Iran and the US

The long-enduring regime in Tehran, headed by Shiite clerics, ran into serious internal troubles when people who were opposed to it came out on the streets of the capital. In December 2025, a large number of people began protesting against the policies being pursued by those who held the reins of government for almost half a century.

In covering the protests, The New York Times interviewed a large group of people about the reason for the protests and about those who had come out in the streets of the capital city. Among those the newspaper talked to was Mariam, a 54-year-old designer, who said, "The truth is that we are feeling extremely unwell. I have never experienced this kind of collective grief and instability. We don't know what will happen in the next hour."

The government reacted by using extreme force to put down those who were rebelling against its policies. It said that about 3,400 people were killed by its crackdown, among them 200 children and minors, 100 college students and at least 500 security officers. Rights groups, like the US-based HRANA, provided a larger estimate of the number of casualties. According to it, at least 7,000 protesters were killed.

Iran's economy, already in a dire state because of international sanctions and corruption, has taken more blows since the popular uprising. The currency was in a free fall, and the government's shutdown of the internet impaired domestic commerce. The United States government, under pressure from its ally Israel, was prepared to use force to bring about regime change. But an action by Washington could hurt not only the United States economy but also the world at large. The regime held military exercises to give a signal to Washington and the European capitals.

"The Islamic regime foremost wants to strengthen its deterrence and signal preparedness to disrupt shipping traffic," Farzin Nadimi, a fellow at the Washington Institute who specialises in the security of Iran and the Persian Gulf region, wrote in a message to The New York Times.

The ultimate goal would be to show the Trump administration that Tehran can disrupt the flow of energy and bring about a sharp increase in energy prices. Tehran could shut down the Strait of Hormuz, through which a good part of the world's supply of oil passes. Analysts who looked at the developing situation in the Middle East saw three main demands for Iran: ending its nuclear programme and discarding its enriched uranium stockpile; reducing the number and range of ballistic missiles; and ending its support for militant groups across the region. The Iranian regime has said that it will not reduce uranium enrichment to zero nor tinker with its missile programme to the point at which it does not pose a threat to Israel or, over time, develop the ability to reach space over the United States.

On February 28, the United States, working with Israel, launched a major attack on Iran, striking a number of cities in the country. On the day the attacks by the United States and Israel were launched, it was revealed that Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, had been killed. It was not immediately clear who had targeted the leader. Khamanei succeeded Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the regime headed by religious leaders and remained in power for almost four decades.

Both Donald Trump, the American president, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, went on the internet to announce their joint war against Iran. Said the Israeli Prime Minister: "Our joint action will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands." Trump came up with the same sentiment. "When we are finished, take over your government," he said, addressing the Iranian people in his own video. "It will be yours to take."

Iran is a nation of 93 million people, of which 15 million are considered devoted supporters of the supreme leader. The longer an air war continued, said Danny Citrionwicz, a former head of the Iran branch of Israeli military intelligence, the more likely Iranian allies in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq could join the fight and make the war as costly and painful as possible for both the United States and Israel. "If they know it's a fight for their life, then they have nothing to lose by continuing," said Citrinowicz. The same sentiment was expressed by David Halbfinger in an article in The New York Times titled, "Netanyahu's chance to fulfil long-time goal".

As was expected, Tehran retaliated by striking several American bases in the Middle East. It also launched a missile attack on Israel. At the time of this writing, it was not clear how much damage was done by the three countries that were now at war – Iran, the United States and Israel. In an address to his nation on the morning his forces struck Iran, President Trump asked the Iranian people to throw out the cleric-dominated government that had come to power in 1979 and establish a government that worked for the people rather than for the religious leaders. By killing Khamenei, he might be on the way to the realisation of his ambition.

As Tehran had indicated, it launched missile attacks targeting US military facilities, including the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates and the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia were also hit in the attacks on February 28. After strikes on one of its strongholds early in the day, Kataib Hezbollah, the most powerful Iran-allied militia in Iraq, announced it would retaliate. "We will soon begin attacking American bases in response to their aggression," one of the group's leaders told The New York Times.

The actions taken by the Trump regime reverberated across the Muslim world. Pakistan was not spared the reaction. According to newspaper reports, at least 22 people were killed across the country who came out to protest against the US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Those killed included ten persons who were gunned down by the US security forces stationed to protect the large American consulate in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city.