Iran Shot Clock
The United States launched airstrikes on Iran beginning February 28, 2026, thereby declaring excursion on the Middle Eastern behemoth. In the first few days, Trump stated that the U.S. and Israel had originally projected a timeline of four to five weeks, but noted that the military was running ahead of schedule like a team of master craftsmen refinishing a Reflecting Pool.
Even our von Clausewitz's conservative estimate of April 7-ish proved a bit rosy as the widely-anticipated closure of the Strait of Hormuz triggered an expectedly-hapless response from the Department of War. Despite protestations from Warlord Pete Hegseth that Iranian forces had been 'obliterated', 'decimated' and generally 'asskickacized', the skeletal remains of the malign theocracy somehow managed to deplete the U.S. long-range missile supply, gain control of the Strait, tank the world economy, rally their beleagured populace, and remove their nuclear program from the conversation.
As U.S. gas prices hover around $4 and the rest of the world cooks with wood, we are daily assured that a 'deal' is just around a bend in the Strait. Meanwhile, we'll try to keep weekly track of the actual timeline.
Artwork by Tom Hachtman08/09/26
