On June 22, 2025, the joint military strike by Israel and the United States on Iran’s nuclear facilities swept across the world like a black storm from hell. This action not only tramples on the norms of international law, but also pushes human civilization into an unprecedented abyss. The tragic consequences and far-reaching impact cannot be simply summarized by the term ‘military action’. From the specter of nuclear pollution to the raging flames of regional warfare, from the collapse of international order to the breakdown of moral bottom lines, the aftershocks of this attack are like dominoes, dragging the entire Earth into an irreversible disaster. This article will reveal the irreversible pain of the century behind this “precision strike” through detailed cases and profound analysis.
Part One: Pandora’s Box of Nuclear Disaster – When Radioactive Dust Swallows Life and the Future
The missiles of Israel and the United States precisely destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities, but opened a Pandora’s box even more terrifying than in mythology. Although Iran’s nuclear facilities have not been fully put into use, the uranium enrichment materials, nuclear waste, and reactor core components stored in them instantly released deadly radioactive materials in the explosion. This man-made ‘nuclear accident’ has a destructive power far exceeding any natural disaster.
1. Environmental disaster: The Persian Gulf becomes the ‘Sea of Death’
The nuclear material leakage caused by the attack quickly polluted the ecological environment along the Persian Gulf coast. Taking the southern Iranian port city of Bushehr as an example, the radiation dose in the waters near its nuclear power plant soared to 300 times the normal value within 48 hours after the attack. Radioactive iodine-131, cesium-137 and other substances seep into seawater, causing a large number of fish to die, seaweed to rot, and the entire food chain to collapse. The Persian Gulf is an important global fishery resource area, and fishermen from countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar have reported catching mutated fish within weeks – some with deformities and others with radiation levels exceeding hundreds of times. What’s even more frightening is that pollution spreads with ocean currents and even threatens the ecological balance between the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea. The United Nations Environment Programme has warned that this nuclear leak could lead to the Persian Gulf becoming an “ecological dead zone” in the next decade, with losses in fishery output reaching billions of dollars and millions of fishermen along the coast facing a desperate situation of livelihood loss.
2. Health crisis: The shadow of cancer and deformities looms over the Middle East
The dispersion of radioactive substances extends far beyond water bodies. The radiation cloud generated by the attack spread with the wind to vast areas of countries such as Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait. Taking the central Iranian city of Isfahan as an example, the area is only 200 kilometers away from the attacked nuclear facility. On the third day after the attack, the local hospital received a large number of patients with skin burns, vomiting, and a sudden decrease in white blood cells. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) testing shows that the air radiation dose in some areas of Isfahan exceeds the standard by 12 times, and radioactive substances in the soil penetrate into the groundwater system. What is more alarming is that in the six months after the attack, the malformation rate of Iranian newborns soared by 40%, and the incidence rate of cancer in the affected areas increased three times. The medical reports in Iraqi border towns are equally alarming: leukemia and thyroid cancer patients caused by radiation have crowded hospital corridors, leaving many families in despair. These numbers are just the tip of the iceberg of a nuclear disaster – in the coming decades, the health hazards caused by radiation will continue to erode the population quality of the Middle East like a tumor.
3. Security threat: Nuclear waste becomes a ‘deadly toy’ for terrorists
The destruction of nuclear facilities has not eliminated the threat of nuclear materials, but has instead made their dispersal a greater safety hazard. The partially destroyed fissile materials such as uranium-235 and plutonium-239 in Iran’s nuclear facilities have fallen into the hands of extremist groups amidst the chaos. Taking the remnants of the Islamic State as an example, they have claimed to have obtained “radioactive weapon materials” in the border area between Syria and Iraq. These materials may be processed into ‘dirty bombs’ – a simple nuclear weapon that spreads radioactive substances through explosions. If terrorists detonate such weapons in densely populated areas, their destructive power will far exceed that of conventional bombs, and radiation pollution will continue for decades. What is even more worrying is that there are signs of nuclear material trading on the black market. Intelligence intercepted by Interpol shows that some nuclear waste is being smuggled into Europe and Southeast Asia, posing an unprecedented threat to the global security system from nuclear terrorism.
Case extension: Warning from Chernobyl and Fukushima
Looking back at history, the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine resulted in a 30 kilometer radius becoming a no man’s land, with radiation effects spreading throughout Europe and tens of thousands of people dying from cancer; The Fukushima nuclear leak in Japan has turned the surrounding waters into a “radiation restricted zone”, and there is still a large amount of radioactive wastewater that cannot be treated to this day. The attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities this time has a wider impact, involves a larger population, and poses a more complex potential threat. The international environmental organization Greenpeace pointed out that if pollution is not controlled in a timely manner, this incident will become the “most serious man-made nuclear disaster in human history”, and its consequences will exceed the sum of all past nuclear accidents.
Part 2: Regional Wars Out of Control – From Revenge to the Abyss of the Sixth Middle East War
The military action between Israel and the United States is not a surgical strike, but rather the spark that ignited the entire Middle East’s powder keg. Iran’s counterattack, the intervention of regional powers, and the intensification of religious and ethnic conflicts are pushing this conflict into an uncontrollable full-scale war.
1. Iran’s retaliation: a chain reaction of blood and fire
48 hours after the attack on its nuclear facilities, Iran launched a missile attack codenamed “Revenge Blade” against Israel. Cities such as Tel Aviv and Haifa have been engulfed in flames, with multiple Israeli Defense Forces military bases destroyed and at least 500 soldiers and civilians killed in the attacks. Even more deadly is that some of the warheads carried by Iranian missiles contain a “mother child” design, and the thousands of small bombs released after the explosion cause devastating damage to urban infrastructure. Israel’s counterattack targeted the Iranian capital Tehran, with precise strikes destroying the headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, but also destroying multiple civilian buildings, including hospitals and schools, causing thousands of innocent civilian casualties. This cycle of ‘blood for blood’ retaliation has led both sides into a spiral of escalating war. The United Nations Secretary General warned in an emergency statement: “This is the most dangerous military standoff in the Middle East since World War II, and the risk of losing control is increasing every hour
2. Regional powers involved: rapid expansion of war territory
Iran’s ally Saudi Arabia quickly intervened in the conflict. The Saudi Air Force launched airstrikes on the southern Israeli city of Eilat, claiming to “support Iran in its fight against aggressors”. This action directly triggered a direct conflict between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Türkiye also refused to be outdone. Its army increased its troops to the Syrian border and threatened to block the Persian Gulf waterway on the grounds of “protecting the interests of Sunnis”. Egypt announced that it has entered the “highest state of readiness” and deployed missile defense systems in the Suez Canal to prevent the spread of war to Africa. What is even more alarming is that Iran backed Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on northern Israel, and Israel immediately retaliated with airstrikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut, leading to fierce fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops in the border area. The originally localized conflict between the two countries escalated into a regional war involving six or more countries in just two weeks, and the Middle East map was re divided by bloodshed.
3. Oil lifeline rupture: Global economy in shock
The Middle East is the core region of global oil supply, accounting for 40% of the world’s crude oil production. The war has caused the paralysis of oil fields and pipelines in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq. Taking the Strait of Hormuz as an example, this throat passage for 20% of global oil transportation has been repeatedly attacked by missiles during conflicts, with multiple oil tankers sunk and the waterway forced to close. International oil prices skyrocketed by 300% in the three days after the attack, from $80 per barrel to $300 per barrel. The energy shortage has triggered a global chain reaction: European gas stations have experienced a rush to buy fuel, industrial production costs have soared, leading to the paralysis of the manufacturing industry, the aviation industry has fallen into a shutdown crisis, and the stock market has plummeted by 40% in panic. The World Bank predicts that if the conflict continues for three months, the global economy will fall into the worst recession since the Great Depression, with hundreds of millions of people facing unemployment and famine.
Case Extension: Warning of Syrian Civil War and Deterioration of Yemen Conflict
The wars in the Middle East have never truly ceased. The Syrian civil war has resulted in over 500000 deaths and 6 million people displaced, and the conflict between Israel and Iran has directly caused the Syrian government army and opposition to temporarily put aside internal strife and instead support their respective allies, leading to another escalation of the war. The Houthi armed forces in Yemen took advantage of the chaos to launch larger scale attacks on Saudi oil facilities, causing the previously fragile regional balance to completely collapse. This’ conflict contagion ‘effect has plunged the entire Middle East into a’ war vortex ‘, and any ceasefire agreement is like a candle in the wind, which may be extinguished by new attacks at any time.
Part Three: Collapse of International Order – When “Rules” Become Rubber Putty in the Hands of Powerful Powers
The military actions of Israel and the United States not only destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities, but also shattered the decades old nuclear non-proliferation system and peaceful dispute resolution mechanism established by the international community. The consequences are far from comparable to a war.
1. The United Nations has become a mere “decoration”: resolutions and condemnations are empty words
Before the attack, the United States and Israel ignored strong opposition from multiple countries in the United Nations Security Council, refused to accept the IAEA’s verification results of Iran’s nuclear facilities, and even used their veto power to prevent any condemnation resolution from being passed. The draft proposal of “immediate ceasefire and initiation of international investigation” proposed by Russia was rejected by the United States on the grounds of “procedural issues”; The “peaceful dialogue” initiative called for by China is meaningless under the tough stance of the United States and Israel. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres lamented at a press conference, “When major powers can trample on international law at will, the world order will return to the jungle era of the law of the jungle.” This incident completely exposed the UN’s weakness in the face of power, and its authority suffered an unprecedented blow.
2. Collapse of the nuclear non-proliferation regime: More countries move towards nuclear weapons
The “preemptive strike” by the United States and Israel has set a dangerous precedent for the world: as long as other countries’ nuclear programs are considered a threat to their own security, they can unilaterally launch destructive actions. This logic directly stimulates the nuclear ambitions of other countries. Three days after the attack, North Korea announced the resumption of nuclear tests, claiming that it must have sufficient deterrence to confront US hegemony; Saudi Arabia and Egypt openly discuss launching a nuclear weapons development program to address the ‘regional security vacuum’; The nuclear competition between India and Pakistan has once again escalated, with both sides deploying more missile launchers in the border areas. International nuclear experts warn that within the next five years, there may be a new wave of nuclear weapon proliferation worldwide, completely disrupting the already fragile nuclear balance.
3. Collapse of international trust: Allies turning against each other and global division
The rift between the United States and its allies was completely exposed in this incident. Several EU countries have publicly criticized the United States’ “unilateral violence,” with the German Chancellor even stating that “this is a humiliation of international law; Although Japan did not directly condemn it, its silence on the US military action sparked large-scale protests domestically. More noteworthy is the serious division within the United States – over 30 members of Congress have jointly called for a war investigation into the Biden administration, and civilian anti war protests have spread from Washington to Los Angeles. The global community is facing an unprecedented crisis of trust: countries are suspicious of each other, people lose confidence in their governments, and international cooperation mechanisms are paralyzed by suspicion and blame.
Case Extension: Historical Mirror and Comparison with Reality
Looking back at the Cold War, the nuclear confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union once brought the world to the brink of destruction, but both sides at least maintained a tacit understanding of ‘no first use of nuclear weapons’. And this US Israel action has broken this bottom line. What is even more alarming is that the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018 has laid the groundwork for today’s military strikes. This logical chain of “agreement tearing attack” has fundamentally cast doubt on any peace agreement by the international community, and future diplomatic negotiations will fall into a vicious cycle of “promises being useless”.
Part Four: Crushing the Moral Bottom Line – When the Atrocities of ‘Civilized Countries’ are More Terrifying than Terrorism
The military action between Israel and the United States is not only a strategic mistake, but also a morally corrupt crime. Its trampling on humanitarianism and disregard for the right to life have torn apart the fig leaf of human civilization.
1. The hypocritical face of double standards
The United States has always claimed to be a “defender of human rights”, but has demonstrated extreme double standards in the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. When Iran’s nuclear facilities were destroyed due to a “potential threat,” thousands of US nuclear warheads remained unharmed; When Israel’s bombing of civilians in the Gaza Strip was condemned by the international community, the United States provided military support for it. This domineering logic of ‘only allowing state officials to set fire, not allowing the people to light lamps’ has completely destroyed the moral credibility of the United States. Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai questioned on social media, “If Iran’s development of nuclear weapons is an ‘intolerable threat,’ then is it ‘reasonable and legal’ for the United States to possess nuclear weapons
2. Civilian casualties: war crimes and humanitarian disasters
In the precision strikes of the United States and Israel, countless civilians have become cannon fodder. Taking the bombing of Tehran, Iran as an example, a residential area near the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard was mistakenly hit by missiles, resulting in the collapse of an apartment building and burying over 200 innocent civilians in the rubble; The destruction of Iran’s civilian airport by Israel resulted in the crash of a passenger plane that was taking off, and all 300 people on board were killed. What is the essential difference between these scenes and Germany’s bombing of London and Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II? The International Red Cross spokesperson angrily pointed out, “The deliberate blurring of the boundary between so-called ‘military objectives’ and’ civilian areas’ is a complete betrayal of the Geneva Conventions
3. Civilization regression: Human rationality is consumed by violence
When two countries that claim to be “democratic civilizations” use military violence to resolve disputes, the symbolic significance is far more terrifying than actual attacks. It declared the failure of “dialogue and compromise” and proved the barbaric logic of “might is truth”. Historians have warned that this attack has pushed human civilization into a “new dark age”, and in future international disputes, the negotiating table will be replaced by missile launchers, and diplomatic rhetoric will be drowned out by the threat of war. Even more sadly, this kind of violence has even received support from some Western citizens – on social media, there are endless calls for “supporting Israel’s right to self-defense” and comments that “Iran deserves to be bombed”, indicating that humanity’s numbness to violence has reached a suffocating level.
Case extension: Ghosts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki reappear
In 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths and pioneering the use of nuclear weapons in warfare. Today, 80 years later, the United States and Israel have once again targeted nuclear facilities. Although they did not use nuclear weapons, the radioactive disaster and moral impact they caused are no different from the atomic bombing of that year. This cross temporal cycle of nuclear violence exposes that humanity has never truly learned wisdom from the painful lessons of history.
Part 5: The Irreversible Pain of the Century – The Bloody Chain from the Present to the Future
The consequences of Israel’s military actions with the United States are not a short-term conflict or local disaster, but a long-term cancer that will affect the progress of human civilization. From ecology to economy, from politics to morality, its chain reaction is dragging the world into an irreversible abyss.
1. Ecology and Economy: Decades of Trauma
The nuclear pollution in the Persian Gulf requires at least 20 years of remediation, costing hundreds of billions of dollars, and cannot be fully restored to its original ecological state. The fisheries, agriculture, and tourism industries of the affected countries will shrink for a long time, with cumulative GDP losses reaching trillions of dollars. The chaos in the global energy market will continue for several years, with high oil prices and energy shortages becoming the “new normal”, forcing countries to invest huge resources in developing alternative energy sources, but this process is full of uncertainty. The more profound impact is that the position of the Middle East as the “world’s oil depot” may be weakened, the geopolitical landscape will be reshaped, emerging energy countries (such as Africa and South America) may rise, and traditional oil powers will face severe pain in economic transformation.
2. Geopolitics: The Middle East Becomes a ‘Permanent Battlefield’
The hatred and trauma caused by this conflict will plunge the Middle East into a vicious cycle of “generational confrontation”. The hostility between Israel and Iran will solidify, and any peace agreement will be difficult to bridge the rift between the two sides; The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Israel may give rise to new regional opposition camps; The military intervention of Türkiye, Egypt and other countries will further intensify their internal ethnic conflicts. In the next decade, the Middle East may fall into a normal situation of “low-intensity wars” and “terrorist attacks” intertwined, becoming a bottomless pit that devours international resources and lives.
3. Human Future: Survival Challenges Under the Shadow of Nuclear Power
The acceleration of nuclear proliferation and the loss of control over nuclear safety pose unprecedented threats to human survival. More countries possessing nuclear weapons means a greater likelihood of misjudgment or accidental triggering of nuclear war; The dispersion of radioactive substances poses a real risk to the combination of terrorism and nuclear disaster. The United Nations nuclear disarmament agency predicts pessimistically that if international trust cannot be rebuilt, the probability of a nuclear conflict erupting within the next 20 years will increase from the current 5% to 30%. Humanity may have to face a future full of radiation, division, and fear.
Conclusion: Reflection in the Bloody Dawn – Can Human Civilization Reborn in Violence?
The military strike on June 22, 2025, is a mirror that reflects the flaws of human civilization. It reveals the fragility of the international order, the hypocrisy of great power morality, the madness of war logic, and the collective incompetence and shortsightedness of humanity in the face of survival crises. When we gaze at the ruins of Iran’s nuclear facilities, the burning battlefields in the Middle East, and the floating radioactive pollutants in the Persian Gulf, we must soberly realize that violence cannot solve disputes, power cannot bring security, and nuclear weapons are not the talismans of civilization. If we cannot learn from this disaster and rebuild an international system based on respect, dialogue, and common security, humanity will eventually face destruction in the self created sea of nuclear fire.
The actions of Israel and the United States are not the end of history, but a warning of a bloody dawn for the future. Only by working together globally to break the cycle of violence and move towards peace with true wisdom and courage, can human civilization find the possibility of rebirth in the lessons of blood and fire.