Over 80 people were killed and hundreds more were injured in the Middle East over the weekend as Israel and Iran fought each other in the most direct and prolonged military conflict in their history.
The violence started after Israel began Operation “Rising Lion” on Friday, which targeted important Iranian military and nuclear locations, such as the headquarters of the Iranian Ministry of Defense and establishments connected to Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
Iran launched a massive counterattack, code-named Operation True Promise III, in which it launched over 100 drones and more than 150 ballistic missiles at Israeli cities and infrastructure. Air raid sirens sounded throughout Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, causing widespread alarm, and as explosions lit up, civilians were forced to seek shelter.
Since the Iranian strikes started, at least nine Israelis have been killed, including a 10-year-old boy and a young woman, and over 300 have been injured, despite Israel’s sophisticated air defense systems intercepting numerous projectiles.
Top generals, senior scientists, and nuclear specialists were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes on Iran, which the Israeli military said dealt a serious blow to Iran’s nuclear aspirations. Iranian officials confirmed that the Israeli raids caused significant damage to military and energy infrastructure, including fires at the South Pars gas field and the Shahran oil depot in Tehran, and that at least 78 people were killed and over 320 injured.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, defended the Israeli operation by saying it was necessary to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival,” and he promised that the campaign would not end until the threat was eradicated. He asserted that the strikes had caused Iran’s nuclear program to regress by years and threatened to take additional action if needed.
Immediate regional and worldwide effects have resulted from the exchanges. Air travel throughout the region was halted, international shipping lanes were disrupted, and oil prices skyrocketed. A planned round of US-Iranian nuclear talks in Oman was canceled after Iran withdrew in protest of the Israeli attacks, further undermining diplomatic efforts.
Fears of a wider conflict that could spread throughout the region have been raised by both sides’ indications that they are prepared to continue hostilities. Since the situation is still unstable and there is still a chance of further escalation, the UN and world leaders have urged moderation.
