Escalating Tensions: Exploring the Roots of the Dispute Between Iran and Israel over Nuclear Ambitions
Blow for Blow: The Never-Ending Saga of Israel vs. Iran – Latest Updates
The wee hours of June 13, 2025, saw Israel spring Operation "Rising Lion" into action, bombing military and nuclear sites in Iran. Reports claim strikes on the Natanz uranium enrichment plant, where notable Iranian nuclear physicists and high-ranking military officials, such as Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salami, met their demise. Addressing the media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the operation aims to eliminate the persistent threat from Iran as per TASS.
In this ongoing attack, Israeli air forces struck well over a hundred targets, including vital nuclear program facilities. Netanyahu made it clear that the offensive would persist "as long as required."
A History Riddled with Misunderstandings
The antagonism between Israel and Iran extends far back. following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran severed ties with Israel, regularly calling the Jewish state a "malignant growth" that needs to be removed. For decades, Iran has supported anti-Israel factions, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Palestine, and the Houthis in Yemen – collectively known as the "resistance axis."
Timeline Highlights: Israeli Actions against Iran
- 2015: First Open ClashesIn January, the Israeli Air Force dispatched a convoy in Southern Syria, resulting in the deaths of six Hezbollah operatives and IRGC General Mohammad Ali Allahdadi. Hezbollah retaliated, causing the deaths of two Israeli soldiers and wounds to seven more near the border with Lebanon.
- 2020: Strike on Nuclear ProgramOn November 27, Iranian nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, leader of the Ministry of Defense's research center, was assassinated in Absard. The international community accused both Israel and the US of being behind the assassination, but Iran chose not to respond.
- 2021: Escalation of HostilitiesIn April, an explosion at the Natanz nuclear site caused damage, which Iran linked to Israel. Around the same time, an Israeli cargo ship, Hyperion, was targeted off the coast of the UAE. In June, an unprovoked drone attack on a factory in Karaj (an alleged Israeli success) was followed by an attack on an Israeli vessel in the Indian Ocean.
- 2022-2024: Direct Confrontation
- March 2022: Israeli airstrikes near Damascus eliminated two IRGC colonels. Iran responded with shelling close to the American consulate in Erbil.
- December 2023: Iranian military commander Brigadier General Razi Musavi was assassinated.
- April 2024: Israel assaulted the Iranian consulate in Damascus (13 fatalities, including 7 IRGC officers), leading to Iran directly attacking Israel for the first time with 290 rockets and drones in the "Promise of Vengeance" operation.
- 2024: Tension Levels Off the Scale
- July-September: Israel eradicated leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, including Ismail Haniyeh and Hassan Nasrallah, as well as IRGC General Abbas Nilforushan. Iran responded with a massive rocket barrage (200 rockets).
- October: Israel targeted Iranian territory for the first time since 2015, bombing rocket factories and bases near Tehran. The conflict resulted in casualties on both sides.
A Response from the World
- The USA and the EU support Israel's right to self-defense
- Russia rebukes Israel's actions as a transgression of the UN Charter
- Iran vows harsh retaliation, with Supreme Leader Khamenei asserting that the attacks "will not go unavenged."
Analysts fear that the current tension could lead to a full-scale regional conflict.
## Media: Israel's operation against Iran could stretch for weeks
- References
- The New York Times
- The Washington Post
- Al Jazeera
Note: Here, the focus lies on major events leading up to, during, and after Operation "Rising Lion." Information regarding specific details of Iran's history, nuclear program, and anti-Israel factions have been condensed for readability and to ensure the article remains focused on current events.
The ongoing war-and-conflicts between Israel and Iran, rooted in decades of politics and general-news, have escalated once more with Operation "Rising Lion". As reported by various news outlets, this Israeli offensive against Iran has already claimed the lives of notable figures such as Iran's Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri and IRGC Commander Hossein Salami, following strikes on the Natanz uranium enrichment plant. Analysts continue to discuss the potential implications of this never-ending saga, warning that the current tension could lead to a full-scale regional conflict.
