StoryMar 2 – Mar 1312 days80 articles7 outletsIran
What rats do’: US says Iranian leaders hiding as leaders appear in Tehran
In March 2026, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed Iranian leaders were "desperate and hiding" following U.S.-Israeli strikes. This statement was made by Hegseth in the United States. However, news reports from Tehran showed Iranian President and Foreign Minister participating in Quds Day rallies.
AI-generated · summary of the latest articleStory overview not written yet
§ 01
The story so far
- Mar 2
- Mar 4
- Mar 5
- Mar 8
- Mar 9
- Mar 10
- Mar 11
- Mar 12
- Mar 13
§ 02
How outlets cover it
7 outletsAl Jazeera
State media · Qatar · 33 articles
The Guardian
Center-Left · 16 articles
New York Times
Center-Left · 9 articles
Associated Press
Center · 9 articles
BBC News
Center · 6 articles
South China Morning Post
Privately owned · Hong Kong · 4 articles
Fox News
Center-Right · 3 articles
Articles by outlet lean
Left-leaning 25 Center 15 Right-leaning 3 Not rated 37
Not rated on the left–right scale. It describes Western party politics and doesn’t fit state media or outlets outside that system, so we show ownership and country instead.
Main angle of each article AI-classified
Conflict
32
Political Strategy
32
Economic Impact
9
National Security
6
Diplomatic
1
§ 03
Open questions and key claims
Who said what AI-extracted · 8 claims
Hegseth insists the Iran conflict is ‘not endless’.
Hegseth
via Associated Press · Mar 2Hegseth declares, ‘We fight to win’
Hegseth
via Associated Press · Mar 2A new poll by Reuters/Ipsos found that only one in four Americans support military action in Iran.
Reuters/Ipsos poll
via The Guardian · Mar 2More than half of Americans – including one in four Republicans – think that Trump’s use of military force is excessive.
Reuters/Ipsos poll
via The Guardian · Mar 2Trump did not rule out sending US ground troops into Iran “if they were necessary”.
Donald Trump
via The Guardian · Mar 2Trump said he doesn't have the 'yips' with respect to boots on the ground.
Donald Trump
via Al Jazeera · Mar 4The IRGC said its forces are prepared to “fully obey and sacrifice for the divine commands” of Khamenei.
Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib said his selection shows that “Islamic Iran knows no dead ends and always has a bright outlook of victory.”
Esmaeil Khatib
via Al Jazeera · Mar 9§ 04
Who and where
§ 05
Related stories over time
same people and places- Dec 31, 2025 – Jan 18 earlier
- Mar 2 – Mar 13◆ This story
- Feb 28 – Mar 6 at the same timeHow far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?20 articles · 6 outlets
- Feb 28 – Mar 11 at the same timeIran’s new supreme leader ‘safe’ despite war injury reports80 articles · 7 outlets
- Mar 4 – Mar 5 at the same timeIran war: What is happening on day six of US-Israel attacks?3 articles · 3 outlets
- Mar 10 at the same timeU.S. Showers Iran With Bombs in Most Intense Strikes of the War, Pentagon Says8 articles · 5 outlets
- Mar 12 – Mar 24 at the same timeIran’s parliament speaker is floated as a possible US contact in talks as war rages9 articles · 4 outlets
- May 20 – May 21 laterThis hard-line Iranian general is a major player in talks with US over war4 articles · 3 outlets
- Jul 2 – Jul 10 laterMojtaba Khamenei’s absence signals shifting role for Iran leader39 articles · 5 outlets
§ 06