Israeli officials have been pushing the United States to join the fray and use its huge bunker-busting bomb to crush Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Smoke and missiles have lit up the skies in Israel and Iran in a fierce standoff triggered by fears over Tehran’s expanding nuclear program. Since June 13, hundreds of military strikes have been exchanged as the two nations remain locked in a conflict that shows no signs of abating.

The escalating Israel-Iran conflict has prompted shipowners to exercise an extra degree of caution in both the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.

When Israel launched its series of strikes against Iran last week, it also issued a number of dire warnings about the country’s nuclear program, suggesting Iran was fast approaching a point of no return in its quest to obtain nuclear weapons and that the strikes were necessary to preempt that outcome.

We are doing what we need to do,” the Israeli leader told ABC News when asked if he plans on going after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel and Iran exchange missile attacks for a third day; nuclear sites hit, death tolls rise, airspace shut, U.S. warns Tehran against retaliation.

Despite stunning early successes in Israel’s unprecedented strikes on Iran, a weekend of intensive bombardment and retaliation is raising questions about Israel’s exit strategy – how it can end this conflict with its ambitious goals achieved.