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IDF: Iran's Nuclear Program Set Back Years + Iran Foreign Ministry: Nuclear Facilities "Badly Damaged" + NATO Agrees to Increase Spending to 5% GDP + More Jun 25, 2025

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For review:

1. In a video statement on Tuesday summing up the war against Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel “achieved a historic victory” that would “abide for generations."

“Now, the focus returns to Gaza, to bringing the hostages home and toppling Hamas rule,” he added.

2. IDF: Iran's Nuclear Program Set Back Years.

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brigadier General Effi Defrin said Wednesday: "I can say here that the assessment is that we significantly damaged the nuclear program, and I can also say that we set it back by years, I repeat, years.”

3. Iran Foreign Ministry: Nuclear Facilities "Badly Damaged." Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei on Wednesday conceded the Sunday strikes by American B-2 bombers using bunker-buster bombs had been significant.

4. Iran has, over the last 12 days, arrested more than 700 people accused of ties with Israel, state-linked media reported Wednesday.

5. The United States and Qatar said Wednesday that the ceasefire in Iran has created an opportunity to advance truce-hostage talks they are mediating between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

6. NATO Agrees to Boost Spending to 5% GDP. The 5% GDP figure is a bit of a workaround, with 3.5% for core defense tasks and an additional 1.5% on measures that support defense and security- such as cyber defense.

7. The United Kingdom announced today it will buy “at least” 12 F-35As and will use the jets to “join NATO’s dual capable nuclear mission” in what it called a “major boost” for the alliance’s security.

President Trump Announces Ceasefire Agreement between Israel and Iran + Iran Fires Missiles at US Base in Qatar - No Injuries + IAF Launches Extensive Strikes in Tehran + NATO Summit Begins Tomorrow Jun 23, 2025

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For review:

1.President Trump Announces Ceasefire Agreement between Israel and Iran.

There was no immediate Israeli comment on President Trump’s announcement.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later insisted on X that “as of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations.”

He said, however, that the Islamic Republic would not launch further attacks if Israel immediately ceased strikes.

2. Many questions remain after Sunday’s strikes, especially about the whereabouts of Iran’s sensitive stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent.

IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi on Monday demanded access to Iran’s nuclear sites, saying the agency needs to “account for” the uranium stockpile.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had “interesting intelligence” on the matter, declining to elaborate.

3. Iran Fires Missiles at US Base in Qatar - No Injuries. The strikes targeted the Al Udeid air base in Qatar, which is used by local forces as well as American, British and other foreign troops.

4. IAF Launches Extensive Strikes in Tehran. Another wave of “extensive” strikes carried out by over 50 IAF fighter jets hit “military headquarters of the Iranian regime, missile production sites, radar systems, and missile storage infrastructure” in the Tehran area, the military said.

5. NATO Summit Begins Tomorrow.

The NATO summit will be held at The Hague in the Netherlands from June 24-25.

US CJCS: 7 x B2 Bombers Dropped 14 x GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrators + IAEA Chief on Fordo: "Clear Indications of Impacts...Cannot Announce Degree of Damage + World Reaction Jun 22, 2025

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For review:

1. US CJCS: 7 x B2 Bombers Dropped 14 x GBU-57/B MOP Bombs.

2. IAEA Chief on Fordo: "Clear Indications of Impacts...Cannot Announce Degree of Damage.

3. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Sunday morning of “everlasting consequences” after the American military had carried out an attack” on the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites in Iran.

4. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation that he would be traveling to Moscow later in the day to hold “serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow.”

5. World Reaction.

6. Israeli PM Netanyahu on Iran Campaign: “We won’t pursue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve [the goals], but we also won’t finish too soon- vowing to avoid entering a war of attrition. When the objectives are achieved, then the operation is complete and the fighting will stop,” he told Israeli reporters.

7. The bodies of three slain hostages, Ofra Keidar, Jonathan Samerano, and Staff Sgt. Shay Levinson, were recovered in a joint military and Shin Bet operation from the Gaza Strip overnight, the IDF announces.

8. Israel's Campaign continues: According to the IDF, some 30 fighter jets carried out bombing missions in four areas of Iran earlier Sunday, targeting missile and drone sites.

A second sortie later Sunday involved 20 planes dropping 30 bombs on various sites, including in the capital, Tehran.

9. Current and former senior officials in the Israeli security establishment are cited by Ynet’s Ronen Bergman as saying the US may ultimately unilaterally declare a ceasefire in Iran.

US Strikes Iranian Nuclear Sites at Fordo, Natanz, & Isfahan + NY Times Report: Iran Supreme Leader Has Nominated Potential Successors + IDF Eliminates Three More IRGC Commanders Jun 21, 2025

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For review:

1. US Strikes Iranian Nuclear Sites at Fordo, Natanz, & Isfahan.

2. NY Times Report: Iran Supreme Leader Has Nominated Potential Successors.

3. IDF Eliminates Three More IRGC Commanders.

IAF Destroys Missile Launchers and Storage Sites in Tabriz & Kermanshah + Iran Launches Another Missile with Cluster Warhead + 5 x US Navy Guided Missile Destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea Jun 20, 2025

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For review:

1. On Thursday night, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem offered "all forms of support" to Iran in its fight against Israel and the US.

2. On Friday, the Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck several Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon, the IDF says.

3. Iran Launches Another Missile with Cluster Warhead. The apparent targeting of Beersheba with a cluster bomb came after the IDF Home Front Command on Thursday confirmed that Iran had launched at least one ballistic missile carrying a cluster bomb warhead at central Israel.

4. Reports from Tehran said that an IDF drone targeted and killed an Iranian nuclear scientist who had been holed up in a safe house. The Israel Defense Forces have not yet commented on the reported strike.

5. IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said Friday that Israelis must prepare for a “prolonged campaign” against Iran- indicating that a quick end to the campaign was unlikely.

6. A meeting between Iran’s foreign minister and top European diplomats on Friday yielded hopes of further talks but no indication of any immediate concrete breakthrough. Foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany, as well as the European Union’s foreign policy chief (Kaja Kallas)- met with Iran’s Foreign Minister (Abbas Araghchi).

7. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced plans to boost production of medium- and long-range missiles so no country dares attack Turkey.

8. 5 x US Navy Guided Missile Destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea.

IDF Strikes Heavy Water Reactor at Arak & Khondab + Iranian Missile Hits Hospital in Beersheba + US Moving Ships and Planes from Vulnerable Sites Jun 19, 2025

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For review:

1. Iran has appointed a new chief of intelligence at its Revolutionary Guards on Thursday, the official Irna news agency says, after his predecessor was killed in an Israeli strike last week.

2. IDF Strikes Heavy Water Reactor at Arak & Khondab.

3. The IAEA confirmed Thursday that IDF strikes had hit Iran’s partially built Khondab Heavy Water Research Reactor and damaged the nearby plant

“IAEA has information the Khondab (former Arak) heavy water research reactor, under construction, was hit. It was not operational and contained no nuclear material, so no radiological effects."

4. Iranian Missile Hits Hospital in Beersheba.

5. Iranian missile barrage on Thursday contained cluster-bomb warhead.

The IDF Home Front Command said the missile’s warhead split while descending, at an altitude of around 7 kilometers (4.3 miles), spreading around 20 smaller munitions at a radius of around 8 kilometers (5 miles).

6. Missile strike on Beersheba Hospital raises temperature on regime-change questions.

7. White House Statement (from President Trump): “Based on the fact that there is a chance for substantial negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future — I will make my decision on whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”

8. US Moving Ships and Planes from Vulnerable Sites.

9. Iran could shut the Strait of Hormuz as a way of hitting back against its enemies, a senior Iranian lawmaker said on Thursday.

The Strait of Hormuz lies between Oman and Iran and is the primary export route for Gulf producers such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait.

About 20 percent of the world’s daily oil consumption — around 18 million barrels — passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which is only about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point.

US President On Order to Strike Iran: "I may do it, I may not do it" + Iran Supreme Leader: US Involvement Will "Result in Irreparable Damage" + IDF Evacuation Warning Near Heavy Water Reactor at Arak & Khondab Jun 19, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva, a German diplomatic source told Reuters.

2. Iran Supreme Leader: US Involvement Will "Result in Irreparable Damage." “Americans should know that any military involvement by the US will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage to them.”

3. Iranian media said that Israel briefly hacked state television broadcast on Wednesday.

4. Iran announced Wednesday heavier internet curbs, accusing Israel of misusing the network for military purposes. Critics accused the regime of restricting internet use in order to prevent internal unrest amid the instability caused by the Israeli offensive.

5. In a letter to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Iran of seeking to “annihilate” Israel through its nuclear program, its plan to build thousands of ballistic missiles, and attacks on the Jewish state by its numerous terror proxies in the region.

6. The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday issued a public message in Persian calling on Iranians worried about the situation in the country — to consider contacting Mossad.

7. The IDF warns residents of the cities of Arak and Khondab in central Iran to evacuate for their safety. A heavy-water reactor is on the outskirts of Khondab.

8. “I may do it, I may not do it,” President Donald Trump said in an exchange with reporters at the White House amid growing speculation the US could be on the verge of joining the Israeli offensive.

9. Senior officials in the US are getting ready for a possible strike on Iran in the coming days, Bloomberg News Outlet reports, citing “people familiar with the matter.”

Some of the sources say that a strike over the weekend is a possibility.

IAEA Statement: Direct Impacts on Underground Enrichment Halls at Natanz + Iran Supreme Leader Defiant : "No mercy" + IDF Kills Latest Top General of Iranian Armed Forces + Will US Bunker-Busters Be Used at Fordo? Jun 17, 2025

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For review:

1. Iran Supreme Leader Defiant : "No mercy."

Iran fired a pair of ballistic missile barrages at Israel early Wednesday, as Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared “the battle begins” and called to show “no mercy” toward Israelis.

2. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issues an evacuation warning for part of Tel Aviv, according to Iranian news agencies.

3. Iran has prepared missiles and other measures for potential strikes against US forces in the Middle East, (New York Times reports). The Iranian military is planning the possible attacks as a retaliatory measure if American forces join Israel’s strikes against Iran, the report says, citing American officials.

4. Iran has been launching smaller salvos of missiles at Israel over the past two days because its capabilities have been degraded by Israeli strikes, the IDF believes.

5. In an interview with the London-based opposition outlet Iran International on Monday, PM Netanyahu responded to a question on whether eliminating Iran’s ruler was on the table, saying, “I’m not gonna get into specific targets because I’m leaving that open.”

6. IDF Kills Latest Senior General of Iranian Armed Forces. An airstrike Monday night killed Major General Ali Shadmani, the new head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, also known as Iran’s military emergency command.

7. IAEA Statement: Direct Impacts on Underground Enrichment Halls at Natanz.

On Tuesday, the IAEA said on X: “Based on continued analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery collected after Friday’s attacks, the IAEA has identified additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz.”

8. Will US Bunker-Busters Be Used at Fordo?

The US GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb: The roughly 30,000 pound (13,600 kilogram) precision-guided bomb is designed to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the US Air Force.

It’s believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding.

9. US President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that he is seeking Iran’s “Unconditional Surrender” and that Washington is only holding off on assassinating Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “for now.”

10. USS Nimitz (CVN-68) sailed west through the Singapore Strait Monday, bound for the Indian Ocean (and Middle East Region).

Israeli PM on Targeting Iranian Supreme Leader: "We're Doing What We Need to Do" + Iran Strikes Oil Refinery in Haifa + IDF Reports One Third of Iran's Missile Launchers Destroyed Jun 16, 2025

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For review:

1. Israeli PM on Targeting Iranian Supreme Leader: "We're Doing What We Need to Do." Targeting the Iranian Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) would be a surefire way to “end the conflict” with the Islamic Republic.

2. Eight people were killed by Iranian ballistic missiles that slammed into Israeli cities in at least five locations early Monday, and nearly 300 others were injured, as the conflict entered a fourth day.

3. Iran Strikes Oil Refinery in Haifa.

4. IDF bombed an Iranian refueling plane at Mashhad Airport in northeast Iran, some 2,300 kilometers (1,430 miles) from Israel, marking what it said was the most distant strike since the beginning of the operation.

5. IDF Reports One Third of Iran's Missile Launchers Destroyed.

6. Israel bombed Iran’s state broadcaster building in Tehran on Monday evening, after issuing a large and unprecedented evacuation warning for one of the capital’s most central districts.

7. Reuters Report: Tehran had asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press (President) Trump to influence Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire in return for Tehran’s flexibility in nuclear negotiations, citing two Iranian and three regional sources.

Israeli PM & President Visit Site of Deadly Missile Strike at Bat Yam + IDF Warns Citizens of Tehran to Evacuate + IDF Strikes Oil Refineries, Fuel Depots, and Gas Fields + More Jun 15, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. The UN conference hosted by France and Saudi Arabia to work toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday. France and Saudi Arabia had been set to host the gathering between June 17-20 in New York.

2. Israel smuggled attack drones into Iran using a variety of means, including trucks, shipping containers, and even suitcases, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing sources familiar with the Mossad operation.

3. Israeli PM & President Visit Site of Deadly Missile Strike in Bat Yam.

4. IDF Warns Citizens of Tehran to Evacuate. Widespread Israeli Air Force strikes were reported in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Sunday afternoon, hours after the IDF issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for Iranian civilians to evacuate areas around weapons factories.

5. Some Iranians began to flee the capital, Tehran, on Sunday as Israeli airstrikes continued to target military infrastructure and nuclear facilities across the Islamic Republic for a third day.

6. IDF Strikes Oil Refineries, Fuel Depots, and Gas Fields.

7. Iran has asked Cyprus to convey “some messages” to Israel, the President President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday. However, Iran swiftly denied the claim, with its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei saying Iran did not send any message to Israel via a third country.

8. US President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a 50-minute phone call Saturday to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East, the White House and Kremlin confirmed.

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