Israel and Iran at War

Event Date: 20th June 2025
Location: Internet 15:00 BST

On June 13, 2025, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a massive series of attacks aimed at Iran’s nuclear program and senior military leaders. The initial set of strikes – which included missiles, warplanes, and drones intended to devastate Iran’s military infrastructure – has led to what can be described, for all intents and purposes, as a hot war between Isael and Iran. The regime in Tehran responded by launching ballistic missile strikes across Israel, a back and forth that has continued since, with casualties on both sides. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the reason for the attack was that, in their estimation, Iran was days away from building a nuclear weapon, his rhetoric and actions since indicate that regime change may in fact be the ultimate goal. Of course, Operation Rising Lion did not emerge in a vacuum but on the heels of major Israeli military victories against Iranian proxies Hezbollah and Hamas over the past year. With the conflict entering its second week, what impact can we say it has had on Iran’s military capabilities? How has the region – namely the Arab states – responded? What actions is U.S. President Donald Trump likely to take to end the conflict? Please join Perry World House for a virtual event assessing the first week of the conflict and what the next phase of the war will look like.