The United States has found itself at the center of a rapidly unfolding conflict with Iran, significantly raising global tensions and leaving thousands dead as the situation continues to evolve.
On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated missile strikes across Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, military bases and some of the nation’s top government officials, according to CNN.
President Donald Trump announced that the strikes had killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a controversial political figure on the international stage who has long been criticized for overseeing a harsh, repressive regime. Reports of his death sparked mixed reactions from Iranian and American citizens, many of whom expressed both celebration and apprehension.
The strikes also hit a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran, resulting in the deaths of more than 175 individuals, the majority of whom were children, reported CNN. Reports published in the following days indicated that the U.S. military force may have relied on outdated targeting data, which mistakenly directed the strike toward the school.
Growing confusion, fraying international relations and increasing military activity have ensued since the Feb. 28 attack. Iran has retaliated, launching attacks not only on the U.S. and Israel, but also on U.S. military bases located in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
The human toll of the conflict continues to grow. On March 14, the U.S.-based group Human Rights Activists in Iran reported that 2,040 people had been killed in Iran, including 1,319 civilians while 206 of them are estimated to have been children.
The following day, Israeli officials reported that 12 of their citizens had died.
The U.S. has lost 13 citizens to the conflict, all of whom were service members.
Leaders in the U.S. and Israel have described the strikes as a preventative measure intended to mitigate the risk of Iran deploying nuclear weapons. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the move as a “pre-emptive strike” that was necessary to “remove threats against the state of Israel.”
But citizens in the U.S. are expressing a growing concern about the nation’s involvement in the Middle East. A Quinnipiac University poll on March 9 found that 53% of registered voters oppose the nation’s military action against Iran, with 55% of voters disbelieving that Iran did post an “imminent military threat” before the initial strikes.
Americans are beginning to feel the broader economic effects of the conflict.
Oil and gasoline prices have ballooned since the beginning of the month. In his State of the Union address just weeks earlier, the president mentioned that gas prices had fallen as low as $2.30 per gallon. Now, AAA reports that the national average price has since climbed to $3.60, which is an increase of more than 50%.
Instability in the Middle East has disrupted normal activity in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a critical waterway that typically facilitates the transport of approximately 20 million barrels of oil per day, according to AP News. This interruption has significantly hindered global trade.
Financial markets have also reacted to the conflict. The S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq, three major indicators of the U.S. economy, have reported downturns since the beginning of March.
With a new series of Israeli strikes launched this past Saturday, the future of the conflict remains uncertain.
While Trump told NBC News on Saturday that Iran was prepared “to make a deal,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied the claim the following day.