The United States launched a major military operation against Iran on Saturday, hitting targets across the country as part of an operation dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The escalation has already caused casualties, heightened regional tensions, and destabilized the region.
As the attacks continue, we ask: Is the United States now effectively at war with Iran? Why did Washington decide to attack? And could the conflict expand to include U.S. ground forces?
Here’s what we know so far:
How many people died in the attack?
At least 787 people were killed in Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.
Six Americans were killed and 18 military personnel were injured as the United States continued its attacks on Iran and Iran continued its counterattack, flying missiles and drones at Israeli and American facilities in the region.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the projectile penetrated air defenses and struck a fortified U.S. military position. He did not specify the location of the facility, but reports said the casualties occurred in Kuwait.
“We have air defenses and there are a lot of attacks coming in, but we can hit most of them. We will definitely hit them. We have an incredible air defense force,” Hegseth said.
“Sometimes, unfortunately, what we call a ‘squirter’ comes in, especially in one case where it hit a tactical operations center,” he added.
In Iran, the worst single incident reported occurred in the southeastern city of Minab, where a strike attacked a girls’ primary school. At least 165 students were killed.
Is America at war with Iran?
Although the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the exclusive power to declare war, the president serves as commander-in-chief with the authority to respond to imminent threats.
“Our Constitution, in Article 1, Section 8, says Congress has the power to declare war,” David Schultz, a political science and law professor at Hamline University, explained to Al Jazeera.
“Article 2 provides that the president is commander in chief,” he added.
This framework allows modern presidents to avoid formal declarations by labeling military actions as defensive or emergency measures.
In fact, “World War II was the last time the United States formally declared war,” Schultz explained, although conflicts such as Vietnam and Iraq were fought without formal declarations of war.
“So if you look at the history of the United States, the vast majority of conflicts have not been formally declared wars, but I would argue that presidents have dragged us into conflicts,” he said.
In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution, which limited presidential unilateral military action to 60 days.
Under the law, the president must notify Congress within 48 hours after hostilities begin.
President Trump notified Congress of the strikes and told lawmakers that the Iranian threat had “become intolerable” despite efforts to reach a diplomatic solution, but Oman, which mediated between the United States and Iran, said the two countries were close to a deal.
Democratic lawmakers have disputed the strike’s legitimacy and raised concerns about its potential violation of the War Powers Resolution.
Paul Quirk, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia, said the difference between an “attack” and a “war” often comes down to duration and intensity.
“Americans would call it an attack if it was short-lived,” Quirk added. “But perhaps if it continues for weeks or months, it becomes a de facto war.”
Why did the US attack Iran?
The Trump administration has cited several main reasons for the attack.
thwart Tehran’s nuclear program
President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have made clear that their primary goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
President Trump said, “The purpose of the airstrike is to completely eliminate Iran’s nuclear program.”
But the administration has provided no evidence for the claim that Iran was close to acquiring a nuclear weapon before the U.S. launched its attack. In fact, as recently as yesterday, the International Atomic Energy Agency said there was no evidence that Iran even had a nuclear weapons program.
Preemptive defense:
The United States says the attack was an active defensive measure to prevent Iran from attacking American forces, bases and allies. In fact, the attack triggered a salvo of missiles and drones launched by Iran against Gulf states that host U.S. troops.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the US took action because Israel was preparing its own military attack on Iran.
“We knew there would be Israeli action…and we also knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched an attack, we would suffer more casualties,” Rubio said.
But experts say the administration’s message has been inconsistent.
Mr. Trump himself has contradicted Mr. Rubio. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, he said the United States attacked Iran because it thought Iran would strike first.
“We don’t know what the regime’s goals are. It’s all over the map,” Christopher Prebble, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, told Al Jazeera.
Change of government:
Trump also publicly called on Iranians to “take over” their government and “take control of their destiny.”
Targeting Iranian-backed groups:
The campaign also aims to dismantle Iran’s support for groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza.
Will there be U.S. military boots on Iranian soil?
So far, the US has relied on air and naval strikes, and there have been no formal announcements of a ground invasion. But President Trump has not ruled out that possibility.
Asked directly if he might send U.S. troops to Iran, Trump said, “I’m never going to say no,” adding that his administration would do “whatever it takes.”
Experts say airstrikes alone are unlikely to permanently end Iran’s nuclear program, but Tehran insists its program has always been peaceful in nature.
“The nuclear capabilities of any country cannot be destroyed, destroyed or eradicated. They have the ability to rebuild at any time,” Prebble said.
But if the United States were to send in ground troops, the scale of the challenge would be significant, whether President Trump’s goal is to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, missiles, or impose regime change.
“If you compare Iran and Iraq in 2003, the difference is that Iran is three to four times larger than Iraq was then,” Prebble said.
“The United States has never had enough troops in Iraq to completely pacify the country…and now the United States does not have many troops to prevent a country the size of Iran from descending into chaos.”
The 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq toppled leader Saddam Hussein within weeks, but the ensuing occupation turned into a years-long insurgency that required more than 150,000 U.S. troops at its height.
Experts say ground operations will be extremely difficult.
“The U.S. mission in Iraq will seem simple by comparison,” Prebble added. “And, of course, the mission in Iraq was not easy. It was very expensive and could be very long-term. This was primarily for the Iranian people, but also for American military personnel as well.”
How long can the US maintain high-tempo air operations in Iran?
This depends on three main factors: military resources, funding, and political will.
Lawmakers could pass a resolution blocking the campaign from continuing, potentially forcing the Trump administration to scale back or cancel the campaign.
“It remains unclear whether Democrats will be able to persuade enough Republicans to break ranks, especially given the narrow Republican majorities in both chambers,” Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan reported from Washington, D.C.
Military power is also a limiting factor. Stockpiles of missiles, precision-guided weapons, interception systems, and other equipment are limited.
“Those stockpiles will eventually be depleted unless defense contractors actively produce and replenish supplies under contracts with the Department of Defense,” Jordan added.
