Powerful countries like U.S. and Israel may describe their own actions as military operations, while similar actions by enemies are called terrorism. That’s mean U.S and Israel are TERRORISTS.

1️⃣ U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities (2025)

In June 2025, the United States launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites:

• Targets: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities
• Weapons: B-2 stealth bombers, fighter jets, and cruise missiles
• Operation name: “Midnight Hammer”
• Goal stated by the U.S.: stop Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran strongly condemned the attack and considered it an act of war, increasing tensions across the region.

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2️⃣ Large joint U.S.–Israel attack on Iran (Feb 28, 2026)

On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran.

• Hundreds of air and missile strikes across Iran
• Targets: air defenses, missile sites, military bases, and command centers
• Nearly 900 strikes within the first 12 hours.

The operation (often called Operation Lion’s Roar) hit multiple cities including Tehran.

Timeline of U.S.–Iran Escalation (2016–2026)

2016 – Situation before Trump

• The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Iran nuclear deal) was in effect between Iran and world powers.
• Iran agreed to limits on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

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2017 – Trump takes office

• **Donald Trump becomes U.S. president in January 2017.
• His administration criticizes the nuclear deal as weak and begins reviewing Iran policy.

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2018 – Withdrawal from the nuclear deal

• May 2018: Trump withdraws the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
• The U.S. re-imposes heavy sanctions on Iran (“maximum pressure” strategy).
• Iran gradually resumes nuclear enrichment beyond limits set in the deal.

Many analysts see this as a key turning point in the modern escalation.

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2019 – Military tensions spike

Major incidents include:

• April 2019: The U.S. designates the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
• June 2019: Iran shoots down a U.S. surveillance drone.
• Trump reportedly approves retaliatory strikes but cancels them shortly before launch.

The Gulf region sees tanker attacks, sanctions, and cyber operations.

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2020 – Killing of an Iranian general

• January 2020: The U.S. kills Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general, in a drone strike in Iraq.
• Iran retaliates with missile strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq.

This event brought the countries close to open war.

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2021–2024 – Continuing tensions

• Negotiations attempt to revive the nuclear deal but repeatedly stall.
• Sanctions and proxy conflicts continue across the Middle East.

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2025 – Direct attacks on Iran

• Israel launches strikes on Iran.
• The U.S. later joins with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
• These attacks are part of what some sources call the “Twelve-Day War.”

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2025–2026 – Failed negotiations

• The U.S. and Iran hold nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman and others.
• Iran agreed during indirect talks with the United States never to stockpile enriched uranium, said Oman’s top diplomat, who described the development as a major breakthrough.
• Talks collapse after deadlines pass.

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2026 – Large U.S. military buildup and war

• The U.S. deploys major air and naval forces to the Middle East in January 2026.
• U.S. and Israeli strikes begin in February 2026 against Iranian targets.
• This escalates into the 2026 Iran war.

Recent reporting says the conflict involves ongoing U.S.–Israeli operations against Iranian infrastructure.

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Key debate among historians and analysts

Arguments blaming Trump

• Withdrawal from the nuclear deal removed diplomatic restraints.
• “Maximum pressure” sanctions increased hostility.
• Military actions such as the Soleimani strike escalated tensions.

1️⃣ What actually happened

Several Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated over the past years, and many reports attribute some of these operations to Israeli intelligence. For example:

• Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed in 2020 in an assassination widely attributed to Israel.
• During Israeli strikes in June 2025, several scientists such as Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, Abdolhamid Minouchehr, and Ali Bakouei were killed.
• Reports also say Israeli operations killed multiple Iranian security officials and nuclear scientists during military strikes.

These operations were intended to slow Iran’s nuclear program.

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2️⃣ Why it terrorism

• Killing scientists or civilians outside a battlefield is political violence.
• If a non-state group did the same thing, it would likely be labeled terrorism.
• The targets are sometimes civilian academics, not soldiers.