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‘Greater Israel’: Mehdi Unpacks Israel’s Goals in Iran and Lebanon Donald Trump is losing the war *he* started. But he’s doubling down… Why? Well, there’s Epstein, and there’s the midterm elections, and there’s the fact that Israel isn’t backing down. And when it comes to Israel, what exactly is Benjamin Netanyahu’s aim here? **“I think his goal is ‘Greater Israel,’”** says **Mehdi** to **Prem** on ‘Ask the Editor,’ Zeteo’s live show where the two answer subscriber questions on [Substack][1] and [Youtube][2] every Monday. **“This is what he thinks his legacy will be, giving Israel new and further and secure borders in places like Lebanon, in places like Syria.”** [Subscribe now][3] Watch the full video above to hear **Zeteo’s** editor-in-chief break down… * How Trump is **“gaslighting”** and **“bullying”** us about the Iran war – and how this is the one time **“it’s not working”** * What’s happening on the ground in Lebanon * How Trump could be planning to avoid the midterm elections (!) * The long-term impact on US relations with the Gulf * The difference between Israel, the Israeli public, and the Jewish community * …and much more. Let us know what you think in the comments, and [subscribe][4] to catch our next episode of **Ask the Editor** every **Monday at 11am ET **on [Zeteo.com][5], [YouTube][6], or on the Substack app. [Share][7] *If you believe in the work we do and want to see more of it, do consider [becoming a paid subscriber][8]. A [donation][9] to Zeteo also goes a long way.* ***Catch up on more from Zeteo:*** Get more from Mehdi Hasan in the Substack app Available for iOS and Android [Get the app][10] [1]: https://zeteo.com/ [2]: https://www.youtube.com/@zeteo/streams [3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe [5]: http://zeteo.com/ [6]: https://www.youtube.com/@zeteo/streams [7]: https://zeteo.com/p/greater-israel-mehdi-unpacks-israels?… [8]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe [9]: http://donorbox.org/support-zeteo [10]: https://substack.com/app/app-store-redirect?utm_campaign=… https://zeteo.com/p/greater-israel-mehdi-unpacks-israels

Zeteo’s (Fake) Democratic Consultant Is Back — And Already Working on 2028! The 2028 presidential primary in the US is only two years away, which means it’s basically already started. From the slew of [political][1] [memoirs][2] hitting the bookshelves to the myriad [podcast][3] [appearances][4], most of the Democratic hopefuls are already throwing their hats in the ring. So who better to weigh in on the top contenders than **Zeteo’s** very own (fake) Democratic consultant? In this new and hilarious parody video, **Zeteo’s** **Frank Cappello** imagines what members of the consultant class *really* think of each candidate — and who will offer the biggest payday. [Subscribe now][5] Will it be California Governor and **“movie president”** Gavin Newsom? What about Pete Buttigieg, who in just 15 years of public service has shown almost as much backbone as Bernie Sanders’ cardboard standee? Or perhaps Kamala **“Third Time’s the Charm”** Harris will give it another go. After all, with the 2024 election costing upwards of[ $5 billion][6], the consultants are the real winners anyway. *Zeteo’s Frank Cappello and Liam Mann contributed to this video.* ***Check out more from Zeteo:*** [1]: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646296/young-man… [2]: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/where-we-keep-the-… [3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jraRu00p5mc [4]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgx7GvYSq64 [5]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [6]: https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/cost-of-el… https://zeteo.com/p/zeteos-fake-democratic-consultant

Meet Spain’s Anti-War, Anti-Trump, Pro-Palestine Prime Minister *Pedro Sanchez in May 2025. Photo by Carlos Lujan/Europa Press via Getty Images* For those wondering if there are any Western leaders upholding the minimum values of a democracy and basic human rights, the answer is just the one: Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain. Sánchez has been an outlier, a voice of dissent in a time of genocide and endless warmongering. In the aftermath of the United States and Israel’s reckless attacks on Iran, Spain was amongst the few Western states to reject yet another illegal war on a Muslim state. “Twenty-three years ago, another US administration dragged us into war in the Middle East,” Sánchez declared in a speech. “No to violations of international law. No to the illusion that we can solve the world’s problems with bombs. No to repeating the mistake of the past. No to war,” he later added in a [tweet][1]. It’s a position long in the making. [ Read more ][2] [1]: https://x.com/sanchezcastejon/status/2029147260324389279 [2]: https://zeteo.com/p/spain-israel-iran-palestine-pedro-san… https://zeteo.com/p/spain-israel-iran-palestine-pedro-san…

🤦🏽‍♀️ Insufferable Bully Demands Friends *On this day in 1882, the US Senate ratified the Geneva Convention of 1864, legitimizing the International Red Cross and the American Red Cross. The current administration can be succinctly defined as [proudly][1] [anti-the-Geneva-Conventions][2].* Good morning! **Swin** here. The Oscars aired last night. I’ll admit I didn’t watch all of it, but host **Conan O’Brien** had this to say: “Welcome back, we’re coming to you live from the ‘Has a Small Penis Theatre.’ Let’s see [Donald Trump] [put his name in front of that][3]!” Around 10pm ET Sunday, I emailed the White House for comment, given how much Trump and his senior staff like to [respond to such celebrity ongoings][4], or to [jabs at his manhood][5]. I’ll let you know if or when I hear back. 🙂 In today’s ‘**First Draft**,’ Trump would really, *really* like some other countries’ assistance in fixing the global crisis he started, the US president’s economic adviser thinks you’ll believe ANYTHING, and **Javier Bardem** uses his moment at the Oscars to say, “Free Palestine.” [Subscribe now][6] # Where Did All Our Friends Go? *Trump on March 13, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images.* Over the weekend, Donald Trump and top US officials spent much of their time begging American allies (and also Trump’s [good pal Xi][7] in China) to bail him out of the economic fiasco he created with his illegal war. The amount of begging was jarring and unbecoming, [even for them][8]. Since the start of the US-Israeli war late last month, the Iranian government has been firing on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and reportedly laying [mines][9], shutting down the narrow and crucial waterway. As a result, an oil, gas, and fertilizer crisis is rapidly unfolding. [Subscribe now][10] This was all entirely predictable. President Trump [was warned in advance][11] that Iran would likely [respond this way][12]. He went ahead with his war. Trump’s escalations haven’t led Iran to back down, so he and his team have decided to plead with other countries to help the US clear the strait. Trump [claimed][13] Saturday that **“many countries”** would be sending **“War Ships**” to reopen the Strait, before adding with less certainty: **“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area.”** On Sunday, Trump’s energy secretary, Chris Wright, went on ‘Meet the Press’ to [feign][14] solidarity with all nations – and to implore China to fix everything. **“We care first about Americans, but Americans live in a globalized world, so we care about all the nations,”** he said, adding, **“I do expect China will be a constructive partner in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.”** Trump’s UN ambassador Mike Waltz [told][15] CNN on Sunday the president and his lieutenants **“welcome, encourage, and even demand [other nations’] participation to help their own economies.”** Like any common schoolyard bully, Trump is now vacillating between self-pitying and threatening to take his ball and go home. [ Read more ][16] [1]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-hegseth-admin-lawyers-warn-boat… [2]: https://zeteo.com/p/kill-them-all-sums-up-trumps-policies [3]: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3_h2uRk3bjI [4]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-white-house-sabrina-carpenter [5]: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/steph… [6]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [7]: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-couldnt-give-a-shit-a… [8]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-white-house-address-speech-prim… [9]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/world/middleeast/iran-… [10]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [11]: https://zeteo.com/p/us-intel-trump-iran-regime-first-draft [12]: https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/iran-oil-h… [13]: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/1162279041… [14]: https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mh43pdyxrs2q [15]: https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/state-of-the-union-wit… [16]: https://zeteo.com/p/insufferable-bully-demands-friends https://zeteo.com/p/insufferable-bully-demands-friends

Is Trump Losing This War? *LIVE Q&A* With Mehdi Bring your best questions for this episode of ‘Ask the Editor!’ Join **Mehdi** and **Prem** for a live Q&A on **Monday** at **11am ET, 8am PT, or 3pm GMT** to break down the latest stories. Subscribers can join the conversation on [Zeteo.com][1], the Substack app, or [YouTube][2]. [Subscribe now][3] There’s no shortage of news for **Zeteo’s** editor-in-chief to unpack from Donald Trump’s war on Iran, the latest developments – and much more. And he’ll answer your questions too. Don’t miss it. **Tune into ‘Ask the Editor’ below:** [Join here!][4] *P.S., the best way to get your question answered is to become [a paid subscriber][5] on Substack. If you support the work we do, a [donation][6] would also go a long way in supporting our brand of independent, accountability journalism.* ***Catch up on more from Zeteo:*** [1]: https://open.substack.com/live-stream/131917?utm_source=p… [2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6YI2QStXF0 [3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [4]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6YI2QStXF0 [5]: https://substack.com/redirect/87804755-6b5b-4164-ad33-8dc… [6]: https://substack.com/redirect/20ac81a5-7391-4986-aed0-cf4… https://zeteo.com/p/is-trump-losing-this-war-live-q-and

Zeteo Launches WhatsApp Channel! Do you get too many emails? It is hard to find stories from **Zeteo** in your inbox? Are you missing our best content? Well, now you can get notifications when our pieces go out ***directly on WhatsApp*****!** Follow the **[Zeteo][1]****[channel][2]** and anytime you open the app, you’ll see links to our pieces right there. (It’ll make it really easy to share content too.) *NOTE: You will still need to be a paid subscriber to read all of our premium content.* [JOIN ZETEO'S WHATSAPP CHANNEL][3] The weather might be changing, but **Zeteo** is as reliable as always to keep you covered — literally. Our [merch store][4] is fully stocked with hoodies, t-shirts, quarter zips, sweatpants, hats, and everything in between. So, as you put the heavy coats and sweaters away, consider filling the space with a new **Zeteo** fit or two. [Shop here][5] Wearing your support for **Zeteo** not only spreads the word about the work we do, but directly supports our mission of delivering **bold and unfiltered journalism**, from groundbreaking documentaries like [‘Gaza: Doctors Under Attack’][6] to our latest coverage from inside the US and Israel’s [war on Iran][7]. And, of course, our [shows][8], award-winning [podcasts][9], and op-eds and essays from your favorite [authors][10]. A **20% off discount **code to use on all merch purchases** **is** **available to **paid subscribers** [here][11]. [Subscribe now][12] *Please note that everything in our store is made on demand, only when you order it, so we don’t accept returns unless there is something wrong with the product. Delivery is available only to the US, the UK, and Canada, and is free only for orders placed within the United States.* [1]: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAwshj0LKZ8q6Nxk61u [2]: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAwshj0LKZ8q6Nxk61u [3]: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAwshj0LKZ8q6Nxk61u [4]: https://shop.zeteo.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooiYSYgioHmJ7ZXjMsG2… [5]: https://shop.zeteo.com/ [6]: https://zeteo.com/s/gaza-doctors-under-attack [7]: https://zeteo.com/p/iran-war-2026-latest-coverage [8]: https://zeteo.com/s/mehdi-unfiltered [9]: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends [10]: https://zeteo.com/ [11]: https://zeteo.com/p/new-merch-wear-your-support-for-zeteo… [12]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? https://zeteo.com/p/zeteo-launches-whatsapp-channel

Here’s What Trump’s Iran War Money Could Fund Instead *Smoke rises after airstrikes in Tehran, Iran, on March 13, 2026. Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images.* Donald Trump is burning through US taxpayer dollars to fund his illegal war abroad after he slashed funding for American public services in [every zip code][1]. According to the Penn Wharton Budget Model, Trump’s war on Iran will [directly cost][2] American taxpayers an estimated $65 billion – more if it continues for longer than two months – for military operations and replacement of equipment, munitions, and other supplies. The estimated economic loss on top of direct costs ranges from $50 billion to $210 billion, according to the budget model. The first six days of the war alone already cost over $11 billion, Pentagon officials [told][3] Congress in a closed-door briefing Tuesday (though [according][4] to Senator Chris Coons, who sits on the appropriations and foreign relations committees, the full toll is even higher.) That’s about how much the federal government [spent][5] per week on Medicaid before Trump’s cuts to the program, which insures low-income and disabled Americans. And the White House is [reportedly][6] [expected][7] to request $50 billion in supplemental funding to bankroll the war, on top of the Pentagon’s $1.4 trillion* *[budget][8]. [Subscribe now][9] Yet pundits and politicians in Washington who often gripe about the price tag of public service projects have little to say about the costs of Trump’s illegal war in Iran. Here’s how the federal government could spend $65 billion instead of to bomb Iran: # Ending Homelessness The Iran war chest could end homelessness in the US for two to six years, [according][10] to Scioto Analysis, a public policy analysis firm, which estimates an annual cost of $11-$30 billion. Homelessness affected 771,480 Americans in 2024, up 18% from the previous year, [according][11] to federal data. The National Alliance to End Homelessness says the surge is driven by the affordability crisis – which Trump in December [called][12] a Democratic “hoax” after he ran on lowering prices in 2024. # Healthcare for Millions [ Read more ][13] [1]: https://democrats-appropriations.house.gov/weeks-away-end… [2]: https://fortune.com/2026/03/02/how-much-trump-iran-war-op… [3]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/world/middleeast/iran-… [4]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/first-6-days-ir… [5]: https://www.kff.org/medicaid/medicaid-financing-the-basic… [6]: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/defens… [7]: https://www.ft.com/content/14713f6f-a1a6-4477-bd10-d3780f… [8]: https://www.usaspending.gov/agency/department-of-defense?… [9]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [10]: https://www.sciotoanalysis.com/news/2024/1/16/what-would-… [11]: https://endhomelessness.org/state-of-homelessness/ [12]: https://www.npr.org/2025/12/11/nx-s1-5639957/trump-afford… [13]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-iran-war-money-healthcare-gaza https://zeteo.com/p/trump-iran-war-money-healthcare-gaza

WATCH: How Trump is Turning DC into Pyongyang World peace? Curing cancer? Unimaginably fast trains? Nay. Donald Trump’s final frontier appears to be one thing, and one thing only: Washington DC (aka Donald City). As Trump carries out a historically unpopular and violent war in Iran, and maintains a militarized domestic security force disappearing and terrorizing Americans at home, the president is laser-focused on creating the illusion that people in this country actually revere him. To see what Trump has already slapped his face and name onto – and a preview of his other ambitions – **watch the video above, where Prem takes you on a tour of Donald Trump’s “Pyongyang.”** [Subscribe now][1] For decades, Trump has been obsessed with how other nations – including ones run by extraordinarily repressive regimes – honor their leaders with lavish, expensive public celebrations. In private conversations, per sources who’ve been in the room with him, he can go on and on about how much (in Trump’s words) “respect” and “love” these countries shower on their rulers, and how supposedly great it is for the people’s national morale. He does not seem to understand or care that many of these societies he cites – whether in North Korea or in certain Arab monarchies – do those things under the constant threat of arrest, torture, or execution. Since the start of his new presidency, Trump has privately asked multiple times about how to get his face up there on Mt. Rushmore, crowing to close allies how he is a more accomplished president than some of those faces on the memorial, according to people familiar with the matter. Sources close to the president have told **Zeteo** that on separate occasions over the past year, Trump has talked to longtime advisers about what it would take to officially make his birthday a national, federal holiday. Similarly, he has already repeatedly inquired about getting a Donald Trump-shaped monument built in our nation’s capital, and mentioned that he wants final approval on the size, look, location, content, and design of the statue and memorial. It’s tax season – so if you want to know where your hard-earned money is going, here’s one thing to keep in mind. At **Zeteo**, we ran the numbers, and during his first few months back in office, the Trump administration and the Republican Party marshaled upwards of $1 billion in public funds towards projects and initiatives specifically designed to make Donald Trump feel good about himself. That’s right: that’s a Billion with a “B” – in US tax dollars. And if he and his party get their way, Trump’s “Pyongyang-ification” of Washington is just the beginning. [Subscribe now][2] Sources inside and close to the Trump-Vance administration tell **Zeteo** that the president repeatedly asks about myriad different things in and outside of DC that his allies could work to get his name or face on. Buildings, parks, airports, military bases, US battleships, highways, and city streets and squares – you name it, President Trump has likely schemed to slap his face and name all over it. He does this often enough that in some corners of the federal government, it has become a running “joke” in private conversations to just start adding his name to, well, everything: The Donald J. Trump National Portrait Gallery. The Donald Trump Washington Union Station. The Donald Trump Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. *I’m headed down to the Donald J. Trump Whole Foods Market*, they’d quip. [Share][3] [1]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [3]: https://zeteo.com/p/donald-trump-pyongyang?utm_source=sub… https://zeteo.com/p/donald-trump-pyongyang

This Week in Palestine: Israeli Settlers Kill With Impunity, Israeli Solders Rape With Impunity ***A note from our Editor-in-Chief: *** *Donald Trump claims the war in Gaza “is over.” The media is moving on, as the war in Iran grabs all the attention. More and more people seem to have “Gaza fatigue.” So how do we ensure Gaza, where the genocide is far from over, isn’t displaced from the news headlines? How do we combat the “fatigue”? Welcome to **Zeteo’s **newest segment, **‘This Week in Palestine.’** Every Saturday, we will round up stories, on a day-by-day basis, that you may have missed from Israel and the Occupied Territories. We here at **Zeteo** won’t be moving on. * *For the next few weeks, we’ll be sending ‘**This Week in Palestine’ **to all **Zeteo **subscribers.** **But to ensure you get the newsletter every week, go to ‘[manage subscription][1]’ in your Substack account, scroll down, and toggle **on** the button for ‘**This Week in Palestine**’.* *Oh, and please make sure you’re a **[paid Zeteo subscriber][2]** so you can read past the paywall and support independent journalism!* ***-Mehdi*** [Subscribe now][3] #### **Saturday, March 7 – Settler Kills 28-Year-Old Palestinian** An Israeli settler [shot][4] dead ‌28-year-old Palestinian Amir Muhammad Shanaran in Masafer Yatta, an area near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, where settlers routinely harass and violently threaten villagers. Shanaran’s killing came after settlers [killed][5] two Palestinian brothers in the West Bank village of Qaryut the previous week. #### **Sunday, March 8 – **Settlers Kill 2 More Palestinians in West Bank, as Israel Kills Journalist, Paramedic, and Children in Gaza [ Read more ][6] [1]: https://zeteo.com/account?utm_source=user-menu [2]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe [3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [4]: http://btselem.org/press_releases/20260309_under_cover_of… [5]: https://www.btselem.org/press_releases/20260309_under_cov… [6]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-israeli-settlers https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-israeli-settlers

This Week in Democracy – Week 60: Hegseth’s Insane Press Conference, and Trump Pushes Voter Suppression Bill *Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on March 2, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images* Welcome to ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 60.’ We wish we could tell you things were looking better than last week, but alas… Donald Trump and his cronies are still at it: bombing the hell out of Iran, lying to the American public, and destroying democracy. From pushing a voter suppression bill in Congress to banning press photographers over “unflattering” photos, here’s just a taste of what Trump and his allies did this week that hurt free societies around the world, harm US democracy, and undermine the Constitution: #### **Saturday, March 7 – DOJ Pressures Federal Prosecutors** An [investigation][1] by the *Wall Street Journal* painted a frightening picture of the Trump administration’s targeting of US citizens as part of its mass immigration crackdown. Federal prosecutors in cities where large immigration operations are taking place say they’ve faced pressure from top Justice Department officials to pursue charges against citizens for allegedly assaulting federal officers, pulling them away from cases related to public corruption, as well as drug and gun-related crimes. None of the 181 citizens accused of assault by government officials on Twitter have been convicted at trial. [Subscribe now][2] #### **Sunday, March 8 – Trump Pushes for Voter Suppression ** On Truth Social, Trump [continued][3] his push to get the Republican-controlled Congress to pass the [Save America Act][4], which could disenfranchise tens of millions of voters. He warned that he won’t sign any other bills until it passes, and supported using a “talking filibuster” to get the bill through the Senate – a move that’s [drawn skepticism][5] from Republican senators. #### **Monday, March 9 – Another Pointless 2020 Election Probe** The Trump administration [expanded][6] its pointless investigation of the 2020 presidential election, with the Republican leader of Arizona’s state Senate confirming he turned over records to the FBI related to an audit of Maricopa County – which concluded that Trump lost the state – as part of a “federal grand jury subpoena.” Later, *The* *Atlantic* [reported][7] that the Department of Homeland Security’s investigative branch of ICE is conducting its own investigation into Arizona’s 2020 election results. #### **Tuesday, March 10 – Ed Martin Faces Disciplinary Proceedings** Multiple news outlets [reported][8] that the DC Bar filed an ethics complaint against DOJ Pardon Attorney Ed Martin over threats he made to the Georgetown University Law Center in February 2025, when he was Trump’s interim US attorney for DC. According to the complaint, Martin “used coercion to punish or suppress… the teaching and promotion of DEI” by warning the dean that his office wouldn’t hire anyone associated with the school if it didn’t change its apparent policies. [Subscribe now][9] #### **Wednesday, March 11 – Hegseth Bans Photographers Over ‘Unflattering’ Photos** The *Washington Post* [reported][10] that the Defense Department banned press photographers from attending briefings on the war in Iran after photos were published of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that his staff considered “unflattering.” In a statement, the Pentagon’s press secretary suggested that if the move “hurts the business model for certain news outlets,” they should apply for the [highly restrictive][11] Pentagon press credential. #### **Thursday, March 12 – More Efforts to Suppress the Vote** CBS News [reported][12] that the Trump administration is considering cutting federal funding for a civil rights election program authorized under the Voting Rights Act to protect the right to vote and prevent discrimination at the polls. #### **Friday, March 13 – ’This Is What Authoritarianism Looks Like’** Attacking CNN for its Iran reporting, Hegseth said, “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.” He was referring to the Paramount Skydance chairman and CEO, whose company is on track to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN. As Mehdi [put it][13]: [Share][14] ***Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up [here][15]. And check out more of Zeteo’s reporting from this week below:*** [1]: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/immigration-protests-noem-min… [2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [3]: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/1161935278… [4]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-save-america-elections [5]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/top-senate-repu… [6]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/… [7]: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/03/arizona-elec… [8]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/10/us/politics/dc-bar-ed-… [9]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [10]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/11/hegset… [11]: https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-press-access-hegseth-… [12]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-doj-civil-rights… [13]: https://x.com/mehdirhasan/status/2032455369637687350 [14]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-democracy-week-60-hegset… [15]: https://zeteo.com/s/this-week-in-democracy https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-democracy-week-60-hegseths

The Dumb Reason Trump Keeps Calling His Iran War a ‘Little Excursion’ *Donald Trump at the White House on March 12, 2026. Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images.* In recent days, President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to his illegal war on Iran – in which American troops are dying – as an “excursion,” a term generally reserved for describing pleasant little family sojourns or brief, fun vacations. This is, according to sources in and close to the administration, because the president is confusing the term “military incursion” with a “military excursion,” a phrase typically used only to ridicule foreign adventurism and warmongering. Some of these sources say that they or their colleagues have used the term “incursion” in front of Trump lately, but then the president just… did his own thing. “We took a little excursion because we felt we had to, to get rid of some evil, and I think you’ll see it’s going to be a short-term excursion,” Trump said Tuesday, as he addressed Republican lawmakers at an event in Florida. Speaking at a business in Ohio on Wednesday, Trump said, “We did a little excursion, we had to take this couple weeks, few weeks of excursion.” One way you can tell, even without asking any of Trump’s own appointees about it, that the president is botching this is that “military incursion” is a common term that a lot of people and media outlets have used to describe the president’s war in Iran. Furthermore, the Trump White House team definitely knows the term “incursion” because they use it [in official documents][1] to rant about immigrants. [Subscribe now][2] Some of Trump’s aides are afraid to correct him, or think doing so would be a complete waste of time. They are almost certainly right. “I’m not telling him,” one administration official tells **Zeteo**. Other Trump advisers and people close to this president say that it would be a fool’s errand to privately fact-check Trump here and doing so would likely get them yelled at. “We say ‘incursion,’ the boss says ‘excursion.’ It’s not a big deal,” another Trump official says. [ Read more ][3] [1]: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/i… [2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [3]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-iran-war-excursion-incursion https://zeteo.com/p/trump-iran-war-excursion-incursion

Israel ‘Wants a Failed State’ in Iran: Ex-Obama Official Slams the War and the Dems’ Weak Response to It **Ben Rhodes** served as deputy national security adviser in Barack Obama’s White House for eight years. He was working with President Obama as Benjamin Netanyahu continued to pressure the US, time and time again, to attack Iran. Obama, says Rhodes, resisted the Israeli prime minister’s pressure campaign, but now under President Donald Trump’s second term, it’s clear that **“Netanyahu essentially bullied him [Trump] into this war.”** **“Trump’s the first president who couldn’t say no to Netanyahu,” **Rhodes, now co-host of ‘[Pod Save the World][1],’ tells Mehdi. [Subscribe now][2] In this wide-ranging interview, **Mehdi** and Rhodes discuss Israel’s role in provoking this war with Iran, the Democratic Party leadership’s weak response to the conflict, and the events that led up to this disaster during the Obama and Biden presidencies, with Mehdi pressing Rhodes on the following topics: * What Israel’s ultimate objective for Iran is **(“They want a failed state.”)** * The accusation that calling this “Israel’s war” is antisemitic **(“It’s asking us to not see what we’re seeing with our own eyes.”)** * Former President Joe Biden’s [failure][3] to restore a nuclear deal with Iran** (“That was incredibly short-sighted.”)** * Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s refusal to align with voters on foreign policy **(“90% of the Democratic Party doesn’t want to go along with this anymore.”)** * The Obama administration’s disastrous decision to do regime change in [Libya ][4]in 2011, without congressional approval **(“I acknowledge the mistakes made.”) ** [Share][5] **Paid subscribers** can watch the whole interview. **Free subscribers **can watch a 3-minute preview. Consider [becoming a paid subscriber][6] to **Zeteo** to unlock this episode and the rest of our award-winning content. ***Check out Zeteo’s other recent stories:*** [ Read more ][7] [1]: https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/ [2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [3]: https://www.thenation.com/article/world/iran-accord-biden… [4]: https://jacobin.com/2021/03/nato-libya-war-uk-us-france-r… [5]: https://zeteo.com/p/ben-rhodes-iran-netanyahu-obama?utm_s… [6]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe [7]: https://zeteo.com/p/ben-rhodes-iran-netanyahu-obama https://zeteo.com/p/ben-rhodes-iran-netanyahu-obama

Was This Iran War Planned 30 Years Ago? *🚨 Breaking: At least four of the six crew members on board a US KC-135 refueling aircraft supporting operations against Iran were killed yesterday when the plane crashed over Iraq, US Central Command [confirmed][1] today. The US military insisted the crash was “not due to hostile or friendly fire.” * Good morning! **Mehdi** here, sending solidarity in this month of Ramadan to my Jewish cousins in Michigan, where a Muslim man from Lebanon, a naturalized US citizen, attacked a synagogue in the city of West Bloomfield, near Detroit, and was killed in the process. Thankfully, there were no casualties inside the synagogue, and, of course, it goes without saying that there is never, *ever*, any justification for attacking a synagogue or any house of worship. More details on this disturbing story below. In today’s ‘**First Draft**,’ I lead with the story of the **‘Clean Break’ memo** that explains so much of what is going on in the Middle East today, especially Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s **war on Iran**. Plus, **Kash Patel’s FBI** is getting new training from the strangest, the *weirdest*, of places, and two new European countries sign onto South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. [Subscribe now][2] # From ‘Clean Break’ to ‘Epic Fury’ *An Iranian flag is placed on the ruins of a building destroyed during the US-Israeli strikes on a residential area of Tehran on March 9, 2026. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images* If you want to understand the origins of the devastating and very illegal US-Israeli assault on Iran, you don’t have to start with **Donald Trump**. You don’t have to go back a year to the 12 Day War, or 11 years to the Iran nuclear deal, or even 25 years to 9/11. You have to go back to a little-known policy paper written almost exactly 30 years ago. It was 1996. The Cold War was over. The United States was the world’s lone superpower. And a group of American neoconservatives drafted a strategy memo for Israel’s newly elected prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The document was called [“A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm.”][3] Its authors included a who’s who of right-wing, hawkish, pro-Israel figures who would later dominate US foreign policy during the war-obsessed presidency of George W. Bush: **Richard Perle, Douglas Feith, David Wurmser,** among others. And their proposal was a radical one: Israel, they insisted, should abandon the old **“land for peace” **formula in the Middle East and instead reorder the region through military confrontations and even regime change operations. They were explicit about their targets. Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and, yes, *Iran*. The report talked about **“removing Saddam Hussein from power,”** **“striking”** targets in Syria, and pulling Lebanon away from Iran. At the time, this seemed like the pipe dream of a handful of fringe ideologues. Today, however, it reads like a blueprint. Just look at what happened next. [ Read more ][4] [1]: https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2032389087491985700 [2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [3]: https://web.archive.org/web/20140125123844/http://www.ias… [4]: https://zeteo.com/p/was-this-iran-war-planned-30-years https://zeteo.com/p/was-this-iran-war-planned-30-years

Veteran Whose Arm Was Broken As He Protested the War on Iran Speaks Out US veteran **Brian McGinnis** stood up in the middle of a Senate hearing, loudly declaring: **“America does not want to fight this war for Israel.”** What followed was a horrifying episode that went viral, netting hundreds of millions of views around the world: A Republican senator swooped in to get him out of the room, and helped break his arm in a gruesome fashion. There were horrified yells from attendees, and shocking silence from politicians in the room. Recovering from his injury, McGinnis spoke with **Prem** about the incident, what propelled him to speak out against the war on Iran, and the propaganda machine he’s pushing against. [Share][1] McGinnis described the atmosphere inside the Senate hearing room as **“dystopian,”** saying members of Congress were behaving like **“robots”** as he was violently removed. He argued that pro-war propaganda and **“shallow”** slogans like **“support your troops”** are **“made to just hypnotize us away from thinking critically.”** **“Find empathy in your heart for other nations… I’ve met many people from the Middle East, and sadly, many of them have lost people in bombings and military incursions,”** he said. **“I don’t know how I would react if a foreign military was entering into my hometown in a violent way and my loved ones were there.”** While US politicians may have ignored him, McGinnis said, he’s received massive public support, reflecting an imbalance between the government and the people. [Subscribe now][2] **“Life is about hugging your children and finding your partner and loving them and creating happiness and joy,”** he said. **“Our military is being used to provoke violence and to pad the pockets of billionaires and politicians who will never lead for the causes they are pushing. And we’re all waking up to it.”** Listen to the whole conversation above, and do support our work, so we can continue interviews like these, Prem’s Capitol Hill reporting, and so much more. *This video is being shared without a paywall. If you believe in the work we do and want to see more of it, do consider becoming [a paid subscriber][3]. And if you’re not ready for the commitment, then a [donation][4] would still go a long way.* [Share][5] ***Don’t miss these other articles from Zeteo:*** [1]: https://zeteo.com/p/veteran-arm-broken-speaks-out-israel-… [2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe [4]: https://donorbox.org/support-zeteo [5]: https://zeteo.com/p/veteran-arm-broken-speaks-out-israel-… https://zeteo.com/p/veteran-arm-broken-speaks-out-israel-…

In Beirut, Nowhere Is Safe From Israel's Bombing *A man looks at the site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut on March 12, 2026.* *BEIRUT, Lebanon – *Hajar Msheik tries to convince her 2-year-old son that the explosions are fireworks. “He’s young, but he knows something is going on,” she tells me at a playground in the Beirut neighborhood of Hamra, where dozens of displaced families are gathered for a bit of reprieve from Israel’s relentless bombings. “When we hear bombings, he says he is scared.” Msheik, who studied computer science and journalism, had to flee her family home in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh at 2am on the first day of the new escalation of Israel’s attacks. “Honestly, it’s the second war for me. The first time in 2024 was very hard and uncertain, but now I feel I know what to do,” she says. “But it’s sad my son only has lived war so far.” *Hajar Msjeik’s two-year-old son eats sweets at the playground of Ahla Fawda in Hamra, Beirut. Photo by Maria Cosette Molijn* Msheik and her son are among the approximately [800,000 people][1] who have been displaced since Israel declared the whole of southern Lebanon and entire parts of the capital’s southern suburbs “evacuation” (effectively ‘leave or risk death’) zones. [Subscribe now][2] In 11 days, Israel killed at least 687 people, including 98 children, and wounded nearly 1,800 others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Since Hezbollah fired rockets toward northern Israel to avenge the assassination of the Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 2, the Israeli army has pushed further into Lebanese territory in the southern border area. In Beirut, Israel has escalated its bombardments and drone attacks, particularly in the southern suburbs of Dahiyeh. But with the ongoing presence of low-flying drones and fighter jets across the city, it’s become clear that no place in the capital is safe. [ Read more ][3] [1]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-strike-… [2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [3]: https://zeteo.com/p/lebanon-israel-beirut-attacks-displac… https://zeteo.com/p/lebanon-israel-beirut-attacks-displac…

How Will the War in Iran End? Our Panel of Experts Answers Your Biggest Questions There are a lot of contradictory statements around the US-Israeli [war on Iran][1]: [Trump][2] claims it’s a success, but billions of dollars later, Iranians still have a Khamenei as their supreme leader and show no signs of ratcheting down their retaliation against US interests across the region. [Israel][3] claims it significantly weakened Iran’s [attack capabilities][4], but Iran says it hasn’t even begun to use their more advanced arsenal. How can you tell the lie from the truth? By listening to a panel of experts that you will only find here at **Zeteo.** [Subscribe now][5] **Mehdi** gathers an A-team of renowned experts to speak on the developments in the Middle East for a **Zeteo Town Hall** with *paid* subscribers: **Jeremy Scahill, **co-founder of [Drop Site News][6], which has been reporting on Iran from the ground. **[Vali Nasr][7],** Iranian-American professor, acclaimed author, and former US State Department advisor. And **Rula Jebreal**, an award-winning Palestinian-Italian journalist, foreign policy analyst, and **Zeteo** contributor. When three minds of this caliber come on together, the conversation tends to cover a lot: * Nasr discusses the new generation leading Iran, anger from Muslims across the region reevaluating their relationship with the US, and who this war is [actually being waged on][8], saying that after Iran’s leader was assassinated, **“it’s not the regime that is under threat… It is Iran.”** * Scahill describes the **“utter bloodbath”** that would follow a possible [ground invasion][9] of Iran, the real damage from Iranian strikes that the US and Israel are trying to hide, and the potential for a [nuclear war][10], which he tells Mehdi is **“shocking to the soul.” **He also discusses media censorship in Israel and across the Gulf countries and how we aren’t getting the full picture of the damage caused by Iran’s strikes. * Jebreal highlights the hypocrisy on steroids in launching a new war in the Gulf that will make the Iraq war **“look like a walk in the park.” **She discusses the [religious drivers][11] behind US and Israeli politicians, the possibility of retaliation on American soil, and how Gulf states are reacting to Trump’s actions. [Share][12] The panel took more than a dozen questions from the audience and also discussed how this war could end and the long-term consequences of what’s unfolded over the past 13 days. **It’s an in-depth conversation you won’t find *****anywhere***** in mainstream media - and especially on cable news!** **Paid subscribers** can watch the full, almost-hour-long discussion above. **Free subscribers** can watch a five-minute preview. Consider [becoming a paid subscriber][13] to unlock the full discussion and check out our coverage on Iran that you won’t find [anywhere else][14]! **Catch up on Zeteo’s latest stories:** [ Read more ][15] [1]: https://zeteo.com/p/new-poll-most-americans-believe-trump… [2]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-iran-war-grand-theft-auto-memes… [3]: https://zeteo.com/p/netanyahu-trump-iran-war-israel?r=3ui… [4]: https://zeteo.com/p/no-intel-imminent-attack?r=3uiw9m&utm… [5]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [6]: https://zeteo.com/p/new-poll-most-americans-believe-trump… [7]: https://zeteo.com/p/vali-nasr-iran-protests?utm_source=pu… [8]: https://zeteo.com/p/ali-vaez-trump-iran?r=3uiw9m&utm_camp… [9]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-iran-ground-invasion-plans-fore… [10]: https://zeteo.com/p/iran-nuclear-weapons-fake-israel-trum… [11]: https://zeteo.com/p/holy-war-against-iran-graham-hegseth-… [12]: https://zeteo.com/p/iran-war-end-israel-united-states-tru… [13]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=2… [14]: https://zeteo.com/p/how-media-manufactures-war-consent-ir… [15]: https://zeteo.com/p/iran-war-end-israel-united-states-tru… https://zeteo.com/p/iran-war-end-israel-united-states-tru…

💥 US Intel to Trump: Iran Isn’t Breaking *On this day in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt conducted his first radio "fireside chat" as president. Our current president’s equivalent of that is a Truth Social post, calling actor Robert De Niro “demented” and “even sicker” than comedian Rosie O’Donnell.* Hi! **Swin** here, with your daily dose of ‘**First Draft.**’ I keep trying to compare Donald Trump’s Iran war to another administration’s official act or policy, but it’s getting clearer by the hour that there is only *one* truly apt analogy, and it has nothing to do with past presidencies. Right now, the United States is [Thomas Jane’s character, Todd Parker][1], in the movie ‘Boogie Nights’ – we psyched ourselves up to execute the dumbest heist possible, went ahead with it after our buddies told us to abort, and now we’re paying for it. In today’s ‘**First Draft**,’ US intelligence officials whisper to Trump that the **Iranian government** is still holding on tight, the president reportedly told his **top Capitol Hill ally** that “no one gives a shit about housing,” and another school in another country was hit by a drone strike, in a different horrifying war. [Subscribe now][2] # ‘We Won’? *Donald Trump after landing at Joint Base Andrews on March 11, 2026. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images.* Since last month, we at **Zeteo** have reported that virtually no one in the Trump-Vance administration had a clear idea of what the mission would be going into this new, illegal war on Iran. [Trump did it anyway][3]. We told you about how Trump was repeatedly warned by his senior officials that Americans would **“very”** likely die if he started this fight. [He did it anyway][4]. We also told you about how, in the run-up to launching this regional bloodbath, Trump’s advisers **“fully briefed and prepped”** him on how Iran’s government would likely respond by acting to explode oil prices – and damage the markets and our economy – if he went ahead with the war. Trump privately [downplayed][5] those warnings. Then [he did it anyway][6]. In recent days, two Trump advisers and two other sources briefed on the situation tell me, US officials have delivered another dire warning to our batshit crazy president: They’ve informed Trump and his lieutenants that, based on American intel, the Iranian regime at this time isn’t breaking, isn’t ready to fold on the war or stop retaliating, and that there are signs the war is causing significant rally-around-the-flag effects on the ground in Iran, including among some groups that hate the government in Tehran. And yet – you guessed it – Donald Trump is going to [keep doing it anyway][7], even in the face of mounting casualties on all sides of the conflict, the world economy on the brink, and gas [and fertilizer][8] [prices surging][9], and increasingly disastrous poll numbers at home for this president. On Wednesday night, Reuters [first reported][10] that **“US intelligence sees no imminent collapse of Iran government.”** At least for now, the American president intends to continue prosecuting his war, and most crucially for him, he’s going to continue lying about his supposed progress in the region and burying the wincing intel assessments. Publicly, President Trump claims he can end this war whenever he wants to end it, and that, [somehow][11], **“the war is very complete, pretty much.” ** [ Read more ][12] [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2kXCf5D1Q8 [2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe? [3]: https://zeteo.com/p/an-illegal-war-iran-trump-first-draft [4]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-was-told-americans-would-very [5]: https://bsky.app/profile/swin24.bsky.social/post/3mgquqni… [6]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-iran-war-grand-theft-auto-memes [7]: https://zeteo.com/p/new-poll-most-americans-believe-trump [8]: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-11/fertil… [9]: https://www.wired.com/story/trumps-war-on-iran-could-scre… [10]: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-intelli… [11]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-iran-cbs-news-the-war-… [12]: https://zeteo.com/p/us-intel-trump-iran-regime-first-draft https://zeteo.com/p/us-intel-trump-iran-regime-first-draft