Mass Evacuations, Nuclear Watchdog Reassurance and Trump–Merz Talks Mark Iran War At 100+ Hours
Governments across Europe, North America, South Asia and the Middle East are scrambling to evacuate their citizens as the widening Iran war has shut large swaths of Gulf airspace, disrupted commercial aviation and left tens of thousands stranded, while leaders in Washington debated the war’s objectives even as international watchdogs sought to calm fears over nuclear risks.
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| Chancellor Merz meets US President Trump; Via: Focus Online |
Some evacuees described fear as missiles and drones crossed the skies, followed by relief upon reaching neighboring countries by land. Israel announced that Ben-Gurion Airport would reopen for limited incoming repatriation flights beginning early Thursday, initially allowing one passenger flight per hour, as governments coordinate returns for citizens stranded abroad.
In Washington, President Donald Trump held a long-scheduled Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, his first in-person engagement with a foreign leader since the war began.
Trump said “the big scale hitting goes now” in Iran and reiterated that U.S. forces would continue operations, stating that “first we have to finish off the military.” He also suggested that future Iranian leadership might emerge from within the current system, saying figures previously considered were now dead and that a “third wave” of potential leaders was unknown.
Merz said Germany was looking ahead to “the day after” the war and wanted to coordinate with the United States on a strategy for a post-conflict Iran, calling the issue critical for Europe and Israel’s security.
At the same time, senior U.S. lawmakers questioned the cost, justification and planning behind the campaign, asking what guardrails exist to prevent a broader or prolonged regional war.
The nuclear dimension drew scrutiny after the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran’s Natanz enrichment site sustained “some recent damage” amid U.S.-Israeli strikes but that no radiological consequence was expected.
The watchdog’s assessment sought to reassure regional states and global markets that no radioactive release had been detected, even as nuclear facilities remain within the scope of military targeting.
On the ground, the human toll continued to mount. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 40 people, including seven children, were killed over two days of Israeli strikes, with hundreds wounded. Israeli officials reported continued operations in both Iran and Lebanon, describing what they called a two-front fight against Iran and Hezbollah.
In central Israel, emergency responders tended to damaged buildings and scorched vehicles after missile impacts, while authorities said most incoming projectiles had been intercepted though some had landed.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in a call with his Iranian counterpart, condemned U.S. and Israeli actions and emphasized the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, reiterating Moscow’s support for de-escalation and a political settlement.
China separately urged an immediate halt to military operations in discussions with Israel, warning of wider regional consequences.
The economic effects are also rippling outward. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari said rising oil and gas prices linked to the conflict were clouding the outlook for potential U.S. interest rate cuts this year. Markets have reassessed expectations as crude prices react to threats to energy transit routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz.