Israel targets Tehran as Trump delays strikes on Iran power plants

The Hill
by Sophie Brams
March 27, 2026
3 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

Israeli defense officials say attacks on Iran will escalate even as Trump pauses U.S. strikes on Iranian power plants.

How This Affects You

Widening Israeli-Iranian conflict could draw the U.S. into deeper Middle East involvement, affecting military spending, oil prices, and American troops deployed to the region.

AI Summary

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday that attacks against Iran will "escalate and expand," signaling Israel's intent to intensify military operations even as President Trump extended a pause on U.S. strikes against Iran's energy infrastructure. The statement from Katz and Prime Minister Netanyahu represents a divergence in approach between the two allies, with the Trump administration choosing restraint on power plant targets while Israel prepares broader offensive action. The timing underscores tension over how aggressively to respond to Iranian threats in the region, with the U.S. taking a more measured stance while Israel charts a more expansive course. Trump's delay on American strikes suggests the White House may be seeking to control escalation, though Israel's public commitment to expanded operations could still draw the U.S. into a wider confrontation with Tehran.

What's Being Done

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday that attacks against Iran will escalate and expand; President Trump extended a pause on U.S. strikes against Iran's energy infrastructure.

Source Coverage Map

11 of 43 tracked sources covered this story

26% coverage
Did Not Cover (32)
ICIJ97AP World News96AP News96AP US News96AP Top News96+27 more

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

Iran's military rejects Trump's talk of negotiation, as Israel and Iran launch airstrikes - Reuters
Global

Iran's military rejects Trump's talk of negotiation, as Israel and Iran launch airstrikes - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxQdmpoejR0RUtMc2FQcjMzbE56V25vbEpHM3UwV2FBNnF5dTdWUUpSY2lZMFBIT04xUXo5Q1Fxbll5TVBva2pBR1ByWE1lS2dOU0hKQjJpdE5nZkNKWHpBWmM2R0drNTh4U292OWswX0pCSlNmWVZXeDlfWFVMYUVYNTV2eVVQQWFubjBCSzdRV1VGbFBITnB1T3hkVjdlVXpRU1RQYzlwV0s0SnV2WWZV?oc=5" target="_blank">Israel strikes Tehran as Trump says US negotiating to end war</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

ReutersMar 25
Israeli military says it is conducting strikes in Tehran - Reuters
Global

Israeli military says it is conducting strikes in Tehran - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxOdV9Vc004R2tvNUtON0laUDVxamFTZmlURjdzQ3pjdnBJX0VTOXZZT25lMHJEbjZlSFR1LS0weGtqaXFRenAyYk80Zk9mdTZ0bUp3bDZpXzRaNkVFZXBfLXR3MTV2MnI5bm9QNGdFWWNCZU81M0prZW5LZ20zNC1Ua0NvM202dDREWHg2TXBqdXFkT3B1RThVemhfd0R1OEJRYS1BQzJoZjZKOXc?oc=5" target="_blank">Israeli military says it is conducting strikes in Tehran</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

ReutersMar 23
After markets rattle, Trump once again punts on following through with threat on Iran power plants - AP News
National Security

After markets rattle, Trump once again punts on following through with threat on Iran power plants - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxPN25MXzE0WmFNOF9YOG5SaVFvV0xsMUdKamU0TTZCdmVucW5FNmYtdHdFSk9VdUcta09HMnQyVzZsWjdVYW9ONldGRTlCM0VtNjJQTEtOUTl5WHczdWRnQjRseG5Ja2l0UEIzUkw0czJZT0JqbEpHQXdVYnVDMHdMRER4VDM4ZjhFTjJTQlpB?oc=5" target="_blank">After markets rattle, Trump once again punts on following through with threat on Iran power plants</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

AP NewsMar 27
Iran built a vast camera network to control dissent. Israel used it to track targets, AP sources say
National Security

Iran built a vast camera network to control dissent. Israel used it to track targets, AP sources say

The role of Israel's hijacking of Iran's street cameras in the killing of the country's supreme leader underscores how surveillance systems are increasingly being targeted by adversaries in wartime.

PBS NewsHourMar 23
Oil, stock trading spikes before Trump's Iran remarks spark insider trading suspicions
Finance

Oil, stock trading spikes before Trump's Iran remarks spark insider trading suspicions

Thousands of oil contracts -- a far higher volume than normal -- were traded 15 minutes before Trump pledged to halt strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, sending prices tumbling. Traders who bet on prices dropping ahead of the announcement would likely have profited from Trump's sudden reversal, prompting analysts to question whether some market participants had acted on prior information. FRANCE 24's Yinka Oyetade speaks with Meziane Lasfer, Professor of Finance at Bayes Business School, City University.

AFP / France 24Mar 25
‘Extremely ugly’: Maga media figures squabble among themselves over Trump’s Iran war
Politics

‘Extremely ugly’: Maga media figures squabble among themselves over Trump’s Iran war

<p>Though the majority of the president’s base backs the war, a schism has developed among Trump-touting media stars</p><p>When the histories of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/us-israel-war-on-iran">Iran war</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump">Donald Trump</a>’s “Make America great again” (Maga) movement are written, there may be a special place for the words of former US congresswoman <a href="https://x.com/mtgreenee/status/2033523572228952562">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a>: “I wholeheartedly support Megyn Kelly telling the world that Mark Levin has a micropenis.”</p><p>Greene’s social media post summed up how the media stars of the Trump coalition <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/us/politics/iran-war-trump-conservative-divide-israel.html">have turned on each other</a> in a ferocious, bitter and – sometimes – vulgar brawl. Figures such as Kelly, Levin, Tucker Carlson, Laura Loomer, Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro have clashed over...

The Guardian US NewsMar 22
Read Next
Ethiopian asylum seeker deported by U.S. to Equatorial Guinea
Global

Ethiopian asylum seeker deported by U.S. to Equatorial Guinea

Since retaking office, the Trump administration has deported more than 675,000 people. Even though the administration alleges that it's removing the worst of the worst, some fleeing political violence and some with strong asylum claims are getting swept up as well. William Brangham spoke with one of those individuals and her lawyer.

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources