How did the US get involved in the Israel-Iran war? USA TODAY answers your FAQs

USA Today

9 hours ago

After President Donald Trump authorized a military strike at three of Iran's nuclear sites, USA TODAY is answering your questions about the conflict.
The U.S. bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran on June 21 after negotiations failed to reach a deal for Tehran to end its nuclear program.
USA TODAY readers have lots of questions about the attacks and what comes next.
Here are some of the answers and please check back for updates as we take on more of your questions.
Why is the U.S. getting involved?
President Donald Trump has warned repeatedly that Iran must never be allowed to build a nuclear weapon. But the White House said recently that Iran was 'close' to developing a nuclear weapon and could do so within weeks.
The U.S. struck three Iranian nuclear facilities on June 21, using the military's most powerful conventional weapon, the GBU-57 bunker buster, a 30,000-pound bomb that burrows deep into the earth before exploding.
The attacks came after Israel began bombing Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure on June 13. A preliminary Pentagon intelligence assessment concluded the air strikes set back Iran's nuclear program by a few months, according to a U.S. government source familiar with the intelligence findings. The White House has pushed back on the assessment.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the assessment "flat-out wrong" in a statement posted to X.
–Michael Collins, Cybele Mayes-Osterman and Tom Vanden Brook
Why won't Congress hold the Executive Branch responsible for its actions?
Trump argues as commander in chief of the armed forces he had the discretion to bomb Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. But lawmakers note the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war.
At least three resolutions are pending in Congress to curb Trump's use of the military in Iran amid a dispute between the legislative and executive branches about who holds the keys to a U.S. attack on another country.
But Republicans are nearly unanimous in their support of Trump, so none of the measures is likely to pass since the GOP holds a majority in both chambers.
–Bart Jansen
Related: Dems aim to curb Trump's use of military in Iran but GOP expects to kill bills
What other countries support Iran?
Russia, China and North Korea are Iran's biggest allies.
Russia has warned that any direct U.S. action on Iranian soil would amount to "a dangerous escalation." Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Moscow on June 23 and said there was no justification for the U.S. attack and called aggression against Iran groundless. China and North Korea strongly condemned the U.S. attack on Iran.
–Michael Collins and Natalie Neysa Alund
Will Iran close the Strait of Hormuz?
The Strait of Hormuz is a major oil transportation route, ferrying around 20% of the world's oil and gas flow.
The narrow channel, whittling down to just 21 miles across at one point, connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the wider Arabian Sea. The waterway's choke point is sandwiched by the Iranian coastline to one side and a small Omani peninsula on the other.
Iran has threatened to mine the strait in recent days to effectively block the transportation of oil. Iran's parliament approved a measure the day after U.S. airstrikes hit three of its nuclear facilities, endorsing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, making it a possible option for retaliation, though the decision to close the channel ultimately belongs to Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
−Kathryn Palmer and Janet Loehrke
How will war impact U.S. economy and oil prices?
After Israel attacked Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities and the U.S. followed with a more damaging strike on its nuclear program, economists worried that Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about a quarter of global oil shipped by sea.
ING Chief International Economist James Knightly worried such a scenario could push oil prices as high as $120 barrel, drive gasoline to $5 a gallon and add 1.5 percentage points to inflation. But after Iran launched a limited retaliatory strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar this week, U.S. oil prices that had shot up tumbled 7%, then fell further after President Trump announced an Israel-Iran ceasefire.
Israel has accused Iran of violating the truce but Trump says it remains in effect. Capital Economics said the ceasefire is likely to prove fragile but added it seems all sides have incentives to spare key energy infrastructure. In that case, oil prices should continue to drift lower, the research firm said.
–Paul Davidson