WASHINGTON:Having failed to clearly define an objective or exit strategy – and sell the American public on a new war in Iran – President Donald Trump finds himself at an impasse, mere weeks into the conflict. Iran, though severely weakened militarily and politically by an onslaught of airstrikes that began February 28, has voiced no intention to surrender. As the war entered its third week, oil prices soared as violence spread throughout the Middle East, from Lebanon to the Gulf – including attacks on the hard-won US embassy in Iraq. In a rare admission, Trump said Monday that he was surprised by the Iranian reprisals targeting Gulf countries – from Saudi Arabia to Qatar – despite Tehran’s repeated warnings. “They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East,” Trump said of Iran.

Source: The Patriot March 18, 2026 11:13 UTC