The Iranian regime has chosen to expand the war by attacking every Arab country in the vicinity. It seems like a desperate gamble. If the regime survives, the new boss is going to have to learn to share the neighborhood. That’s a phrase President Obama himself applied to Israel for some reason. When the offensive was intiated this past weekend, I wanted to say that Obama was hardest hit.
Former IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus discussed the current status of the offensive in an appearance on CNN. We found him to be a reliable source in the early days of events after the 10/7 massacre of Israelis. He is now with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
The Iranian regime is killing civilians all over the Middle East by firing ballistic missiles. Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon into the war at the behest of the IR regime.
Israel is now striking both with fierce determination. My conversation with @jimsciutto on @CNN
Tks… pic.twitter.com/K90Vs5Kpty— Jonathan Conricus (@jconricus) March 2, 2026
In his statement on the progress of the operation last night, President Trump referred to Iran’s “formerly supreme leader.” He’s no longer supreme. He’s dead. The Washington Post obituary to the contrary notwithstanding, President Trump added that he was a “wretched and vile man…responsible for the slaughter of countless thousands of innocent people.” Fact check: True.
President Trump elsewhere expressed his personal satisfaction with this outcome to Jonathan Karl. This is an angle I haven’t seen anyone recall.
In another phone call this evening, President Trump told me this about the death of Ayatollah Khamenei:
"I got him before he got me. They tried twice. Well I got him first."
That’s a reference to what US intelligence believes was a plot to kill Trump in 2024.
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) March 2, 2026
One more footnote courtesy of President Trump. The bench of Iranians who might step in to lead the country has been thinned.
Pres Trump told me tonight the US had identified possible candidates to take over Iran, but they were killed in the initial attack.
"The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates," Trump told me. "It's not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because…
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) March 2, 2026
X is a fount of information and analysis that doesn’t make it into the mainstream media. It is not all reliable and one must wary of fakery. However, the intelligent consumer can find trusted sources. I learned from X yesterday that Sunday’s Jerusalem Post front page expressed the gratitude of Israelis to President Trump (with an accompanying note here). In that spirit we hope and pray for the success of the offensive.
From a FB friend, the front page of today’s Jerusalem Post. pic.twitter.com/ZF4rlNs2p1
— jeremysenderowicz (@senderowiczj) March 1, 2026
