měi guó美国、yī lǎng伊朗yǔ与zhàn zhēng战争jīng jì经济
Energy and power are often linked: whoever controls energy and resources can influence others more easily.
In recent years, the United States has increased strikes on targets related to Iran in the Middle East; this is not the first time.
Since 2001, many wars involving the United States have been costly and have caused many deaths and displacements.
Examples from Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and Yemen show that war often makes countries more unstable.
Iran's situation is more complex: it has a large population, rich oil and natural gas resources, and influences the Strait of Hormuz.
About one-fifth of the world's oil passes through here; if something happens here, oil prices could rise quickly, affecting transportation, prices, and daily life.
Israel and the United States both worry about Iran developing nuclear capabilities, so they use sanctions and other means to apply pressure.
Iran's military budget is smaller than the United States', but it uses missiles, drones, and regional allies to increase costs for the other side.
As a result, conflicts may expand from local to larger scales, and ordinary people often suffer the most.