Israel-Iran Missile Exchange Enters Fifth Day as Conflict Escalates
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 – Israel and Iran exchanged missile fire for the fifth straight day, intensifying a volatile regional conflict that has already claimed hundreds of lives and sparked urgent international appeals for de-escalation.
The situation escalated overnight as Israel launched a new round of airstrikes, including a direct hit on Iran’s state television headquarters in Tehran, killing at least three people, according to Iranian media. In response, Iran fired a barrage of missiles toward Israel, triggering air raid sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where explosions were heard and shrapnel damaged buildings. No casualties were reported in Israel from the latest attacks.
Israel’s military stated that its targets in Iran included missile and drone facilities, such as surface-to-surface missile systems, air defense launchers, and UAV storage sites. The strikes were supported by footage showing destruction of Iranian military infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced the deployment of additional assets to the Middle East, including rerouting the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, and the U.S. military remains in a defensive posture. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed a missile lightly damaged a building associated with the American embassy in Tel Aviv.
At least 224 people have been killed in Iran since the Israeli strikes began, including military commanders and nuclear scientists, with over 1,000 wounded, according to Iranian officials. In Israel, 24 people have died and hundreds more have been injured, according to the Prime Minister’s office.
At the G7 summit, world leaders, including Trump, called for restraint and reaffirmed that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. China also urged both parties to “immediately take steps to de-escalate.”
A senior U.S. official told AFP that President Trump had personally intervened to stop an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, though Netanyahu did not deny the report, suggesting such an act could be intended to “end the conflict.”
As the region teeters on the brink, calls for a diplomatic resolution grow more urgent, but both sides show little willingness to step back
