Iranian and US forces searched for a missing US crew member from one of the two downed American warplanes as President Trump warned Tehran that time was running out for a deal to end the war.
Intelligence sources told Reuters that roughly two-thirds of Iran’s missile arsenal is still intact, which means Trump’s victory lap came way too early. The war started on February 28, and so far, 13 American service members have been killed, with over 300 wounded. Iran’s death toll from US and Israeli airstrikes has surpassed 1,900 people. The Strait of Hormuz carries about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply, and Iran’s blockade has Americans paying $4.10 per gallon at the pump, a 37 percent jump from before the conflict started.
Trump’s pushing this deadline hard because gas prices are killing him politically, and he’s betting that threatening divine retribution will somehow force Iran’s hand. Senator Lindsey Graham, Trump’s war hawk shadow, immediately backed the ultimatum, weirdly calling it necessary for peace. The majority of Americans already think this war has gone too far, and even Republicans are getting cold feet about another Middle East conflict. Trump promised his base he wouldn’t start new wars, yet here he is with 48 hours on the clock and a military that’s discovering Iran’s far more capable than the White House claimed.
