Why every word counts
maslansky + partners
6.27.2025
Language shapes our understanding of Trump’s Iran strikes
What do we call the recent U.S. strikes on Iran nuclear sites? Is it a war, a conflict, a targeted operation, or something else? This isn’t just semantics. The words we choose set the boundaries of our expectations and anxieties. In her latest piece for FoxNews.com, Lee Carter reflects on how in moments of crisis—like the recent strikes on Iran nuclear sites—language is not just a reflection of reality, but a force that shapes it. The words we choose, the narratives we construct, and the labels we apply, determine not just how we understand the present, but how we imagine the future.
