Iran-Israel war: Fears of wider conflict mount as nuclear tensions escalate
Staff Reporter
The escalating war between Israel and Iran has claimed over 400 lives and left more than 3,000 injured in just nine days, according to Iran’s Health Ministry, as Israel intensifies its airstrikes targeting key Iranian infrastructure, including a nuclear facility in Isfahan.
The second week of the Israel-Iran conflict opened with renewed airstrikes, even as diplomatic talks continued between European ministers and Iran’s top envoy.
The latest strike on Isfahan, Iran’s prominent nuclear site, triggered air defence systems and sparked renewed fears of nuclear escalation in the already volatile Middle East.
Eyewitnesses reported smoke rising early Saturday from near a mountainous area in Isfahan, marking the second time the city was struck since hostilities began on June 13.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that US involvement in the conflict would be “very dangerous for everybody,” hinting at a broader regional war should Washington join Israel’s military operations.
The conflict has intensified global scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently warned that Iran could potentially produce a nuclear weapon “within weeks.”
This marked a shift from her testimony to Congress in March, where she stated Iran was not actively building such weapons. Gabbard clarified that her earlier comments had been taken out of context and posted a full video of her testimony online.
Her updated assessment aligns more closely with former President Donald Trump’s claims that Iran holds a “tremendous amount of material” and is close to achieving nuclear weapons capability.
Despite these concerns, Iran continues to insist its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. President Trump has given Tehran two weeks to agree to a new deal regarding its nuclear activities and said he will decide soon whether to involve the US militarily.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, remains skeptical of the nuclear threat narrative. Speaking to Sky News Arabia, Putin said neither Russia nor the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has ever seen evidence that Iran is attempting to acquire nuclear arms.
He reaffirmed Russia’s support for Tehran’s peaceful nuclear pursuits under international law and warned against unilateral military action.
In a major development, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the targeted killing of Iranian commander Saeed Izadi in the city of Qom.
Izadi is accused of playing a key role in coordinating Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which killed over 1,200 people. IDF Chief Eyal Zamir hailed the strike as a “tremendous intelligence and operational achievement,” asserting that Izadi’s death would weaken Iran’s ability to orchestrate future proxy attacks.
Iran has yet to confirm Izadi’s death and continues to deny any involvement in the 2023 Hamas assault.
In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched a scathing critique of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him the “biggest obstacle to regional peace.”
Speaking at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Istanbul, Erdogan accused Israel of deliberately sabotaging diplomatic efforts by launching strikes on Iran just before a new round of nuclear negotiations with the United States.
“Netanyahu’s Zionist ambitions have no other purpose than to drag our region and the whole world into a big disaster,” Erdogan warned, urging the international community to seek peaceful solutions and halt the spread of violence across Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and now Iran.
Germany, in a precautionary move, has relocated its diplomatic staff from Tehran, citing deteriorating security conditions. Other Western embassies are reportedly considering similar measures.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has sounded the alarm over the potential for another large-scale refugee crisis.
Filippo Grandi, the UN’s top refugee official, said the intensity of the conflict is already causing population displacement in both Iran and Israel.
“Tehran and several other cities have seen people begin to flee, with some crossing into neighboring countries,” UNHCR stated. “Meanwhile, Israeli strikes have prompted citizens to seek shelter elsewhere within the country and, in some cases, abroad.”
Iran already hosts the world’s largest refugee population-around 3.5 million, mostly Afghans. UNHCR warned that continued hostilities would compound the suffering of this vulnerable group and called for urgent de-escalation from both sides.
Despite calls for dialogue, the war shows little sign of easing. Israel says its strikes are aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons-a claim Tehran categorically denies.
The Israeli government has remained silent on its own nuclear arsenal, but reports from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimate it holds at least 90 warheads.