Missiles, warnings fly as Israel-Iran Conflict marks one week; Trump reviews strike options
New Delhi, Jun 19: The conflict between Israel and Iran with words and weapons has entered its seventh day, with no signs of slowing. Overnight, Israel and Iran again traded missile and drone strikes, as US President Donald Trump continues to deliberate over possible American military intervention. The crisis, which began with Israeli missile attacks on Iranian targets last Friday, has already led to heavy casualties, widespread destruction, and growing international alarm.
According to the BBC, the war has claimed the lives of at least 585 people in Iran, based on data from the Washington DC-based group Human Rights Activists. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed, and dozens more injured, as Iran has launched more than 450 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones since the fighting began.
One of the major attacks occurred early Thursday when Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, southern Israel, was damaged by an Iranian missile. The hospital’s director-general, Shlomi Kodesh, told BBC that “several wards were completely demolished…. There is extensive damage across the entire hospital – buildings, windows, ceilings, everything,” he added.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the strike was aimed at an Israeli command centre located in a nearby tech park, not the hospital itself. IRNA, Iran’s state news agency, said the Gav-Yam Negev technology park, home to the Israeli military’s elite C4i unit, was the actual target.
In response, Israeli forces struck several Iranian nuclear-related sites, including the Arak heavy water reactor and Natanz uranium enrichment plant. While Israel says these were symbolic but strategic targets, Iran has filed a formal complaint with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), claiming the attacks violated international norms as reported by international media.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the nation, saying the government had mobilised all agencies to respond to the crisis. “By the grace of God and with the help of empathy and solidarity, we will get through these difficult days,” he said in a social media post as reported by the media.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to meet European foreign ministers from the UK, France, Germany, and the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in Geneva on Friday. The talks, requested by the European nations, are seen as a final diplomatic push to prevent further escalation.
President Trump, who has approved military plans for possible strikes on Iran, has not made a final decision. Speaking to reporters, he maintained ambiguity, stating, “I may do it, I may not do it.” According to CBS News quoted by BBC, Trump is reviewing options that include a strike on Iran’s underground Fordo nuclear facility, but is waiting to see whether Iran backs down from its nuclear activities.
Russia: US strikes would trigger “Terrible Spiral”
The possibility of American involvement has drawn sharp criticism from Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS that “any US military intervention would lead to another terrible spiral of escalation,” reports international media. Russia and Iran are close allies, and earlier this year, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty. While Putin has downplayed the treaty’s military aspects, saying it contains no defence articles, Russia has condemned Israel’s actions as “cynical” and “unprovoked.” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned Washington: “Any military assistance to Israel would dramatically destabilise the situation.” Iran has supplied Russia with Shahed drones, which have been used in Ukraine, further entangling the Iran-Israel crisis in broader geopolitical tensions between Moscow and Washington. The growing divergence in their Middle East or West Asia alignments could strain US-Russia relations, which have seen tentative improvement since Trump’s re-election.
Amid fears of a wider regional war, the US has evacuated some embassy staff and their families from Israel. Satellite imagery analysed by the Associated Press and reported by Al Jazeera shows that Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a key US installation, has been cleared of most aircraft, a move widely interpreted as a precautionary measure against a possible Iranian strike. Iran’s Supreme Leader has issued a stern warning: “Any form of US military intervention will undoubtedly be met with irreparable harm.”
As the crisis deepens, international calls for de-escalation are growing louder. The UN Security Council will meet in an emergency session on Friday, with Iran, Russia, China, Pakistan, and Algeria pushing for immediate diplomatic intervention. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Dannon confirmed participation, insisting, “Israel not only defended itself, it eliminated a major threat.” But with missiles still flying, and diplomatic options narrowing, the region stands dangerously close to a full-scale war. As a senior White House official told CNN, “All options remain on the table.” What happens in the coming hours could reshape the balance of power in the Middle East, and test the resolve of global diplomacy.
