On 13 June 2025, Israel launched a targeted military attack named Operation Rising Lion against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and to the ballistic missile sites, setting West Asia a stage for another series of wars that can determine the regional order and beyond. The sudden escalation of the missile attacks and US-led 30,000-pound bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear facilities and the retaliation by Iran against each attack have resonated with deep-rooted two competing ideologies having duelled national interests—Zionism and political Islam. In a way, both Nations experienced a win-win outcome: Israel aimed to bring the United States into the sphere of conflict, and Iran’s response registered a remarkable reference in history against America’s interests. Yet, the US soon initiated a ceasefire, indicating its desire to limit the escalation.
Official Iran in opposition to nuclear weapons, underscored by the context of the religious fatwa proposed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s administration executed this declaration by becoming a Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) member and which has ratified on 2 February 1970. The development of nuclear weapons is a forbidden act under Islamic law. However, the existence of antagonistic scenarios in the region, continuing wars like the Syrian civil war, Yemeni civil war, and Israel–Hezbollah conflicts. Moreover, the US military presence in countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE has turned this region into a dreadful zone.
However, Iran has extensively approached the international community and agencies for developing their nuclear pursuits for peaceful purposes and has strived for global recognition for its nuclear ambitions. However, Israel and the United States perceive these ambitions as a grave threat to regional stability and security and beyond, leading to the twelve-day war we have witnessed in recent days.
The escalation uncovered the tags of elliptical encounters, secret operations, and proxy conflicts between Israel and Iran. For Instance, Israel’s 1 April 2024 airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, resulted in the death of key Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, including General Mohammad Reza Zahedi.
The contemporary crisis is observed not only by military manoeuvres but also by highly charged rhetoric role in diplomacy from Israel, the United States and Iran. This situation reinforces the relevance of the state, its national interest, and the role of the political leadership, which remains the centre of global politics. In contrast, humans and human rights violations are being subjected to justified by the state-led pre-emptive measures, raising rigorous ethical and legal concerns.
Israel, despite maintaining a policy of amimut (nuclear opacity), widely known as the sole nuclear armed country in West Asia. In contrast, Iran’s increasing influence in West Asia and outspoken against the Zionist regime and Netanyahu’s interventions and policies—particularly regarding Palestine—have propelled its portrayal as a destabilizing force in the region by Western powers.