Trump and Netanyahu escalate Iran tensions risking wider war

Israel launched Operation Rising Lion on Jun. 13, 2025, striking Iran's nuclear facilities including Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan with over 200 fighter jets across five waves of attacks.

The United States conducted Operation Midnight Hammer on Jun. 22, 2025, deploying seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that dropped 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs) on Iranian nuclear sites, supported by Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from submarines.

The strikes killed at least 1,190 people in Iran according to HRANA (Human Rights Activists in Iran), including 435 military members, 436 civilians, and 319 unidentified dead, with 4,475 people injured.

Iranian retaliatory strikes killed 28 Israeli civilians and one off-duty soldier, causing 3,238 hospitalized injuries in Israel.

Top Iranian military commanders killed included Armed Forces Chief of Staff MBMohammad Bagheri, IRGC Commander HSHossein Salami, IRGC Aerospace Forces Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh, and at least 15 nuclear scientists.

Each GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator cost approximately $3.5 million, and each Tomahawk cruise missile cost about $2.4 million, with total munitions costs exceeding $120 million for the U.S. strikes alone.

Oil markets initially spiked after Israel's Jun. 13 strikes, but prices actually fell to $67 per barrel by Jun. 25, 2025, with U.S. gasoline reaching a four-year low of $3.20 per gallon by Jun. 26.

Approximately 35,000 U.S. service members deployed across bases in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE faced Iranian retaliation threats throughout the 12-day conflict.

The U.S. Senate rejected Senator Tim Kaine's (D-VA) War Powers Resolution (S.J.Res.59) on Jun. 27, 2025, which would have required congressional authorization for further military action against Iran.

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran took effect on Jun. 24, 2025, ending 12 days of strikes and counterstrikes.