Deadline Poet / March 10, 2026

A Briefing on the War in Iran

Calvin Trillin
A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. (Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images)

In case the briefer really knows,
There is a question I would pose—
A single question, if I dare:
The question is, Why are we there?

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Calvin Trillin

Calvin Trillin is The Nation’s “deadline poet.”

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