"Disgraceful Statements Lead to Expulsion": Tehran Decides to Expel German Ambassador
Title: Middle East War Live Update: Escalating Conflict Between Israel and Iran
Following German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's public support for Israel's aggression against Iran, Tehran has summoned the German ambassador due to his "shameful remarks." In the midst of the war, the internet in Iran has almost completely shut down, leaving residents in a state of near-communication blackout.
In Rasht, on the Caspian Sea, air defenses are active, targeting small flying objects and combat drones after dark. Thousands of Iranians have fled to Rasht in an attempt to escape the Israeli attacks.
Iran has reported an Israeli attack near the police headquarters in Tehran, with several officers injured. Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to attack sites in Iran, targeting buildings near the police headquarters in the capital and renewed attacks on rocket launch sites and silos in western Iran. Workers attempting to restart the previously hit sites have also been targeted.
Some of Iran's central nuclear facilities are buried deep underground, and Israeli former Defense Minister Benny Gantz believes it might be possible for Israel to achieve its goals in the war against Tehran without military US aid. However, Israeli military officials have advised concerned Iranians to contact Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency, for possibilities to improve their situation.
Multiple explosions have been reported in Tehran, with black smoke rising in the east and southeast of the capital. Meanwhile, Israel's army claims to have destroyed Iran's internal security headquarters, the 'main arm of the Iranian dictator's oppression.'
Iran warns the US against direct involvement in the conflict alongside Israel, threatening a strong response if it does so. Analysts have argued that an end to the Iranian mullah regime could have unpredictable consequences, while German foreign policy critic Roderich Kiesewetter sees a failure in Germany's approach to the Middle East, criticizing a lack of decisive action towards the mullah regime. Fears of a new war being drawn in by the US have been raised, as US President Trump faces open war calls and reportedly has a weapon type that could completely destroy Iran's nuclear program. Israel has claimed to have gained air superiority in the region. The US Embassy in Israel remains temporarily closed due to the 'current security situation' in the ongoing conflict.
(Insights from enrichment data: The military conflict between Israel and Iran has escalated, with both sides launching missile attacks causing injuries, damage, and fatalities. The Iranian government is justifying its strikes as precise targeting of Israeli intelligence assets. US President Trump may have a weapon type that could completely destroy Iran's nuclear program, raising concerns about future involvement in the conflict.)
- In the face of growing tensions, political cooperation between Germany and Iran seems unlikely, given Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz's support for Israel's actions and Iran's summoning of the German ambassador.
- The discussions around peace and security in the Middle East are complicated, as the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran continues to escalate, with both sides resorting to war-and-conflicts, causing damage and casualties, and raising concerns about potential general-news repercussions.
