Trump’s Quick War in Iran Is Turning Into a Test of Endurance

Tehran’s new leadership is betting on the long game, Japan is rethinking its postwar pacifism, and Oscars weekend arrives in an existential malaise.

Smoke engulfs destroyed vehicles on March 8 in Tehran, following an overnight airstrike on the Shahran oil refinery.Photographer: AFP/Getty Images

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By Kira Bindrim

March 14, 2026 at 8:00 AM UTC

Welcome to the weekend.

There are 450 facilities in the Persian Gulf that provide what the CIA calls the region’s “strategic commodity.” Despite being protected under international law, the plants have been attacked during the Iran war. What do the facilities do? Find out with this week’s Pointed quiz.