The conflict between Iran and Israel continues to escalate sharply, marked by provocative rhetoric and active military exchanges. In his first social media post since U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand for Iran’s unconditional surrender, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a chilling warning on X (formerly Twitter), declaring: “The battle begins.”
The post, originally in Farsi and translated by Iran International, read: “Ali returns to Khaybar”—a historic reference to Imam Ali’s conquest of the Jewish fortress of Khaybar in the 7th century, widely seen as a symbolic threat to Israel.
Despite rising international pressure, Israel and Iran entered the sixth consecutive day of open hostilities, with fresh missile strikes launched on Wednesday. According to the Israeli military, two Iranian missile barrages were fired early that morning, triggering explosions over Tel Aviv. No immediate casualties were reported, but air raid sirens and aerial defence systems were activated across central Israel.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump, who cut short his attendance at the G7 Summit, held an urgent 90-minute National Security Council meeting on Tuesday afternoon. He also spoke directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as confirmed by U.S. officials and reported by Axios.
On Truth Social, Trump delivered an aggressive message, asserting that the U.S. had complete control over Iranian airspace, claiming Iran’s defences were inferior to American technology. His post read:
“Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff.’ Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA.”
In a follow-up post, he issued a direct threat to Ayatollah Khamenei, saying:
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now… Our patience is wearing thin.”
Three minutes later, Trump posted in all caps: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
Amid these developments, Reuters reported that the U.S. is deploying additional fighter jets to the region and extending the presence of existing air assets. The Pentagon is also reviewing options to dismantle Iran’s suspected underground nuclear facilities, suggesting that U.S. involvement in the conflict could soon intensify.
So far, diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict have stalled, and the threat of broader regional war—possibly involving U.S. forces directly—continues to rise.
