Overview

• Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin jointly denounced Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear and military sites and called for an immediate ceasefire.
• Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cautioned that any U.S. military involvement would carry “unpredictable negative consequences.”
• Vladimir Putin has positioned Russia as a potential mediator, proposing to facilitate dialogue between Israel and Iran.
• President Trump has signaled he “may” join Israel’s operations, leaving U.S. participation in the conflict uncertain.
• Missile and drone exchanges over the past week have inflicted hundreds of casualties and raised fears of a wider regional war.