War escalates
The war initiated by Israel’s barbaric attacks on Iran, backed by imperialist powers, is intensifying. As mutual strikes continue, Tehran has decided to close the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the UK has announced military support for Israel.
Foreign News
The war, launched by imperialist forces through Israel on the grounds that Iran is “producing nuclear weapons,” is growing more intense. Israel carried out simultaneous attacks on six cities in Iran, targeting natural gas and oil refineries. Violent explosions occurred in Tehran, which was struck by Israeli aircraft, and in response, Iran used hypersonic missiles for the first time the night before last. Extending the state of emergency until 30 June, Israel issued an urgent warning to Iranians to evacuate areas around military facilities.
CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE TARGETED
Reacting strongly to the attacks on Iran’s civilian infrastructure, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that if Israel halts its attacks, Iran will also stop retaliating. Iranian media reported that since the beginning of Israel’s attacks, at least 215 people—mostly civilians—have been killed and more than 600 injured. Due to the intense bombardments, the Iranian government announced that metro stations, schools, and mosques would be used as shelters. Tehran also revealed that during the 13 June attack that killed Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ Aerospace Force, 8 other generals also lost their lives.
Following Israel’s heavy attacks, Tehran declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for transporting oil and LNG from the Middle East to global markets. The Houthis in Yemen, backed by Iran and involved in the conflict for the first time, announced that they targeted several “sensitive sites” in Israel’s capital, Tel Aviv. Iran’s missile strikes caused damage to oil pipelines and transmission lines in the Israeli city of Haifa. Some operations were halted, but the general functioning of the facilities reportedly continued. As a result of Iran’s attacks, the death toll in Israel has risen to 13, with over 100 people injured.
TRUMP SAYS ‘DEAL’
US President Donald Trump threatened that if Iran attacks the US in any way, it would face “a level of force never seen before” from the US military. While repeating the claim that the US has “no involvement” in Israel’s attacks, Trump said they could “easily make a deal” to end the conflict.
ARROGANT OFFER
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the UK had sent fighter jets, including Typhoons and aerial refuelling aircraft to the Middle East. Starmer defended the move, saying, “This is what should happen between two allies.” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that along with France and the UK, they had offered to hold negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme. Wadephul said the military conflict must end. Arguing that “Iran’s goal is to destroy Israel” Wadephul claimed that Israel has the right to defend itself.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled “Savaş alevleniyor” published in BirGün newspaper on June 16, 2025.
