adminU.S. and Israeli forces carried out coordinated strikes on Iranian targets on February 28, 2026, setting off immediate and bitter retaliation from Tehran that included strikes on American assets across the Gulf and an attack reported on a U.S. base in Saudi Arabia. The region has lurched toward a dangerous new phase overnight as Iran’s response targeted facilities that host U.S. forces and allied infrastructure, raising the specter of a wider showdown. These are not isolated skirmishes; this is escalation that demands clarity and resolve from Washington.
The Biden-era muddle—or at least the absence of clear, publicly stated objectives—has left America’s posture in the Middle East alarmingly ambiguous, and allies’ mixed signals have only made matters worse. Saudi reluctance to allow use of its airspace or bases for certain operations has been reported for weeks, complicating any plan to deter Iran and protect U.S. forces without wasting lives or resources. If we expect our military to prevail, policymakers must stop broadcasting uncertainty and start delivering clear strategy and sufficient means.
Tehran’s retaliatory strikes have a predictable propaganda angle, but the human cost inside Iran was also reported, with horrific accounts of civilian casualties that underscore the regime’s reckless endangerment of its own population. Whether Iranian losses are reported by state outlets or third parties, the chaos and civilian suffering are real, and should harden the resolve of those who oppose the ayatollahs’ aggression rather than soften it. America can and should condemn civilian harm while holding the Iranian leadership accountable for the choices that led to it.
Washington’s next steps must be sober, strategic, and unambiguous: protect U.S. personnel, reassure partners, and cripple Tehran’s ability to project violence without plunging the region into open-ended war. Congressional oversight and a public explanation of objectives are not optional; they are essential to preserving the constitutional and moral authority to act. The world should know whether we are enforcing red lines to prevent nuclear breakout and proxy terrorism, or simply chasing headlines.
For now, the priority is simple and non-negotiable: support and secure American forces and assets, deter future Iranian attacks, and compel our leaders to adopt a clear, sustainable policy that protects U.S. interests. Weakness invites aggression, and muddled diplomacy costs lives and credibility; American strength and resolve remain the real insurance policy against chaos in a volatile region. The nation must demand a strategy that safeguards our troops, defends our allies, and restores deterrence where it has frayed.
