Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered prayers for former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Western Wall, just hours after a coordinated U.S.-led military strike targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities, escalating an already volatile situation in the Middle East.
Accompanied by his wife Sara, Netanyahu visited the sacred site in Jerusalem on Sunday morning, where he placed a handwritten note in the crevices of the Western Wall.
The note read: “The people of Israel have risen — the people of Israel live!” During the visit, he prayed specifically for Trump, calling on God to “bless, protect and help the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who has taken it upon himself to drive out evil and darkness in the world.”
Coordinated Strikes on Iran
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has confirmed the details of the latest strikes on Iran, revealing that B-2 stealth bombers dropped “bunker-buster” munitions on a fortified nuclear complex, while U.S. submarines launched cruise missiles at two additional nuclear-related targets.
According to military sources, the strikes aimed to degrade what the U.S. and Israel describe as Iran’s covert nuclear weapons infrastructure. The targeted facilities were located deep within Iranian territory and were described as “hardened and highly secured.”
Israel Says Goals in Sight
Prime Minister Netanyahu lauded the operation, declaring that Israel had “moved closer to its goals” in Iran. Speaking to local media on Sunday, he said Israel was “very close to eliminating the threats of ballistic missiles and the Iranian nuclear programme.”
“These actions were necessary,” Netanyahu said, “and they have brought us closer to long-term regional security.”
Iran Responds, Russia Watches Closely
Iran’s government condemned the bombings, accusing the U.S. and Israel of violating international law and threatening regional stability. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in Moscow on Sunday ahead of a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for Monday.
Russia has sharply criticised the attacks. In a brief statement, the Kremlin said that “no country has the right to unilaterally strike sovereign territory under the pretext of preemptive defence.”
The Iranian Foreign Ministry reiterated that its nuclear programme remains peaceful and is fully compliant with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) — a treaty to which Iran is a signatory. Israel, by contrast, is not a party to the NPT and is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, although it has never officially confirmed this.
A Region on Edge
The conflict between Iran and Israel reignited on June 13, when Israel launched a preemptive strike against Iranian targets, citing intelligence that Iran was nearing nuclear weapons capability — a claim Tehran has repeatedly denied.
Since then, both countries have exchanged direct strikes, raising alarms throughout the region, which has remained tense since the start of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza in October 2023.
International diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis have so far shown little progress. The UN Security Council is expected to convene an emergency session this week to address the rising tensions.
With Iran turning to Moscow and Israel doubling down on its military objectives with the backing of the United States, analysts fear the current escalation could spiral into a broader regional confrontation.
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Reporting by Uzalendo News. Additional wire contributions from Reuters, AFP, and Al Jazeera.
