THE USA IS NOW AT "WAR" WITH EIGHT COUNTRIES

The Iran War:

• Remember Donald Trump's recent campaign for president when he repeated the mantra about no new wars?  Can you believe that he has ordered military strikes on 7 countries just in his second term?  Add the attacks on boats in the Pacific and Caribbean.  Now, he further says that he would deploy ground troops in Iran, if necessary.
• The story of why America is involved keeps changing.  Yesterday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the USA was just helping Israel.  Today, Trump indicated that the U.S. forced Israel into launching the conflict.  What's going on?
• While NATO has shown political support for the U.S. in this war, European countries have been absent.  Donald Trump is thusly angry.
• Google AI:

As of early March 2026, the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has resulted in over 1,000 fatalities, with reported figures including 1,190 deaths in Iran and at least 6 U.S. service members killed.

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  Unexpected was Iran actually lobbing missiles and drones into neighboring countries, thus alienating themselves from them.

• Targets & Damage: Iran struck critical infrastructure, including oil refineries in Saudi Arabia and international airports in Dubai, Doha, and Manama. Residential areas were also hit, resulting in deaths in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Iraq.
• Response to Escalation: The attacks are a direct retaliation against a U.S.-Israeli campaign that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and destroyed key missile sites.
• Strategic Goal: Iran aims to inflict economic pain on Gulf states to pressure the U.S. and Israel to stop their offensive, expanding the conflict to regional neighbors.
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  Regional Impact: The attacks have created massive flight cancellations and deepened the resolve of Gulf Arab states to fight back, aligning them further against Iran.

• What about the safety of American civilians living in the Middle East or visiting?
• They have been alerted to evacuate.
• There are between 500,000  and a million of them, and many tens of thousands of visitors.
• Other countries?
• Reportedly, 50,000 Russian tourists just in the United Arab Emirates.
• 30,000 Germans stuck on cruise ships and hotels, with only a very few lucky enough to have escaped.  The country is seeking charter planes at taxpayer expense to get the vulnerable back home.
• France?  200,000 live there and 25,000 are visiting.
• The problem, of course, is that airports are mostly closed, and embassies are shutting down, like in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon, with more likely to come.
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  Yet another front has opened:  Israel is now attacking Lebanon to rid the country of Hezbollah.
• And of course, the price of petroleum continues to increase, today up to $74/barrel for WTI Crude and $81/barrel for Brent Crude.  It was $65/barrel when this war began.  Already, you've seen increases of at least 10 cents/gallon at your filling station, soon, maybe +50 cents/gallon.
• I asked Google AI if prices could go up to $200/barrel, and I actually got a response.

Key Factors Driving $200 Oil Speculation

• Strait of Hormuz Blockage: Roughly 20% of the world's daily oil supply passes through this 21-mile-wide channel. If Iran closes this, it could lead to a massive supply crunch.
• Infrastructure Destruction: If the conflict escalates to destroying major oil infrastructure in the region (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran), supply could be severely hampered.
• Insufficient Spare Capacity: If a significant blockade occurs, experts warn that OPEC's spare capacity—mostly in the Persian Gulf—would be insufficient to cover the shortfall.
• "War Premium" Spike: Immediate fear of supply disruption often drives prices up sharply before the actual impact is felt.

• 
  A new CNN poll pretty much confirmed what you thought would be the reaction from the American public:
• Nearly 6 in 10 disapprove of this Trump war on Iran.
• More specifically, 82% of Democrats.
• 68% of Independents.
• 23% of Republicans.
• 56% see long-term military conflict between the U.S. and Iran.

So what countries have President Donald Trump attacked?  From Google AI:

1. Iran: Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes in February 2026, described as "major combat operations" targeting nuclear and military infrastructure, following earlier 2025 strikes.
2. Venezuela: A special operations raid and airstrikes in January 2026, involving the extraction of President Nicolás Maduro and attacks on his compound.
3. Yemen: Sustained strikes against Houthi militants, particularly the "Operation Rough Rider" campaign launched in March 2025.
4. Syria: Strikes against ISIS targets in late 2025/early 2026, known as Operation Hawkeye Strike.
5. Iraq: Precision airstrikes targeting ISIS leadership, such as in March 2025.
6. Somalia: Expanded counterterrorism operations targeting al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia in 2025 and 2026.
7. Nigeria: Strikes against alleged ISIS-linked targets in the northwest in December 2025.
8. Caribbean Sea/Eastern Pacific (not a country, but a region of military action):  A "narco-terror" campaign involving over 100 strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels.

Next on Trump's list?

• Cuba?
• Columbia?
• Mexico?
• Panama?
• Greenland?

Happy Girl's Day.

Called Hinamatsuri, since more than a millennium ago, March 3 is celebrated annually in Japan for the health, happiness and prosperity of young girls.  Families display ornamental Hina dolls, eat special sweets like hishi mochi and set up displays representing the Heian imperial court.  

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