President Trump ordered military strikes against Iran despite his longstanding rhetoric against foreign wars and "forever wars," a move the article attributes to a combination of opportunity, self-belief, revenge, and a desire for glory. Domestically, Trump was facing political pressure from the Epstein files controversy and economic discontent, and the strikes offered a potential "rally-around-the-flag" moment. The decision drew opposition from within his own base, including Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, but Trump has publicly justified the action on multiple grounds, including Iran's past attacks on U.S. interests, the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, and retaliation for Iranian-backed actions tied to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
This article is a collection of reader letters to the Sydney Morning Herald responding to US military strikes on Iran, which reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Letter writers broadly criticize President Trump's decision to launch military action without Congressional approval, with many characterizing him as being manipulated by foreign leaders such as Netanyahu and Putin. Several correspondents draw parallels to past US military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, questioning the likelihood of a stable outcome, while others raise concerns about the legality and broader geopolitical consequences of the strikes. The letters reflect a largely critical Australian public perspective on the US-Israel attack and its implications for international order.
Saturday Night Live's cold open this weekend addressed the U.S.-Iran strikes, with James Austin Johnson reprising his Donald Trump impression to comment on the military action. The sketch aired shortly after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iranian military targets, which prompted retaliatory attacks. Colin Jost also appeared as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, portraying him as outwardly confident but privately admitting fear and incompetence.
A survey by Media Survei Nasional (Median) found that a majority of Indonesian respondents — 50.4% — disagree with Indonesia's membership in Donald Trump's Board of Peace (BoP), compared to 34.8% who support it. Indonesia officially joined the BoP on January 22, 2026, when President Prabowo Subianto signed the organization's charter in Davos. The top reasons for opposition included concerns that the BoP serves U.S. and Israeli interests in Gaza, objections to a Rp17 trillion financial contribution, and the fact that Palestine has not yet achieved independence. The online survey was conducted February 10–14, 2026, targeting 1,200 active social media users aged 17 and older.
Indonesia under President Prabowo has joined Trump's Board of Peace (BoP) and committed troops to a proposed Gaza stabilization force, signaling a pragmatic shift in the country's traditional non-alignment foreign policy toward closer proximity with US power. The move was partly aimed at gaining leverage in tariff negotiations with Washington, but the resulting trade deal appears heavily asymmetrical — Indonesia faces a 19% tariff on its exports while granting tariff-free access to over 99% of US goods, with a clause that could restore a 32% tariff if Indonesia pursues trade arrangements deemed contrary to US interests. Critics argue the agreement sacrifices Indonesia's economic autonomy and could strain its relations with China and its standing in the Global South, while domestically the BoP membership risks being seen as legitimizing Israeli military actions. The legal foundation of the trade deal was further complicated when the US Supreme Court ruled that Trump's emergency tariff powers were unlawful, though Trump subsequently invoked an alternative mechanism to impose a 10% global tariff.
Melania Trump is scheduled to chair a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, March 2, marking the first time a first lady or first gentleman has presided over such a session. Her office stated she would focus the meeting on education's role in promoting tolerance and world peace, as the US holds the Council's rotating presidency in March. The event comes amid a newly launched US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which began Saturday with a bombing that killed Iran's supreme leader, prompting Iranian retaliatory strikes across the Middle East. The appearance also occurs against a backdrop of strained US-UN relations, with the Trump administration withdrawing support from several UN agencies and the organization facing over $4 billion in financial shortfalls.
President Trump returned to the White House on Sunday after overseeing U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran from Mar-a-Lago as part of Operation Epic Fury. Three U.S. service members were killed and five seriously wounded during the operation, and Trump confirmed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed following the collapse of nuclear talks. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on U.S. and Israeli bases and struck targets near Riyadh and Dubai, with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard threatening further attacks. A temporary leadership council has been formed in Iran to select a permanent successor to Khamenei.
President Donald Trump has warned that U.S. combat operations against Iran will continue until "all objectives are achieved." Trump also acknowledged that he expects additional U.S. casualties as the military campaign presses on.
President Trump justified U.S. military strikes on Iran by citing "imminent threats" to the U.S. and its allies, including Iran's alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons and support for terrorist proxies, though the administration has provided limited evidence for these claims. Congressional Democrats and some Republicans have questioned the legal basis for the strikes, arguing Trump bypassed congressional authority, and are pushing war powers resolutions to require legislative approval for future military action against Iran. Three U.S. service members were killed and five wounded in the attacks, and Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and the Persian Gulf region. The political and strategic fallout remains uncertain, with analysts noting the outcome will largely depend on whether the conflict escalates or remains contained.
Senator Tim Kaine and Representative Thomas Massie are pushing for a war powers resolution to limit President Trump's military authority following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury. Legal analyst Jonathan Turley argues that drafting such a resolution has become nearly impossible now that Iran is actively retaliating with missile strikes and has closed the Strait of Hormuz, as the War Powers Act permits presidential use of force in response to attacks on U.S. forces. Turley contends that any resolution limiting the president's options mid-conflict would either be practically meaningless or dangerously constrain military operations. He also notes the political inconsistency of Democrats who remained silent when Presidents Obama and Biden exercised similar unilateral military authority.
Based on the article's content, this appears to be a Guardian podcast episode in which journalist Annie Kelly interviews diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour about a U.S.-Israel military attack on Iran that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The episode is described as a special collaboration between the Guardian's Politics Weekly America and the Today in Focus podcast. The article references additional analysis and opinion pieces published by the Guardian covering the attack and its implications.
The United States and Israel have launched ongoing attacks against Iran following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and up to 40 senior Iranian officials. Iran has responded by striking U.S. assets across the Gulf, with one person killed in Bahrain and additional raids reported in Iraq and Kuwait. President Trump stated that U.S. attacks on Iran will continue until all of his objectives are met, while Hezbollah has also fired rockets amid the escalating conflict.
