APTOPIX Iraq Iran US Israel
Protesters wave Iranian flags and hold a portrait of the late Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to support his selection as the new Iran's Supreme Leader in Baghdad, Monday, March 9, 2026.
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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Tuesday would be the most intense day yet of U.S. strikes inside Iran. The Islamic Republic, its firepower diminished, has vowed to fight on. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the aim of the war is the popular overthrow of Iran's government. U.S. President Donald Trump sent contradictory signals about how long the war could last, fueling uncertainty and wild swings in financial markets Monday. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed any suggestion that Tehran has sought a ceasefire. The U.S. joint chiefs chairman says Iran's missile attacks have fallen 90% and one-way attack drones have decreased 83% since the war began.
Americans are divided along party lines on U.S. military action against Iran, according to polls conducted since the war began, with most polls showing opposition is higher than support. Polls suggest that many Americans are worried the military action is making the U.S. “less safe,” even as they see Iran as a threat to U.S. security. President Donald Trump gave conflicting messages on Monday about the war’s timeline, suggesting it could be near its end while also threatening additional force against Iran if the country disrupted the global flow of oil. Fluctuating oil prices may already be alarming voters. A poll found about 7 in 10 registered voters are “very” or “somewhat” concerned that the war will cause oil and gasoline prices to rise.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has become a test of who endures longer. The biggest pressure point appears to be the global economy, as oil prices surge. Iran attacked commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, setting a Thai cargo ship on fire, and Iranian drones also targeted Dubai's airport. The U.S. campaign of airstrikes is now in its 12th day, and Israel is also striking inside Iran while hitting what it says are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Separately, an Israeli assessment says Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was wounded early in the conflict.
