What the sources said about the Iran war today, and where they disagree.

The U.S. military has cleared mines from a southern lane in the Strait of Hormuz, allowing oil transit to increase dramatically. Secretary of State Marco Rubio states that 60 to 70 percent of pre-war flows are now returning through the straits and climbing, while Iran's oil exports remain completely blocked by a tight U.S. blockade and crippling sanctions. Rubio attributes recent price spikes primarily to a Houthi attack on a Saudi pipeline, noting the Houthis are an Iranian proxy, and predicts economic pressure on Iran will worsen as global oil flow increases and Iranian oil remains shut out.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio states President Trump is open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian if it could lead to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, though no meeting is currently scheduled. Rubio characterizes Iran as a radical clerical regime whose proxies cause regional carnage, making a nuclear-armed Iran unacceptable. He notes the supreme leader is the ultimate decision maker in Iran, making productive outcomes harder to predict, but leaves open the possibility of diplomacy, suggesting internal changes or pragmatic decisions could shift Iran's stance.

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On February 28, the U.S. military struck the Minab primary school with three Tomahawk missiles, killing approximately 175 people, mostly children, based on outdated satellite imagery that misidentified the school as an IRGC facility. Over 100 international law experts concluded the strike likely violates international humanitarian law and could be a war crime if recklessness is proven, while four former Army Senior Law of War Advisors countered that such conclusions are premature and speculative without a credible factual foundation from rigorous investigation. The United States breached LOAC rules by failing to do everything feasible to verify the building was a civilian school rather than a military objective, triggering State responsibility and an obligation to make reparations.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio states the U.S. favors and would propose an energy infrastructure ceasefire where neither Ukraine nor Russia targets energy assets, acknowledging that Ukraine's strikes on Russian energy facilities, along with Houthi actions, have driven the majority of recent oil price increases. Rubio notes American-linked ships and oil supplies have been targeted by Ukraine, which needs to be addressed, and that achieving an energy ceasefire requires both sides to agree, which has been the challenge.

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Chris Hedges assesses that Trump's administration has embroiled the United States in an endless and unwinnable war with Iran, which may tank the global economy, as part of a broader pattern of destructive governance characterized by corruption, mob-style shakedowns, and a culture of deceit. Hedges argues the administration is operating well beyond its means with a $7.4 trillion budget against $5.6 trillion in projected revenue, while cutting health coverage for 15 million people, terminating thousands of jobs, and shutting down multiple agencies.

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