#IsraelIranConflict

The Israel-Iran conflict has escalated into a full-blown crisis, with both countries exchanging direct attacks and threats. Here's what's happening:

*Recent Escalation*

- On June 13, 2025, Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion," a large-scale attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, military sites, and senior commanders. The operation targeted key locations, including Natanz, Khondab, and Khorramabad, and reportedly killed high-ranking officials like Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami and nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi.

- Iran had previously launched a massive missile strike on Israel in April 2024, firing over 300 drones and missiles, most of which were intercepted. Israel responded with a bombing of a radar site near Isfahan.

*Causes of the Conflict*

- *Nuclear Threat*: Israel sees Iran's nuclear program as an existential threat, given Iran's repeated calls for Israel's destruction. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called Israel a "cancerous tumor" that must be uprooted.

- *Proxy Wars*: Iran funds and arms militias across the Middle East, including Hezbollah and Hamas, which frequently launch attacks on Israeli territory.

- *Historical Tensions*: The conflict has its roots in the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, which marked a sharp turning point in relations between the two countries.

*International Response*

- The US has distanced itself from the operation, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that Israel acted unilaterally. However, the US remains invested in preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

- China has ordered its citizens in Iran to stay alert, while Iraq's Ministry of Transportation announced the closure of its airspace as a precautionary measure.

*What's Next?*

- Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel and the US, with Spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi warning of a strong response. The situation remains volatile, with the risk of a wider regional war at its highest in decades.