Israel Vows Continued Strikes as U.S.-Iran Conflict Displaces Millions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled an escalation in regional hostilities, vowing to continue strikes against Iran and Lebanon with 'a force the like of which has not been seen before.' In his first briefing since the current phase of strikes began, Netanyahu specifically threatened Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, asserting that Israel is now taking an 'initiating' stance in the conflict. This military escalation coincides with a deepening humanitarian crisis, as the United Nations Refugee Agency reports that 3.2 million Iranians have been displaced in less than two weeks. In the United States, the Trump administration is navigating both economic and domestic security pressures resulting from the war. To counter soaring energy costs that have seen oil prices surpass $100 per barrel, the administration has maintained allowances for Russian oil sales. Meanwhile, domestic security agencies are investigating attacks at a synagogue in Michigan and Old Dominion University in Virginia as potential national security threats linked to the conflict. Diplomatically, President Trump reportedly informed G7 leaders that Iran was 'about to surrender,' though public statements from Iranian leadership suggest continued defiance. On the ground in Iraq, disputes remain regarding a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft incident; while pro-Iran groups claim to have downed the plane, U.S. Central Command has denied hostile fire while confirming four service members killed and two missing. In Washington, over 250 advocacy groups have officially petitioned Congress to reject a $50 billion supplemental funding request for the war.