Sunday June 15, 2025
Locals look at the fire at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in central Israel June 15, 2025. YOSSI ZELIGER / REUTERS
Mogadishu (HOL) — Iran launched a barrage of at least 80 ballistic missiles at central and northern Israel early Sunday, killing 10 people and wounding over 200, in a dramatic escalation following Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-linked sites.
The overnight attack, Tehran’s most direct confrontation with Israel in decades, targeted residential and infrastructure zones in cities including Bat Yam, Rehovot, and Haifa. In Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv, six people were killed after a missile hit an apartment block. Emergency crews are still searching for missing residents under rubble.
Israeli officials confirmed additional casualties in Rehovot, where a strike damaged research facilities at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Dozens of others were wounded, including civilians in the predominantly Palestinian town of Tamra in northern Israel.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the missile attack was carried out in self-defence following Israeli airstrikes earlier this week targeting defence facilities in Isfahan and an electronics factory in Shiraz.
“If the aggression stops, our response will also stop,” Araghchi told reporters in Tehran. He added that Iran had no desire to escalate the conflict further but would act decisively if provoked.
In addition, The Houthis claimed responsibility for additional missile strikes on central Israel. The Houthis said they launched "Palestine 2" hypersonic ballistic missiles targeting sensitive Israeli sites.
Israel responded with a third consecutive day of strikes inside Iran, hitting what it described as missile depots and weapons manufacturing facilities. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned of more action to come, saying the Israeli military would “peel the skin off the Iranian snake,” referring to efforts to dismantle Iran’s military capacity.
The Israeli military also issued warnings to Iranian civilians, advising them to evacuate areas near military-industrial sites.
Meanwhile, Israel’s ongoing military attacks in Gaza continued. Palestinian health authorities reported at least 23 people killed on Sunday, including civilians waiting for humanitarian aid. The total death toll in Gaza has surpassed 55,000 since October 2023.
With Israeli and Iranian forces trading direct fire, analysts warned that the conflict is at risk of spilling into a broader regional war. Civil aviation authorities in Israel, Iran, and Jordan closed airspace temporarily, and several airlines diverted or cancelled flights.
Global alarm grows as diplomatic tensions escalate
The diplomatic response to the Israel–Iran strikes has laid bare a widening divide between the Global South and Global North, with countries in each bloc offering markedly different interpretations of recent events.
Global South voices—including nations across Africa, South America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and parts of the Non-Aligned Movement—have issued strong condemnations of Israel’s airstrikes on Iran. Speaking collectively via the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Indonesia denounced the attacks as “unlawful” and “a violation of international law,” while Malaysia’s prime minister called them “strongly reprehensible."
The African Union issued a statement denouncing the strikes and calling for restraint, while Brazil’s foreign ministry labelled the Israeli offensive “a dangerous provocation with far-reaching consequences.”
In the Middle East and Southeast Asia, the sentiment has been similar. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the Israeli air raids as unjustified, and Iran’s allies in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen voiced support for Tehran’s right to respond in self-defence. Gulf Cooperation Council states, while cautious, warned of the potential for broader regional destabilization if Israeli military action continues unchecked.
By contrast, responses from the Global North have largely emphasized support for Israel’s security while urging both sides to avoid further escalation. The United States reiterated its “ironclad” commitment to Israel’s right to self-defence but stopped short of endorsing the initial strikes.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Washington had “nothing to do” with the Israeli attacks and warned Iran not to target American personnel. “If the U.S. is attacked in any way, shape, or form, the full might of our Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before,” he posted on Truth Social.
Trump has faced criticism from within his own political base. While some neoconservatives supported Israeli actions, members of Trump’s “America First” faction expressed frustration, fearing a slide into another Middle East war.
At the G7 summit in Canada, leaders expressed concern that the conflict could engulf the region. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the UK is repositioning its military assets in the Middle East, while German officials reiterated their calls for urgent de-escalation.
Though European Union officials expressed concern over the potential collapse of nuclear negotiations, they avoided direct criticism of Israel’s military campaign. NATO issued a general call for de-escalation, describing the situation as “a matter of serious concern to the international community.”
“The talks were already faltering. This makes revival nearly impossible,” said Tehran-based analyst Hamidreza Gholamzadeh. “For many Iranians, this is not about the regime anymore. It’s about national survival.”
Despite calls for calm, there appears to be no immediate path to de-escalation. Former U.S. nuclear envoy Alan Eyre said Israel is operating without effective international pressure and may be seeking to degrade Iran’s strategic capabilities regardless of diplomatic fallout.
“Iran may not be able to compel Israel to stop militarily,” Eyre said. “But if this continues, we may soon enter a phase where regime change, nuclear proliferation, and regional war are all back on the table.”
With civilians in both countries bearing the brunt of the violence, and airspace and energy markets disrupted across the region, global observers warn that the costs of inaction may soon rival the risks of further escalation.