The Middle East is teetering on the brink of a broader conflict as reports emerge that U.S. President Donald Trump has approved an Iran strike plan. At the same time, Israel intensifies its aerial campaign against Iranian nuclear facilities. The Kremlin has issued a stark warning, calling any U.S. attack on Iran a ”serious mistake” that could destabilise the region further.
According to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, Trump has greenlit a potential U.S. military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, though no final decision has been made. The plan reportedly aims to address concerns over Iran’s nuclear capabilities, with Israel lacking the means to neutralise some of Tehran’s deeply fortified sites without American support.
Trump’s approval comes amid claims that the U.S. has achieved ”complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” a statement that has drawn sharp rebukes from Iranian officials.
The escalation follows a series of Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, which began last Friday and have continued into this week. Iranian missiles, in retaliation, struck an Israeli command centre in proximity to a hospital in southern Israel and residential areas in Tel Aviv.
Iran insists its strikes targeted military sites near the hospital, not civilian infrastructure, while Israel has labelled the attack ”criminal.” The tit-for-tat strikes mark the sixth day of direct military engagement between the two nations, with no immediate signs of de-escalation.
🚨Update: General Flynn warns that the next 72 to 96 hours may be some of the most dramatic and critical in American history! pic.twitter.com/rHLg7W1S8o
— US Homeland Security News (@defense_civil25) June 18, 2025
Adding to the volatile situation, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told RT that a U.S. strike on Iran would be a ”wrong move” with dire consequences. ”Direct involvement by the U.S. in the ongoing conflict would further destabilise the region,” emphasising that talk of regime change in Iran is ”unacceptable.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated Moscow’s offer to mediate, proposing diplomatic solutions to address concerns about Iran’s nuclear program.
Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has vowed ”irreparable consequences” for any U.S. intervention, warning of an ”all-out war” if Washington joins the fray. Iran has also accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of enabling Israel’s strikes by issuing a ”biased report” that justified the attacks on its nuclear facilities.
Trump has indicated he will decide within the next two weeks whether to launch a U.S. strike or pursue diplomacy, stating there is a ”substantial chance of negotiations” with Iran. European officials, sidelined in the conflict, plan to meet their Iranian counterparts in Geneva on Friday to push for de-escalation, although their leverage appears to be limited.
The crisis has sparked global alarm, with Russian and Chinese leaders condemning Israel’s actions and urging restraint. With the U.S. poised to potentially enter the conflict and Iran vowing fierce retaliation, the region faces an uncertain and perilous future.
Seymour Hersh, the investigative journalist, wrote on Substack that he has been told by sources he’s “relied upon for decades” that the U.S. could begin its bombing campaign across Iran as soon as this weekend.
Hersh wrote:
”It will entail heavy American bombing. I have vetted this report with a longtime US official in Washington, who told me that all will be “under control” if Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “departs.” Just how that might happen, short of his assassination, is not known. There has been a great deal of talk about American firepower and targets inside Iran, but little practical thinking, as far I can tell, about how to remove a revered religious leader with an enormous following.”
Sources
- Hindustan Times: Iran-Israel attack highlights: Trump approved Iran attack plans behind closed doors, report claims
- ABC News: Israel-Iran live updates: Trump’s 2-week window is chance at diplomacy, official says
- AP: The Latest: Israel threatens Iran’s supreme leader as Iranian strikes wound over 200
- New York Times: Trump Says He’ll Decide on Iran Attack ‘Within the Next Two Weeks’
- Al Jazeera: Israel-Iran conflict rages with ongoing aerial strikes amid war of words
- Times of India: Israel-Iran News Live Updates: ‘No talks with US’: Iran warns as Israel continues onslaught; warns diplomacy off the table
- RT: Iran blames IAEA chief’s ‘betrayal’ for strikes on nuclear sites
- RT: Kremlin comments on possible US strike on Iran
Torbjörn Sassersson är grundare av NewsVoice som startade 2011. Torbjörn har arbetat inom media sedan 1995. Han har en fil kand (1992) inom miljövård från Stockholms Universitet. Stöd hans arbete genom en direktdonation via Paypal.