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The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, framed the operation as a preemptive strike to neutralize an existential threat. Netanyahu claimed that Iran was on the verge of producing a nuclear weapon within months, a claim supported by unnamed Israeli military officials but not corroborated by U.S. intelligence assessments The timing of the attack was strategic—coinciding with ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, which Israel sought to derail, and exploiting a weakened Iranian posture following the dismantling of its proxy networks in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza
Iran, reeling from the unprecedented assault, has vowed a "harsh punishment" However, its retaliatory options are constrained. The IRGC’s leadership has been decimated, and its air defenses, already compromised from previous Israeli operations, were further degraded. The United States, while distancing itself publicly from the attack, now faces the risk of being drawn into a broader regional conflict should Iran or its proxies strike U.S. forces in response
As of June 13, 2025, the conflict remains in its early stages. Israel has signaled its intent to continue the campaign, while Iran scrambles to regroup and retaliate. The world watches as the Middle East teeters on the edge of a new and potentially catastrophic chapter in its long-standing rivalries.