The Associated Press is using the word “war” to refer to the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliation. This reflects the scope and intensity of the fighting. The United States and Israel targeted key military targets and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other government leaders. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones targeting Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces. Remaining leaders have vowed revenge over Khamenei’s death. The strikes and counterattacks indicate that the killing of Khamenei, and Trump’s calls for the overthrow of the decades-old Islamic Republic, could lead to prolonged conflict that could envelop the Middle East.
