Level 1 — Absolute Beginner
The United States hit Iran with many strikes last night. This happened after Iran fired missiles at a US base in Jordan.
The strikes killed at least three people in Iran. One of them was a very young child.
Iran's army group is called the Revolutionary Guard. They said they will punish the country that attacked them.
The fighting is now spreading to other countries. A drone hit two ships in Egypt, and Iran says it hit a base in Kuwait.
- strike
- a sudden attack, often using planes or missiles
- military
- the armed forces of a country
- attack
- an action meant to hurt or damage someone
- base
- a place where soldiers and military equipment are kept
- missile
- a weapon that flies through the air to hit a target
- punish
- to make someone suffer for doing something wrong
- drone
- a small flying machine with no pilot inside
- spreading
- moving out to cover a larger area
Level 2 — Elementary
The US military said it completed a heavy wave of strikes against Iran overnight, hitting dozens of Revolutionary Guard targets including military command centers and drone facilities.
The strikes were retaliation for Iran's earlier missile attack on a US base in Jordan and killed at least three people, including a two-year-old child, according to Iranian state media.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard responded by saying it would 'punish the aggressor today,' and an Iranian lawmaker warned that any nation helping the United States would also face a harsh response.
The conflict widened further as Egypt confirmed a drone struck two natural gas vessels at one of its ports, while Iran claimed its forces destroyed fuel and drone facilities at an air base in Kuwait.
- retaliation
- an action taken to pay back an earlier attack
- command center
- a place where military operations are planned and controlled
- facility
- a building or place built for a specific purpose
- aggressor
- the side that starts a fight or attack
- lawmaker
- a person, such as a member of parliament, who helps create laws
- harsh
- severe or difficult to deal with
- vessel
- a ship or large boat
- widened
- became bigger or spread out further
Level 3 — Intermediate
US Central Command confirmed it had completed a heavy wave of overnight strikes against dozens of Revolutionary Guard targets across Iran, including military command centers and drone facilities, in retaliation for Tehran's missile attack on American troops stationed in Jordan.
The strikes killed at least three people, one of them a two-year-old child, according to Iranian state media, prompting the Revolutionary Guard to declare it would 'punish the aggressor today' while an Iranian lawmaker warned that any nation assisting the United States would face retaliation '10 times greater and harsher.'
The conflict, which had appeared to pause for nearly a week, escalated further as it pulled in additional countries: Egypt confirmed that a drone struck two natural gas vessels docked at one of its ports, raising fears of disruption to regional energy supplies.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps separately claimed responsibility for an attack on the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, saying it destroyed two drone hangars and a fuel storage tank used by military aircraft and helicopters.
- Central Command
- the branch of the US military responsible for operations in the Middle East
- stationed
- positioned or based somewhere for a period of duty
- prompting
- causing something to happen or be said
- assisting
- helping or supporting
- escalated
- became more serious or intense
- docked
- moored or tied up at a port
- disruption
- a disturbance that interrupts a process or event
- hangar
- a large building used for storing aircraft
Level 4 — Advanced
US Central Command confirmed the completion of a heavy wave of overnight strikes against dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets across Iran, including military command centers and drone-manufacturing facilities, in a retaliatory campaign following Tehran's missile assault on American forces stationed in Jordan.
The strikes killed at least three people, among them a two-year-old child, according to Iranian state media, prompting the Guard to vow it would 'punish the aggressor today,' while an Iranian lawmaker cautioned that nations assisting Washington would face retribution '10 times greater and harsher' than any prior response.
The confrontation, which had appeared to lull for nearly a week, escalated markedly as it drew in additional states: Egypt confirmed that a drone struck two natural gas vessels moored at one of its ports, stoking concern over disruption to an already jittery regional energy market.
The Guard separately claimed responsibility for an assault on the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, asserting it had incinerated two drone hangars and a fuel storage tank relied upon by military aircraft and helicopters, underscoring how swiftly a bilateral dispute has metastasized into a multi-front regional war with global economic stakes.
- retaliatory
- carried out in response to, and as punishment for, a prior attack
- assault
- a violent physical attack
- retribution
- punishment inflicted in return for a wrong done
- lull
- a temporary period of quiet or calm
- moored
- fastened in place, typically by rope or chain, especially a boat
- jittery
- nervous or uneasy
- incinerated
- destroyed completely by fire
- metastasized
- spread rapidly and destructively, like a disease