The Iranian Conflict : How Did We Get Here?
On Saturday, February 28th, I woke up to TikTok footage of Iran bombing a U.S. Navy base in Bahrain. It was confusing, concerning, and weirdly unsurprising.
Iran has been a consistent presence in world news since late 2025, as protests erupted on December 28th. Shopkeepers took to the streets after the rial, the Iranian currency, had yet again dramatically lost value. Inflation had soared to 40% and Iranian people’s quality of life had grown unbearable, all the while the Iranian government ignored obvious systemic issues, blaming drought or overconsumption for prolonged water shortages and electricity cuts. Others joined the protests, and those soon grew to be nationwide. These protests condemned the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for a change in regime. Protests were confirmed in 187 Iranian cities in all of the 31 provinces of Iran. This is the largest uprising in the region since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the tension between Iranian citizens and their government had been growing increasingly more palatable for a few years now.
On January 8, 2026, Iranian authorities cut all internet and telecommunications. Authorities responded to the protests with a violent crackdown, using firearms, causing critical injuries and death. The death toll of the uprising remains uncertain, with Iran’s Supreme Council of National Security claiming on January 21st that 3117 were killed, while UN reporter Mai Sato claimed on January 16th that the death toll to be at least 5000, and could be as high as 20 000 according to medical personnel. Some claim it to be even higher, going up to 33 000.
No matter the exact fatalities caused by the mistreatment of Iranian citizens by authorities, the situation remained dire. In response to the situation, Trump claimed that he would intervene if protesters were murdered, a threat with considerable weight given the recent U.S. involvement in Venezuela. As we know, the United States has a bit of a history of involving themselves with ‘helping’ the Middle East. In response to the threats, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stated, ‘Let us be clear: In the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories [Israel] as well as all U.S. bases and ships will be our legitimate target’. On January 7th, Trump urged protesters to keep at it, as he stated that ‘help is on the way’.
This promised help came on February 28th, 2026. The United States, along with Israel, organized a series of strikes in Iran. These strikes were explained by Trump as a way to ‘put an end to the Iranian threat’, as Iran had recently attempted to negotiate their nuclear programme; ‘”It’s a very simple message, they will never have a nuclear weapon.’ Iran’s Supreme Leader was murdered during the attack, ending his 36-year-long rule over the country. Although many Iranians celebrated the death of the tyrant, his death doesn’t affect the position of the regime. Along with the death of the leader, several citizens lost their lives to American attacks; a missile hit an all-girl school, causing over one hundred deaths. In response the city of Theran launched missiles at Israel and several other countries in the Middle East that host U.S. military bases. The United Arab Emirate confirmed two deaths.
It is clear that Trump expected this to be a long-term conflict, as he stated, ‘The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties, which often happens in war. We’re doing this, not for now, we’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.’ As of Monday, March 2nd, there is no sign of the war winding down, as Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf was quoted as saying, ‘You have crossed our red line and must pay the price. We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg’. The American president stated that the conflict should go on for four to five weeks, but ‘could last longer’.
Please note that details of this article were written on March 3rd at the latest
SOURCES:
- Bateman, T., & Bush, D. (2026, March 1). Six key lines from Trump’s statement on Iran strikes. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c620d3nnw80o
- Brown, C. (2026, March 1). Why killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may not mean regime change in Iran. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/khamenei-death-regime-change-iran-9.7110285
- Hafezi, P., & Reuters, T. (2026, February 28). Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dead at 86, ending his iron grip on Iran. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ayatollah-ali-khamenei-obituary-9.7110207
- Rana, U. (2026, March 2). A closer look at the Iran war’s 1st 3 days — and where things stand now. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/11713036/iran-war-timeline-what-you-need-to-know/
- Stechyson, N. (2026, January 12). What’s happening in Iran? Breaking down the deadly protests shaking the country. CBC. Retrieved March 3, 2026, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/what-s-happening-iran-protests-9.7041951
- What happened at the protests in Iran? (2026, January 26). Amnesty International. Retrieved March 3, 2026, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2026/01/what-happened-at-the-protests-in-iran/
