War has been raging on in the Middle East ever since the United States and Israel launched a nuclear attack on Iran on February 28th, 2026. The initial strikes were responsible for the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s previous supreme leader, and other notable Iranian military leaders. As the war continues in the coming weeks, it will keep having major impacts on the global economy, Middle East citizens, and US troops.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) map, over 2,500 military related attacks have occurred inside Iran since the initial one in February. The majority of these attacks have occurred in Tehran, Iran’s capital, but their nuclear sites and oil exports have also been primary targets.
The military action in Iran has caused over 3,000 deaths across the country. According to HRANA, or the Human Rights Activists in Iran group, roughly half of the death toll is composed of innocent civilians. In addition to the casualties, over three million individuals have been displaced inside of Iran.
President Donald Trump claims his reasoning for the war was to keep nuclear weapons out of Iran’s hands, despite Iran claiming their nuclear initiative was for peaceful purposes, and to defend Americans against Iran’s “regime.”
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime. A vicious group of very hard, terrible people. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world,” said President Trump.
Iran has retaliated by attacking areas across Israel and targeting US military sites around the Middle East. According to NPR, at least fourteen people in Israel, sixteen in the surrounding gulf states, and thirteen US soldiers have lost their lives due to Iran’s attacks.
The impact of this war expands far beyond the Middle East or the United States. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s primary trade channel, has halted the transport of over twenty percent of the planet’s oil and natural gas. Gas prices have skyrocketed over the Americas and Europe due to the closure. Since oil and gas are also used to produce electricity, there is a major energy shortage in the Western Hemisphere.
The effects of the war will continue to devastate the Middle East and other world nations who rely on them for refined goods.
