Trump's lethal presidency … - He's attacked seven nations, three of which — Iran, Nigeria and Venezuela — had never been targeted by U.S. military strikes. … The White House argues he still is — that he always exhausts diplomacy before acting, and that projecting overwhelming force is itself a path to lasting peace.

How to Think About Trump's War With Iran  —  To think clearly about Middle East wars, you need to hold multiple thoughts in your head at the same time.  It's a complicated, kaleidoscopic region where religion, oil, tribal politics and great power politics interweave in every major story.

Trump tells CNN the ‘big wave’ is yet to come in war with Iran  —  President Donald Trump told CNN in a nine-minute phone interview Monday morning that the US military is “knocking the crap” out of Iran - but the “big wave” is yet to come.  —  “We're knocking the crap out of them,” Trump told CNN's Jake Tapper.

CNN poll: 59% of Americans disapprove of Iran strikes and most think a long-term conflict is likely  —  The Middle East Election polls Donald Trump  —  Nearly 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of the US decision to take military action in Iran, as most say a long-term military conflict between …

Iran Live Updates: Trump Set to Speak as U.S. Sends More Forces to Mideast  —  Iran and allied militias, including Hezbollah, attacked Israel and U.S. targets, and Israel struck in Lebanon.  Top U.S. officials talked of new attacks and an extended campaign.  —  Watch Live: President Trump Awards Medal of Honor

A Directionless War Meets a Constitutional Crisis  —  As we were putting this newsletter to bed this morning, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took to a Pentagon podium to brief the media on the ongoing state of the conflict in Iran.  TL;DR: Mission Accomplished.

Live updates: Oil tankers and refineries under attack as US and Israel exchange strikes with Iran and war widens  —  EDITED BY BRIDGET BROWN, LORIAN BELANGER AND HRVOJE HRANJSKI  —  Iran and Iranian-backed militias fired missiles at Israel and Arab states Monday, apparently hitting …

We texted 1,000 Americans about U.S. strikes in Iran.  —  Here's what they said.  —  Just now  —  How many Americans support the airstrikes against Iran that President Donald Trump ordered this weekend?  Do they think the strikes should continue?  How concerned are they about a full-scale war with Iran?

Pentagon tells Congress no sign that Iran was going to attack US first, sources say  —  Trump administration officials acknowledged in closed-door briefings with congressional staff on Sunday that there was no intelligence suggesting Iran planned to attack U.S. forces first, two people familiar with the matter said.

How Trump Decided to Go to War … Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel walked into the Oval Office on the morning of Feb. 11, determined to keep the American president on the path to war.  —  For weeks, the United States and Israel had been secretly discussing a military offensive against Iran.

Trump May Come to Regret This  —  Authoritarian politics and military aggression are a dangerous mix.  As Donald Trump announced his war on Iran wearing a baseball cap in a video released in the early hours Saturday morning while he was at Mar-a-Lago, that lesson hung heavily over the proceedings.