June 13, 2025, may be remembered as the day the world crossed a dangerous threshold. In a sweeping and audacious military operation, Israel launched ‘Operation Raising Lion’, striking Iranian targets in several provinces, including Tehran and Tabriz. The attacks targeted suspected nuclear facilities, air defences, and the homes of senior commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It’s a sudden and dramatic escalation of a long-simmering shadow war, now brought into open confrontation. Iran responded swiftly, firing missiles at Israeli cities. West Asia and the world have awakened to a new and perilous reality.
The global stakes are immense. Oil prices surged, markets tumbled, and geopolitical risk skyrocketed. The fragile world order, already strained by wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Trump’s tariffs and economic instability, now faces the threat of a broader regional war with unpredictable consequences.
President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a nuclear deal with Iran are likely dead. His endorsement of the Israeli assault and apocalyptic rhetoric leave little scope for diplomacy. The attack may have unified and hardened Iranian resolve. Europe has called for restraint, but words alone may not be enough to pull the region back from the brink.
For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this war serves both strategic and political ends. He believes Iran is nearing nuclear capability and seeks to eliminate that threat by brute force. However, there is scant evidence that such actions will bring lasting security. Just as the Gaza campaign failed to destroy Hamas, this attack may only deepen instability. Netanyahu’s political survival appears closely tied to military escalation, especially after narrowly escaping a no-confidence vote and mounting global condemnation over Gaza.
India, meanwhile, has vital interests at stake as well. Israel is a key defence and security partner. Iran, a civilisational ally, is crucial for regional security, connectivity, and the strategic Chabahar port. With millions of Indian citizens living in the Gulf, any broader conflict threatens lives, remittances, and national energy interests. India has called for restraint and dialogue, but it must also actively engage with global actors to help defuse tensions. This is a moment of grave international peril. Whether it is allowed to spiral into catastrophe or pulled back from the edge will depend on swift, bold, and coordinated diplomacy—before the fuse burns down.