Tensions With Iran Erupt into War
- May 20
- 4 min read
By Melvin Najarian May 20, 2026
On March 1, Iranian state media reported that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, aged 86, had been killed in a major airstrike carried out by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28, along with several senior figures within Iran’s security leadership. The report confirmed earlier statements from President Trump, who had announced his death hours before and described it as Iran’s “greatest chance” to reclaim their country. In parts of Iran, residents danced in the streets, honked car horns and shouted from rooftops in celebration of Khamenei’s death, even as U.S. and Israeli bombardment continued across the country, per PBS.
The relationship between the U.S. and Iran has been fractured for over four decades. In the early 20th century, Britain maintained control over Iran’s oil through the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, fueling a wave of resentment among Iranians over foreign exploitation. In 1953, the CIA, alongside British intelligence, backed a coup to overthrow Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh after he nationalized the country’s oil industry; a decision seen in Washington and London as a threat to their interests.
The coup restored the U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whose increasingly authoritarian rule
sparked widespread protests across Iran. These tensions culminated in the 1979 revolution, which overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic theocracy and anti-western government under Ayatollah Khomeini. Per CNN, Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran later that year and held American diplomats hostage for 444 days in what became known as the Iran Hostage Crisis, demanding the Shah’s return, which led the U.S. to sever diplomatic ties with Iran.
“The first signs of this war appeared decades ago. The U.S. now claims to be pushing for democracy in Iran, yet it once helped overthrow a democratically elected government. That decision set off a domino effect of events leading up to this moment—conflict after conflict, loss after loss, all tracing back to a single intervention rooted in control over Iranian oil,” Junior Andrew Sohn said.
The conflict between the U.S. and Iran took on a new direction under President Obama’s presidency, centering on nuclear development. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in July 2015, was an agreement between Iran and six world powers to restrict Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. However, the agreement began to unravel in 2018 when Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal and reinstated sanctions on Iran, arguing that the JCPOA was insufficient.
The collapse of the agreement pushed Iran to increase its nuclear activity beyond the limits set by the JCPOA. In a speech posted on Truth Social, Trump stated the war as a necessary response to what he described as Iran’s continual pursuit of nuclear weapons and long-range missile capabilities. He said Tehran had rejected repeated opportunities to scale back its program. He warned that such weapons could threaten U.S. allies in Europe, American forces abroad and potentially the U.S. itself, presenting the conflict as a preemptive effort to stop a more dangerous escalation. He noted that the military campaign would focus on blocking Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons by dismantling Iran’s missile systems and weakening its naval forces.
After the U.S. and Israel carried out initial attacks on key Iranian officials and their military facilities, Iran
responded with rapid strikes reported in countries hosting U.S. military bases, including Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian later made an apology statement over Iran’s attack affecting neighboring countries, displaying a desire to limit further escalation per Iran International.
As the war progressed, casualties increased substantially. A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship near Sri
Lanka in early March, killing dozens, while a U.S.-based group called Human Rights Activists reported that 3,636 people, including 47% civilians and 7% children, had been killed in Iran within weeks of the start of the conflict. Civilian vulnerability became even more evident on Feb. 28, when, according to AP, a U.S. airstrike struck a school and nearby compound. Per New York Times, the strike was a result of a targeting error—U.S. forces had aimed at an adjacent military site that the school building had previously been part of. Iranian officials report the incident killed at least 175 people, most being children.
The U.S. and Israel have made significant gains from the war. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reported that over 90% of Iran’s naval forces have been eliminated, yet regime change—an objective shared by the U.S., Israel and Iranian citizens—has not occurred, with the Iranian government retaining control despite the loss of senior military leaders. However, beyond the conventional military understanding, Iran’s disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—a critical route carrying about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquified natural gas—has driven sharp increases in global energy prices, with U.S. fuel costs reaching their highest since 2022, per CSIS. The U.S. has also depleted critical military resources, including advanced munitions such as Tomahawk missiles and Patriot systems. Rising energy and fertilizer costs have worsened markets worldwide, with analysts warning that the cumulative impact could push the global economy toward recession.
“Although both nations believe they are acting in their own defense, the economic consequences ultimately fall on both the American and Iranian people. In economic warfare, there is rarely a true winner; the rising prices of almost everything affects the ordinary citizens regardless of who is right or wrong,” Senior Rihito Yamaguchi said.
Even though a ceasefire has temporarily ended the conflict, no formal agreement has been reached to end the war that has already claimed thousands of lives. Iran has restricted access to the Strait of Hormuz while the U.S. has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, pushing further economic pressure on both sides. President Pezeshkian has said negotiations cannot move forward unless the U.S. blockade is fully lifted.
About the Contributors
Melvin Najarian
staff writer
Melvin likes playing tennis, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. His favorite band is The Smiths.
Krio Moon
artist
Krio Moon is a junior at Leland and an artist for The Charger Account. Outside of school, she likes to play tennis, watch superhero movies, and read books.
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