Embedded Files
In this article, Melanie discusses the current war in the Middle East, and the impact it has on American citizens.
The Middle East-- Again
The Middle East-- Again
By: Melanie Campbell
By: Melanie Campbell
On Feb. 28, 2026, the United States was responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile attack, which reportedly destroyed a primary school in Minab, Iran. This civilian attack was likely a result of outdated intel that showed it to be a military target. The long-time Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on Feb. 28, 2026, during an Israeli airstrike in Tehran, with intelligence support from the United States. In this bombing, many other Iranian leaders were also killed. According to The Guardian, the goal of this mission was to disrupt Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and dismantle its leadership structure to achieve “peace in the Middle East”. As of Mar. 17, 2026 no formal declaration of war has been issued by Congress.
According to The White House, President Donald Trump has made it clear that “Iran will never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon." On Feb 28, 2026, President Trump commenced an operation called Epic Fury, a series of large-scale military strikes against multiple Iranian targets. The administration has justified the attacks in response to Iran’s nuclear program, which, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, continues to maintain “a stockpile of 440.9 kg of 60 percent enriched uranium stored in several clandestine facilities,” even after air strikes have killed the Iranian Supreme Leader.
Image of Iran. Image credits to The New York Times
The missile strike on Minab, Iran, hit a girls' primary school, killing 168 people. An in-depth investigation found that the United States violated international humanitarian law by failing to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm. As stated by Amnesty International, "Those responsible for planning and executing an unlawful US strike on a school in Minab, Hormozgan province, Iran, that killed 168 people, including over 100 children, must be held accountable." Iran condemned the bombing as a “crime against humanity”, blaming the United States and Israel for the bombing. According to The Guardian, United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth states, “We, of course, never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look and investigating that.”
Israel said that it killed two senior Iranian security officials in overnight strikes in a major blow to the country's leadership, including Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's all-volunteer Basij force, as stated by PBS. NATO and most other allies have rejected President Donald Trump’s call to help secure the strait. These are clear and direct attacks on the government of Iran, and this began on Feb. 28, 2026, when the Supreme Leader of Iran, who has been in office since 1987, was killed by an airstrike in Tehran, Iran at his compound. This was a joint attack by Israel with aid from American intelligence. According to NBC News, “Trump urged Iranians to 'take over your government' when the strikes are over. 'The hour of your freedom is at hand,' he said." This shows a clear American aim and goal: regime change in Iran.
As a result, in the United States, the price of crude oil has increased drastically from $100 a barrel to nearly $120 a barrel, as reported by NPR. The blockage of the Strait of Hormuz directly impacts this. The war in Iran has resulted in immediate threats to global energy supplies. Iran has halted most shipping traffic through the key, 20-mile-wide energy choke point using drones and naval mines. According to NPR, this shutdown impacts approximately 20 percent of global oil consumption. The soaring costs of crude oil translate to an increase in fuel costs. Gas prices in the United States have surged 74 cents per gallon, with CNN reporting that they have risen by 26.9 percent this month, as of March 17, 2026. Airfare is also currently suffering a drastic price increase as a result of events in the Middle East. While travel demands remain high, with trans-Atlantic travel soaring from around $830 on the day before the war began on Feb 28. to $1900 as of March 17, as stated by The New York Times. Coast-to-coast travel gained a far milder increase of 16 percent. Many Americans are feeling the effects of the ongoing conflict with Iran; however, the typically high number of Americans traveling during spring break has not decreased drastically.
Picture of an airplane. Image credits to Unsplash
The war in Iran has resulted in political polarization and increasing dissent on the home front. The war lacks broad public support; it falls under a deep partisan divide. President Trump’s coalition strongly approves of the strikes. Meanwhile, the majority of Americans, primarily Democrats and Independents, oppose the military action. Conflict with Iran has further increased an anti-war sentiment that society has seen in the past. Fear of retaliation has resulted in both increased anti-Iranian sentiment and fear that the United States has become less safe as a result of the war.
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