Israel and Iran escalated the exchanges overnight into Sunday. This escalation adds to fears of a larger regional war, as the conflict escalation over the last few weeks has already been deadly. The past two days of hostilities killed at least 10 people, including three children, marking a two-day total of at least 13 deaths. Both countries have increased their military activities, as The Washington Post recently reported. This has drawn widespread condemnation from international leaders and raised alarming concerns about the potential for further escalation.
In comments Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the continuing fighting and suggested the chaos could be settled in a “very short” period of time. He related a sense of hope that through diplomatic channels, violence would be quelled. He issued an implicit threat, and a very stern one at that to Tehran. He warned them against hitting any U.S. targets or interests, stressing the wider ramifications if the conflict escalates.
Israeli civil defense rescue teams were among the first responders that immediately scrambled to look for survivors. They are sifting through the remains of apartment blocks leveled by Iranian missiles. To find frequently unaccounted victims buried under rubble, these teams used high-sensitive sniffer dogs and heavy excavators in their ongoing rescue efforts. The humanitarian situation of the conflict is deepening as both sides are embroiled with growing casualties.
On June 15th, things went from bad to worse. An Israeli attack had just hit an Iranian oil depot—its huge flames lighting up the night sky and visible from the bridge at which we stood. This attack on the Shahran oil depot marked a significant development in the ongoing exchanges between Israel and Iran, demonstrating the lengths both nations are willing to go to assert their military capabilities.
News of the rising toll of death and destruction continues to flow in. Regional specialists caution that such clashes might spark a much bigger firestorm, dragging in more countries and leading to much greater havoc across the Middle East. The ongoing violence underscores the fragile nature of peace in the region and highlights the urgent need for diplomatic intervention.