On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel started a war against Iran that is considered illegal under international law. On the first day, a missile hit a primary school in the Iranian city of Minab, killing more than 170 people, mostly young girls between the ages of seven and 12. Despite initial efforts to deflect blame, the evidence strongly suggests that the strike was carried out by the U.S. military. The tragic incident barely made a blip in Canadian media, which instead focused on efforts to eliminate Iranian government leaders.
American officials have tried to justify the war in humanitarian terms — “All I want is freedom for the people,” President Donald Trump said in March. But in the first three weeks of the war, U.S. and Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,300 Iranian civilians and targeted more than 10,000 civilian sites, including historic sites such as the Golestan Palace in Tehran. Meanwhile, strikes on oil refineries and depots have spread toxins and “black rain” across the country, in what scientists warn will have lasting environmental and health effects.
In response, Iran has bombed U.S. military bases, oil infrastructure and some civilian targets in Gulf nations, and Iranian missiles have repeatedly gotten past the Israeli-U.S. Iron Dome interception system to hit targets in Israel. The extent of the damage in Israel is not widely known as the government has implemented strict media restrictions. By mid-March, around 15 people had reportedly been killed in Israel by Iranian missile attacks.
In addition to failing to quickly topple the Iranian government, American and Israeli officials have faced heavy criticism for sparking a global oil crisis and for failing to provide a clear exit strategy.
This article appeared in the 2026 Apr/May issue.