JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON/DUBAI. The aerial conflict between Israel and Iran entered its sixth day on Wednesday, with both countries launching new missile attacks against each other despite a dramatic call from former U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”
The Israeli military reported that two waves of Iranian missiles targeted Israel in the early hours of Wednesday, with explosions heard over Tel Aviv. In response, Israel advised residents near Tehran to evacuate to make way for planned airstrikes on Iranian military sites. Iranian media confirmed that explosions were heard in Tehran and Karaj, a city west of the capital.
On Tuesday, Trump took to social media to express growing frustration, warning that U.S. patience was “wearing thin.” He added, “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” referring to Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.” Minutes later, Trump followed with a single post: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
A White House official confirmed that Trump spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. While Trump’s messaging ranged from threats to diplomacy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking at the G7 summit in Canada, stated that there were no signs of direct U.S. involvement in the conflict.
U.S. military actions so far have been defensive, including intercepting missiles aimed at Israel. However, the United States is sending more fighter jets to the region and extending the deployment of some aircraft, according to U.S. officials.
The conflict has already claimed 224 lives in Iran, mostly civilians, and 24 in Israel. Thousands have fled or been evacuated from affected areas. Iran’s leadership has suffered a critical blow, with several top military and security advisers reportedly killed by Israeli strikes. This has forced Iran’s cybersecurity command to ban officials from using mobile devices, amid fears of further breaches.
Iranian media also reported a large-scale Israeli cyberattack targeting the country’s digital infrastructure. The conflict escalated after Israel claimed Iran was nearing the development of a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran denies, maintaining its right to peaceful nuclear technology under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons but not a signatory to the NPT, began what it described as its largest air campaign ever against Iran last Friday. The campaign intensified after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in nearly two decades.
On Tuesday, the IAEA confirmed that Israeli strikes hit underground uranium enrichment halls at Iran’s Natanz facility. Israel now claims to have control over Iranian airspace and says it will further escalate operations. However, analysts note that a full-scale destruction of Iran’s most fortified nuclear sites, such as the Fordow facility, would likely require direct U.S. military involvement.
The broader regional fallout continues, with Iran’s influence waning since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel sparked the ongoing Gaza war. Israel has since targeted Iran’s regional allies, including Hezbollah, the Houthis, and militias in Iraq. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, another key ally of Tehran, has reportedly been ousted.
Meanwhile, global oil markets remain volatile, particularly following strikes near South Pars, the world’s largest gas field shared by Iran and Qatar.
Edgaroo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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