The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran reached its one-month mark on March 28, with the conflict showing no signs of ending and a new front opening as Yemen’s Houthi militants entered the fighting.
Tahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, said in a video statement that ballistic missiles had been launched against Israel and that attacks would continue “until the aggression ends against all the fronts of the resistance.”
You have to be convinced that this is the right thing to do, particularly now that we’re on the eve of potentially the insertion of American combat troops. Your sons, daughters, granddaughters, grandsons could be on Kharg Island or be holding a beachhead down by the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis, an Iranian-backed Shiite militant group that controls much of Yemen, represent an expansion of the war into yet another country.
Ground Troops on the Horizon
Steve Bannon, the former White House adviser, told attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas that the next phase of the war could involve American combat troops on the ground.
“You have to be convinced that this is the right thing to do, particularly now that we’re on the eve of potentially the insertion of American combat troops,” Bannon said. “Your sons, daughters, granddaughters, grandsons could be on Kharg Island or be holding a beachhead down by the Strait of Hormuz.”
The Pentagon deployed 2,500 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region on March 27. Combined with the 82nd Airborne troops and 5,000 additional Marines sent earlier in the week, the American military presence in the Middle East was expanding rapidly.
Americans Feel the Cost
A month of war had taken a visible toll on American household finances. Gasoline prices had risen by roughly a dollar per gallon since fighting began. Some areas were seeing $4-a-gallon fuel.
Justin Thaemert, a Republican voter in central Minnesota, told USA TODAY that his monthly grocery bill had risen by $300. “It’s disappointing. It’s hard for me to tell what the truth is now,” he said. “Everyone wants to spin their own narrative about what’s going on.”
Polls consistently showed the war was unpopular. Most Americans believed the military action had gone too far. Rising gas prices and a volatile stock market were fueling public discontent.
Pakistan Emerges as Key Mediator
Pakistan, which shares a 560-mile border with Iran, had become the primary intermediary in diplomatic efforts. Pakistani officials had reportedly spoken with more than 20 world leaders about ending the conflict.
Pakistan was set to host talks with foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt. The country had its own urgent reasons to push for peace: its energy crisis had worsened sharply due to rising oil prices.
Trump said “very strong talks” were underway, but fresh strikes over the weekend contradicted the diplomatic optimism. More than 300 U.S. troops had been wounded since the war began. The civilian death toll in Iran exceeded 1,500 by official count, with independent estimates running much higher.
Brenna Boyde, an independent voter in Pennsylvania, captured the public mood: “I don’t think it will ever be over. I’m not inclined to believe there is a permanent resolution.”