Israel confirmed it had launched a military strike within Iranian territory, an unprecedented development that dramatically escalates the longstanding but largely hidden conflict between the two nations. The attack comes just a day before planned negotiations between Tehran and Washington were set to begin in Oman, focusing on Iran’s intensifying uranium enrichment program.
This latest military action marks a dangerous turning point in a conflict that has simmered in the shadows for over four decades—unfolding through proxy wars, cyberattacks, targeted assassinations, and retaliatory operations across the Middle East.
Key Historical Milestones in the Iran-Israel Tensions:
1979: Iran’s Islamic Revolution topples the Shah, a staunch Israeli ally. The new regime under Ayatollah Khomeini adopts an openly anti-Israel stance as a core ideological principle.
1982: Amid Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) supports the formation of Hezbollah—a powerful Shiite militia that Israel later identifies as a top regional threat.
1983: Suicide bombings by Hezbollah target Israeli and Western forces in Lebanon, forcing Israeli withdrawal from much of the country.
- Advertisement -1992 & 1994: Iran and Hezbollah are accused of orchestrating bombings at Israel’s embassy and a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, killing scores. Both deny involvement.
2002: A revelation of Iran’s secret nuclear enrichment sites stirs global alarm. Israel urges international pressure to halt what it believes is a covert nuclear weapons program—claims Tehran denies.
2006: Israel engages Hezbollah in a fierce 34-day war in Lebanon. The conflict ends without a decisive victory, showcasing Hezbollah’s growing military capacity.
2009: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei intensifies rhetoric by labeling Israel “a fatal cancer” in the Middle East.
- Advertisement -2010: The Stuxnet virus, widely attributed to a joint US-Israeli cyber operation, sabotages Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility. This marks the dawn of cyber warfare against nuclear infrastructure.
2012: Iranian scientist Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan is assassinated in Tehran. Iran blames Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency.
2018: Then-Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu hails the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, calling it a triumph for Israeli diplomacy.
2020: The US kills Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Israel praises the action, while Iran retaliates with ballistic missile strikes on US bases in Iraq.
2021: Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh is assassinated near Tehran. Iran blames Israel, reinforcing fears of deepening covert warfare.
2022: US and Israeli leaders sign a joint pledge to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear arms, signaling unity on military deterrence.
April 2024: A suspected Israeli airstrike hits Iran’s consular facility in Damascus, killing senior IRGC commanders. Iran responds with a massive drone and missile barrage on Israeli soil.
October 2024: Iran unleashes over 180 missiles at Israel in retaliation for the targeted killings of Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh. Israel hits back with strikes across Iran, including in Tehran.
June 2025: In what it calls Operation Rising Lion, Israel confirms airstrikes aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and eliminating key figures. Among the casualties, Iranian state media confirms the deaths of IRGC Commander Hossein Salami and prominent nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi. Israel claims the operation targeted nuclear facilities, missile factories, and senior military figures.
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The United States has distanced itself from the strikes, stating it provided no operational support. Former US President Donald Trump, now active in the political spotlight, commented that American forces were being relocated due to heightened regional risk.
Conclusion:
The dramatic shift from covert conflict to open warfare between Israel and Iran carries profound implications for regional and global security. As military operations intensify and diplomacy teeters, the Middle East stands at a volatile crossroads.