The real counterattack begins now. Iran’s next move on the chessboard will be decisive for the coming period, Lorenzo Maria Pacini writes.

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Attack at dawn

13 June 2025 on the Gregorian calendar, 23 Khordad 1404 on the Persian calendar, 17 Sivan 5785 on the Hebrew calendar, will be a date remembered in history.

The State of Israel attacked the Islamic Republic of Iran during the night.

The first missiles struck civilian targets. The image of a child killed in the explosion and collapse of a residential building in Tehran is both iconic and tragic. Within minutes, the IDF managed to strike the homes of several military officials and researchers, nuclear power plants scattered throughout the country, military bases, air defence and rapid response posts.

Some of Iran’s most prominent and important figures were martyred: IRGC Chief of Staff Hossein Salami, General Gholam-Ali Rashid, researchers Tehranchi and Fereydoon Abbasi, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, UPDATE LIST

Israel used bases in Iraq to carry out the attack, also using Syrian and Jordanian airspace for its operations. The Assad regime had air defence and early warning systems and operated in coordination with Iran. After Bashar’s fall, Israel destroyed everything for a reason, not allowing the Turks to enter their bases, even going so far as to issue ultimatums. And the Islamists who have come to power make no difference to the skies over Syria.

Previously, Mossad had sabotaged Iranian air defences before carrying out the air raids, disabling radar systems and air defence units.

The damage caused by the attack was significant, both in terms of infrastructure and human lives. The calculation of civilian casualties has not yet been completed and reported.

Iran responded immediately with about 200 drones, which were intercepted by American, Israeli and British jet fighters, a coordinated effort that also involved France behind the scenes.

We must not underestimate the scale of the attack against Iran, but at the same time it is important not to exaggerate its impact or be distracted or confused by the media hype surrounding the attacks or Iran’s response, when it comes.

Israel has announced that it used 330 missiles and 100 drones in the operation. To put this into perspective, this is similar to the number used in one of Russia’s many joint missile attacks against Ukraine, operations that have been repeated hundreds of times. The Iranian military apparatus will certainly not vanish into thin air as a result of this offensive; Operation Rising Lion is, in relative terms, little more than a cloud of smoke.

Israel and its Western partners are deliberately focusing on spectacular escalation with Tehran to divert attention from their domestic failures and ongoing crises. The collective West aims to make people forget the impasse in the proxy war against Russia, as well as growing internal economic and social tensions. At the same time, the Israeli leadership is trying to silence growing criticism at home and abroad against its genocidal conduct in Gaza – criticism that now poses a real threat to the entire Zionist colonial project.

All of this is based on an imperialist/colonial calculation: the belief that Iran, while responding, will maintain its usual caution and avoid large-scale escalation. If this calculation proves correct, we will be faced with a new episode of True Promise, Iran’s missile demonstration, with the classic media images: the bright trails of Iron Dome rockets in the sky above Tel Aviv and, in response, Kheibar Shekan hypersonic missiles striking targets far from populated areas; but if the calculation is wrong and the Islamic Republic is pushed beyond the breaking point, then the theatre will end, and with it all predictions will be shattered.

The rogue state of Tel Aviv is proving once again that it is the most dangerous political construct in history. This is yet another tragic page in a Middle Eastern history defined by the presence of this completely out-of-control nation-state. No state has ever before had this combination of ethnic supremacism, utter contempt for human life, indifference to international law, and access to terminal weapons. A nation that is a threat to the entire world.

The name of the Israeli operation against Iran is a clear message: Rising Lion. The lion of Judah is the Israeli messiah and the symbol of the unified kingdom, i.e. the famous Greater Israel, but also the symbol of ancient Persia and the previous regime of the Shah.

In practice, the rabbis are declaring that Iran is the last obstacle to the appearance of their Messiah. This is declared by the rabbis, not by Shiite theologians.

In the Christian text of Revelation, in Chapter 5, we find some indications of what will happen. Whether understood as the Messiah or the anti-Messiah, the victory of the lion of Judah marks an important passage between the Seals of the Apocalypse: “The lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, the Root of David, and he will open the book and its seven seals”. And again, in Genesis, Chapter 49, ‘Judah is a lion’s cub. Surely you will come up from the prey, my son. He crouches, he lies down like a lion, and who dares to rouse him? The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him shall the obedience of the peoples be.” The sequence of the seals is the Great Tribulation.

The deep theological roots for which the Zionist entity has decided to strike Iran are beyond our imagination. For them, it is a visceral, intimate, total issue, which they cannot do without. Iran represents Israel’s greatest enemy because Islamic and revolutionary Iran was born anti-Zionist, has always defended the cause of the liberation of Al Quds (Jerusalem) and Palestine, and has formed the Axis of Resistance, the main obstacle to Israeli plans. Iran represents “the other” great government founded on religious faith, not just politics, and for Israelis – unlike Israelites – there can be no other political powers besides themselves.

As Pepe Escobar has pointed out, no political construct in modern history has ever accumulated such a toxic combination of:

• messianic ethnic supremacy
• total disregard for human life (all others who are not “chosen” are “Amelekites”)
• total disregard for international law
• unlimited access to lethal weapons.

What can be done against such a cult of death?

Preparation

It should be emphasized that Iran has always complied with its obligations regarding uranium enrichment for civilian purposes, as required by international agreements, including the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), until the United States unilaterally withdrew from the treaty during the first Trump presidency. Subsequently, Rafael Grossi, director of the IAEA – known for his close ties to the Netanyahu government – suddenly declared that Tehran was no longer in line with its commitments to the Agency, raising suspicions about a possible military use of Iran’s nuclear programme.

It is important to remember that Ayatollah Khamenei has issued a fatwa expressly prohibiting nuclear weapons as contrary to the principles of Islam. One wonders, then, why Rafael Grossi has never paid the same level of attention to Israel’s nuclear programme, which is estimated to have between 75 and 200 warheads. The IAEA has confirmed in the past that Israel only allows visits to certain civilian laboratories, systematically excluding key facilities such as Dimona, a known centre of its nuclear arsenal. Furthermore, unlike Israel, India and Pakistan, Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, demonstrating, at least formally, a commitment to international transparency.

We therefore have, on the one hand, a country that has sought to conduct itself in accordance with international law; on the other, a state already accused of very serious crimes that does not recognize the same rules but claims the right to judge and punish others. It is paradoxical that Iran, despite having natural resources such as uranium and good relations with other supplier countries (such as Niger and Namibia), is being prevented from using these resources peacefully for the welfare of its own population.

Last night’s Israeli air strike represents a dangerous escalation that risks triggering a new cycle of war in the Middle East, from which it will be difficult to remain uninvolved. Israel, once again, is proving to be a real destabilizing factor for the entire region stretching from the Indus to Gibraltar. For its part, Iran has tried to avoid a large-scale conflict, particularly with the United States, but now finds itself in a position where it has to face it.

Even if, as Netanyahu has stated, the operation were to continue for days, it would not succeed in destroying Iran’s nuclear programme. At best, it would slow it down, but it would most likely push Tehran towards choosing nuclear weapons as a means of self-defence and deterrence. Furthermore, Iran will have to start asking serious questions about the level of external penetration in its key institutions.

It should be borne in mind that the nuclear sites hit, including Arak, Fordow, Busheir and Isfahan, include the Natanz facility, which is in a serious condition.

Imam Khamenei’s words were not long in coming. Early this morning, the Supreme Leader declared:

‘At dawn today, the Zionist regime opened its dirty and bloody hand to a crime committed in our beloved country and revealed its evil nature by striking residential centres more than ever before. The regime must expect severe punishment. The powerful hand of the Islamic Republic’s armed forces will not abandon it, God willing. Several commanders and scientists were martyred in the enemy attacks. Their successors and colleagues will immediately resume their duties, God willing. With this crime, the Zionist regime has prepared a bitter and painful fate for itself, and it will surely suffer it.”

Equally significant were the words of condolence and support from Hamas:

“We, as the Hamas movement, express our full solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran. We also express our deepest condolences to the Iranian leadership and people for the martyrdom of several high-ranking commanders, in particular Major General Hossein Salami, Commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Lieutenant General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, and numerous nuclear scientists. We ask God to have mercy on them and for a speedy recovery for the wounded. Today, Iran is paying the price for its firm stance in support of Palestine and its resistance, and for its adherence to its independent national decision. This requires a united stance by the nation and its vital forces in the face of this dangerous aggression.

The red flag of Ashura, the flag of vengeance, was immediately raised. A sign of great power, a message to the whole world: Iran will react.

At the UN, Iran called for a Security Council meeting and denounced the aggression as a “declaration of war”, a very serious act which the Russian Federation, through its permanent representative, also recognized as a violation of international law and for which Israel bears full responsibility.

During an emergency meeting of the Security Council in New York, convened to discuss the Israeli attacks, Iravani denounced: “Last night, the Israeli regime, the most dangerous and terrorist regime in the world, with the full political support of the U.S. administration, carried out a series of coordinated and premeditated military attacks in several Iranian cities”. His words were reported by the IRNA news agency.

The ambassador specified that ‘these acts of illegal aggression targeted peaceful nuclear facilities, military sites, vital civilian infrastructure and residential areas,’ emphasizing in particular that one of the main targets was the Natanz nuclear power plant, ‘a site under strict surveillance by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).’ “These actions represent a declaration of war,” Iravani said. “They are the latest chapter in a long history of anarchic, destabilizing and aggressive behavior by the Israeli regime, which acts with impunity thanks to the protection of powerful allies. This situation must end.” The diplomat also accused the United States of ‘undoubted complicity’ in what he called ‘terrorist attacks’: ‘U.S. officials have unhesitatingly admitted their deliberate support for the crimes committed last night by Israel, including the intentional transfer of weapons.’ Iravani reiterated that Iran will not forget the Iranian victims ‘killed in Israeli attacks carried out with American weapons,’ and also condemned what he described as ‘intentional, coordinated and fully supported aggression’ by a permanent member of the Security Council – the United States – calling it ‘a serious violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.’

Within hours, comments and support came from the Russian Federation, followed by China, North Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

From the United States, however, the first comment came overnight from Secretary of State Mark Rubio, who declared the U.S.’s non-involvement in the affair; but a few hours later, President Donald Trump himself posted on Truth a message threatening more brutal planned attacks on Iran and, shortly afterwards, revealed that Netanyahu and he had actually met to discuss the operation the day before.

Whether this was a move by Trump’s traitors to frame him is something we will discuss in another article. What is clear now is that, once again, the U.S. is in deep.

Counterattack

In a move that took many by surprise, as citizens took to the streets to call for revenge for their martyrs, Operation True Promise 3 was launched: in several waves, Tel Aviv was bombarded by Iranian hypersonic missiles, suffering extensive damage. It was a spectacle that was celebrated around the world, not just in the Middle East.

The Americans immediately began their media attack. Former CIA director Mike Pompeo warned that a serious incident could occur somewhere in the world and suggested that Iran could be behind it. He claimed that Iran has terrorist cells in almost every country, including the United States, and that these could soon be used to launch cyber attacks and other types of attacks. Pompeo called for strong support for Israel, saying it was necessary to stop what he considers a “global threat”.

We cannot say with certainty how long this low-intensity conventional conflict will last. The complicated machinery of international diplomacy may be very slow at the moment, but the international response must be swift and decisive.

One thing is certain: Iran will never surrender.

This is an important opportunity to stop Netanyahu and attack Israel politically, on the international stage, as a Zionist entity. Now the world has seen – once again – the evil of that country, and it is clear to everyone that its destructive fury will not abate until the country is brought to its knees and forced to surrender – or exterminated under enemy fire.

The real counterattack begins now. Iran’s next move on the chessboard will be decisive for the coming period.

Let us remember: it was not Iran that started this. History will take note of this.

Now, Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz, while Yemen could close Bab al-Mandeb: both options are currently being considered. Tehran claims that it could destabilize global energy security as a direct consequence of the Zionist regime’s actions.

Interesting fact: the events in the world of Metro 2033 by Russian writer Dmitry Glukhovsky began with a nuclear attack by Israel against Iran.

This was followed by a world war that led to the apocalypse.