April 2, 2026
By Eda Aktas
Staff Writer
Israel and the United States launched multiple airstrikes on several locations in Iran on Feb. 28, targeting missile systems, military sites and leadership in its capital, Tehran. The attacks are ongoing, with airstrikes continuing after the initial assault.
During the first wave of attacks, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who led the country since 1989, was killed. He was then replaced by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is believed to have been injured by the strikes, according to CBS News.
According to officials from Israel and the United States, the attacks were carried out to weaken Iran’s ballistic missile program, as well as to support regime change.
As a response to the current strikes, Iran attacked Israel and several U.S. military sites within the region, including Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and a United Kingdom military base in Cyprus.
Iran has also shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which carries one-fifth of the world’s oil exports, saying it will not permit the transportation of beneficial oil shipments to the United States and its allies through the waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. It extends into the Indian Ocean and is the only sea route that can be used to transport oil, natural gas and other cargo out of the Persian Gulf.
Junior Matt Mooney said his thoughts about the war have shifted over time.
“At first, I wasn’t really for the U.S. getting involved,” Mooney said. “After a couple of days, I realized that sometimes you have to get involved to stop something like this from getting even more dangerous.”
Despite his support of the war, Mooney said he is concerned about increased gas prices.
Before the strikes on Iran, crude oil prices were about $67 per barrel and peaked at around $102 on March 30, reflecting a 52% increase, according to the Crude Economics data website.
“It is just going to bring more frustrations throughout America,” Mooney said. “On top of what [Americans] see, they also have to deal with the consequences of the war.”
Sophomore Jesus Benitez said he is worried about civilians living within the affected region.
“Considering how people in the Middle East were already struggling with food, now this war is just making it even worse,” Benitez said. “I’m just disappointed that all this had to happen. I feel bad for not only innocent civilians who were already living in the Middle East, but soldiers who have to die for this unnecessary cause.”
As of March 28, 13 U.S. service members had been killed since strikes started. Among the over 300 injured military personnel, at least five were seriously wounded, according to PBS News.
Benitez said many people struggle to understand the significance of the war.
“On social media, you mostly hear people joking about the topic instead of taking it seriously,” Benitez said. “This is our world we’re living in, and one that we’re going to grow into, so the more we know about the world… the more we can avoid these conflicts when we’re older.”
Advanced Placement U.S. History teacher Mr. Tessalone said it is not surprising that Israel and the United States have collaborated in their war efforts, as the two nations are long-time allies.
“[The strikes] were essentially a joint military action against Iran,” Tessalone said. “Iran has been an adversarial power to the U.S. for quite a long time, going back to the 1979 Revolution.”
The 1979 Revolution, also known as the Iranian Revolution, led to the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of an Islamic Republic, which toppled the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
“Iran has been an adversarial power to the U.S. for quite a long time, going back to the 1979 Revolution.”
According to a CBS News poll that surveyed 3,335 U.S. adults between March 17-20, 90% said the conflict with Iran will make oil prices higher in the short term. Additionally, 63% said the war will weaken the U.S. economy in the short term, and 44% said it will weaken the economy in the long term.
Tessalone said Americans’ concerns about access to oil are rooted in history.
“It [goes] back to the days of the 1970s with the oil crisis and the energy crisis. People notice and care about gas prices,” Tessalone said. “When you drive around, you see gas prices, so if [a] bagel, sandwich or something else goes up a little bit, it may not be as noticeable.”
Tessalone said communication could play a significant role in resolving the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“Talking can be frustrating, slow and hard,” Tessalone said. “But talking can hopefully reduce people dying, so to me, it’s all about international diplomacy.”
