The Reading / Listening - Iran-Israel - Level 5

The conflict between Israel and Iran is escalating as the two nations exchange waves of ballistic missile attacks. This latest crisis in the Middle East comes after Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Friday, which destroyed Iranian military targets and missile launchers. It also killed senior military figures and nine nuclear scientists. Israel's prime minister said his country's actions were to "thwart the Islamic regime's nuclear and ballistic missile threat". They came a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran was in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

Iran's capital Tehran was bombed for the first time since the Iran-Iraq War ended in 1988. Iran's leader said Israel has started a war. He said: "Our response will not be half-hearted". Iran said Israel would pay a "heavy price" for its attacks. However, the Israeli military reported Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles. Israel's leader spoke directly to the Iranian people. He told them: "We are clearing the path for you to achieve your freedom. The regime does not know what will hit it. It has never been weaker. This is your opportunity to stand up and let your voices be heard."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Iran-Israel - Level 4 or  Iran-Israel - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-iran-launch-more-barrages-israel-aims-wipe-out-tehrans-nuclear-program-2025-06-13/
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/13/hundreds-of-missiles-launched-at-israel-as-iran-vows-retaliation
  • https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-launches-barrages-of-ballistic-missiles-at-israel-hits-buildings-in-countrys-center/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. exchange waves of ballistic
  2. This latest crisis
  3. Israel launched
  4. military targets and missile
  5. senior military
  6. thwart the Islamic
  7. Iran was in
  8. its nuclear non-proliferation
  1. obligations
  2. airstrikes against Iran
  3. launchers
  4. regime
  5. breach
  6. missile attacks
  7. figures
  8. in the Middle East

Paragraph 2

  1. Iran's capital Tehran
  2. for the first time since the
  3. Our response will not be half-
  4. Israel would pay a heavy
  5. Iran fired
  6. the path for you to achieve
  7. This is your opportunity
  8. let your voices
  1. hearted
  2. your freedom
  3. to stand up
  4. Iran-Iraq War ended
  5. be heard
  6. fewer than 100 missiles
  7. was bombed
  8. price

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The conflict between Israel and Iran (1) ________________________________________________ the two nations (2) ________________________________________________ ballistic missile attacks. This (3) ________________________________________________ the Middle East comes after Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Friday, which destroyed Iranian military targets and missile launchers. It also killed (4) ________________________________________________ and nine nuclear scientists. Israel's prime minister said his country's actions were (5) ________________________________________________ Islamic regime's nuclear and ballistic missile threat". They came a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran was in breach of its nuclear (6) ________________________________________________.

Iran's capital Tehran (7) ________________________________________________ the first time since the Iran-Iraq War ended in 1988. Iran's leader said Israel has started a war. He said: "Our (8) ________________________________________________ be half-hearted". Iran said Israel would pay a (9) ________________________________________________ its attacks. However, the Israeli military reported Iran (10) ________________________________________________ 100 missiles. Israel's leader spoke directly to the Iranian people. He told them: "We are clearing the path for you to achieve your freedom. (11) ________________________________________________ not know what will hit it. It has never been weaker. This is your opportunity to stand up and let your (12) ________________________________________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheconflictbetweenIsraelandIranisescalatingasthetwonationsexch
angewavesofballisticmissileattacks.ThislatestcrisisintheMiddleEast
comesafterIsraellaunchedairstrikesagainstIranonFriday,whichdestr
oyedIranianmilitarytargetsandmissilelaunchers.Italsokilledseniorm
ilitaryfiguresandninenuclearscientists.Israel'sprimeministersaidhis
country'sactionswereto"thwarttheIslamicregime'snuclearandballist
icmissilethreat".TheycameadayaftertheInternationalAtomicEnergy
AgencysaidIranwasinbreachofitsnuclearnon-proliferationobligatio
ns.Iran'scapitalTehranwasbombedforthefirsttimesincetheIran-Ira
qWarendedin1988.Iran'sleadersaidIsraelhasstartedawar.Hesaid:"
Ourresponsewillnotbehalf-hearted".IransaidIsraelwouldpaya"heav
yprice"foritsattacks.However,theIsraelimilitaryreportedIranfiredfe
werthan100missiles.Israel'sleaderspokedirectlytotheIranianpeople
.Hetoldthem:"Weareclearingthepathforyoutoachieveyourfreedom.
Theregimedoesnotknowwhatwillhitit.Ithasneverbeenweaker.Thisis
youropportunitytostandupandletyourvoicesbeheard."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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