Iran launched 15 ballistic missiles at two United States military bases in Iraq on January 8, 2020. Iran’s military attack was in retaliation to the U.S. military airstrike on January 3, 2020 that killed Iran’s General Qasem Soleimani.

According to ABC News, the airstrike on the U.S. military base included a total of 15 missiles, four of which failed, 10 hit the Ain al-Assad base in Iraq, and one which hit a base located in Irbil. No one was killed, but 34 U.S. soldiers were “diagnosed with concussions and traumatic brain injuries.” 

About a week before the attack on the U.S. bases in Iraq, President Trump ordered an airstrike on January 3, which killed the top Iranian general, Soleimani, as well as 25 militia men. Iran took this quite personal due to the general being such a hero in the country as the leader of the Revolutionary Guards Force, an elite force that handles Iran’s problems over seas, according to CNN.

According to the BBC, Trump justified the airstrike by tweeting that Soleimani “had killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans…and was plotting to kill many more and should have been taken out many years ago.” According to ABC News, “Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the killing a ‘heinous crime’ and vowed his country would ‘take revenge.’”

These tensions and events led to rumors of “WW3” at the time, including some funny memes, such as people declaring that the video games they have played throughout their childhood would help when they are “drafted.” People were also making memes about how they could maybe “re-spawn” or “have another life” just like their video games. 

Lastly, the U.S. government was under stress due to these conflicts and there is still tension with Iran. Some Americans think their government handled it effectively, while others think they are being reckless. For now, the U.S. is safe and will be ready for whatever might come in the future.