The best way to understand the EUA-Iran conflict is to analyze its roots. This means revisiting the foundation of the State of Israel, wich happened in 1948, in Palestinian territory located in the Middle East.
The precedents
The idea of creating a land for Jewish people came as an answer to European discrimination that emerged in the late 19th century with the nationalist Jewish movement, Zionism. Some currents of the ideology defended that the strategic places to build this territory would not have to be connected with Jewish tradition.
However, the strongest position came from the radical current of Zionism, which argued that Palestine, for being considered ancestral and sacred homeland for their religion, would be chosen as their new homeland. And as an attempt to make up for the huge suffering experienced during World War II, the United Nations decided to create the State of Israel.
Nonetheless, the Palestinian people, didn’t agree with this decision, after all, they had already inhabited this region for many centuries. Accusations began to emerge that the new “compatriots” were practicing physical, ideological and biological violence against them, mostly Muslim residents. This episode is referred to by the Palestinians as “Nakba”, a word that can be translated to “catastrophe” or “disaster”.
Iran’s entry into the conflict
Since Iran became a theocratic regime, in the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the country that once received support from the United States, started to be seen as a threat. The Supreme Leader of the country, Ayatollah Javed Khamenei was strongly opposed to the North American influence in the Middle East, turning into one of the most powerful enemies of Israel. The conflict escalated with the presence of armed groups, called by the U.S. as terrorists, the main ones being Hamas, located in the Gaza Strip; Hezbollah, from southern Lebanon; and the Houthis, in Yemen.
A breath of peace…Or maybe not
In 2015, the most powerful countries of the world, including the United States, met and proposed to Iran a suspension of trade sanctions in exchange for the reduction of its nuclear program. To improve its economy, the country accepted a series of measures that would limit and keep all of the countries informed about the program. Until 2018, the deal was being respected by all parties. However, during the first term of Donald Trump, the United States broke the agreement and reimposed sanctions on Iran, which, in response, returned to its nuclear program in full operation.
Over the years, concerns emerged about what the country was doing, although there was no clear indication that nuclear weapons were being produced, and that made Israel make its first offensive.
The Spark
Israel’s decision to bomb Iran’a nuclear installations started a fight that continues to this day, and more than that, involved nations that could elevate this conflict to something bigger. Attacking directly groups connected to Iran such as Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel weakened this alliance and opened the way to a new war, this time, with a more vulnerable Iran. Iran’s answer was equally violent and, since then, Benjamin Netanyahu states that Iran is the biggest sponsor of international terrorism.
This tension reached a new level in June of 2025, when the United States, trying to stop the conflict, threatened Iran that, in case it won’t stop attacking Israel, things would get worse. But before this message could be read by Iran, the United States along with Israel conducted an attack carried by state-of-the-art aircraft and anti-bunker bombs. Both of them suffered losses. Iran, no matter how efficient its arsenal of weapons is, cannot pierce the Iron Dome, Israel’s anti-aircraft defense system funded by the US.
The newest changes
The United States, on February 28 of this year, carried out a coordinated attack with Israel against Iranian territory. The city of Tehran was bombarded in several locations, not only military bases or nuclear plants. The difference between the conflicts in February and those of 2025 is the intentionality. Until January of this year, the strikes happened as an excuse to the indications that Iran would be investing in nuclear technologies, but according to the president of United States, Donald Trump, the conflict is now working as a change of regime.
The main consequence of the last attack was the murder of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who had ruled the country for 36 years. In addition to him, Mohamed Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to the Supreme Leader, and Amir Nasirzadeh, the country’s Minister of Defense, were also assassinated.
In response, the Iranian regime launched large missile salvos targeting six countries simultaneously: the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Iraq, which already had a troubled relationship with Iran. More than that, Israeli oil tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime channel through which 20% of the world’s exported oil and 25% of its natural gas pass.
What to expect?
The way the conflict is headed is uncertain, but it’s showing itself as scary as well as economically and socially impactful, due to the rising oil prices and humanitarian issues, like the more than 2,000 people died. The growth of this conflict can be decided from alliances with other countries and world powers, or based on attacks directed to them. In conclusion, it is extremely important to highlight that the main consequence of this war is the damage caused to the civilian population, people who have their lives ruined by decisions beyond their control.
Regarding the international panic over a possible World War III, it’s also necessary to remember that for a conflict to escalate to that point, it requires the formation of alliances of powers declaring war on each other. Furthermore, forming alliances in the Middle East is very complicated due to the troubled past relationships between the countries.
The article above was edited by Rafaela Navarro.
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