Sixth Day of War in Iran: Attacks on Azerbaijan and Iraq Amid Intensified Airstrikes

The military situation in the Middle East is rapidly evolving, and the conflict within Iran is transforming into a widespread regional war. The Israel Defense Forces have released footage documenting the downing of an Iranian aircraft over Tehran, which is part of a broader strategy to paralyze the regime's internal security organs. According to reports from the front, the airstrikes aim not only to destroy nuclear and missile capabilities but primarily to weaken the repression apparatus to enable an internal national uprising. Pentagon sources describe the current operation as "unprecedented" in terms of precision and the scale of technical means involved. Meanwhile, Tehran, feeling the tightening noose, has decided on retaliatory strikes against neighboring countries, accusing them of supporting the coalition. Iranian Shahed-type drones attacked the airport in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan, injuring at least two people and leading to a severe diplomatic crisis on the Baku–Teheran line. Simultaneously, Iran has directed its missiles against the headquarters of Iranian Kurdish groups stationed in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Turkish military is observing these movements with concern, fearing the activation of PJAK militants near its own border. The situation in the Persian Gulf is equally tense following incidents involving commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which met with a sharp military response from the USA. Donald Trump, commenting on the war efforts, praised the effectiveness of American strikes, while the U.S. Senate blocked an attempt to limit his prerogatives in conducting military operations against Iran. In the geopolitical sphere, a noticeable distance is being maintained by the ayatollahs' traditional allies – Moscow and Beijing. China, previously skeptical of U.S. power, is beginning to revise its views on American dominance, seeing the effectiveness of Western weapon systems against Iranian technology. Northern Iraqi provinces have for decades provided shelter for opposition Kurdish groups, which Tehran considers terrorist organizations supported by foreign intelligence to destabilize the country.Within Iran itself, an information vacuum prevails due to an internet blockade lasting over 120 hours, which has reduced connectivity to just 1% of normal levels. Nevertheless, through satellite channels, shocking reports are arriving about the actions of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Revolutionary Guards are reportedly firing directly into the windows of residential homes in neighborhoods where anti-government activity has been noted. Civilian infrastructure is being systematically destroyed, which, combined with the lack of basic food products and fuel, threatens a humanitarian catastrophe. India, through Prime Minister Modi, is calling for diplomacy, but the dynamics of events suggest that both sides have moved to a decisive phase. The total death toll in the region has exceeded 1,100 people, and this number is rising with successive waves of bombings and street clashes in Iranian metropolises. „This is an unprecedented operation aimed at the total neutralization of the regime's threat capability.” — Pentagon representative Iran's missile program, intensively developed since the 1990s, has become a major point of contention with the West, leading to numerous sanctions and ultimately to the current armed escalation.