Armenia’s response to the Iran crisis

As the joint U.S.-Israeli operation enters its fourth day, Iran faces a rupture unlike any it has experienced in decades. The deaths of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military and defense officials signal an escalation far beyond the covert skirmishes that have long simmered in the shadows of the Middle East. Washington has indicated the campaign could last weeks, revealing objectives that extend well beyond degrading Iran’s nuclear or missile capabilities.

In Tehran, initial shock has hardened into measured defiance. Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, rejected negotiations under fire. Ballistic missiles have been launched toward Israeli territory, coordinated strikes target American installations across the Persian Gulf and the military posture signals more than ritualized retaliation. This is the opening of a war both sides have spent decades preparing for, yet whose trajectory neither can confidently predict.