Israeli forces launched two waves of attacks on Tehran on Wednesday and claimed to have killed a senior Hezbollah commander, Youssef Hashem, indicating no let-up in the war despite U.S. President Donald Trump repeating an assertion that Iran's leadership is allegedly seeking a ceasefire. The strikes come as regional tensions intensify, with Iran and its proxies continuing to target Israel.
Trump, writing on social media, stated that Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian had 'just asked' for a ceasefire and that American troops would be 'out of Iran pretty quickly' as he purportedly seeks to extricate the U.S. from the conflict. However, he confused matters by incorrectly describing Pezeshkian as a 'new regime' leader. In reality, Pezeshkian has been in office since 2024, well before the war began. Iran's former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the initial attack and succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is widely considered more hardline. The younger Khamenei has not been seen publicly but in a written statement Wednesday night said 'the cruel and ruthless American and Zionist enemy knows no human, moral or vital limits'.
Trump nonetheless persisted later Wednesday with the claim that there had been 'full regime change' in Iran. He said his agreement to a ceasefire would depend on Iran lifting its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson denied any ceasefire request from Tehran and called Trump's account 'false and baseless'. When asked about withdrawal, Trump told Reuters: 'I can't tell you exactly… we're going to be out pretty quickly,' suggesting the U.S. would continue occasional airstrikes, referred to as 'spot hits'.
Ebrahim Azizi, chair of the Iranian parliament's national security commission, mocked Trump, saying: 'Trump has finally achieved his dream of 'regime change' – but in the region's maritime regime!' He added that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen for those complying with Iran's new laws. Iran fired about 10 missiles into central Israel on Wednesday, coinciding with attacks by its allies, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis, in a coordinated assault.
Israel's military said it had struck approximately 400 Iranian targets over the past two days, including the Wednesday waves. According to estimates from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, at least 1,900 people have been killed and 20,000 injured in Iran since the war began, though precise figures are elusive. An Israeli naval strike on Beirut killed seven, including Hezbollah's southern front commander Youssef Hashem – the most senior leader of the Iranian proxy group killed in the war. Israel's military stated Hashem had over 40 years of experience and his death would be 'a significant blow' to Hezbollah's resistance efforts against Israel's plans to occupy southern Lebanon.
The Strait of Hormuz has effectively been closed to oil and gas tankers since the conflict started, driving up oil prices and causing critical global shortages. On Wednesday, 10 vessels transited the strait, but shipping volumes remain down over 90% from pre-war levels. Trump's unfounded insistence on 'regime change', echoed by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has fueled speculation that the U.S. regime is anxious to declare victory and withdraw as the war's consequences – including oil price spikes and shortages of fertilizer and medicines – send shockwaves through the global economy.
Source: www.theguardian.com