DAY 10: WAR ON IRAN March 10, 2026

Consortium News
Volume 31, Number 69 — Tuesday, March 10, 2026


DAY 10: WAR ON IRAN
March 10, 2026


Trump yo-yos on when the war ends and Iran says we decide; Australia sending plane to UAE; Rubio worried about Iraq embassy; Trump says Iran would’ve nuked Israel already; and U.S.-Israel air strikes damage UNESCO sites in Isfahan.



Painting of Battle of Chaldiran at Chehel Sotoun Palace in Isfahan. (Amir Pashaei/Wikimedia)

MONDAY

By Joe Lauria
Special to Consortium News




Trump Thinks He Will Decide When War Ends

Donald Trump on Monday was all over the place speaking about when he thinks the war will end — and it moved markets.

“We’re achieving major strides towards completing our military objectives, and some people can say they’re pretty well complete. We’ve wiped every single force in Iran out, very completely,” Trump told a news conference in Doral, Florida. “This was just an excursion into something that had to be done. We’re getting very close to finishing that [the war]. … Most of Iran’s naval power has been sunk; it’s at the bottom of the sea.”

He told CBS News the war “is very complete, pretty much,” adding: “We’re very far ahead of schedule.”

Those words caused oil prices to dip — from a high of $120 a barrel earlier in the day — and stocks to rise. But Trump wasn’t finished. He told a group of Republican lawmakers in Florida: “We have won in many ways, but not enough.” Asked at the same news conference if the war would be over this week, Trump said, “No.. soon, very soon.”

That he has no idea what will happen was demonstrated later Monday with a series of social media post filled with the most sadistic threats against the Iranian people. It betrays a lack of confidence that the United States is actually winning.

“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far,” he wrote. “Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!”

Trump also said he’d kill new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei if he doesn’t follow Trump’s orders. “Nobody has any idea the people who will be head of [Iran] now,” he said.

Trump’s waffling about when the war ends displays his irrationality and his trademark bravado telegraphs to the world that he perceived himself as a world emperor who decides who will live and who will die, and when wars he starts end.

But the Iranians have something to say about all this. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said Monday they will “determine the end of the war.”

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Parliament, wrote on social media: “We believe that the aggressor must be punched in the mouth so that it learns its lesson and never again thinks of attacking our beloved Iran.” Iran was determined to break the cycle of “war-negotiation-cease-fire and then war again,” he said, which was Israel’s plan to dominate the region.

The war “is an existential threat to the Islamic Republic. Therefore, we have to stay with full might as we’re doing now,” Kamal Khazari, foreign policy advisor to Iran’s new supreme leader, told CNN. “I don’t see any room for diplomacy anymore – Donald Trump had been deceiving others and not keeping his promises. We experienced it two times during negotiations.”

‘Iran Would’ve Nuked Israel’

Trump also claimed Monday that “if [the Iranians] had a nuclear weapon, they would’ve used it against Israel.” He said: “Within a week, they would have attacked us, 100 percent. They were ready. They had all these missiles; far more than anyone thought. They were gonna attack all of the Middle East, including Israel. If they had a nuclear weapon, they would’ve used it against Israel.”

The War According to Lindsey Graham, Continued

Senator Lindsey Graham is back at it, issuing orders like he’s the general in charge. He had a few choice words for Saudi Arabia for not attacking Iran. “The American Embassy is being evacuated in Riyadh because of sustained attacks by Iran against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.

But Saudi Arabia “refuses to use their capable military as a part of an effort to end the barbaric and terrorist Iranian regime who has terrorized the region and killed 7 Americans. … Why should America do a defense agreement with a country like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that is unwilling to join a fight of mutual interest?”

He then threatened Riyadh and the other Gulf Cooperation Council countries. If they did not “get more involved … consequences will follow,” he said.

Isfahan Heritage Sites Hit

U.S. and Israeli air strikes have been hitting the UNESCO-protected historic center of Isfahan, including the 17th century Chehel Sotoun Palace, a Safavid-era pavilion famed for its gardens, columned hall and wall paintings. Iranian media has shown images of broken windows, debris and structural damage.

Other structures in the Safavid government complex that have been damaged include Ashraf Hall and the Ali Qapu Palace on Naqsh-e Jahan Square. The historic district was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The Americans and the Israelis like to think of themselves as the civilized ones.

Rubio Worried About Baghdad Embassy

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is worried about the American embassy in Baghdad after America and Israel’s unprovoked aggression against Iran has unleashed ferocious protests in the Iraqi capital around the fortified U.S. mission. The embassy was targeted in a rocket attack over the weekend that resulted in no casualties.

Rubio called Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, to “reiterate[d] the importance of the Iraqi government taking all possible measures to safeguard U.S diplomatic personnel and facilities,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

Three other U.S. diplomatic missions in the region have been hit.

U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Struck by two Iranian drones on or around March 2–3, causing a limited fire, minor structural damage (including part of the roof collapsing in some reports), and no reported casualties. The embassy closed indefinitely and urged Americans to avoid the compound and shelter in place.

U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City, Kuwait: Targeted by Iranian drone/missile strikes (reports of attacks on March 1–2 and follow-ups), leading to indefinite closure “until further notice.” No casualties reported at the embassy.

U.S. Consulate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: A drone struck a parking lot adjacent to the consulate/chancellery building on March 3, causing a fire but no injuries or major structural damage to the main building.

Iran Hits Israeli Oil Depots; West Bank Settlers

The Islamic Republic’s Army said it was targeting Israeli fuel storage tanks in the “occupied” port of Haifa as well as settlers in the West Bank.

Iran is retaliating for Israel’s bombing of Iranian oil depots in Tehran that has caused poisonous smoke to infect the capital. The New York Times reports on “black rain” falling. Iran accused Israel of unleashing “chemical warfare” on Tehran.

“The battle against the criminal United States and the child-killing Zionist regime will continue until the final victory of the front of truth over falsehood,” the Army statement said.

Sirens were also heard in the occupied territories, “including the holy occupied city of al-Quds and as many as ‘263 other spots’,” the army said. More than nine million illegal settlers have had to seek shelter, it said.

Australia Joining War Against ‘Unprovoked’ Iranian Attack

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is proving once again that Australia never saw someone else’s war that it doesn’t want to fight. The late, great John Pilger wrote: “The Australian is to fight other people’s wars, against those with whom Australians have no quarrel and who offer no threat of invasion.”

Albanese announced that Australia was sending a surveillance plane with a crew of 85 and air-to-air missiles to the U.A.E. to fight what he outlandishly called Iran’s “unprovoked” war. Only the willfully blind can’t see that this was an unnecessary and unprovoked war by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, which posed no threat to Australia or anyone else.

Australia was softened up for this by Israel trying to blame the Bondi beach massacre last December on Iran, when it was carried out by terrorists inspired by ISIS, a mortal enemy of Iran. Australian intelligence in coordination with Israel also blamed two anti-semitic incidents in Australia on Iran, though it provided no proof whatsoever of Iran’s involvement. That led to the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador from Australia anyway.

So Australia was ripe for Albanese’s announcement on Monday:

“In responding to requests, following a conversation that I had with the President Mohammed bin Zayed and other requests, Australia will deploy an E-7A Wedgetail to the Gulf to help protect and defend Australians and other civilians. The Wedgetail will provide long range reconnaissance capability which will help to protect and secure the airspace above the Gulf.

We have also received a request from the UAE to supply advanced medium range Air-to-Air missiles, AMRAAMs, and we will be supplying a number of those to the UAE as well.

My government has been clear that we’re not taking offensive action against Iran, and we’ve been clear that we are not deploying Australian troops on the ground in Iran. Our involvement is purely defensive. And it’s in defence of Australians who are in the region as well as in defence of our friends in the United Arab Emirates.”

And then he said it was all to help the U.A.E. defend against “unprovoked attacks” from Iran.

Expel Ambassadors, Get Passage

Speaking of expelling ambassadors, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said any Arab or European country that expels its Israeli or American ambassador will receive free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The close of the Strait has sent oil and gas prices skyrocketing, imperiling the world economy, thanks to the war launched by the U.S. and Israel.