Trump orders another Iran attack

Plus, Hillary Clinton flipped the script on Republicans' Epstein theater |

VIEW IN BROWSER MS NOW DAILY Understand today's news Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026   THE LATEST How Trump's attack on Iran could help define his presidency By Daniel R. DePetris How Trump's attack on Iran could help define his presidency By Daniel R. DePetris President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran Saturday morning. Three weeks ago, the U.S. and Iran sat down for their first indirect negotiations since last June, when Israel's 12-day air war against Iranian nuclear, missile and military sites upended the diplomacy. Two weeks later, U.S. and Iranian negotiators left Switzerland with cautious optimism. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi went so far as to cite undefined "progress." But the positivity was always a bit misleading. Given the personalities involved and the lack of trust between Tehran and Washington — as well as the chasm-like differences about what to even discuss — the diplomatic process was destined to fall apart at some point. The Iranians are patient, exhausting negotiators, whereas Donald Trump is a notoriously impatient man who wants results quickly. In the meantime, the U.S. and Iran both acted as if war was an inevitability. The U.S. military sent dozens of additional combat aircraft to the Middle East, deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region and put more air defense assets into place. Iran rebuilt some of the missile facilities that were destroyed in June and reinforced others. The foreshadowing proved correct.   This is a preview of Daniel R DePetris' latest column. Read the full column here. IRAN STRIKES ERUM SALAM AND DAVID ROHDE U.S. launches 'major combat operations' in Iran, Trump says Trump acknowledged that "Operation Epic Fury," the U.S.-Israel military offensive in Iran, could lead to American casualties but said the mission was necessary to protect America and its allies in the future. Read more. MICHAEL A. COHEN Trump didn't even try to make a case for war with Iran Despite the eight-minute Truth Social video posted early Saturday morning, Trump made almost no effort to prepare the country for war or explain his actions. Read more. KEVIN FREY AND NORA MCKEE Trump warns of 'war' casualties without Congress declaring war Trump warned that the "lives of American heroes may be lost" in what he described as a "war" against Iran, triggering a swift backlash from lawmakers. Read more. THE WEEKEND Trump to Iranian people: 'Take over your government' WATCH NOW TOP STORIES PAUL WALDMAN Hillary Clinton flipped the script on Republicans' Epstein theater Republicans clearly hoped this week that by hauling both Clintons in front of the House Oversight Committee they could, at minimum, embarrass Democrats. They were wrong. Read more. NNAMDI EGWUONWU AND AKAYLA GARDNER Trump's gains among Black voters erode as economic promises fade In 2024, the GOP made its biggest gains with Black men in nearly 50 years. But with economic woes rising and Trump's approval sliding, his supporters question whether the coalition will last. Read more. ZEESHAN ALEEM How Mamdani worked Trump — again The New York mayor secured two victories during his unannounced visit to the White House. Read more. SYDNEY CARRUTH Trump flatters Texas GOP Senate candidates — and leaves them hanging The former beauty pageant producer performed his old favorite role in the Lone Star State on Friday, dangling the ultimate prize before each contestant: his endorsement. Read more. TOP VIDEOS ALL IN WITH CHRIS HAYES  Pentagon and Anthropic clash over AI guardrails WATCH NOW THE WEEKNIGHT 'The alarms are blaring': California AG lays out coordinated effort to thwart Trump election interference WATCH NOW KATY TUR Bill Clinton: If I had known of Epstein's crimes, 'I would have turned him in myself' WATCH NOW CHRIS JANSING REPORTS Epstein files photo appears to show Secretary Lutnick with Jeffrey Epstein WATCH NOW MORE FROM MS NOW Tuesday, the battle begins for control of Congress with primaries in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas. Join Rachel Maddow and team for analysis throughout the night, with Ali Velshi breaking down real-time results. Special coverage begins Tuesday at 7pm ET on MS NOW. Tonight, catch the premiere of "Crooked on MS NOW," a new special weekly series that highlights the smartest, funniest, and most talked-about moments of the week from Crooked Media's chart-topping podcasts. Watch "Crooked on MS NOW" premiering tonight at 9pm ET. This weekend on MS NOW SATURDAY MS NOW's "Alex Witt Reports" at 1pm ET: Rep. Dave Min (D-Calif.)… Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)… Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.)… Lieutenant General Mark Hurtling  MS NOW's "PoliticsNation" at 5pm ET: Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)... Rep. Al Green (D-Texas)... California Attorney General Rob Bonta SUNDAY MS NOW's "The Weekend" at 7am ET: Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.)... Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) MS NOW's "The Weekend: Primetime" at 6pm ET: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.)... Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.)... Former Deputy Assistant to President Joe Biden Daniel Koh 229 West 43rd St. New York, NY 10036 PRIVACY | CONTACT | UNSUBSCRIBE