PRESIDENT Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s frustrated militaristic mindset and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s firmness over Iran’s sovereign right to have a nuclear fuel cycle for peaceful/civilian purposes have unleashed devastating military conflict in the Middle East.
It’s an open secret that without Washington’s tacit support, Tel Aviv never launches pre-emptive strikes against Tehran.
The primary objective of the Israeli aggression is to discredit the Iranian ruling elite and replace it with puppet leadership, which will roll back Iran’s nuclear program, systematically cut its military potential and accept Israel’s hegemony in the region.
Israel launched Operation Rising Lion against Iran on June 13, 2025.
Netanyahu said it aimed “to damage Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, its ballistic missile factories and military capabilities.
” The surprising pre-emptive strikes decapitated Iranian senior military leaders—the commander-in-chief of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Gen.
Hossein Salami and Maj.Gen.Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces and senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards and leading nuclear scientists.
Netanyahu arrogantly warned about the longevity of the war.
In the following days, Israel escalated the war by targeting Iranian civilian facilities, including oil and gas fields.
On June 14, it attacked Iran’s South Pars gas field, the world’s largest gas field that Iran shares with Qatar.
The Iranians have either to submit or to retaliate.
Both options have lasting repercussions for the Iranian society and state.
The Iranian ruling elite immediately announced to retaliate and punish Israel for its unprovocative military aggression.
Iran responded by launching Operation True Promise III.
It fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones.
The Israeli allies, including United States missile interceptors, intercepted the majority of them.
It was reported in the international media that “the US military was operating in the air, on land and at sea to shoot down Iranian missiles fired at Israel.
However, field reports, satellite imagery and intelligence intercepts confirm the practical impact of dozens of ballistic missiles on strategic targets in Israel.
The Trump Administration’s paradoxical response to the Israeli’s provocative behaviour, which, once again, brought the region to the precipice of full-blown war, has further deteriorated the strategic environment of the Middle East.
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that the United States is not involved in the strikes against Iran.
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.
Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.
” Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, rejected Washington’s claim of non-involvement in the recent attacks.
He said, “Israel’s attack would never have happened without the US green light and support.
” He added, “It is necessary for the United States to condemn Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities if they want to prove their goodwill.”
The Middle Eastern experts have a consensus that without the political, diplomatic and material assistance of the United States, Israel would not have crossed the red line.
The Israelis are aware of Iranian drones, ballistic and cruise missile potential.
Israeli Iron Dome is incapable of intercepting them.
Only American forces deployed in the region can intercept them.
Secondly, for long-range strikes, the Israeli Air Force needs refuelling and satellite guidance, which may be made available to them by the United States.
Pakistan, along with China and Russia, supported Iran’s request for the emergency session of the United Nations Security Council on June 13, 2025.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, told the Security Council during an emergency session that Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities were “unjustified and illegitimate.
” They constitute a “grave danger and a serious threat” to peace, security and stability across the entire region and beyond.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency endorsed Pakistani concerns and warned of the severe risks to regional stability and nuclear safety.
Strikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities such as the Natanz nuclear site—which hosts both a commercial fuel enrichment plant for use in things such as powering civilian nuclear reactors and the more technologically advanced and opaque so-called pilot fuel enrichment plant (PFEP).
The attack on nuclear sites would cause a dangerous radioactive fallout, having catastrophic repercussions for the neighbourhood.
The Israeli aggression scuttled the Omani-mediated negotiations process between Iran and the United States.
The five rounds of dialogue were already held to reach an agreement on the future of Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
The sixth was scheduled on June 15 (Sunday), which was suspended due to the Israel-Iran catastrophic duel.
The escalation of the Israel-Iran war will have serious repercussions for the region.
Therefore, the stakeholders must play their role and de-escalate the conflict.
—The writer is Prof at the School of Politics and IR, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.([email protected])
