Escalating conflict: Israel and Iran on the brink of full-scale war
By bellecarter // 2025-06-16
 
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Israel will bomb "every target of the ayatollah regime," with Israeli Air Force warplanes potentially appearing over Tehran soon, following a surprise attack on Iran.
  • The aggressive stance comes amid intensifying hostilities, with Iran announcing "heavy and destructive" retaliatory attacks on Israel, raising global concerns about a potential full-scale war.
  • Netanyahu claims Israel's strikes have caused "real damage" to Iran's nuclear program and resulted in the deaths of top nuclear scientists, while Iran acknowledges limited damage to certain facilities without significant urban impact.
  • The multi-faceted assault by Israel has targeted residential areas, nuclear facilities and military sites, leading to at least 80 deaths, including 20 children, and hundreds of injuries, with top military figures and diplomats among the casualties.
  • The conflict has drawn international attention, with U.S. officials confirming aid to Israel in intercepting incoming missiles, and President Trump hinting at a potential shift in stance after a call with President Putin, though no concrete evidence of U.S. pressure on Netanyahu has emerged.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a chilling warning that Tel Aviv will bomb "every target of the ayatollah regime," as reported by the Jerusalem Post. "In the very near future, you will see Israeli Air Force warplanes above the skies of Tehran," he threatened. This aggressive posture follows Israel's surprise attack on the Islamic Republic, which Netanyahu claims has inflicted "real damage" on Iran's nuclear energy program. Netanyahu identified the "two-pronged threat to Israel" as Tehran's ballistic missiles and nuclear program. Netanyahu dismissed Iranian claims that the damage to their nuclear facilities was minimal. "Iran’s nuclear teams were racing to build nuclear warheads," he asserted, countering assertions that Israel's attacks had not significantly impacted Iran's progress. The Israeli leader's bold declaration comes amid a backdrop of intensifying hostilities, with Iranian state TV announcing "heavy and destructive" retaliatory attacks on Israel within hours, according to Al Jazeera. On Friday, June 13, Behrouz Kamalvandi, an Iranian Atomic Energy Organization spokesman, acknowledged that while there was damage, it was not extensive. "The damage was limited to areas that did not cause any urban damage in the case of Fordo," he said, adding that the attacks on Isfahan were confined to warehouses and did not result in significant contamination concerns. Netanyahu, however, insisted that Israel's strikes have caused "real damage to the [nuclear] program" and claimed that top nuclear scientists were among those killed. The multi-faceted assault has reportedly targeted residential areas, nuclear facilities and military sites, resulting in at least 80 deaths, including 20 children, and hundreds of injuries. The death toll includes top military figures and diplomats. In the last 24 hours, Iran has launched successive waves of drones and ballistic missiles targeting Israel. The extent of the damage in Israel remains unclear, but explosions have been reported in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Israeli authorities claim three people have been killed and nearly 200 injured. U.S. officials have confirmed that Washington is aiding Tel Aviv in intercepting incoming missiles. This unfolding crisis has raised alarms globally, with world leaders scrambling to prevent a full-scale war between the two arch-enemies.

Trump's role and the changing dynamics

President Donald Trump has been a key player in the conflict. While publicly advocating for a diplomatic solution, Trump was allegedly secretly preparing for war. However, on Saturday, there were indications of a potential shift in his stance. "President [Vladimir] Putin called this morning... to talk about Iran," Trump posted on Truth Social, hinting at a possible end to the conflict. Despite this, there is no evidence yet that Washington is using its leverage to pressure Netanyahu. (Related: Trump issues ultimatum to Iran following Israeli strikes: "Make a deal or there will be nothing left.") Iran's retaliatory strikes, dubbed Operation True Promise III, followed previous attacks in October and April 2024. In the April attack, Iran deployed around 500 munitions, primarily ballistic missiles and drones. The October attack involved hundreds of ballistic missiles. Iranian state media celebrated the recent attacks, claiming successful hits in response to "Israeli aggression." Iran has reported 78 casualties from the Israeli attacks and has sent an envoy to the UN to seek international condemnation of Israel. Watch the video below that talks about Trump's message to Iran on the nuclear deal. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include:

JPost.com AlJazeera.com News.AntiWar.com Brighteon.com