US Launches Strikes on Iran, Claiming 'Self-Defense' and Allegedly Killing 4 Iranian Soldiers

The US renewed its strikes against Iran on Monday, hitting targets such as missile-launch sites and boats trying to set mines, according to the Pentagon.

'Self-Defense': The Pentagon described the strikes as measures taken in "self-defense." Several mainstream outlets that AllSides has previously observed as often showing a pro-Zionist bias in coverage, such as The New York Post (Lean Right), The Times of Israel (Center), CBS News (Lean Left), Fox News (Right), and The Wall Street Journal (Center), highlighted this in headlines. However, a few other major mainstream outlets like Politico (Lean Left) and CNN (Lean Left) did this as well. Many other major outlets just described them as "strikes." The New York Post and Times of Israel's headlines stood out in that they did not use quotation marks around the term "self-defense."

Death Toll: Reportedly, sources affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said four of its soldiers were killed in the strikes on the port city of Bandar Abbas. Unlike other outlets, ZeroHedge (Lean Right) highlighted this in its headline, and The Times of Israel published a separate headline that noted it. Both outlets described the source as "unconfirmed reports."

For Context: Mainstream outlets have consistently reported in recent weeks that the US and Iran have been making progress on a ceasefire, though no deal has been reached yet. One point of contention has been reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping artery that the US has attempted to open with military force. Iran's ability to enrich uranium and how it runs its nuclear program have also remained front and center in recent negotiations.

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