War with Iran; Part II—Update, Analysis and Commentary

To read the full text of the podcast and the links to thequoted materials, please see:⁠https://erm76.substack.com/p/podcast-and-full-text-war-with-iran

This is an update about the war in Iran. We first coveredthe war, which has also been called an “excursion” by the President, in an earlier podcast.

 According to President Trump, the attacks obliterated thetargets. Yet, one of the reasons given for the current war is to destroy Iran’s capability to create a nuclear weapon--a justification used for the 2025 attack.

 Hegseth stated that no quarter will be shown for ourenemies. This, however, is a violation of international law.

As the war continues, the Administration’s lack of planningis becoming more apparent. The issue of protecting the Strait of Hormuz is a case in point.

The President has also called for the people of Iran to riseup against their government.  As discussed in a prior podcast, the Iranian government is a murderous regime that has killed thousands of its own people. It’s murder on a grand scale.

Yet, what support has Trump offered to the Iranian people ifthey turn against the government, as he has suggested?

If the war somehow frees the people of Iran, it would be a great achievement. But the question again arises: how would you help the country move forward? We have yet to hear from the Trump Administration. But if you start a war, you should damn well know why you started it and have an end goal plan in mind.

You should also know this before you send our military, oranyone, into harm’s way.

 

Notes:

 

**** You can download the full report from:https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/01/365-wins-in-365-days-president-trumps-return-marks-new-era-of-success-prosperity/,

 

(1) “Trump calls Iran war a 'short-term excursion' andGeorgia's special election: Morning Rundown,” by Marissa Martinez, NBC News. March 10, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-calls-iran-war-short-term-excursion-georgias-special-election-mo-rcna262658

 

(2) Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obliterate. Also see, for the WhiteHouse’s claim that the Iran assets were fully destroyed: Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Have Been Obliterated — and Suggestions Otherwise are Fake News, The White House. June 25, 2025.https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/06/irans-nuclear-facilities-have-been-obliterated-and-suggestions-otherwise-are-fake-news/

 

(3) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the JointChiefs Air Force Gen. Dan Caine Hold a Press Briefing, U.S. Department of War. March 13, 2026.https://www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4434484/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-and-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-air-force-gen-da/

 (4) “'Not our war': U.S. allies balk at Trump's Strait ofHormuz demands,” by Alexander Smith, NBC News. March 16, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/us-allies-respond-trump-strait-of-hormuz-demands-nato-iran-war-rcna263650

 (5) “FCC chair threatens TV networks amid Iran war coverage— but his warning rings hollow,” by Brian Stelter, CNN, March 15, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/14/media/fcc-brendan-carr-trump-iran-war-abc-nbc-cbs

 (6) The New Communications Technologies; fifth edition.Michael Mirabito and Barbara Morgenstern. Focal Press, 2004.

 

(7) “Democratic lawmaker condemns Hegseth’s call for ‘noquarter’ for US enemies,” by Edward Helmore, The Guardian. March 14, 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/14/democratic-lawmaker-condemns-hegseth-no-quarter#:~:text=Critics%20of%20Hegseth%20say%20the,crime%20in%20international%20armed%20conflicts.Also, please see: “Rule 46. Orders or Threats that No Quarter Will Be Given.” International Humanitarian Law Databases.https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule46

 

(8) “Trump claims US ‘way ahead of schedule’ in Iran war,”Aljazeera; News Feed. March 14, 2026.https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/14/trump-claims-us-way-ahead-of-schedule-in-iran