The War on Iran Continues

by John M Repp (September 22, 2026)

Trump started bombing Iran on February 28, 2026. He has given many reasons why, but the one has a spoken about the most has been to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Here is some background.

Trump canceled the JCPOA treaty in May 2018, during his first term. JCPOA was a treaty with Iran and other nations that Obama negotiated. It said Iran would not develop a nuclear weapon.

Here is what the U.S. Department of State website says about the JCPOA:

“On July 14, 2015, the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), the European Union (EU), and Iran reached a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program will be exclusively peaceful.”

Did Netanyahu ask Trump to cancel the JCPOA in 2018 during his first term? Inquiring minds want to know!

Now, let us look at events of Trump’s second term. As stated above, Trump ordered an attack on Iran on February 28, 2026, joining Israel. There was no declaration of war which according to the U.S. Constitution only Congress can make.

The U.S. has used thousands of very expensive missiles, costing $38 billion. Eighteen U.S. service members have been killed and over 750 have been injured. Estimates of Iranians killed range from 3,400 to over 6,000 and between 15,000 to over 27,000 have been injured.    

 “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth has fired 24 of the highest ranking military officers since coming to office. Those officers have not spoken out in public, but one of the issues seems to be the war on Iran and how it was conducted.

Today, more than six months after the February 28, 2026, attack on Iran, the conflict remains a stalemate. Iran has control over the Strait of Hormuz and thus they can weaken the world economy by controlling who can ship oil and fertilizer through the Strait. Now the Houthis, also allies of Iran, are getting control of one shoreline of the Red Sea in Yemen, which potentially would block another route some shipping companies are using to get oil out of the Middle East. Below is a map. The red rectangle is the Strait of Hormuz.

Remember when Trump worked hard to try and convince everyone that he should get the Nobel Peace Prize? Many people wondered why he did this? One theory was that it was because Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 and Trump was angry that a black man had gotten the prize so early in his Administration.

Most military specialists who understand the Middle East think that the U.S.- Israeli war on Iran has strengthened Iran geopolitically but has been a horror for the people of Iran.