Iran

Just Don't Call It a War

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Liz Wolfe | 5.8.2026 9:30 AM

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U.S. and Iran exchange fire, but the official line is that it's not a resumption of the war.

This is obviously in the eye of the beholder, but it is probably good that war has rhetorically fallen out of favor to such a degree that the Trump administration is at least making noises in the direction of restraint.

Of course, reality matters more than rhetoric. Here's what's happening: Iran struck three American destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz, so the U.S. struck Iran's military facilities that had carried out the destroyer attacks. "U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces including missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes," reads their statement. "CENTCOM does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces."

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