As the world braces for a potential escalation of conflict in the Middle East, urgent international calls for restraint seem to be falling on deaf ears. All eyes are on the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump is deliberating the possibility of implementing direct military strikes on Iran. Such a move would signify a significant increase in U.S. involvement in a conflict that has largely involved attacks between Iran and its adversary, Israel.
On Thursday, the White House announced that President Trump would make a decision on whether to strike Iran within the next two weeks. The Kremlin has issued warnings that any U.S. intervention in Iran could trigger a catastrophic escalation of the situation. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova emphasized to Reuters that the world is perilously close to a nuclear disaster. This warning comes at a time when Russia is already embroiled in its own conflict in Ukraine, which includes a struggle over a key nuclear power plant.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened an emergency meeting of the national crisis management system known as Cobra. This meeting was called as the UK government prepares to evacuate the families of staff at the British embassy in Tel Aviv. This high-stakes meeting followed Starmer's participation in the recent G7 summit in Canada, where he and other world leaders reiterated their commitment to peace and stability in the region. However, as tensions rise, the prospects for successful diplomacy appear increasingly bleak.
As Iran and Israel continue their exchange of aggressive strikes, leaders from both nations show no signs of retreating from their hostile positions. Trump has remained ambiguous about the possibility of a U.S. attack on Iran, stating, "I may do it, I may not do it. Nobody knows what I'm going to do." He also highlighted that Iran is facing serious internal issues and expressed the belief that the upcoming week would be critical.
In a controversial statement, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz remarked that Israel is conducting the "dirty work" for other nations by executing strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. "I have the greatest respect for the courage of the Israeli army and government," Merz told a German broadcaster. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and the U.K. are scheduled to meet with their Iranian counterpart on Friday to discuss the escalating crisis.
Chinese state media has reported that Premier Xi Jinping views a ceasefire between Israel and Iran as an urgent priority, asserting that military force is not the proper means to resolve the ongoing conflict. In a phone call on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Xi condemned Israel's actions towards Iran, arguing that such behavior violates the UN Charter and other international laws. Both leaders, known allies of Iran, emphasized that military actions will not address the concerns surrounding Iran's nuclear program and that diplomacy remains the only viable path forward.
Earlier this week, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to demand that Iran unconditionally surrender, even suggesting the U.S. has the capability to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response, Khamenei warned that any American attack on Iran would result in significant damage and could ignite a wider conflict.
In the latest developments, Israel and Iran exchanged missile strikes, with Israel targeting Iran's Arak and Natanz nuclear facilities. Iran retaliated by claiming to have hit a hospital in Israel's Negev region, which was reportedly aimed at a military site. At least 30 individuals sustained injuries in the hospital strike, prompting Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz to assert that Iran's leadership can no longer be tolerated.
