Iran-Israel War Escalates
Israel and Iran are attacking each other
Last Friday, Israel started air strikes on Iran. Israel says it wants to stop Iran from making nuclear weapons. Iran replied by firing missiles and drones at Israel. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful use only.
According to a human rights group, Israeli attacks have killed 639 people in Iran. This includes top military leaders and nuclear scientists. On the other hand, Israel says at least 24 Israeli civilians died from Iran’s attacks. However, news agency Reuters could not confirm these numbers from either side.
Israel is hitting important targets
Israel has attacked Iran’s nuclear and missile sites. Some Western and regional officials say Israel also wants to weaken the Iranian government led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they are not directly trying to remove Iran’s leaders, but they hope the Iranian people will fight for their freedom.
Iran is also hitting military and civilian targets
Iran says it is only attacking Israeli military sites. But some of its attacks hit a hospital and civilian areas, too.
Israel accused Iran of using cluster bombs. These bombs spread many smaller bombs across a large area and can kill civilians. Iran has not replied to this claim yet.
World leaders are trying to calm things down
Foreign ministers from the UK, France, Germany, and the EU were planning to meet Iran’s foreign minister in Geneva on Friday. They want to stop the fighting and prevent the war from spreading.
UK Foreign Minister David Lammy said, “Now is the time to stop the violence in the Middle East. No one will benefit if the war gets bigger.”
Russia and China also said they want peace. Both countries blamed Israel for the violence and asked for calm.
The role of the United States is unclear
In Washington, Lammy met U.S. officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special advisor Steve Witkoff. They talked about the possibility of a peace deal.
Witkoff has spoken with Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, several times. Former U.S. President Trump has both threatened Iran and asked it to return to talks.
Trump has said he might attack Iran using a powerful “bunker buster” bomb that can destroy deep underground sites. The White House says Trump will decide in two weeks whether the U.S. will join the war. But Trump has often used “two weeks” as a vague deadline in the past.
Iran’s government is under pressure
This is one of the biggest threats Iran has faced since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. However, some protest leaders in Iran say now is not the right time for people to rise against the government.
Atena Daemi, a well-known activist who was jailed for six years and now lives outside Iran, said:
“How can people protest now? Everyone is just trying to stay alive and protect their families, neighbors, even their pets.”
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