Iran War

NBC News -  As the U.S. and Israel bombard Iran with strikes, the Islamic Republic is retaliating by utilizing its arsenal of missiles and cheap exploding drones. Footage from over 30 open-source videos and satellite images verified by NBC News show Iranian drone strikes and interceptions by the U.S. and allies across seven countries. Apparent targets include military bases, transportation hubs, energy infrastructure and diplomatic centers. The videos reveal a pattern of inadequate protection for strategic locations targeted by the drones from the outset of the war. 

The drones' versatility may allow Iran to prolong the war by straining enemy resources, experts say. The technique, popular among cash-strapped states, challenges the economics of warfare by forcing targeted countries to use expensive munitions for interceptions.

MS NOW -   The bean-counters at the Department of Defense — admittedly not the best bean-counters in the federal government — have tallied up the cost of President Donald Trump’s unilateral military incursion into Iran.

The first week of the conflict, they estimate, ran up a bill for U.S. taxpayers of somewhere around $11 billion, though they admit this is more of a ballpark number than a hard-and-fast calculation. It is probably safe to assume that any error in their calculations is leading them to underestimate the cost rather than to overstate it.

Much of that cost was incurred in the form of munitions. The missiles and bombs that have been pounding Iran since the first attacks on Feb. 28 each carry substantial price tags. Add in the time of the pilots and operators carrying out the strikes — and then the costs of their support teams and vehicles — and it’s clear how quickly costs can add up.

The Iran war's looming economic threat: Higher food prices.

Iran threatens to strike oil facilities after the U.S. hits military targets on Kharg Island, a critical fuel hub.

Jack Detsch and Paul McLeary of Politico reported today that last year Hegseth slashed the oversight offices designed to limit civilian casualties in war and to investigate responsibility for them. Over the warnings of top military officials, he cut the number of employees working in that field from 200 to fewer than 40. Hegseth has vowed not to be hampered by “stupid rules of engagement,” but as Wes Bryant, the Pentagon’s former chief of civilian harm assessments, told the journalists, ““As it turns out, when you kill less civilians, you tend to be putting your resources toward killing the enemy.