[This news, published on June 14, was updated on June 21]

On June 13, 2025, a direct and large-scale military confrontation broke out between Iran and Israel, marking an unprecedented escalation in a decades-long rivalry. The conflict was triggered by Israel’s surprise military initiative, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, which targeted key Iranian nuclear and military sites.

The operation, which included airstrikes, targeted assassinations and cyberattacks, was launched hours after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) publicly reported that Iran was in violation of its nuclear obligations for the first time in twenty years. Iran’s swift response involved more than 100 drones and ballistic missiles aimed at Israeli cities and military bases, resulting in the deaths of at least 24 civilians.

This military conflict arrives on the heels of a collapsed diplomatic effort led by the United States to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 nuclear agreement that had previously placed limits on Iran’s uranium enrichment activities. The Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, justified the preemptive strikes by citing the accumulation of 409 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity by Iran—a quantity seen by Israeli intelligence as a threshold toward weaponization.

This assessment came despite the IAEA’s own statements confirming that no conclusive evidence of a nuclear weapons program had been found.

The seeds of this conflict trace back to Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ended diplomatic ties with Israel and introduced a policy of open hostility. Over the decades, the conflict simmered through proxy battles involving Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, occasionally flaring into direct clashes.

However, the April and October 2024 military exchanges, followed by the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran by Israeli operatives in July 2024, set the stage for the present open warfare.

Strategically, the operation appears to serve more than just military objectives. Analysts suggest it was also aimed at bolstering Netanyahu’s domestic standing amid growing international criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and an intensifying humanitarian crisis there.

By shifting global attention to the Iranian threat, Netanyahu has galvanized nationalist sentiment at home and secured the backing of traditional Western allies including the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. U.S. President Donald Trump, informed of the operation in advance, chose not to intervene, citing Iran’s refusal to comply with a two-month deadline to reenter nuclear negotiations.

International reaction has been sharply divided. While the U.S. and European allies expressed support for Israel’s right to self-defense, countries such as Russia, China, South Africa and Brazil condemned the strikes as violations of international law.

Legal experts have also criticized the move, arguing that Israel’s preemptive use of force contravenes Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. The United Nations Security Council has failed to issue a joint resolution due to vetoes from permanent members aligned with opposing sides.

Iran’s announcement of its intent to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons has triggered fears of a new arms race in the Middle East. Regional players including Jordan, Egypt and Turkey have warned of potential spillover, while weakened Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas have largely remained inactive.

The symbolic participation of the Houthi movement highlights Iran’s diminishing reach among its allies.

The name Rising Lion carries both biblical and historical connotations, invoking religious narratives and national identity. The phrase references Numbers 23:24 and alludes to Iran’s pre-revolutionary emblem, the Lion and Sun, positioning the campaign not only as a military act but as a civilizational struggle.

With diplomacy shattered and nuclear containment collapsing, the 2025 Iran-Israel war marks a dangerous pivot point in Middle Eastern affairs. The conflict may signal the dawn of a new regional order, where preemptive strikes and militarized deterrence replace dialogue and treaties as the primary tools of statecraft.