174: Chapter 174 The Mad Prime Minister II

Just as Dan Al's worldview was collapsing, in Tehran, thousands of kilometers away from Geneva, the flames of revenge had already soared into the sky.

Less than three hours after the assassination.

Within Da Shi State, more than a dozen launch sites hidden deep in the deserts and mountains opened their bunker covers simultaneously.

One after another, pitch-black "Shahab-3" cruise missiles, trailing long orange-red plumes of fire, tore through the night sky, howling as they pierced toward the western horizon.

The target: the entire territory of Israel.

No warnings, no diplomatic rhetoric, only the most direct and primitive retaliation.

Da Shi State's state television interrupted all programs to broadcast a looped video. On one side was a black-and-white funeral portrait of Old Khamenei and the wreckage of his car, twisted into a mangled heap. On the other side were the ruins of a girls' primary school in the suburbs of Tehran, its windows shattered by a missile's shockwave, with desks and books scattered across the dusty floor.

Accompanying the visuals was a nationwide broadcast speech by the new Supreme Leader, Supreme Leader Shahni.

His voice was hoarse, filled with suppressed grief and undisguised murderous intent.

"They murdered our leader, they murdered our children, thinking they could use terror to make us submit."

"Today, I, in the name of the Supreme Leader of Da Shi State, formally declare war on the shameless Israel and its mastermind, the U Federation!"

"We do not need victory; we only need revenge!"

"A debt of blood must be paid in blood!"

This brief and violent declaration of war spread to every corner of the world via radio waves.

War descended abruptly in a way no one had expected.

...

Tel Aviv, 4:00 AM.

Shrill air-raid sirens pierced the city's tranquility, jolting countless people from their sleep.

"Wooo— Wooo— Wooo—"

The "Iron Dome" defense system was fully activated. Interceptor missiles rose from across the city, weaving a dense white net of fire in the night sky as they attempted to intercept the descending harbingers of death.

Boom!

An interceptor missile accurately struck an incoming missile, exploding into a massive fireball mid-air.

The crowd on the ground erupted into brief cheers.

But immediately after, a second and third missile broke through the defense grid at even more difficult angles.

Rumble!

A massive explosion echoed in the city's western district. A commercial building was instantly engulfed in flames, its glass curtain wall cascading down like a waterfall, the fire lighting up half the sky.

Panic spread instantly like a virus.

The streets were in chaos; the honking of cars, the screams of people, and the sirens of ambulances blended together into a symphony of doomsday.

The citizens, who had been celebrating the hope of peace talks, now had nothing but terror and confusion on their faces.

How could this happen?

Wasn't there supposed to be peace?

Meanwhile, inside the Israeli Knesset, things had already turned into a complete mess.

"Where is Prime Minister Netanyahu? Where is that madman!"

"He must be held responsible for all of this! He has dragged us all into hell!"

Dozens of furious lawmakers, ignoring the guards' attempts to stop them, rushed straight toward the Prime Minister's office.

They kicked the door open, only to see a scene they would never forget.

Prime Minister Netanyahu was sitting alone behind his desk, his back to them, calmly watching the giant television screen on the wall.

The screen was broadcasting real-time news footage of the missile attacks on Tel Aviv, with fire and smoke dancing in his eyes.

He showed no anger, no panic; there was even a faint, indistinct smile on his lips.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu!" The Speaker of the Knesset rushed to the front, pointing at his back, trembling with rage. "Look at what you've done! Are you satisfied now?!"

Prime Minister Netanyahu slowly turned his chair to face the angry, desperate, and distorted faces.

He unhurriedly straightened his tie and looked at them with an expression nearing pity.

"Everyone, please be quiet." His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly suppressed all the noise. "It is wartime. With a great enemy at our gates, we should stand united, shouldn't we?"

"United?" An opposition leader laughed, looking worse than if he were crying. "United with a madman like you? So we can all be blown to pieces by missiles together?"

"I am saving this country," Prime Minister Netanyahu said calmly. "The peace talks you want are humiliating. For us, the Chosen People, they are absolutely unacceptable, aren't they?"

He stood up, walked to the window, and watched the flickering fires on the distant horizon, opening his arms as if embracing the war he had personally ignited.

"Do you hear that? The sound of missiles outside."

"From now on, all investigations against me will stop. All motions to impeach me will become waste paper."

"Because I am the wartime Prime Minister."

He turned his head, the smile on his face becoming incredibly bright and incredibly hideous.

"Until the war is over, no one can touch me."

The lawmakers who had rushed in were stunned.

They looked at this seemingly crazed man, a chill running from the soles of their feet to the crowns of their heads.

This man would rather set the entire Middle East on fire than lose his power.

He had used a massive gamble to hijack the entire country, and now, he had won.

At least, for the time being.

...

The White House, Oval Office.

"Bang!"

A battle report stamped "Top Secret" was slammed onto the oak desk, making the coffee cups jump.

The U Federation's female president, President Tanglangpu, was breathing heavily, her blonde hair slightly disheveled, and her well-maintained face was now covered in frost.

"That son of a bitch Prime Minister Netanyahu! He played me for a fool!"

In the office, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the CIA, and other high-ranking officials were as silent as cicadas in winter, not even daring to breathe loudly.

President Tanglangpu had indeed said that for their common interests, and to suppress the impact of the Epstein case before the midterm elections, she would send troops to the Middle East to "back" Israel.

But what she wanted was a controllable, low-intensity conflict—a warning, a deterrent!

Not a total war where the other side's supreme leader was wiped out in one fell swoop!

"Can someone tell me, now that Old Khamenei is dead, who is in charge of Da Shi State?" President Tanglangpu's eyes swept over everyone like knives.

The Director of the CIA stepped forward with a heavy heart: "Madam President, it is Supreme Leader Shahni. He... he is a representative of the military hardliners, extremely anti-U. We assess that in the coming years, there is almost no possibility of any dialogue between our two countries."

"In other words, Prime Minister Netanyahu helped us get rid of the only dove we could talk to, and then propped up a madman who only wants to perish together with us?" President Tanglangpu laughed in anger. "What a great ally indeed!"

She paced irritably in the office, the sound of her high heels clicking on the floor like they were drumming on everyone's hearts.

The current situation was like riding a tiger—hard to get off.

Da Shi State had already publicly declared war on the U Federation. Dozens of countries around the world had immediately sent diplomatic notes condemning Israel's assassination and demanding that the U Federation exercise restraint.

Exercise restraint?

If she abandoned Israel now, not only would the domestic Jewish financial groups and the Evangelical voting bloc immediately turn against her, but the credibility of the U Federation's global hegemony would also go bankrupt overnight.

But if she intervened... it would mean being dragged into an endless quagmire of war.

"Madam President," the Secretary of State spoke cautiously, "according to our Mutual Defense Treaty with Israel, when their homeland is under attack, we have an obligation to..."

"I know! I know we have an obligation!" President Tanglangpu stopped abruptly, turned, and shouted, "I just didn't expect this obligation to come so fast and so stupidly!"

She stared at the world map on the wall, her gaze lingering on the Middle East for a long time.

After a long while, as if she had made some kind of decision, she sat back in her chair, her face regaining its usual calm and strength.

"Pass on my orders."

"First, activate the Mutual Defense Treaty and announce that the U Federation is entering a state of regional war."

"Second, order the 'Ford' carrier strike group to immediately pass through the Suez Canal and enter the Persian Gulf. Dispatch two more B-2 Bomber squadrons to the base in Qatar."

"Third, tell the media that we are intervening in the war to 'maintain regional stability,' 'protect the safety of our allies,' and 'prevent a humanitarian disaster.'"}],