Explained: How the Israel-Iran Conflict Boiled Over Into Open War

On June 13, Israel carried out airstrikes inside Iran, making the long-standing conflict between the two countries much more serious. The attack was called Operation Rising Lion and involved many Israeli fighter jets. They targeted Iran’s nuclear sites, missile factories, and important military leaders. Explosions happened in Iran’s capital, Tehran, and at the Natanz nuclear site, where uranium is enriched. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded message, “We are at a decisive moment in Israel’s history.”
 

What is the Israel-Iran Conflict Really About?   

The fight between Israel and Iran has been going on for many years. It’s mainly about power, beliefs, security, and who should lead the Middle East.

At its heart, it's about power, fear, and completely different worldviews. Israel sees Iran as its most dangerous enemy. This is because Iran has been working on its nuclear program, and Israel believes that if Iran gets nuclear weapons, it could use them or at least threaten to use them. That would be a danger to Israel’s survival and could shift the balance of power in the Middle East forever.

Iran has also openly said many times that it doesn’t believe Israel should exist as a country. On top of that, Iran gives money, weapons, and training to groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, both of which are strongly against Israel and often launch attacks on its cities and people. Because of this, Israel views Iran as a constant and growing threat.

From Iran’s point of view, Israel is the enemy too. Iran sees itself as a defender of Muslims and Palestinians and as a country standing up to what it calls Western and Israeli domination in the region. It wants to lead the resistance against Israel and uses its state media and military allies to spread that message. Iran doesn’t just talk about it, it supports armed groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Gaza that are involved in ongoing fights against Israel.
 

For years, the two countries avoided direct fighting. Instead, they fought in secret, through cyberattacks, spies, and by using other groups (called proxies) to attack each other without being officially at war. But recently, things have changed dangerously. On Friday, Israel carried out airstrikes inside Iran, making the long-standing conflict between the two countries much more serious. 

A Timeline Of Events Between Israel-Iran 

October 7, 2023: Hamas, which is supported by Iran, carried out a deadly attack in southern Israel, killing over 1,100 people. In response, Israel started a major military operation in Gaza.

October 17, 2023: Iran’s Supreme Leader warned that the conflict could spread across the region if Israel continued its actions. Around the same time, Hezbollah began attacking from northern Israel, opening a second front.

December 2023: Israel increased its attacks on IRGC (Iranian military) members in Syria and killed several senior commanders.

April 1, 2024: Israel bombed the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, Syria, killing Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi. Iran promised to take revenge.

April 13–14, 2024: Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel, firing over 300 drones and missiles. Almost all were stopped by Israel's defence systems.

April 19, 2024: Israel replied by bombing a radar site near the city of Isfahan in Iran.

July 31, 2024: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an assassination in Tehran.

September 2024: Israel killed top Hezbollah leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah, as well as an IRGC deputy commander, Abbas Nilforoushan, in Beirut.

October 1, 2024: Iran fired 200 ballistic missiles at Israel.

October 26, 2024: Israel began an operation called ‘Days of Repentance,’ attacking over 20 sites linked to Iran.

January – March 2025: Fighting grew worse across different places where Iran supports armed groups, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and militias in Syria and Iraq.

April – June 2025: Israel accused Iran of secretly reaching the point where it could build nuclear weapons. The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) said Iran was not being fully open about its nuclear activities.

June 13, 2025: Israel launched a major attack called Operation Rising Lion, targeting Iran’s nuclear and military sites. Some of Iran’s top officials may have been killed. The world is now watching to see what happens next.

This is no longer a hidden or quiet conflict. With both countries now directly attacking each other’s key sites and warning of further action, the Middle East is dangerously close to a full-scale, multi-front war. It is still unclear whether diplomacy can step in and prevent a major disaster.

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