Ed Krassenstein @EdKrassen: “BREAKING: #MiddleEast tensions are spiraling. #Israel has struck #Iran’s South Pars gas field, which is the world’s largest natural #gas field. #Oil just jumped to $108/barrel! Meanwhile Iranian media says retaliation is coming after strikes on energy infrastructure. Now Iran is reportedly labeling Gulf energy sites as “legitimate targets” and issuing evacuation warnings across the region. This is exactly the kind of dangerous chain reaction critics warned about and it’s unfolding after #Trump’s aggressive moves in the region. Expect oil prices to shoot up even more. The risk of a wider war just surged.”
As of March 16, 2026, the military conflict involving the #UnitedStates and Israel against Iran has been underway for 18 days, beginning on February 28, 2026. While US officials initially suggested a shorter campaign, estimates now suggest it could last for several weeks, with intense fighting and airstrikes ongoing across the region.
#DonaldTrump initially projected that the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran (which began on February 28, 2026, and is known as the 2026 Iran war or Operation Epic Fury) would last about four to five weeks. His projected timelines have shifted repeatedly and often contradictorily in the roughly three weeks since the war began (as of mid-March 2026), moving between claims of being ahead of schedule (suggesting a quicker end), assertions of no fixed limits (potentially much longer), and vague personal criteria.
Based on reports and expert analysis from early 2026, the U.S.-led #war against Iran is widely considered a “Pandora’s Box” that carries extremely high risks for the United States, its allies, and global stability. The conflict, which began in late February 2026, is described as an action with unpredictable, potentially long-lasting consequences, creating a “chaotic” scenario in the Middle East.
While some sources list the current war alongside other major historical “low points”—such as the #Vietnam War, the 9/11 attacks, and the COVID-19 pandemic—the unique combination of direct conventional war with a regional power and the imminent threat of nuclear proliferation places the 2026 Iran war in a category of extreme national security risk.
As of March 18, 2026, the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran is being described by various analysts and historians as one of the most significant and dangerous periods in American history since World War II. It is frequently compared to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis (#Cuba) due to the risk of nuclear escalation and the intensity of the military strikes involved.
#TERRORISM. DONALD TRUMP AND HIS ADMINISTRATION ARE PLACING THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES IN A SITUATION OF “HIGH AND TOTAL RISK.”
As of March 18, 2026, the estimated total cost to U.S. taxpayers for the ongoing war against Iran under Trump is approximately $20 billion.
As of March 2026, the United States has 54 operating commercial nuclear power plants (also called nuclear generating stations or sites). These plants host 94 operating nuclear reactors (commercial power-generating units), which provide around 18-19% of the nation’s electricity:
1. #Illinois — 6 plants (11 reactors): Highest number of reactors and generation; leads the nation.
2. #Pennsylvania — ~5-6 plants (8-9 reactors): Major producer.
3. #Alabama — 2 plants (5 reactors): Browns Ferry (3), Farley (2).
4. #Arizona — 1 plant (3 reactors): Palo Verde.
5. #NorthCarolina — 4-5 plants (7 reactors): Includes Brunswick, Catawba, Harris, McGuire.
6. #SouthCarolina — 4 plants (6-7 reactors): Includes Oconee (3).
7. #Georgia — 3 plants (4 reactors, including Vogtle with recent additions).
8. #Tennessee — 2-3 plants (6 reactors): Sequoyah (2), Watts Bar (2), plus shared.
9. #Florida — 2-3 plants (4 reactors): St. Lucie, Turkey Point.
10. #Michigan — 3-4 plants (4 reactors): Includes Palisades (potentially restarting).
11. #Virginia — 2 plants (4 reactors): North Anna (2), Surry (2).
12. #Texas — 2 plants (4 reactors): Comanche Peak (2), South Texas Project (2).
13. #Ohio — 2-3 plants (3 reactors): Davis-Besse, Perry, etc.
14. #NewYork — 2-3 plants (several reactors, though some past closures like Indian Point).
Other states with plants (typically 1-2 reactors each): 15. #Arkansas (2 reactors), 16. #California (2), 17. #Connecticut (2), 18. #Louisiana (2), 19. #Maryland (2), 20. #Minnesota (3), 21. #Mississippi (1), 22. #Missouri (1), 23. #Nebraska (1), 24. #NewJersey (several), 25. #Washington (1), 26. #Wisconsin (2), and others like 27. #Kansas (1), etc.
ruanofaxas 
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