The escalating air conflict between Israel and Iran entered its second week on Friday, as European leaders intensified efforts to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table. This push for diplomacy follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement that a decision on potential American involvement will be made within two weeks.
Israel launched strikes against Iran last Friday, citing the goal of preventing the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons. In response, Iran carried out missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets, maintaining that its nuclear ambitions are strictly peaceful.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, Israeli air raids have resulted in the deaths of 639 individuals in Iran, including high-ranking military officials and nuclear scientists. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities report at least two dozen civilian deaths from Iranian missile strikes. These casualty figures have not been independently verified.
While Israel has focused its attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and missile capabilities, officials say it also aims to undermine the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that regime change could be an outcome, but emphasized that it was ultimately up to the Iranian people to seek their own freedom.
Iran claims it is targeting military and defense-related sites in Israel, though some of its strikes have hit civilian infrastructure, including a hospital. On Thursday, Israel accused Iran of using cluster munitions to deliberately harm civilians—a charge Iran has yet to publicly address.
Amid the intensifying hostilities, foreign ministers from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, along with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, planned to meet Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Geneva on Friday to explore ways to de-escalate the situation.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy urged all parties to halt the violence, warning of the risks of a broader regional conflict that would serve no one’s interests.
Meanwhile, global powers Russia and China condemned Israel’s actions and called for restraint. According to the Kremlin, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping agreed on the urgent need for de-escalation.
The United States’ position remains uncertain. Lammy met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House’s regional envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday to discuss potential diplomatic options. Witkoff is reported to have been in contact with Araqchi multiple times since the conflict erupted.
President Trump has alternated between issuing threats against Tehran and urging it to resume stalled nuclear negotiations. He has floated the idea of using “bunker buster” bombs to target Iran’s deeply buried nuclear facilities, though a final decision on military involvement is expected in the coming weeks. However, Trump has a history of using “two weeks” as a flexible timeline, with previous deadlines frequently extended.
Facing one of its most serious external threats since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran’s leadership could see its grip on power tested. Still, activists familiar with past protest movements say the current wartime conditions make public dissent nearly impossible.
“In these terrifying conditions, people are focused solely on survival—protecting their families, neighbors, and even their pets,” said Atena Daemi, a well-known activist who spent six years in Iranian prison before fleeing the country.
