The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 15, 2025. Photo: VCG

Israel and Iran intensified their  exchanges of military attacks on Monday, expanding strikes against each other in their most severe confrontation in decades. The escalating conflict has already left hundreds dead, while international calls for restraint and de-escalation continue to go unheeded, according to multiple media outlets. 

Iranian missiles struck Israel's Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa before dawn on Monday, killing at least eight people and destroying homes, prompting Israel's defense minister to warn that Tehran residents would "pay the price and soon," according to a Reuters report on Monday. 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the latest attack employed a new method that caused Israel's multi-layered defense systems to target each other. Israeli officials have repeatedly said its "Iron Dome" defense system is not 100 percent and warned of tough days ahead, per Reuters. 

Israel "controls the skies over Tehran," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, echoing statements by the Israel Defense Forces spokesman earlier in the day.

IDF said it had attacked Iran's Quds force headquarters in Tehran. In a statement on X, it said that "Air Force fighter jets attacked headquarters of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian army, under precise intelligence guidance from the Intelligence Department." 

Casualties are mounting on both sides as Iran and Israel widen their attacks. Tehran residents are attempting to flee the capital in search of safety, while explosions and fire were seen in Israel overnight with residential buildings hit, per CNN. 

Since Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Iran has issued three consecutive notices, while the Chinese Embassy in Israel has released four, urging Chinese nationals to closely monitor regional developments, strengthen safety precautions, remain highly vigilant, and be prepared for emergencies. 

An overseas Chinese named Linda, who has lived in Israel for over eight years, told the Global Times that on Friday night, she saw three missiles in the sky. One missile fell rapidly right in front of her and exploded with a deafening blast. At that moment, five people were on the street. Everyone immediately dropped to the ground. Fortunately, no one was injured, and they quickly ran to the shelter.

"This experience truly brought a tremendous impact on me," Linda said. "Even though I've been through similar situations over the years, each time is different. This time, I truly felt the cruelty of war," she said. "Bullets and missiles don't discriminate. No matter who you are, sometimes you just can't escape."

A Chinese student, Gao Tiankuo, who has been studying in Iran since September 2023, said that when he saw Israel launch strikes against Iran on Friday local time, he did not expect the situation to escalate continuously. He said that overall social operations remain stable, with no large-scale exodus from Tehran.

Around 2 pm local time on Sunday, Gao heard consecutive activations of air defense systems followed by explosions. Though unable to visually locate the blast sites, he clearly felt vibrations through the windows and ground. 

Despite the tense climate and conflicting reports, he noticed that Iranians strive to maintain normalcy. When buying groceries, a shop owner told him, "As long as I'm alive, this store opens daily."

Rising concerns

The conflict between Israel and Iran has drawn global attention, leading to growing international calls for de-escalation. 

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China is deeply concerned about Israel's attacks on Iran, which caused the spike of military conflicts.

"We call on parties to immediately take measures to ease tensions as soon as possible, prevent the region from spiraling into greater turmoil, and create conditions for returning to the right track of resolving issues through dialogue and negotiation," said Guo. 

Guo said that "If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to escalate or even spill over, the other countries in the Middle East will inevitably bear the brunt." He added that force cannot bring lasting peace, all international disputes should be settled through dialogue and consultation, and only by upholding the vision of common security can the legitimate concerns of all parties be thoroughly addressed.  

In a post released on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said that "Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision and STOP!" He also noted that "we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place."

Amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, according to the UK Defense Journal, on Sunday night, an unusually large formation of American aerial refueling aircraft was observed transiting eastbound from North America at cruising altitudes consistent with strategic repositioning. But it also noted that "no official explanation has been offered for the large-scale movement." 

The conflict between Israel and Iran is escalating rapidly. What began with strikes on military facilities has now expanded to include nuclear-related sites and critical infrastructure like refineries — signaling a shift toward civilian targets, Sun Degang, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times. 

At this stage, neither side can afford to back down politically, which is a major obstacle to de-escalation, Sun said, noting that currently, the US lacks both the will and the political leverage to restrain either party, and "the situation in the Middle East is gradually spinning out of control."

As the G7 summit nears, European leaders are reportedly preparing to urge Trump to take action to ease tensions. However, the crux of the issue lies in whether the US is willing to rein in Israel, said Sun, noting that Israel is seeking to replicate its strategy against Hezbollah — pushing for a US-backed campaign to eliminate Iran's nuclear capabilities. Yet Washington remains reluctant to pursue regime change or strike Iran's nuclear facilities, fearing it could spark a wider regional war. 

"It is possible that the G7 collectively will issue a joint statement calling for de-escalation, but there are differences of emphasis between the leaders on how far to support Israel's attack, with Germany the most supportive and Japan the most critical," The Guardian said. 

To contain the crisis, the US should have applied real pressure on Israel, and broader international coordination is essential. But so far, no external actor seems capable of halting the violence," said Sun.