The U.S. military completed a new wave of strikes Tuesday on targets in Iran as the conflict in the region stretches into its seventh month. “U.S.
Page A12From§Eachthe midnight edition — 2 September 2026
World misses climate target as US launches new strikes on Iran

The world is set to miss its 1.5 degree climate target, according to the U.N., but that doesn't mean the U.S. is standing still. In fact, the military is stepping up strikes against Iran, warning of escalation if Iran responds. The press office assures us these actions are not meant to force Iran to the negotiating table, just to keep the situation under control. The climate target? It's an aspiration, not a guarantee, and national security takes priority. The administration says both issues matter, but when push comes to shove, defense comes first. It’s not a contradiction, it’s a balancing act. If we miss the climate target, at least we hit the target on the battlefield. The stakes are global—one is the temperature of the planet, the other the temperature of the conflict. The rest of the column continues on Page 2.
“We can't hit the climate goal, but we never miss when it comes to dropping bombs. The planet gets hotter, the war machine gets louder, and every time you check the thermostat, someone's firing a missile. The stakes are the air your kids breathe.”
“Global targets are aspirational, not guarantees. Besides, national security comes first—sometimes you need to act, and climate can wait. Wait, can it? I mean, it's important, but not as important as, well, stability, or something.”
The receipts
It proposed a new goal of limiting the “overshoot” of rising temperatures and eventually figuring out how to undo the temperature gains, a highly uncertain path.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the primary flashpoint in the conflict.
U.S. forces announced new strikes against targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, marking another round of attacks as the U.S. and Iran return to hostilities.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.