President Donald Trump ordered military strikes on Iran, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The attacks were carried out in coordination with Israeli forces and have sparked retaliatory actions from Iran, including drone strikes on US embassies in Riyadh and Kuwait.
The decision to attack Iran has drawn mixed reactions from both Democrats and Republicans. While some Democrats have condemned the move as illegal and unconstitutional, others have acknowledged the death of Khamenei as a positive development. Senate Democrats reacted furiously after Marco Rubio suggested that the strikes were driven by the need to pre-empt Iranian retaliation against US interests.
Trump has provided fluid reasoning for why he ordered the attacks, stating that Iran was planning to attack first and that negotiations with Tehran were not fruitful. He has also sent mixed signals about whether he is willing to deploy US forces in a "boots on the ground" capacity.