Remember When a War in the Middle East Completely Disrupted the Oscars?

The United States and Israel began bombing Iran on Feb. 28, 15 days before the 98th Academy Awards. For people who’ve been following the Oscars for a long time, the timing brought vivid memories of March 2003, when the U.S. invaded Iraq the week before the Oscars ceremony.

There are dramatic differences between the two years, of course. In 2003, the war began only three days before the Oscars, prompting immediate talk of canceling the show and leading to a decision to eliminate the red carpet lined with fans and press; in 2026, there was no outcry to cancel or delay the ceremony. When the war in Iraq started in 2003, it was the main – in fact,…