#ourCOG Daily Brief [March 2, 2026]

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for March 2, 2026.

Today’s major headlines are dominated by the escalating situation in Iran. Following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that tragically killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran has retaliated by sending hundreds of missiles and drones across the region, though they claim to target only U.S. military sites. This marks a significant turning point for the Islamic Republic, closing a nearly four-decade chapter of iron-fist rule. From the U.S. perspective, strategists are assessing the next moves in what is described as a coordinated U.S.-Israeli offensive, with President Trump opting for an untested strategy of “outsourcing” regime change by calling on the Iranian people to rise up. Domestically, this move carries significant political risks for the President, as Congress did not authorize the strikes and public opinion has been largely opposed to military action there. Meanwhile, a contentious Republican primary in Texas for a U.S. Senate seat is highlighting internal GOP tensions, while further north, a recent blizzard prompted our reporter in Boston to explore how the city manages its immense snow accumulation. In other world news, the U.S. is reportedly forcing Mexico’s hand on its long-standing diplomatic support for Cuba.

Turning our attention to our video content, we have several new releases for you. The latest videos include “Your prayers matter!”, “The Five Signs of The Believer – Part 2: Speaking with New Tongues,” and “Are we on the brink of the Third Great Awakening? | Pastor Alejandro Arias & Dr. Jonathan Vorce.”

From our FaithNews RSS feed, we’re highlighting a “Church Planting Intensive Set for March 11-13,” news that a “Church Files Emergency Appeal to Resume Worship,” an update that “‘The Bible Recap’ Hits Top 100 on Apple Podcasts,” and a report about a “Multi Million Dollar Gift Launches New Era for SMCH.”

In prophecy news, the IDF spokesperson’s unit announced on Sunday that the elimination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei yesterday marked the culmination of a sustained effort to remove senior leadership from the Iranian terror axis as part of the ongoing ‘War of Revival.’ This follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s earlier statement that U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, including a massive airstrike on approximately 500 targets, will ultimately lead to peace. The initial confirmation of Khamenei’s death came from Israel’s ambassador to Washington, following a massive joint military operation with the U.S. All of this comes after the U.S. issued a warning for embassy staff to leave Israel urgently as tensions continued to mount last week.

Finally, in Jewish history, we look back at March 2nd. In 117 A.D., as the rebellion by Diaspora Jews against the Roman Empire under Trajan neared its end, two prominent Jewish rebel leaders, brothers Pappus and Julianus, were executed in Laodicea, Syria. Emperor Trajan died shortly after, succeeded by the even crueler Hadrian. Much later, in 986, Louis V became King of the Franks. Louis was the last ruler of the Carolingian dynasty, a period generally favorable to Jews, thanks to figures like Charlemagne and Louis le Débonnaire, who supported their Jewish subjects despite opposition from church leaders.