Jacqueline Saper
The U.S. and Israel launched the war Saturday, targeting Iran’s leadership, missile arsenal and nuclear program while suggesting that toppling the government is a goal. But the exact aims and timelines have repeatedly shifted, signaling an open-ended conflict.
The remarks by two Iranian officials come as America has assembled its biggest deployment of aircraft and warships to the Middle East in decades. The buildup is part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to get a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program while the country struggles at home following nationwide protests.
The protests were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in a hospital three days after being apprehended by the morality police in Tehran and taken to a “re-education center” for not abiding by the state’s hijab rules.
President Donald Trump’s decision to assassinate Iran’s top military leader because of an alleged “imminent threat” to U.S. interests is already having major repercussions across the region. What’s next in the U.S.-Iran showdown?