Iran attacked U.S. troops in Jordan and Iraq, killing three service members, and the U.S. responded with eight consecutive nights of strikes to hold Tehran accountable. Trump made clear the mission's core goal — preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon — remains non-negotiable. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the sacrifices of fallen troops only stiffen American resolve to see this through.

The United States is the aggressor, and Washington seeks regional hegemony under the guise of nonproliferation. Strikes on U.S. bases as legitimate retaliation for attacks on Iran and American military losses are the consequence of an illegal war. The U.S. campaign has failed to break Iran's resolve, instead unifying the population around resistance and exposing the limits of American military power.