Iran–Israel Crisis: Live Updates

Israel’s increasingly assertive posture towards Iran is being shaped by the backing of US President Donald Trump — a factor analysts say has emboldened Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government to act with greater freedom.

“There is the matter of the Trump presidency, in which Israel secured a president willing to be bullish on Iran and broadly supportive of their foreign policy actions,” Benedict Manzin, an analyst at risk consultancy Sibylline, told Al Jazeera.

Manzin noted that under Trump’s leadership, Israel appears more confident in conducting strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, weapons shipments, and regional proxies, with little fear of serious diplomatic backlash from Washington.

He pointed to Israel’s sustained operations in Syria and its ongoing campaign in Gaza as evidence that the government is seizing what it sees as a favourable strategic window.

“All that taken together, Israel has a unique opportunity to invest considerable time and resources not only in degrading Iran’s nuclear capability but in undermining the Iranian government itself,” Manzin added.

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned against using military force to bring about regime change in Iran, saying it would plunge the region into chaos.

“The greatest mistake we could make now is to pursue regime change in Iran through military means — that would only lead to chaos,” Macron told journalists on Tuesday in Kananaskis, Canada, where the G7 summit is underway, according to CNN.

Tensions flared between Macron and US President Donald Trump on Monday, after Macron claimed Trump had left the summit early to engage in talks about a possible ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Trump later dismissed any suggestion he was pursuing a truce.

Macron reiterated France’s stance in favour of diplomatic engagement: “Our responsibility is to resume discussions swiftly and restore a framework to address nuclear and ballistic concerns. France has maintained this position for the past decade.”

As Israel intensifies its operations in Iran and Gaza, military activity continues across the occupied West Bank:

• A new metal gate has been installed by Israeli forces between the villages of Kifl Hares and Hares, northwest of Salfit. The move blocks the last remaining road connecting residents to the city.

• A Palestinian man was injured during an assault by Israeli forces in the New Askar refugee camp, east of Nablus.

• In Birzeit, north of Ramallah, Israeli forces seized a Palestinian home at the town’s northern entrance, converting it into a military observation post and firing position. (AJ)

Explosions have been heard in both Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj, west of the capital, according to Iranian news outlets cited by Reuters.

Further details have yet to be confirmed.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has issued his first public response following President Trump’s threat to assassinate him.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Khamenei wrote: “In the name of the noble Haidar, the battle begins.”

Haidar is another name for Ali, the fourth caliph of Islam and a revered figure in Shia tradition.

Russia has denounced Israel’s continued attacks on Iran, labelling them illegal and calling for a diplomatic solution to concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

In a statement shared on Telegram, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted Iran’s “clear statements” reaffirming its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and its declared willingness to engage in dialogue with the United States.

Moscow said it is awaiting a full and objective assessment from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to determine whether the strikes have damaged Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran remains a signatory to the NPT and permits IAEA inspections of its facilities. Israel, by contrast, has never signed the treaty and is widely believed to maintain a nuclear arsenal.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has confirmed that its latest wave of missile and drone strikes is aimed at Israeli air bases used in recent attacks on Iranian soil.

“Our operations against Israel will continue in a steady, complex, multi-layered and gradual fashion,” the IRGC said in a statement. “We specifically targeted the airbases from which the Zionist regime launched strikes on Iranian territory.”

Earlier, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported this marked the tenth wave of Iranian attacks on Israel, with missiles and drones launched from various locations across Iran on Tuesday afternoon.

atar has issued a warning that Israeli attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure risk disrupting global oil markets.

Speaking at a press briefing in Doha, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said: “The attack on the Iranian side of the South Pars gas field is a reckless move that endangers energy security.”

He added, “The region cannot absorb further crises or escalation,” stressing that targeting energy and nuclear facilities threatens wider stability.

Al-Ansari also dismissed reports claiming Iran had asked Qatar to mediate in an effort to halt Israeli airstrikes.

Following Israel’s “preventive” strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, Russia quickly condemned the action as “unprovoked military strikes against a sovereign UN member,” referring to Iran.

While Russia and Iran have shared interests — notably their past alliance with Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad — experts caution against overstating their bond. Iran has supplied Russia with Shahed drones and short-range ballistic missiles, but Moscow has been reluctant to share advanced military tech in return.

Russia finds itself walking a tightrope: supporting Iran diplomatically while maintaining its ties with Israel. Although Moscow and Tehran signed a strategic partnership this year, analysts stress this doesn’t oblige Russia to defend Iran militarily, reports Al-Jazeera.

The Kremlin has called for diplomacy and will likely back Iran at the UN, but little more. As one analyst put it, “Russia won’t send weapons that might end up used against Israel.”

Domestically, views are split. State-aligned voices favour backing Iran against Israel, a key US ally. However, Russia’s liberal opposition has shown sympathy for Israel.

Russia and Israel have long coordinated in Syria, with Moscow turning a blind eye to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah, and Israel avoiding arms transfers to Ukraine. But the fall of Assad has altered this arrangement.

Although Putin and Netanyahu have enjoyed cordial relations, Moscow no longer needs Israeli cooperation in Syria, reducing the urgency of their alignment.

Some analysts see the crisis as a chance for Putin to present Russia as a neutral broker. However, others say Moscow’s influence in the Middle East has diminished — and that Putin is more focused on Ukraine, benefitting from the West’s distraction.

In short: Russia will support Iran diplomatically but stop short of direct involvement — all while quietly using the conflict to its own strategic advantage.

Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Jordan’s King Abdullah called for an immediate end to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, warning that it poses a threat beyond the region.

“With Israel extending its offensive to target Iran, the boundaries of this battleground are increasingly unclear — and that presents a danger to people everywhere,” he said.

King Abdullah urged decisive international action, adding: “This conflict must be brought to an end. If the world stands by, it risks becoming complicit in Israel’s crimes.”

According to Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli diplomat and current political commentator, Israel’s efforts to eliminate what it sees as the Iranian threat are unlikely to succeed without direct US military involvement.

“If there’s to be any de-escalation, it will have to come from the United States — though whether that happens remains uncertain,” Pinkas told Al Jazeera, noting the conflicting signals coming from former President Trump.

From Israel’s perspective, halting the fighting now would yield no tangible strategic gain. “Israel alone cannot dismantle Iran’s nuclear-military infrastructure. It lacks the heavy munitions, long-range bombers, and delivery capabilities required. That’s why Prime Minister Netanyahu is so focused on drawing the US into the conflict,” Pinkas explained.

He added that the ultimate target — or “big prize” — for Israel is Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment facility, a highly fortified site located south of Tehran.

“Ideally, Israeli military planners would want the US to deliver the decisive blow. But they also understand that may not happen,” Pinkas concluded.