Israel-Iran War 2025: A Real-Time Crisis, Global Stakes, and the Search for Resolution

 A Region on the Brink:

1. What Went Wrong in 2025?

         On 13 June 2025, Israel then launched Operation Rising Lion, a simultaneous air-and-cyber attack against Iran's nuclear, missile, and intelligence facilities in Tehran, Isfahan, Natanz, Fordo, and the Arak reactor Youtube.com , en.wikipedia.org. This was the first time the shadow rivalry escalated to an overt war. Within days, Iran responded with a massive retaliatory strike of its own, launching over 150 ballistic missiles and 100+ drones at Israel's territory.

      2. Importance of This Issue:

•             Regional instability: The conflict extended past Iran and Israel—spillovers impacted Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Jordan en.wikipedia.org

• Civilians at risk: Iranian strikes in Israel caused 200+ injuries, including a direct strike near Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center apnews.com
• Iranian airstrikes caused hundreds of deaths, including civilians, in Tehran, Isfahan, and other Iranian cities en.wikipedia.org
• Global tension: U.S. involvement shifted from defense to offense when President Trump ordered strikes—using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities on 21 June 2025 newyorker.com

A War that Changed th

e Game

        The Israel-Iran War of 2025 wasn’t "just another chapter" in Middle Eastern conflicts. This was a game-changing moment. A case study for how modern wars are fought, and how fast they can spin out of control.
It demonstrated that wars in the modern world, are not about just tanks and troops. They are about intelligence, perception, and psychological dominance. Who tells the story, who strikes first, and who is most adaptable in the moment.
But mostly, it reminded us that behind every missile and every headline, there are people — families, children, communities — caught in the crossfire.
As the world watches and waits, one thing is certain: the rules of engagement have changed, and so must the way we approach peace.

Why This Crisis Could Spin Out of Control:

1. Escalation in Real Time

•     Iran’s response: Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes, accusing Israel of injuring civilians and disrupting functioning of hospitals. thesun.ie
• U.S. military action: The U.S. undertook airstrikes on June 21, with 12 30,000 pound bunker-busters on Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan, as well as 30 Tomahawksabpnews.com
• indicating that Trump believed it had been "a spectacular military success" 
• newyorker.com thesun.ie
• Antagonistic proxies awakening: Iran’s “Axis of Resistance”—Hezbollah, Houthis and Iraqi militias—was largely still dormant, with differing degrees of readiness to escalate. nypost.com

    2.Civilian Costs and Displacement

• Iranian exodus: Since 15 June, more than 100,000 residents fled Tehran. Lack of fuel, evacuation warnings, and a breakdown in other services triggered mass internal displacement en.wikipedia.org.
• Hospital Hit: A Sejjil missile hit the Soroka Medical Center (19 June), resulting in at least 50 injuries and a chemical leak. The hospital was evacuated, and the act was deemed a war crime by the Israeli staff en.wikipedia.org
• Air defense stress: Israel of Iron Dome intercepted many missiles, but several made it through and damaged hospitals and app-based community safe zones.

     3. Political Distances & Diplomatic Failure :

• U.S. division: Trump avoided Congress. Parts of the public and Congress are apprehensive about another Middle Eastern war, en.wikipedia.org 
• Iran resists: Foreign Minister Araghchi responded noting that negotiations would only restart if the attacks ceased—both sides rejected any calls to stop uranium enrichment, understandingwar.org 
• European requests ignored: Diplomatic meetings in Geneva and Muscat have limited progress, apnews.com 
• Legal fears: Some international lawyers, including the International Commission of Jurists, expressed concern that aiming for civilian infrastructure (hospitals, power plants) is a violation of international law

Intelligence Dominance

First, we have the power of intelligence as one of the more obvious take-aways. Israel's success in Operation Rising Lion was built on years of investment in preparation, surveillance and infiltration. The range of capabilities displayed in the Operation - from remote-activated strike platforms to real-time ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) - illustrates how modern warfare consists of data as much as it does fire power.

Decentralized Warfare

Second, it highlighted a return to decentralized, asymmetric warfare. Iraq's use of proxy militias, cyber attacks and drone swarms illustrated that state actors are reliant on more than conventional forces. The battlefield was the same whether an adversary was putting shit on target over Natanz or attacking servers in Tel Aviv.

The Need for Diplomacy

Finally, perhaps the biggest takeaway was the need for diplomacy. The war revealed the fragility of regional stability and the dangers of uncontrolled escalation. Dialogue, de-escalation mechanisms and international mediation are essential.

India's Strategic Calculus

As for India, the conflict served as a reality check. This was about more than energy security, it reinforced a need to analyze domestic supply chains and strategic reserves, a clearer foreign policy line and address force projection. India was in a balancing act of managing relationships with both Israel and Iran that became way more precarious.

✍️ Written by: Shaikh Basit
📅 Updated on: 22 June 2025