News Roundup for March 2, 2026
Jewish Democrats Split Over Trump’s Iran Military Strikes as Congress Weighs War Powers, The Forward
“Speaking at J Street’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland thanked the Jewish advocacy group for its stance on the war. ‘I would argue it’s not in the interest of the people of Israel or the region.’ He added, ‘We should not be sending America into war for the political ambitions of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Saudi Crown Prince.’”
Here’s How American Jewish Organizations Are Responding to the Joint US-Israeli Strikes on Iran, JTA
“Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of the liberal pro-Israel lobby J Street also voiced his opposition to the strikes, writing in a statement that the group was ‘appalled by President Trump’s reckless decision to launch a war of choice against Iran explicitly seeking regime change.'”
Trump Says War Could Last Weeks and Offers Contradictory Visions of New Regime, New York Times
“Among the options he suggested was an outcome similar to what he engineered in Venezuela, in which only the top leader was removed during an American military strike and much of the rest of the government remained in place, but newly willing to work pragmatically with the United States.”
Nine Dead in Missile Attack on Israel as Iran Strikes Region, BBC
“In a post on X, the Israel Defense Forces accused Iran of directly firing missiles toward Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, ‘killing innocent civilians’. Officials say a synagogue where people were sheltering from the air raids was hit.”
3 US Planes Are Shot Down in ‘Friendly Fire’ in Kuwait, US Military Says, New York Times
“All six crew members ‘ejected safely, have been safely recovered and are in stable condition,’ Central Command added, extending its gratitude to Kuwait for participating in the operation against Iran.”
Where Things Stand After the US and Israeli Strikes on Iran, AP
“With Khamenei’s death, the Islamic Republic must now choose a supreme leader for the first time since 1989. U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Iranians to seize the moment and overthrow the theocracy that cracked down on nationwide protests early this year. There was no sign that was happening.”
Hezbollah Launches Missiles at Israel From Lebanon, Axios
“While seriously degraded by almost daily Israeli strikes over the past year, Hezbollah remains Iran’s strongest and most important proxy in the region.”
A Convenient Exit: Israel, Trump and the Perils of a War Without End, Haaretz
“The elimination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave (Trump) a convenient exit from the scenario of a prolonged war: We weakened the regime, ousted the dictator and we suggest that whoever succeeds him learn from Delcy Rodríguez, vice president to Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro,” writes Raviv Drucker.
