US and Iran at War: Trump Hesitates, Israel Plans Next Three Weeks – and Germany is Left Out
It's March 19, 2026, and the war in the Middle East is entering its third week. What began as a retaliatory strike has long since turned into a full-blown conflict engulfing the entire region. With the US and Israel launching almost daily airstrikes, the question is no longer whether the conflict will escalate, but how much further it will drag the region and the global economy into the abyss. And at the centre of it all: a US President who doesn't want to pull the plug, and an Israel prepared for the long haul.
Trump's Hesitation: "The conditions just aren't good enough yet"
Conflicting signals are coming from the White House these days. On one hand, Donald Trump insists that Iran wants a deal. On the other, he's the one blocking it. In a confidential chat with US journalists this week, he dropped a bombshell: "Iran wants a deal, and I don't want one, because the conditions just aren't good enough yet." For Trump, any agreement has to be "very robust" – meaning Iran must completely abandon its nuclear ambitions. A clear goal, but the path there is bloody. Meanwhile, the death toll in Iran has risen to over 3,000, according to local human rights activists. At least 1,319 civilians, including 206 children, are said to be among the victims. Figures that have caused international horror, but so far haven't stopped the military machine.
Israel gears up for weeks of fighting
While Trump manoeuvres, Israel acts. The army has braced itself to continue the war for at least another three weeks. A military spokesperson hinted that there are still "thousands of targets" on the list in Iran – and operations are set to continue up to the Jewish festival of Passover, which begins early April this year. This is no longer just about symbolic strikes. Israel aims to permanently destroy Iran's military infrastructure. Particularly explosive: the US deployment of bunker-buster bombs. The massive GBU-72 bombs, weighing over two tonnes, were used to take out Iranian missile positions near the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, the global oil trade's vital choke point, is effectively paralysed.
The invisible ally: The story of US support for Iraq
You don't need to be a historian to see the irony of history. Today, the US is hitting Iran with full force. Yet there was a time when Washington and Baghdad were allies against a common enemy. Reading headlines today about "US support for Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War" might make you shake your head in disbelief. Back in the 1980s, during the bitter war between Iran and Iraq, the US unequivocally sided with Saddam Hussein – despite all his human rights abuses. It was the fear of the Iranian revolution spreading that drove Washington into that alliance back then. Intelligence, satellite imagery, and even direct military aid flowed to Baghdad to keep Iran in check. Today, a little over 40 years later, the tables have turned. Now it's the US itself, alongside Israel, dropping bombs on Tehran. A historic somersault that shows just how quickly geopolitical coordinates can shift.
Protest from within: Counter-terror chief resigns
Even in the inner circle of the US government, discontent is growing. The director of the National Counterterrorism Center, a Republican and actually a Trump ally, has thrown in the towel. His accusation carries weight: the war was started at Israel's behest, not because the US was directly threatened. A remarkable development showing that not everyone, even within the "Maga movement," supports the current strategy. The pressure on Trump is mounting – not just from outside, but from within.
Germany and Europe: Between concern and keeping their distance
In Europe, developments are being watched with concern. Fuel prices in Germany remain high, and experts don't expect any quick relief. "As long as the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, the oil price won't drop," predicts a geopolitics expert. The economic consequences are already massive. Politically, Germany is keeping its distance. Chancellor Friedrich Merz made it unmistakably clear in the Bundestag: "Washington didn't consult us." There will be no German participation in securing shipping routes – quite simply, there's no plan or mandate for it. They don't want to alienate their partner, but they won't blindly be dragged into a war whose end no one can foresee.
What's next?
The situation is deadlocked. Despite heavy blows, Iran is still showing it can fight back, even attacking energy facilities in Qatar – a dangerous move that drags the Arab Gulf states directly into the conflict. Trump responded by threatening the complete destruction of Iran's South Pars gas field. The spiral of escalation is spinning faster and faster. What's clear:
- Militarily: Israel is braced for at least another three weeks of fighting.
- Economically: Energy prices remain high, the Strait of Hormuz is blocked.
- Politically: Even in the US, resistance is stirring, Europe is keeping its distance.
What's left is the hope for a miracle. Or the bitter realisation that this war is far from over. The third week has only just begun.