Iran, the second-largest country in the Middle East, is a multi-ethnic Islamic theocracy with the ultimate decision maker being the country's prime religious authority, its Supreme Leader. It infuses elements of democracy, such as an elected president. With one of the longest and storied histories of civilization, the current Islamic Republic of Iran was established by Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 following the Islamic Revolution. Kohmeini became Iran's first Supreme Leader.
Iran is considered authoritarian in its suppression of rights for women and children and the violent squandering of opposing political protests.
Strategically located between the water bodies of the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Caspian sea, it is bordered by key middle-eastern players, such as Turkey, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Iran holds the world's second-largest natural gas supply as well as a massive oil reserve, a key element often discussed in its role in international relations and political leverage.
Before 1979, Iran maintained friendly relations with Israel via pro-Western leader Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. However, after the Islamic Revolution, Iran severed all ties with Israel and by the 1990s relations turned hostile.
Iran has escalated its nuclear technology development over the years while also funding and supporting Islamic-extremist proxy groups much closer to Israel, such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hezbollah.
The White House avoids comment on Israel's strike on Isfahan, emphasizing deescalation. Press Secretary Jean-Pierre condemns rising antisemitism, stressing free speech on campuses.
The Israelis were targeting an air defense radar site near Isfahan that’s part of the protection of the Natanz nuclear facility," ABC said, in the name of the official.
Safe rooms and public bomb shelters are essential for keeping Israelis safe from aerial threats like rockets and drones. Which is why it's such a problem that not all Jerusalemites have any.
They all wanted to change the world. Iran’s global aggression follows the models of Imperial Japan, Nazi Germany, and Soviet Russia – and so will its end.
The US and Western powers have urged Israel to constrain its response, but Israel has insisted that it must strike back because such a missile attack can not be normalized.
With over 300 ballistic and cruise missiles and drones launched, individuals from various backgrounds discuss the impact of global alliances, and the broader consequences for regional stability.
Analysts noted a general trend within formal circles in the Islamic Republic attempting to minimize the attack and its implications.
French police arrested a man who had threatened to blow himself up at Iran's consulate in Paris after carrying explosives into the building.
If Israel is not free to act without the blessing of Western powers, their support is a mixed blessing indeed.
The exhortations from various leaders following the April 13 attacks that Israel now seek to “de-escalate” would suggest that many in the West want to give the Iranians precisely what they seek.
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