What we know about the escalation of Israeli-US bombing of Iran

CAIRO/WASHINGTON/LONDON - The situation in the Middle East has escalated dramatically in recent hours following coordinated strikes by the United States, Israel and Britain against targets in Iran. At the same time, Iranian state television reported that the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had died a „martyr's death.“ The information has not yet been independently verified, but its publication has fundamentally changed the dynamics of the conflict.

According to a statement from Tehran, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded with massive retaliation. In a separate communiqué, they said they had attacked 27 US military bases in the region, the Israel Defense Forces headquarters and the Tel Aviv defense complex. The IRGC also warned that it „will not allow the sirens to fall silent“ in Israeli territory or at US bases and that it would continue to intensify attacks against „enemy installations“.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirms in a speech that the British Air Force is active in „coordinated regional defence operations“. He stressed that London was acting within the framework of its commitments to allies and that British forces were protecting their own personnel and infrastructure in the Middle East. He said the defence presence in the region had been strengthened in recent days.
President Donald Trump spoke in Washington, saying that after the strikes it is now „much easier“ to reach an agreement with Iran. He also refused to label the operation a war. His comments suggest that a section of the US political spectrum sees military pressure as a means to speed up a diplomatic solution.

However, the conflict did not remain only at the level of military operations. In Islamabad, Pakistan, there were violent clashes outside the US embassy, where security forces intervened against demonstrators protesting against US and Israeli strikes. According to local sources, shots were fired at demonstrators, killing 10 people and injuring 23. The protests quickly spread to other cities in Pakistan.

There were also demonstrations against the attacks on Iran in a number of other countries. Mass protests were reported in Tehran, Beirut, Baghdad and Damascus, where thousands of people expressed solidarity with Iran and condemned the actions of Washington, London and Tel Aviv. Demonstrations also took place in Istanbul, Cairo and several European capitals including London and Berlin. In some cases these were spontaneous gatherings, in others they were pre-organised actions by political and civic initiatives. Analysts point out that the current escalation is the result of long-standing tensions between Iran and Israel, in which both the US and the UK are involved as key allies of Tel Aviv. Iran has long supported armed groups in the region, while Israel has repeatedly declared that it will not allow Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon. The involvement of the British air force confirms that the conflict has a wider international dimension. At the same time, the current situation is taking place against the background of other geopolitical frictions. The administration in Washington has recently signed an executive order allowing the imposition of tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba and has spoken of a „friendly takeover“ of the island state of Cuba.

Critics point out that the parallel pressure against Havana and Tehran may signal a broader strategy of tougher action against states perceived as opponents of US policy. Future developments will depend on whether a full-blown regional war can be avoided. The death of a top Iranian official, if confirmed, could lead to a radicalization of the domestic political scene in Iran as well as harsher retaliation against foreign targets. Meanwhile, the international community is calling for immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomatic negotiations.

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