On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel attacked Iran’s missile infrastructure and military sites, leading to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. President Donald Trump released a video statement on Truth Social, explaining why the U.S. has attacked Iran.

Trump said that their objective was to defend Americans from imminent threats from the Iranian regime. He explained they had tried to work out a deal for Iran to renounce building nuclear weapons, but said they refused. “Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing the long-range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and could soon reach the American homeland,” stated Trump.

He continued, “For these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests…And we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.”

Iran has retaliated by attacking U.S. military installations across the region as well as striking U.S. embassies in Riyadh and Kuwait City. As of March 24, 13 U.S. soldiers have been killed in the conflict, and there are reports of over 140 members injured. 

People may also have noticed that gas prices have skyrocketed in the past few weeks, costing well over $5 per gallon. This is due to the conflict leading to the attacks and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which, according to BBC News, is a “key artery accounting for about 20% of global oil supply.” Further attacks on oil and gas hubs located in the Middle East have also halted production, contributing to a rise in gas prices. 

This situation is being continuously updated across all news stations and social media. It can become difficult for students to understand what is occurring and where to look for information. 

Students who want to gain a better understanding can begin with resources that introduce the political context of the conflict. Dr. Bryan Santin, Associate Professor of English, provided two works that help contextualize the current conflict with Iran. 

The first work is a book titled “Iran: A Very Short Introduction” by Ali M. Ansari. According to the official book synopsis, it introduces readers to “Iranian history and politics, placing the Islamic Revolution in the context of a century of political change and social transformation.” 

For a more recent work, PBS Frontline’s “Remaking the Middle East: The U.S., Israel, and Iran” is a documentary available to watch on YouTube. This documentary provides context on the conflict’s background and details what led to the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. The link to this video is https://youtu.be/vWaoon6lZM0?si=Zv9MJNuoxQvXiu3V. 

“As introductory works, these are solid places to start. However, I would caution students that, as a general rule, introductory works are good places to start one’s investigation of an issue, but bad places to end that investigation,” said Santin.

 

Tags: Politics, World News

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