In a dramatic diplomatic move, China urgently calls on Israel and Iran to slam the brakes on their escalating conflict, demanding immediate action to defuse tensions and prevent a catastrophic plunge into full-scale war!
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| Photo credit _AP News |
The Middle East has been thrust into a perilous new chapter as full-scale warfare erupts between Israel and Iran. In a stunning escalation, Israel launched a fierce assault on Iran’s critical nuclear and military infrastructure striking the Natanz enrichment facility and a key research center in Isfahan. Iran responded with overwhelming force, unleashing a massive wave of drones and around 100 ballistic missiles aimed at Israeli cities.
Explosions rocked Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, leaving three dead and over 170 injured in Israel. Iran, in turn, reported 78 fatalities and more than 320 wounded in the wake of Israel’s initial strikes. With both sides trading direct and deadly blows, the region now stands on the brink of an uncontrollable wider war.
Khamenei Faces His Most Ultimate Challenge as Iran Stands at a Crossroads
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has survived decades of political storms — from crushing sanctions and global isolation to mass protests. But Israel’s recent, unprecedented strikes now present the gravest challenge of his rule, threatening not only the Islamic Republic’s clerical regime but potentially his own life.
At 86, Khamenei has led Iran since the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, navigating crises with an iron grip. He has overseen the brutal suppression of dissent, including the 2022–2023 women-led uprising, and held firm against mounting international pressure. Yet with his advanced age and succession looming large, the stakes have never been higher.
His next moves could define the future of the Islamic Republic — a system he helped forge during the 1979 revolution that toppled the shah. And now, more than ever, his personal safety is in question. A senior U.S. official recently revealed that former President Donald Trump once rejected an Israeli plan to assassinate Khamenei — but Israeli leadership has not ruled out the possibility.
Khamenei is at the twilight of his rule, at age 86,” said Arash Azizi, senior fellow at Boston University. “Much of the regime’s daily operations are now handled by competing factions jockeying for power. That transition was already underway — this war is just speeding it up.
Putin, Erdogan Press for Urgent
In a high-stakes phone call on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded an immediate halt to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, according to a Kremlin statement.
The Kremlin’s readout revealed that both leaders issued a joint call for an urgent end to hostilities, warning against further escalation. They stressed that all disputes — including the flashpoint issue of Iran’s nuclear program — must be resolved solely through political and diplomatic channels, not through war.
LIVE: Oil Prices Slide as Israel-Iran Conflict Rages Into Day Four
Global markets staged a surprising rebound on Monday, with stocks climbing and oil prices retreating, as investors momentarily shrugged off fears of a broader Middle East war—even as Israel and Iran exchanged missile fire for a fourth straight day.
Safe-haven assets like the dollar and gold dipped slightly, reflecting a temporary easing of panic.
European shares showed unexpected strength amid the chaos,” noted Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
But he warned the calm could be short-lived: “The Middle East conflict is highly unpredictable, and markets remain vulnerable to sudden shocks if tensions explode further.
Erdogan to Putin: Israel’s Actions Endanger Entire Region
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, accused Israel of endangering Middle East security and warned that the region cannot withstand another war, according to a statement from his office.
Erdogan reportedly stated that “the cycle of violence triggered by Israel’s attacks on Iran has jeopardized the entire region’s stability,” and added that “the reckless actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government pose a serious threat to the international order. The region cannot afford to plunge into another conflict.
Pakistan Seals Iran Border as Regional Tensions Escalate: Officials
Pakistan has shut all border crossings with neighboring Iran indefinitely, provincial officials confirmed Monday, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran and growing fears of wider regional conflict.
“Operations at all border facilities across the five districts — Chaghi, Washuk, Panjgur, Kech, and Gwadar — have been suspended,” said Qadir Bakhsh Pirkani, a senior official in Balochistan province, which shares a frontier with Iran, speaking to AFP.
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