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Israel-Iran Conflict: The Middle East’s Unfriendly Next-Door Neighbors Resume Hostilities

Global spotlight turns on the middle east as the fires of war rage on in Tel-Aviv and Tehran for the fifth consecutive day.

In one of the most intense days since the beginning of the conflict, an Iranian missile hit the Soroka Hospital in the Israeli city of Beersheba, causing severe structural damage and multiple casualties. (Photo: @saimsab12)

By Akerele Christabel

June 19, 2025
3:55 pm
Los Angeles, CA

The two hegemons of the middle east have gone from saber-rattling and fang-baring to barraging each other with missiles. Decades of distrust, sabotage, espionage, and counter-espionage have culminated in another fiery showdown between the hitherto hostile neighbors. Israel initiated the conflict with an attack on Iran’s capital of Tehran on Friday, 13th June, 2025. The Iranian media reported that residential areas in the city of Tehran were hit. The Israeli military also corroborated the narrative, claiming it has launched strikes on dozens of military targets, including Iran’s nuclear facilities. Hours later, Israel attacked the Natanz nuclear facility south of Tehran, killing Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, several senior military officers, and nuclear scientists. Reports coming out of Iran say that civilians, including children were among the

Israel initiated the conflict with an attack on Iran’s capital of Tehran on Friday, 13th June, 2025. The Iranian media reported that residential areas in the city of Tehran were hit. The Israeli military also corroborated the narrative, claiming it has launched strikes on dozens of military targets, including Iran’s nuclear facilities. Hours later, Israel attacked the Natanz nuclear facility south of Tehran, killing Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, several senior military officers, and nuclear scientists. Reports coming out of Iran say that civilians, including children were among the casualties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dubbed the attack “Operation Rising Lion” telling the media that the operation was meant to target “the heart” of Iran’s nuclear program. According to him, if Iran was given free rein, it would produce a nuclear weapon in a very “short time”.

“We will not let the world’s most dangerous regime get the world’s most dangerous weapons, and Iran plans to give those weapons, nuclear weapons, to its terrorist proxies. That would make the nightmare of nuclear terrorism all too real.” Netanyahu said.

Contrary to these claims, American intel concludes that Iran is years away from successfully building a nuclear weapon. At the same time, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said it has not detected an increase in radiation levels at the plant.

Israel may have destroyed one of Iran’s two major uranium sites . However, one still remains largely untouchable – the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. It is built inside a mountain, around 20 miles from Qom and 100 miles south of Tehran. Fordow is built deep inside the mountain, protected by strong air defences, and is very hard to destroy. At Fordow, uranium is enriched up to 60%, just below the level needed to make a nuclear bomb. This is why Fordow has emerged as a major target for Israel in its attempt to cripple Iran nuclear program.

According to Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yeichiel Leiter, the US is the only country that possesses the kind of explosive firepower in needed to destroy Fordow.

“For Fordow to be taken out by a bomb from the sky, the only country in the world that has that bomb is the United States. And that’s a decision the United States has to take, whether or not it chooses to actually pursue that course,” Leiter said.

There has been no substantial evidence to prove that Iran is in possession of nuclear weapons or that it is close to making them. At this stage of the conflict, it is Israel’s word against Iran, who insist that their enrichment of uranium is for peaceful purposes.

Iran-US Nuclear Deal: The Calm Before The Storm

Nations around the world have cast a wary eye on Iran ever since it began its nuclear development. This is due to Iran’s reputation of being a ‘terrorist state’ and its backing of terrorist organizations who functions as its proxies. For this reason, most of the world, Israel-included, is apprehensive about Iran being in possession of nuclear weapons.

For the greater part of the decade, the United States has been the face of the world’s resistance to the Ayatollah regime’s possession of nuclear weapons. Former President Barack Obama managed to broker a deal in 2015 that saw the Iran agree to limit its uranium enrichment to 3.67%. Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the deal in his first tenure. Now, as the leader of the free world, the onus lies on him to rein in Iran’s ambitions. Since returning to the White House, the president has been pushing for talks while ratcheting up sanctions and suggesting a military strike by Israel or the U.S. could target Iranian nuclear sites.

25th May marked the fifth round of talks that have been largely at an impasse. The American delegation, led by Steve Witkoff, demands that Iran halt all uranium enrichment and dismantle all of its centrifuges. Iran’ position, as stated by its Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghci, was that it will not give up the right to enrich uranium at lower levels. Although, it agreed to a joint nuclear enrichment venture involving Arab countries and funded by America.

Hours after Israel bombarded Tehran with missiles, POTUS Donald Trump posted that he had given Iran a 60-day deadline to reach an agreement. Observers who saw Israel attack on the 61st day concluded the United States was complicit in the attack.

As the war rages on, Israel biggest ally in the west – the United States – has taken a let’s-wait-and-see stance in the conflict. It has repeatedly mentioned that it played no part in Israel’s attack on Iran. However, it has, in very strong terms, warned Iran against attacking any US-owned installations, promising to react in ‘full force’.

Operation True Promise 3: Iran Strikes Back

“Israel opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to a crime in our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centers. With this crime, the Zionist regime has set itself for a bitter and painful fate and it will definitely receive it.” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.

Iran later launched a ballistic missile attack on “dozens of targets, military centers and airbases” in Israel, in an operation it called True Promise 3. The IDF said fewer than 100 missiles were launched towards Israel in two waves. At least two people were killed in Rishon LeZion on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Oil infrastructure was hit on both sides, with a huge fire visible at Iran’s Shahran depot and flames breaking out near the Haifa oil refinery in Israel. On Sunday, the third day of strikes, six people were killed in Israel’s Bat Yam when a 10-storey block of flats was hit. Four people were killed in Iranian attacks on the northern town of Tamra, emergency services and the local hospital said.

Since Friday, both sides have traded several rounds of blows, and missiles. Iran seems to be having the worse of it, reporting over 200 deaths, while Israel says it lost 24 citizens to Iranian attacks.

Day Five Of The Conflict: New Developments

The Israeli military has now wrested control of the skies from Iran. It can now fly over the country’s capital of Tehran with virtually no resistance as it has put Iran’s air defenses out of commission. Israel’s air force has been able to employ the advanced capabilities of its modified F-35 stealth fighter jets known as the “Adir”. These fifth-generation aircraft are designed with stealth features, enabling them to infiltrate heavily defended airspace with minimal radar detection. Their advanced sensor fusion and electronic warfare capabilities are essential for locating and disrupting enemy air defence radars while remaining largely undetected. This stealth advantage allows Israel to neutralize sophisticated surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems effectively. This development means the whole of Tehran is target practice for Israeli aircraft. The conflict rages on, and for now, Israel holds the biggest cards.