Amid escalating hostilities in the Middle East, Israel—widely believed to possess nuclear weapons despite not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty—has continued to carry out strikes on Iran, prompting a wave of retaliatory missile fire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly thanked former U.S. President Donald Trump, describing him as “a great friend of Israel” and noting ongoing communication between them.
Trump has oscillated between calls for a diplomatic resolution and suggesting possible U.S. military involvement. In recent social media posts, he controversially hinted at targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
When asked about a potential joint U.S.-Israeli operation to assassinate Khamenei, Russian President Vladimir Putin declined to engage, urging all parties to pursue de-escalation and a peaceful resolution that safeguards Iran’s right to civilian nuclear energy and Israel’s security.
A source close to internal discussions confirmed that Trump’s team is exploring military options, including direct U.S. participation in strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Since Friday, Iran has launched approximately 400 missiles at Israel, with about 40 breaching Israeli air defences and killing 24 civilians. Meanwhile, Iran reports 224 deaths—mostly civilians—from Israeli airstrikes, though this figure has not been updated in several days.
