Iran vs. Israel Tensions Heat Up! A Counterattack Could Happen at Any Time
After a brief 12-day war at the beginning of the year, tensions between Israel and Iran have not subsided. The conflict is now showing signs of escalating, both militarily and diplomatically. Here is a summary of the latest Israeli-Iranian war situation as of July 16, 2025.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that his country carried out airstrikes on the Bekaa Valley region of Lebanon, believed to be a logistics and training base for Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy group. This attack was described as a "clear message" to Hezbollah not to reestablish its military presence on Israel's northern border.
Furthermore, Israel sent a strong signal that it is ready to strike Iran directly again if there is a new threat to its security. This statement came after reports that Iran had reactivated several underground nuclear facilities.
For its part, the Iranian government stated that it is undeterred by Israeli military pressure. President Masoud Pezeshkian, known as a moderate, pursued diplomacy with partner countries like China and Russia through meetings at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
Meanwhile, the hardliner faction in the Iranian government urged a military response to any provocation, including the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz and retaliation for alleged Israeli sabotage at the Arak nuclear facility.
The European Union—specifically the UK, Germany, and France—set a deadline of the end of August 2025 for Iran to demonstrate progress in nuclear negotiations, or they would activate the snapback mechanism, which would restore full UN sanctions against Tehran.
Iran responded cautiously to this ultimatum, stating it was ready to negotiate with the US but demanding security guarantees for its civilian facilities, including nuclear installations.
Source: Newsmaker.id
