Iran Israel Conflict escalates as Israel and the U.S. Strike Iranian nuclear sites after IAEA violations, sparking global tension and regional security risks. Israel launched a full-scale military strike on Iran named “Operation Rising Lion” targeting missile and nuclear infrastructure. The attack raises urgent questions about the motivations behind Israel 's actions, Iranian retaliation, and the broader implications for regional and global stability. To explore these issues, RAND experts provide insights into the strategic, diplomatic, and economic dimensions of this unfolding crisis. As of mid - 2025 , the Iran – Israel conflict has entered a phase of frequent escalations, precision warfare, and regional entrenchment. Both nations are avoiding full-scale war but are testing red lines more aggressively. Tensions between two Middle Eastern heavyweights have erupted into a full-fledged Israel ‑ Iran war 2025. What’s happening now? In the latest twist, Israel ’s Operation Rising Lion unleashed a devastating wave of airstrikes on Iran ’s military and nuclear infrastructure—including the hardened Natanz enrichment complex—on June 13, 2025. MENASource June 16, 2025 Twenty questions (and expert answers) on the Israel - Iran war By Atlantic Council experts A decades-old conflict between Israel and Iran that was never quite “cold” is rapidly heating up. In the days since the first Israeli attacks against the Iranian nuclear program and military leadership, more than two hundred people have been killed in Iran and at least two. Israel has emerged from the Gaza conflict with renewed assertiveness, targeting Iranian-backed networks in Syria and Lebanon. Iran, facing diminished regional prestige, is attempting to reassert deterrence via asymmetric escalation (militias, cyber, naval threats in the Gulf). The Israel - Iran conflict is not confined to a regional context; it has significant geopolitical implications that involve major global powers. Has traditionally supported Israel’s military strategies, advocating for a strong deterrent against Iran’s nuclear and regional ambitions. Iran ’ s historical animosity towards Israel, coupled with its support for various groups across the Middle East, has intensified tensions. The attack achieved Iran’s strategic aims of reshaping the rules of engagement and imposing significant costs on its adversaries. The newest war in the region, this time between Israel and Iran , has once again put millions of people in the crossfire of a conflict that they want nothing to do with.
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