Two cities that have known great suffering are suffering again. Beirut, which was devastated by a massive port explosion in 2020 and has spent years trying to recover, is once again absorbing devastating Israeli airstrikes as its people flee en masse. Tehran, the capital of a nation under sustained American bombing, is shaking from explosions that have become a daily reality. And the world watches, holding its breath, as President Donald Trump demands unconditional surrender.
The scale of military operations on Friday was extraordinary. American B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran’s most hardened underground military facilities, dropping dozens of 2,000-pound penetrating munitions on buried ballistic missile sites. A large Iranian naval vessel used to launch drones was struck and possibly sunk. Israel issued evacuation orders covering more than one million Lebanese, then struck the evacuated areas with sustained aerial bombardment. The IDF chief promised new phases and new surprises.
Iran has retaliated with every available asset. Missiles and drones have been launched at US military bases and energy infrastructure across the Gulf. Hezbollah has maintained its rocket campaign in Lebanon and wounded Israeli soldiers near the border. The Revolutionary Guards have promised new weapons and capabilities. Iranian state television has broadcast scenes of mass mourning and defiance in Tehran, with Friday prayers drawing large, emotional crowds mourning Khamenei and pledging resistance.
The human cost has been staggering. More than 1,230 Iranians have been killed. Six Americans have died. Lebanon has counted 217 dead and nearly 800 wounded. More than one million Lebanese have been displaced. An airstrike on an Iranian girls’ school killed more than 100 students. Iran’s internet has been reduced to approximately 1% of normal capacity, cutting off communication from the country. The UN has appealed for de-escalation without success.
Beirut and Tehran have both survived extraordinary ordeals before. Beirut survived a civil war, multiple Israeli invasions, and a catastrophic port explosion. Tehran survived the Iran-Iraq War and decades of American sanctions. Whether they can survive Donald Trump’s determination to force Iran’s unconditional surrender is the question that will define the coming weeks. Right now, no answer is visible through the smoke.