Israel declares conflict with Iran has reached a critical turning point

As the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies, portraits of slain Iranian military generals and nuclear scientists are on display above a road in Tehran, while a massive fire rages at an oil refinery in the southern part of the city, hit by an Israeli strike on June 15, 2025.

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The war has entered its "decisive phase", according to Israel, with multiple explosions rocking cities across the Middle East, including strikes on the US embassy in Baghdad and a major energy facility in the UAE, on the same day.

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Black smoke billowed above the US embassy in Baghdad, which has been targeted for the second time since February 28, when the US and Israel launched their initial attack on Iran, sparking a conflict that has sent shockwaves through the global economy.

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The ongoing conflict has displaced millions of people and reportedly killed over 1,200 in Iran, with little indication that the fighting will subside as it enters its third week, marked by waves of drone, missile, and aerial bombing.

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Dark smoke clouds rose from Fujairah, home to a significant Emirati oil storage and export terminal, after Iran's military warned civilians to avoid port areas, signaling a potential strike.

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Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the war is entering a critical phase, although he cautioned that it would "continue as long as necessary", as Iran remains determined to fight on despite facing superior US and Israeli firepower.

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Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against at least 10 of its neighbors and has blocked traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz, in a show of defiance against its adversaries.

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The Israeli army warned people in an industrial zone in Tabriz, northern Iran, to evacuate, signaling an imminent attack, as the conflict continues to escalate.

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A strike on the US embassy in Baghdad followed attacks on the Iran-backed group Kataeb Hezbollah, killing two members, including a key figure, according to security sources.

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President Donald Trump announced on Friday that US forces had struck Iran's Kharg Island, the country's largest oil export hub, and "obliterated every military target" while sparing its energy facilities, which was confirmed by Iranian media.

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Iran had previously threatened to target US-linked oil and energy firms, warning that they would be "turned into a pile of ashes" if hit, in retaliation for the attacks on its territory.

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The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz has brought shipping to a near standstill, with Iran's threats causing a significant disruption to global oil supplies, normally carrying one-fifth of the world's oil.

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Trump stated that the US Navy would begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz "very soon", as governments worldwide fear a prolonged economic blow, with crude oil prices rising over 40 percent since the war began.

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The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas called on Iran to refrain from targeting neighboring countries, in a rare breach between the allies, while affirming Tehran's right to defend itself.

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Qatar intercepted two missiles over the capital's downtown area on Saturday and evacuated key areas after blasts were heard by AFP journalists in Doha, as the conflict spreads across the region.

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Saudi Arabia's defence ministry reported intercepting dozens of drones on Friday, as the conflict continues to escalate and spread across the Middle East.

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Strikes have continued in Iran, with heavy blasts shaking Tehran late Friday, as the country's health ministry reports over 1,200 people killed by US and Israeli attacks, although these numbers could not be independently verified.

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The UN refugee agency estimates that up to 3.2 million people have been displaced inside Iran since the war started, as the humanitarian crisis deepens.

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Trump described Iran as "totally defeated" and seeking a deal, which he is unwilling to consider, as the US and Israel continue their military campaign against the country.

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The Pentagon reported that over 15,000 targets in Iran have been hit by the US and Israel in two weeks, with Israel's military conducting 7,600 strikes, mostly against Iran's missile program.

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A report on Thursday revealed that the first six days of the conflict alone cost the US $11.3 billion, with 13 military personnel lost, as the economic and human toll of the war continues to rise.

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US media has raised the possibility of a ground invasion, with reports that the Pentagon has dispatched the Japan-based amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli to the region with 2,500 Marines.

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Iran's rulers appear determined to survive the war and maintain control, despite the death of supreme leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of the conflict, with his son Mojtaba Khamenei named as the new supreme leader, although he has been absent from public view and is reportedly wounded.

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards have threatened a heavy crackdown on any anti-government protests, as thousands were killed in mass demonstrations in January, and a near-total internet blackout has been imposed since the war began.

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Beyond the Gulf, Turkey reported that NATO forces shot down a ballistic missile launched from Iran, the third such interception in the war, as the conflict spreads to other regions.

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Lebanon has also been drawn into the war, with the Iran-backed Hezbollah attacking Israel from Lebanon after Khamenei's death, and its leader, Naim Qassem, describing the current conflict as an "existential battle".

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Israel has responded with air and ground assaults, killing at least 773 people according to Lebanese authorities, and issuing evacuation orders that have displaced hundreds of thousands, as the conflict continues to escalate.

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An overnight strike in southern Lebanon killed a dozen doctors, paramedics, and nurses at a healthcare clinic, according to health authorities on Saturday, as the humanitarian crisis deepens.