The United States’ and Israel’s war on Iran has already taken the lives of more than 1,300 Iranians, including over 150 children, while the seventh U.S. casualty was reported last week. President Donald Trump and defense officials have claimed the war is necessary to stop Iran’s nuclear program, one that experts have said is years away from developing nuclear power. The Trump administration has continued bombing Iran without congressional approval, throwing into question the legality of the war.
While many celebrate the killing of Ali Khamenei, who was the head of Iran’s decades-long repressive regime, others point to the United States’ long imperial history, arguing the attack reflects self interest and geopolitical greed rather than a genuine effort to liberate the Iranian people.
The attacks have all the hallmarks of potential war crimes, including attacks on oil deposits in Tehran that triggered toxic rainfall affecting nearly 10 million civilians. Meanwhile, reports that Trump’s sons could profit from a drone investment are only the latest allegations of elites enriching themselves from an unconstitutional war. Since the U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear facilities last June, Polymarket, a global betting market, has allowed wagers on when the U.S. would strike again. More than $529 million has been traded, including suspicious anonymous bets placed the night before the February 28 attack, raising concerns about possible insider trading.
The cost of war extends far beyond the bloodshed. Early estimates suggest the U.S. has already spent at least $5 billion, while Pentagon officials continue to dodge questions about the true price tag. At the same time, millions of Americans are grappling with the rising cost of living. Oil prices have climbed twenty-seven percent since the start of the war, an impact that extends from gas to groceries. The Illinois Policy Institute, a right-wing think tank, reported that seventeen percent of Chicagoans were living below the poverty line in 2024, a reality that could worsen as war spending grows and the gap between the wealthy and everyone else continues to widen.
Chicagoans took to the streets immediately after the bombing began, with hundreds meeting at Federal Plaza and marching through the Loop on March 1. On March 7 and 8, people marched against the war again with signs that gave nod to International Women’s Day, “Women Rise Up, Resist & Strike.” According to a recent CNN poll, more than half of Americans are opposed to the war. Back in Capitol Hill, Democratic efforts seem futile as they are threatening a repeat vote on Iran, after two failed attempts to pass a war powers resolution, if administration officials don’t publicly testify on the ongoing war. In the meantime, innocent lives continue to be lost, and Americans continue to foot the bill—reminding us all who really bears the cost of war.