Israel's Netanyahu vows to block Iran ‘nuclear weapon' as he declares victory
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a 'historic victory' on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) after agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran and insisted that his country's arch-foe would never achieve a nuclear weapon.
The premier's comments, delivered in an address to the nation, came after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was willing to return to negotiations over its nuclear programme.
Also read: Israel-Iran war updates on June 24, 2025
Mr. Pezeshkian insisted, however, that Iran would continue to 'assert its legitimate rights' to the peaceful use of atomic energy.
'Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,' Mr. Netanyahu said after the ceasefire ended 12 days of deadly air and missile strikes between the arch foes.
'We have thwarted Iran's nuclear project. And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity, to foil any attempt,' he added.
Israel's strikes eventually drew in the United States, which on Sunday (June 22, 2025) hit Iran's underground nuclear facilities with powerful 'bunker-buster' bombs that Israel lacked.
After Iran retaliated with a missile attack on Monday (June 23, 2025) night targeting a U.S. base in Qatar, President Donald Trump called for de-escalation, announcing the contours of a truce deal hours later.
In a phone call Tuesday (June 24, 2025), Mr. Pezeshkian told his Emirati counterpart 'to explain to them, in your dealings with the United States, that the Islamic Republic of Iran is only seeking to assert its legitimate rights'.
'It has never sought to acquire nuclear weapons and does not seek them,' he was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency, adding that Iran was 'ready to resolve the issues... at the negotiating table'.
Israel has said its war, which began on June 13, was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran has consistently denied.
Israel's military said that its strikes had set back Iran's nuclear programme 'by years' and that the campaign against the country was now 'entering a new phase'.
After Mr. Trump angrily berated both sides for early violations of the truce on Tuesday (June 24, 2025), Tehran announced it would respect the terms of the deal if Israel did the same, while Israel said it had refrained from further strikes.
Claims of victory
Before Mr. Netanyahu spoke, Israel's government said its military had removed the 'dual existential threat' of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
'We've set Iran's nuclear project back by years, and the same applies to its missile programme,' Israel's chief of staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a later statement.
Iran's top security body, meanwhile, said the Islamic republic's forces had 'compelled' Israel to 'unilaterally' stand down.
Its Revolutionary Guards also hailed a last-minute missile salvo fired at Israel as 'a historic and unforgettable lesson to the Zionist enemy'.
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First Post
7 minutes ago
- First Post
Who won the Israel-Iran war? What did US gain?
A Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran is in place, effectively ending the '12-day war'. Now, all three parties are claiming victory, but who gained the most from it? read more People riding on a moped wave Iraqi and Iranian flags as they celebrate in front of the Iranian embassy in Baghdad, following a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Israel and Iran said they had agreed to US President Donald Trump's proposal for a ceasefire, on the 12th day of war between the foes. AFP After 12 days of several missiles being fired, deaths and destruction and a whole lot of threats, the United States President Trump got his 'peace', Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got his war, and Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei got to survive. On Tuesday (June 24), Iran and Israel finally agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the US president and after a rocky start with claims of violations of the truce, which even led to Trump dropping the F-bomb, it seems that the pause in the conflict is holding for now. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As the dust settles, all three — the US, Iran and Israel — have declared victory. But is that true? Or have all three sides lost? Here's the outcome of the '12-day war' and here's who — if any — came out on top. How did the Iran-Israel war unfold? It all began on June 13 when Israel launched Operation Rising Lion to neutralise what it described as an existential threat posed by Iran's advancing nuclear programme. To reach this end, the Jewish nation fired multiple rockets and missiles at Tehran, aiming military and civil infrastructure. Iran, in retaliation, hit back with its own barrage of missiles, destroying residential buildings. Then late on Saturday, Trump, who had until now demanded that Tehran negotiate on the nuclear deal, entered the war with strikes on three nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, 'completely obliterating' them as the US president claimed. A satellite image shows damage to the tunnel entrances of the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Research Centre, following US airstrikes amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Isfahan, Iran. Maxar Technologies/Reuters In retaliation, Iran struck back, firing missiles at the largest US airbase in the Middle East, Al Udeid in Qatar , a day later. It appeared as though West Asia was poised for a broader, longer war. But within two hours of that strike and rising fears, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social, 'It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a complete and total ceasefire.' Trump called it 'the 12 Day War … that could have gone on for years and destroyed the Middle East'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The news resulted in a collective sigh of relief, though many wondered if Israel and Iran would abide by the ceasefire terms. And two-and-a-half hours after it took effect, the world had its answer as the Jewish nation accused Tehran of firing missiles . The Iranian military denied firing on Israel, state media reported, but explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel, and an Israeli military official said two Iranian missiles were intercepted. An irate Trump then told reporters that both sides had violated the truce agreement. 'We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing.' But it seems that at the end Trump's strong words helped and both countries held up their ends of the ceasefire. But what did Israel gain from all of this? Now, as both — Israel and Iran — adhere to the ceasefire, what is it that Israel gained from the '12-day war'? Summing up the war against Iran, Prime Minister Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel removed 'two existential threats — the threat of destruction via nuclear weapons and the threat of destruction via 20,000 ballistic missiles' that Iran was moving to build. Israel would have faced destruction in the near future 'if we hadn't acted now.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a statement to the country, he said, 'Israel destroyed Iran's ballistic missile production program and landed 'the most severe blow in [the regime's] history.' Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the success of Operation Rising Lion. He said that that Israel has removed 'two existential threats — the threat of destruction via nuclear weapons and the threat of destruction via 20,000 ballistic missiles'. AFP 'We sent Iran's nuclear programme down the drain,' Netanyahu stated. 'If someone in Iran tries to restore that programme, we will act with the same determination, the same power, to cut off any such attempt.' He also briefly mentioned Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, and said: 'We must defeat Hamas and bring back the hostages.' Israeli watchers noted that through Operation Rising Lion, Netanyahu and his administration showcased the country's firepower — it gained air supremacy in the battle against Iran and even claimed to destroy half of Iran's launchers. The war also boosted Israel diplomatically. By convincing Trump to launch the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, Israel demonstrated, not just to Tehran but to the world, that Washington stands firmly with Tel Aviv. The '12-day war' will also help Netanyahu politically — as he heads into the polls scheduled for next year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Another gain for Israel was that the missile strikes diverted attention from the conflict in Gaza where it stands accused of weaponising food, which the United Nations deems as a war crime. How did the '12-day war' bump Trump's stature? The US entered the Iran-Israel conflict on late Saturday with its B-2 bombers striking three nuclear strikes in Iran, with Donald Trump stating that the attack was 'very successful' and 'completely obliterated' Tehran's nuclear programme. An early Pentagon assessment and other experts opine that the damage to the three nuclear sites isn't as far-reaching as Trump claims. As per initial classified US assessment, the strikes only set back the nuclear programme by a few months. The report produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency – the intelligence arm of the Pentagon – concluded key components of the nuclear programme, including centrifuges, were capable of being restarted within months. There's also the case of the 400 kg of enriched uranium that is yet to be found. After he brokered a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, Donald Trump has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by a US House Representative. Reuters However, while Trump may not have succeeded in eliminating Iran's nuclear ambitions, he was able to play peacemaker, at least somewhat. He was able to broker peace between the two warring nations and also avoided a 'forever war'. In fact, US House Representative Buddy Carter nominated Trump for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for his 'extraordinary and historic role' in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'President Trump's leadership helped end the armed conflict between Israel and Iran and prevented the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet,' Carter wrote, referencing Iran's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons. Why is all not lost for Iran? If one goes by Trump and Netanyahu's statements, then Iran was the biggest loser of this war. However, that's not the case. Despite claims that Iran's nuclear programme has been destroyed, assessments state otherwise. A Pentagon report finds that Tehran's nuclear programme has been pushed back by just a few months. Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi said that the war against his country had failed to achieve its goals. 'I'm not saying they haven't inflicted harm, yes, there was harm,' Araghchi said on Monday. 'But they did not achieve their main goal to strip us completely of all our capabilities or any other goals they may have had.' An Iranian woman holds up her country's flag in an anti-US and anti-Israeli rally at Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) square in downtown Tehran. AP The war has also helped Iran keep up with its narrative of 'defiance'. Despite being continuously bombed by Israel, the Islamic Republic continued to strike back, causing equal damage to Israel. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moreover, through its measured strike on the US' Al Udeid Air Base , Iran showed that it is capable of restraint. It also helped reassert its military dominance to its own citizens. In a televised speech, a spokesman for Iran's Armed Forces said the attacks on the American base in Qatar had been carried out by the Revolutionary Guards Corps. 'We warn our enemies that the era of hit and run is over,' said the spokesman. All in all, it seems that no one won this war. As ITV wrote, the war changed little, other than remind the region that survival is a good substitute for success. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
8 minutes ago
- Time of India
To war or not to war? How the Iran-Israel ceasefire unfolded – and what's next
It began with missile sirens and bunker-busting bombs and ended with a social media post. In less than 48 hours, the world witnessed an extraordinary diplomatic about-turn, as President Donald Trump brokered a sudden ceasefire between Israel and Iran following days of airstrikes, retaliatory missile launches, and a near-miss with a wider regional war. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The chaos reached its peak when Iran fired missiles at a key US base in Qatar, prompting Trump to call both Tel Aviv and Tehran to the negotiating table with blunt threats and unexpected praise. By Tuesday morning, the missiles were (mostly) silent, Israeli jets were recalled mid-air, and the Middle East entered a fragile peace declared not through formal diplomacy but via Truth Social. Trump hailed it as a historic success: 'It was my great honour to Destroy All Nuclear facilities & capability, and then, STOP THE WAR!' But intelligence reports and the reality on the ground suggest the truth is more complicated. While the missiles have stopped for now, questions over the durability of the truce and what comes next loom large. A 48-hour diplomatic scramble The ceasefire talks gathered momentum following the US bombing of three major Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, including Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. In the aftermath, Iran launched a limited missile strike on the US air base at Al-Udeid in Qatar. Though no casualties were reported, the attack prompted a flurry of high-level calls and behind-the-scenes negotiations. According to a senior White House official, Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told him bluntly that no further US military action was forthcoming. Meanwhile, US special envoy Steve Witkoff reached out to Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, urging a return to the negotiating table. 'We're already talking to each other, not just directly, but also through interlocutors,' Witkoff told Fox News. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Iran, while initially denying any agreement, indicated it would halt its attacks if Israel ceased airstrikes by 4am Tehran time. Trump's social media posts acted as both a megaphone and a tool of diplomacy. 'ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION,' he warned after Israeli jets prepared for strikes even after the ceasefire announcement. Vice President JD Vance, caught off-guard during a live interview, confirmed the administration was scrambling to finalise the agreement just as Trump declared it done. The BBC reported that the ceasefire, finalised within 24 hours of the US base attack, followed a period of 'frantic' negotiations involving Qatar, which played a key mediating role. Qatar's prime minister confirmed that Trump had called the Emir directly after the Iranian attack, using the moment as an opening to broker peace. A fragile truce under fire Even after Trump's 'complete and total CEASEFIRE' post, violence continued. Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel after the declared ceasefire time, hitting a residential building in Beersheba and killing four civilians. In response, Israel struck regime targets in Tehran, with officials claiming 'hundreds' of Iranian forces were killed. Despite these violations, both sides later formally accepted the truce. Iran's Araghchi said, 'we have no intention to continue our response' if Israeli attacks stopped, while Netanyahu's office confirmed Israel had achieved its war goals. Trump expressed fury at the continued strikes, accusing both sides of acting recklessly. 'We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f they're doing,' he said before boarding Air Force One to attend the NATO summit. Yet once airborne, Trump again took to social media, declaring: 'All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly 'Plane Wave' to Iran, Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!' At the UN, Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani signalled that diplomacy could still prevail: 'Diplomacy and dialogue are the only path to resolving the unnecessary crisis over Iran's peaceful programme.' What lies ahead? While the missiles have fallen silent, for now, uncertainty looms. A preliminary US intelligence report indicates Iran's nuclear programme may be only months behind schedule not 'destroyed.' Experts warn that Iran still has substantial capability and remains a threat. Vice Admiral Brad Cooper told lawmakers, 'They do,' when asked whether Iran still posed a danger to US troops. The ceasefire opens the door for renewed talks, though questions remain about who in Iran has the authority to negotiate. 'The country's leadership and the regime is not cohesive enough to be able to come to some sort of negotiations at this point,' said Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations. Witkoff insists discussions have already begun and are 'promising.' Trump's strategy bypassing traditional diplomacy and relying on a tight inner circle has unnerved some in Washington. Congressional leaders received little warning before the US strikes, and briefings were abruptly postponed. Still, the administration sees opportunity. 'We didn't blow up the diplomacy,' Vance said. 'Our hope … is that this maybe can reset here.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed: 'The president's made that clear from the very beginning: His preference is to deal with this issue diplomatically.'
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Business Standard
12 minutes ago
- Business Standard
US strikes fell short, only set back Iran's nuclear programme: Pentagon
The assessment was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's intelligence arm, and is in contradiction to the claims made by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu Swati Gandhi New Delhi The United States conducted military strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran. However, the core infrastructure of the programme remained intact. According to an early intelligence assessment reported by CNN, the strikes are believed to have caused only a temporary setback of a few months. The assessment made by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's intelligence arm, stands in contrast to the claims made by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after military strikes targeted nuclear facilities in Iran over the weekend. The strikes came after the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated, with both sides engaging in counterstrikes and no end in sight. The battle damage assessment was conducted by the US Central Command after the strikes carried out over the weekend, the report added. It also suggested that while the Saturday strikes at nuclear sites did significant damage, they were not destroyed completely. It was also reported that before the US strikes hit these facilities, some of Iran's highly enriched uranium was moved out of multiple sites, adding that some of Iran's centrifuges are largely intact. Trump slams media over Iran report US President Donald Trump reacted sharply to the report, denouncing it as 'fake news'. Trump said CNN and The New York Times teamed up to 'demean one of the most successful military strikes in history'. In a statement shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, 'Fake news CNN, together with the failing New York Times, have teamed up in an attempt to demean one of the most successful military strikes in history. The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed! Both the Times and CNN are getting slammed by the public!' Hegseth says bombs hit exact targets Previously, in posts shared on social media, Trump had claimed that the strikes left the sites in Iran 'totally destroyed' and that Iran would never rebuild its nuclear facilities. A similar statement was also made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who noted that Iran's nuclear ambitions have been obliterated. Speaking to CNN, he said, 'Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.' White House calls intel 'flat-out wrong' While the White House acknowledged the assessment, it did not agree with it. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a post on X, wrote, 'This alleged 'assessment' is flat-out wrong and was classified as 'top secret', but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community.' She further said, 'The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran's nuclear programme.' Strike assessment details Israel had been attacking nuclear facilities in Iran for days leading up to the intervention by the US military. However, the assessment revealed that it needed the US' 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs to destroy the facilities. The assessment also noted that the majority of the destruction at the three nuclear locations was limited to surface-level structures. These included significant damage to the power supply systems and certain aboveground facilities involved in converting uranium into bomb-grade metal. Israeli assessment of the impact also found that the US strikes did less damage to Fordow than expected. Israeli officials believed that the combination of US and Israeli actions on the nuclear sites would have pushed Iran's nuclear ambition back by at least two years.
