When I feel it in my bones

Israel's military chief told senior commanders that the war with Iran is expected to continue at least until April, according to i24News. It is the first concrete timeline to emerge from the Israeli military establishment. On the American side, precision is scarcer. Asked when the war would be over, Trump replied: "when I feel it in my bones". Today he added he would hit Iran "very hard" over the coming week. Hegseth has repeated the war is "not open-ended" but offers no dates.

The United States has destroyed over 5,000 Iranian targets since Operation Epic Fury began. Israel claims to have hit 80% of Iran's air defences. The Pentagon announced today the deployment of a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the theatre, typically comprising around 2,500 Marines and sailors. It is not an invasion force, but it is a rapid response unit that broadens the options. Several Republican senators said they would support the air war but that ground troops would be a step too far. The administration has not ruled it out.

The war is 14 days old. American casualties stand at 13 dead, including six in a plane crash in Iraq yesterday. 1,444 Iranian civilians have been killed according to Tehran's Health Ministry, with victims ranging from eight months to 88 years old. The IRGC launched what it called its "most intense operation since the beginning of the war." Trump speaks of imminent victory. Israel's military chief plans for April. Two readings of the same war.