilian protection mission as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made “lethality” a top priority and the Trump administration reorganized national security around two principles: more aggression, less accountability.
The Pentagon “burned through $5.6 billion worth of munitions during the first two days of its military assault on Iran.” - WP
The figure, accounting for the war’s first two days, is likely to intensify concerns in Congress that U.S. forces are churning through a scarce supply of advanced weaponry.
State Department allows up to $40M to be used for evacuation flights for Americans in Mideast - AP

Mon, March 9, 2026:

Sun, March 8, 2026:

Mojtaba Khamenei has been chosen as Iran’s new supreme leader - AP
Iranian state TV early Monday said Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the country’s late supreme leader, has been named his successor. He had long been considered a contender, even before an Israeli strike killed his father at the start of the war, and despite never being elected or appointed to a government position. Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard answers to the supreme leader, and the younger Khamenei will have the central say in war strategy.

Sat, March 7, 2026:

The Trump administration announced a $20 billion reinsurance program to revive shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The US International Development Finance Corp. will insure losses up to about $20 billion “on a rolling basis” for vessels in the Persian Gulf region. - Bloomberg
Trump says he’s ruled out having Kurds join the Iran war - AP
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Kurdish fighters in the region are willing to assist in efforts to topple the Iranian government, but their involvement would make the conflict more complicated.
Russia has provided Iran with information that can help Tehran strike US military - AP

Fri, March 6, 2026:

Mass firings leave national security ranks thinned as war raises threats. FBI and Justice Dept. have lost decades of experience over the past year in key security positions. - WP
Here’s how much the war with Iran is expected to cost every day - CNN
Day 7 of Middle East conflict — Trump says no deal with Iran until ‘unconditional surrender.’ Trump told CNN he is not worried whether Iran becomes a democratic state. - CNN
An Iranian civil war is not in America’s interest - WP / Zakaria
Keep in mind that, whoever may seek power, this regime will fight back. The appropriate analogy here is Syria, a country that was mired in civil war for more than a decade, with hundreds of thousands dead and millions of refugees. Iran is a country… filled with ethnic groups — Kurds, Armenians, Azerbaijanis… (A)s history demonstrates — from the Balkans to Iraq — when order collapses and a power vacuum develops, people retreat to their tribal groups and lose trust in others. And that’s how a civil war begins.
US Military Operations Against Iran’s Missile and Nuclear Programs - CRS

Thurs, March 5, 2026:

Wed, March 4, 2026:

Tues, March 3, 3026:

Legality of Latest Iran Attack in Question - FactCheck.org
Iran war triggers talk of supplemental defense funding - Roll Call
Why Ali Khamenei may have welcomed the nature of his death. The ideology of martyrdom could prolong Iran’s regime—and the war. - Economist
Senate Republicans warn Trump about expanding Iran mission as death toll rises - Hill
Trump offers U.S. insurance, military escorts to energy tankers in Mideast - Axios
Trump said he’d like to see a more moderate leader emerge in Iran, but that his top candidates were killed amid strikes and a second group of officials “may be dead also.” - Bloomberg
Trump spoke Sunday with Kurdish leaders, officials said, and is continuing to engage other local officials who may leverage Tehran’s weakness to make gains. The Kurds have a sizable force along the Iraq-Iran border, and Israel has bombed positions in western Iran, leading to speculation that it is paving a path for a Kurdish advance. - WSJ
Threat from Iran conflict spreads across Middle East in 72 hours - WP
Four days into the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, military operations show no signs of slowing. As the State Department urges Americans to depart the region immediately, President Trump is suggesting the U.S. operation in Iran could last four to five weeks—or “whatever it takes.” - WSJ
How Trump assassination attempts played into his decision to attack Iran
“I got him before he got me,” Trump told ABC of killing Iran’s supreme leader. - WP

Mon, March 2, 2026:

Here is the 48-hour report submitted by the Trump Administration consistent with the War Powers Resolution.
How to think about Trump’s War with Iran - NYT / Friedman
Iran after 48 hours: Tactical success, strategic uncertainty - CNN
U.S. won’t rule out sending ground troops into Iran - WP
The Iran war is rapidly engulfing the region - Economist
Rubio denies existence of the War Powers Resolution: “We did notify members of Congress in advance, but we can’t notify 535 members,” Rubio said. “Congress can vote on whatever they want, but there’s no law requiring us to” get their authorization, he added. - Punchbowl News
Back in 2011, then-freshman Sen. Rubio demanded Congress vote to authorize the use of military force in Libya.
Iran’s Missile Math: $20,000 Drones Take on $4 Million Patriots
Which side runs out of munitions first could determine the outcome of the war. - Bloomberg
Trump’s Case for War With Iran Faces Growing Scrutiny - WSJ
U.S. intelligence showed threats from Iran loomed, as they had for years. But they were not imminent.
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 - WSJ
Lebanon bans Hezbollah military actions after attack on Israel - Reuters
Duration of the war: Trump said Monday his administration had initially “projected four to five weeks” of conflict but had the capability to fight for longer, if necessary. - Politico
Americans oppose Iran strikes: Several polls conducted in the wake of the U.S. attacks in Iran found the military operation broadly unpopular. - Politico
Nearly six in 10 Americans said they oppose the decision to take military action against the Middle Eastern country, according to a text poll conducted by SSRS for CNN on Saturday and Sunday.
Speaker Johnson on Monday predicted Republicans will defeat a war powers resolution that aims to require Trump to get congressional authorization for further strikes against Iran - Politico
The Senate could vote as early as Tuesday on Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) measure to rebuke Trump over Iran, followed by a separate House vote on a resolution from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).
How Trump’s and his administration’s statements on Iran evolved and conflicted - AP
As reported by Axios, President Trump today laid out four goals for the military campaign against Iran—which notably did not include regime change:
- Missiles: “First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities and you see that happening on an hourly basis and their capacity to produce brand-new ones.”
- Navy: “Second, we’re annihilating their Navy. We’ve knocked out already 10 ships. They’re at the bottom of the sea.”
- Proxies: “Third, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”
- Nuclear: “And finally, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon.”
Sec. of State Rubio claimed on Monday the attack was defensive—in response to an “imminent threat” that Iran could retaliate against U.S. personnel if attacked by Israel. “There absolutely was an imminent threat,” Rubio said. “And the imminent threat was that we knew if Iran was attacked, ... that they would immediately come after us.” - Politico
Iran war expands to dozen countries in 72 hours - Axios
Just 72 hours after the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran, the war has already consumed nearly the entire Middle East, reached the gates of Europe and raised new fears of attacks on American soil. The sheer geographic scope of the war is staggering — directly involving at least 11 countries, disrupting the global flow of oil and gas, and rattling markets worldwide.
How Trump Decided to Go to War. President Trump’s embrace of military action in Iran was spurred by an Israeli leader determined to end diplomatic negotiations. Few of the president’s advisers voiced opposition. - NYT
Trump pursues Iranian decapitation without a plan for what comes next
The U.S. has a fraught track record of toppling autocratic regimes and securing peaceful democracies—even when it has vision for the day after.-WP
President Trump is warning of more American casualties as strikes against Iran continue following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The conflict has now widened after Israel struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, responding to an attack from the Iranian-backed group, and the unrest poses new threats to markets: Oil prices jumped, leaving Wall Street braced for the economic fallout of what could become a prolonged regional war. - WSJ

Sun, March 1, 2026:

Sat, Feb 28, 2026:

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War with Iran - Recent Developments

Recent Developments: