Early Friday, air defenses lit up the skies above Tehran and Rasht as Israel carried out precision strikes on key sites in Iran. Residents in western Tehran reported hearing thunderous explosions, marking a significant escalation along the volatile frontier.
Meanwhile, the White House signaled that U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing a direct response. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that a decision on potential military action against Iran could come within the next two weeks, placing global markets and defense forums on high alert.
On the ground, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem publicly reaffirmed the group’s solidarity with Tehran. Qassem warned that Hezbollah “will act as it deems suitable” to counter what he described as a joint American-Israeli initiative to pressure Iran, underscoring the risk of a wider regional conflagration.
As tensions mount, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is set to travel to Geneva for a high-stakes diplomatic push. He will meet his counterparts from France and Germany, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, and Iran’s foreign minister in an effort to revive talks on Iran’s nuclear program. London hopes this multilateral approach can defuse the crisis before it spins further out of control.
With military alerts sounding and alliances under scrutiny, global citizens and policymakers will be watching closely as the next two weeks prove critical for the Middle East’s future.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
