European leaders warn of urgent need for self-defense as U.S. reliability questioned

The Iran war has spiked oil prices, triggered retaliatory strikes against Gulf neighbors and elevated a younger supreme leader. But will the regime survive? How will the war end? And were there military mistakes in the rush to launch the first strike? Compass Points moderator Nick Schifrin discusses the knowns and unknowns with Suzanne Maloney, Reuel Marc Gerecht, Ray Takeyh and Alex Vatanka. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Around 2,500 U.S. Marines are heading for the Middle East, along with a Navy amphibious warship. Their mission is not yet clear, but it signals a marked increase in U.S. forces in the region. The deployment comes as the Pentagon said more than 15,000 targets had been struck in Iran over nearly two weeks of relentless bombing against the regime. Stephanie Sy reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

As the war with Iran continues to escalate, northern Israel is yet again on the conflict's front line and facing a barrage of missile and drone fire. Communities still recovering from the fighting that followed the Oct. 7 attacks now again face the constant danger and mental trauma that comes with war. Nick Schifrin has the story. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed in a written statement that Iran's retaliation throughout the Persian Gulf will continue. The widening conflict has pushed oil back above $100 a barrel, rattling global markets. Special correspondent Leila Molana-Allen reports from Qatar. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

For an assessment of where things stand with the war in Iran, Geoff Bennett sat down with Alan Eyre and Behnam Ben Taleblu. Eyre was part of the Obama administration's negotiating team for the nuclear deal with Iran and is now at the Middle East Institute. Taleblu is at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, where he is the senior director of their Iran Program. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Israel Defense Forces issued evacuation orders for downtown Beirut ahead of airstrikes, as well as a second, sweeping evacuation order for southern Lebanon. That means around 10% of Lebanese territory is now subject to Israeli evacuation notices. This latest war has killed nearly 700 Lebanese and forced 800,000 more from their homes. Special correspondent Simona Foltyn reports from Beirut. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Persian Gulf energy crunch deepened on Wednesday as the U.S. and Israel launched new strikes on Iranian targets. Iran retaliated across the region and effectively shut down the vital Strait of Hormuz, prompting countries around the world to take unprecedented steps to keep oil flowing. Special correspondent Leila Molana-Allen reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

For more than 10 days, Iran has used Shahed drones to target American bases, killing U.S. troops and hitting civilian infrastructure facilities. But long before they flew across the Middle East, Shaheds fired by Russia targeted Ukrainian troops and infrastructure. Special correspondent Jack Hewson reports from Kharkiv, where he spoke with frontline forces who have experience facing the drones. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Now that the Shahed drone threat has arrived in the Middle East, the U.S. and Arab allies have formally requested Ukraine's help. This week, Ukrainian troops have arrived to begin their training. Nick Schifrin spoke with the official who's key to that effort. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran showed no sign of slowing on Tuesday, with both sides trading strikes and vowing to keep up the attacks. U.S. officials said the campaign has destroyed most of Iran's ability to produce nuclear fuel, and President Trump said forces also struck sea mine targets tied to Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz. Stephanie Sy reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy