Tracy Mumford

Today's Tuesday, March 10th.

Here's what we're covering.

President Trump offered contradictory messaging yesterday on how long the war with Iran could last.

Earlier in the day, when he said the war was pretty much done, markets rebounded and the price of oil dropped.

But he seemed to switch gears later, leaving the timing open-ended.

To date, at least 1,300 people have been killed in Iran, according to the Iranian ambassador to the UN.

Iran's retaliatory strikes across the Middle East have killed seven U.S.

service members and more than 30 others.

My colleague Eric Schmidt, who covers the Pentagon, says one key question at the moment is how much of an arsenal Iran still has.

Eric details more on the state of play in Iran on today's episode of The Daily.

Meanwhile...

Israel is pushing further into Lebanon as its forces target Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group there.

Yesterday, Israeli troops advanced into the southern part of the country, and Israeli fighter jets launched the heaviest bombardment yet on the southern suburbs of Beirut, sending huge explosions echoing through the city.

The fighting there reignited last week after Hezbollah launched a rocket attack against Israel in solidarity with Iran.

At least 600,000 people in Lebanon have fled their homes to escape the violence, and nearly 500 people have been killed, including more than 80 children, according to Lebanese authorities.

The president of Lebanon said he'd like to hold talks with Israel under international supervision about ending the escalation and disarming Hezbollah.

It's not clear if the group would participate.

Hezbollah has long operated as a powerful state within a state, holding sway over parts of the country.

But the group has been facing rising frustration from the public, with many people in Lebanon saying they feel like the militia has dragged them into a deadly confrontation with Israel with no clear benefit.

For its part, Israel has vowed not to retreat, and military analysts say they could be preparing for a wider ground invasion.