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Here are all the countries now involved in the Iran war
Axios | Herb Scribner | 03/05/26

The war in Iran has rapidly expanded beyond the Middle East, pulling in U.S. allies and bystanders alike.

The big picture: Since the U.S. strikes began on Saturday, Iran has retaliated against Israel and multiple Gulf states, plunging the region further into chaos.

U.S. embassies across the region remain on high alert, with the State Department urging Americans to leave immediately.

How Iran's Strait of Hormuz shutdown could hit the global economy
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Axios | author | date

The U.S. and Israel's war with Iran is likely to impact people around the world as tensions escalate around the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway on Iran's southern coast, where traffic has ground to a halt.

Why it matters: Trade disruptions along this key waterway on Iran's southern coast that handles 25% of the world's maritime oil trade and 20% of liquefied natural gas shipments will likely produce a domino effect across the global economy.

About 33% of the world's fertilizers, including sulfur and ammonia, travel through the strait, according to the trade analysis firm Kpler.

It's a key route for alumimum and sugar as well.

Blocked access to the strait will likely impact the price of some products, including clothing, cookware, medical equipment, and more. ... Read more

Strikes kill head of Iranian unit that plotted to assassinate Trump: Hegseth
Axios | Avery Lotz | 03/04/26

The leader of an Iranian unit that sought to assassinate President Trump was "hunted down and killed," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday.

The big picture: The plot to target then-candidate Trump has seemingly fueled his ire toward Tehran, with him recently telling ABC News that the U.S. "got" Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei "before he got me."

Driving the news: Hegseth said that killing the leader was "not the focus of the effort by any stretch of the imagination," but "if we had the opportunity to get at those who are trying to get at Americans specifically, we would."

The opportunity arose "from the air," he said. He did not name the individual killed but said the operation took place Tuesday. ... Read more

This is Why America will Lose in Iran | The Invisible Hand | 03/02/26 | 23:17

Exclusive: The Trump-Netanyahu call that changed the Middle East
Axios | Marc Caputo, Barak Ravid | 03/04/26

Last Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called President Trump with a stunning tip: Iran's supreme leader and his top advisers were all set to meet at one location in Tehran on Saturday morning.

They could all be killed in a single devastating airstrike, Netanyahu told Trump and his team, according to three sources briefed on the discussion.

Why it matters: The Feb. 23 call - held from the White House Situation Room and unreported until now - was a pivotal moment that set the Iran war in motion.

It answers the question that lawmakers, MAGA skeptics and world leaders have all been asking since Saturday: why now?

The answer: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his inner circle were irresistible targets of opportunity that neither Trump nor Netanyahu wanted to pass up. ... Read more

How Lindsey Graham got Trump to yes on Iran
Politico | Jordain Carney | 03/04/26

Lindsey Graham's effort to convince Donald Trump to attack Iran began - to the surprise of no one familiar with the relationship between the South Carolina senator and the president - on the golf course.

After the 2024 election, the pair hit the links to discuss a second-term agenda for the resurgent president, and Graham had lots of advice.

In an extensive interview Tuesday in his Capitol Hill office, Graham recalled pushing Trump to "blow some shit up" to combat drug trafficking. He talked about taking on Big Tech by challenging the legal underpinnings of their industry dominance. And he counseled Trump to build on agreements he'd brokered between Israel and U.S. allies in the Middle East.

That last part, Graham emphasized, would require confronting the elephant in the region. ... Read more

Top U.S. general says it will take time to achieve Iran war goals
Axios | Barak Ravid | 03/02/26

The U.S. military operation against Iran, dubbed "Epic Fury," will not end "overnight," Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said at a Pentagon press conference Monday.

The top officials declined to offer a specific timetable for the historic joint bombing campaign with Israel.

Why it matters: The briefing marked the first time senior Trump administration officials publicly described the ongoing combat operations and took questions from reporters since the fighting began Saturday.

What they are saying: "To be clear ... this is not a single overnight operation," Caine said. "The military objectives CENTCOM and the Joint Force have been tasked with will take some time to achieve, and in some cases will be difficult and gritty work." ... ... ... Read more

Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, Feb. 27, 2026 | PBS Washington Week | 02/27/26 | 24:10

Centrist Dems launch '28 mission: Stop AOC
Axios | Holly Otterbein | 03/02/26

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Moderate Democrats are on a mission to stop the next Bernie Sanders, starting with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Third Way, an influential center-left group, is bringing together hundreds of elected officials, party leaders and operatives here this weekend to build a case for nominating a middle-of-the-road Democrat - not a liberal - for president in 2028.

Why it matters: Centrist Democrats' efforts to shape the next election have taken on a new urgency as liberals such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and others have unexpectedly won races.

It's a reflection of the deep divisions within the party over how to take on President Trump's MAGA Republicans. ... ... ... Read more