On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed a merciless response against Israel, posting on X, “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy.” This came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” on Tuesday, June 17, claiming the U.S. knows Khamenei’s location but would not kill him “for now,” as reported by Reuters and BBC News. The exchange follows Israel’s unprecedented bombing campaign, launched on June 13, targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, as well as residential areas, killing 224 Iranians, per Reuters. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks, including hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles fired at Tel Aviv early Wednesday, killing 23 Israelis, according to AP News.
The conflict, now in its sixth day, marks a dramatic escalation from decades of proxy warfare, with Israel aiming to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and military capabilities, per The Times of Israel. Trump’s rhetoric, including claims of “complete control” over Iran’s skies on Truth Social, suggests a shift toward potential U.S. involvement, despite his earlier veto of an Israeli plan to assassinate Khamenei, as confirmed by U.S. officials to CBS News. Iran’s refusal to negotiate a ceasefire while under attack, relayed via Qatar and Oman, and the cancellation of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for June 15, per Reuters, heighten fears of a broader war. Posts on X, such as from @AJEnglish, reflect Iran’s defiance, while @Osint613 notes Khamenei’s calls for Israel’s elimination, amplifying global tensions.
The conflict has driven Brent crude prices to $74.72 per barrel, up 2.03%, per South China Morning Post, with fears of a Strait of Hormuz closure pushing prices toward $120–$130, per JP Morgan. Israeli strikes hit Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, per the IAEA, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed its attacks were “deterrence,” with a “punishment operation” imminent, per Daily Mail. U.S. military movements, including B-52 bombers at Diego Garcia and the USS Nimitz carrier group in the Arabian Sea, signal preparedness, though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described deployments as defensive, per ABC News. As G7 leaders, including Canada’s Mark Carney, urge de-escalation, Trump’s abrupt exit from their summit in Kananaskis underscores the crisis’s urgency, per The Guardian.
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