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Tuesday, November 10, 2026Nov 10

Times Opinion: Thousands dead over war in Iran — biggest casualty is compassion

Photo by Atta Kenare via AFP/Getty Images/TNS / A plume of smoke rises after a strike on the Iranian capital Tehran, on March 3, 2026.
Photo by Atta Kenare via AFP/Getty Images/TNS / A plume of smoke rises after a strike on the Iranian capital Tehran, on March 3, 2026. Photo by Atta Kenare via AFP/Getty Images/TNS / A plume of smoke rises after a strike on the Iranian capital Tehran, on March 3, 2026.

War is ugly.

So is hubris.

The next time President Donald Trump tells you how well the war is going, remember that U.S. missile strikes have killed more than 1,400 people in Iran, including 168 children who perished at an elementary school.

Remember, too, that the average price of gas in America has surged more than 65 cents a gallon in the two weeks since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran, a costly consequence that affects every family across the country, whether they have a car or not.

But economic setbacks pale in comparison to tragic loss of life.