The branding of the U.S. military operation against Iran is a quintessentially Trumpian choice for a leader whose tenure has been marked by anger.
President Trump’s war in Iran has raised some costs just as many Americans are starting to see savings from last year’s tax cuts.
As the conflict with Iran expands and intensifies, President Trump’s options — to fight on, or to move toward declaring victory and pulling back — both carry deeply problematic consequences.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for oil shipments, remained unsafe for tankers. Iran has been firing projectiles and laying mines.
Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, has found a way to repeatedly occupy floor time and force all senators to take votes challenging President Trump’s use of military force.
Unleashing his inner hawk, Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans President Trump’s military interventions. So far, they favor regime compliance, not change.
The defense secretary said the leader of an Iranian unit that had planned to assassinate President Trump had been killed. But U.S. officials privately acknowledge the story is not that simple.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it was “unfortunate” that the move could benefit Russia, but maintained that it was only for the short term.
Despite his tough talk, President Trump has consistently made allowances for countries he sees as powerful or dominant.
Outdated targeting data may have resulted in a mistaken missile strike, according to the ongoing military investigation, which undercuts President Trump’s assertion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.