All around the world, presidents, chancellors, and prime ministers have their heads in their hands as they try to process what Israel did last night. The Middle East has long been a powder keg held in check by fierce behind-the-scenes negotiations seeking to find common ground between old adversaries.
One of the most delicate ongoing negotiations relates to Iran, with the Trump istration spending the last weeks engaged in careful and precise debate about the future of Iranian nuclear weapons research. Trump himself sounded optimistic, saying just yesterday that discussions had been “very good” and that an agreement was “fairly close”.
After years of drama between the United States and Iran, the world breathed a sigh of relief that a glimmer of light had appeared over the horizon. But, sadly, for Israel, the United States coming to a peaceful diplomatic agreement with Iran could not be tolerated. And so, likely specifically to scupper Trump’s negotiations and humiliate him, they just launched a massive military strike against Iran.
israel attacks regional power during us nuclear negotiations, amidst a genocide on a captive population, bombing yemen and lebanon + occupying syria AND THEYRE STILL THE VICTIMS?! https://t.co/eapRIGKR95
— hasanabi (@hasanthehun) June 13, 2025
Make no mistake, this could easily explode into a bloody regional conflict between Middle Eastern states, with Israel reliant on the United States military being drawn in to back up their position. Of course, Israel itself is a nuclear power and may well use those weapons aggressively, meaning Benjamin Netanyahu may have just taken us one step closer to World War 3.
The world pleads with Netanyahu for sanity
The world’s leaders are horrified, with even Israel’s staunchest allies begging for them to rapidly de-escalate. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Israel’s behavior is “deeply alarming”, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said “the first order of the day” is immediate de-escalation, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “escalation serves no one”.
The reports of these strikes are concerning and we urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently. Escalation serves no one in the region.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 13, 2025
Stability in the Middle East must be the priority and we are engaging partners to de-escalate. Now is the time for restraint,…
That’s the general tone across Europe, with leaders pleading with Netanyahu to desist and focus on regional stability and diplomacy rather than pouring gasoline onto an open fire. Even – perhaps Israel’s fiercest defender – saw German Chancellor Friedrich Merz say, “we urge both sides to refrain from actions that could lead to further escalation and destabilize the region.”
All of this has fallen on deaf ears. Iran asserts that, as they were attacked while peace negotiations were underway, they have a right to respond to Israel in kind. Meanwhile, Israel has no intention of backing out of their massive geopolitical gamble, and further attacks on Iran look likely.
If the Middle East really does explode into open conflict, Trump will be put in a very awkward position. For all his jingoistic bluster, he’s consistently skeptical about involving the United States in costly overseas action. But, if Israel comes knocking and demands immediate backup, Trump’s hand may be forced.
Published: Jun 13, 2025 04:51 am