Have you heard about what’s been going on globally? As of Feb. 28, the United States and Israel have launched strikes on Iran, starting a worldwide conflict.
During this ambush, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed. On March 8, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was appointed as his successor.
According to AJC (American Jewish Committee), Western governments, especially the United States, have labeled Iran as a “sponsor of terrorism,” due to Iran expanding its power through the backing of terrorist proxy groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. For these reasons, Khamenei’s leadership has been seen as a threat not only to other countries, but also to Iran itself.
Furthermore, it is noted from AJC that Khamenei has long engaged in spreading antisemitism, including Holocaust denial. In other words, his hostility toward Israel has been extremely clear.
America has not officially declared war because the President has to get congressional approval before declaring war.
According to Global Conflict Tracker, in a Truth Social post, President Trump said the goal of the attack is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and “to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”
Many sources say that President Trump thinks this conflict will “end very soon.” However, it’s hard to predict when this crisis will officially end.
According to the BBC), this rising conflict has dragged Cyprus and Lebanon into the equation with casualties and destruction on both sides. Iran has responded by firing attacks on US-allied states in the Gulf and Israel. Apparently, these attacks have “extended to non-military targets, including civilian sites and energy facilities.”
As of March 11, it is reported that over 1,300 people have been killed in Iran due to the U.S.-Israeli strikes, with thousands more injured.
On Feb. 28, Iranian media reported that an air assault killed 175 people at the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school, many of them being children, according to the PBS report.
In addition, President Trump avoided discussion on March 10 about who fired the Tomahawk missile at the elementary school.
“The only other countries using Tomahawks are Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands,” said Mark F. Cancian, a senior adviser for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a national security-focused think tank. “Iran has none, though it has lots of missiles of different kinds.”
This information implies that only the U.S. and the other countries listed above could be capable of this attack.
As of right now, Crude oil prices have increased by more than $100, causing many negative effects for Americans today.
These soaring oil prices have ricocheted to gas prices all across the U.S. In Nashville, gas prices average at $3.30 per gallon for regular gas.
Another possible negative effect of this conflict is travel. Travel within America is considered safe; however, travel outside of the country to places like Europe may cause a rise of concern. This predicament means that summer plans for graduating seniors or families may be jeopardized.
