NBC: U.S. Strikes Only Destroyed One Iranian Nuclear Site
According to a report by NBC News citing five current and former U.S. officials, U.S. Operation Midnight Hammer on Iran’s nuclear facility in Fordow set back the program by two years, but Isfahan and Natanz were not as badly damaged by the attacks and may resume nuclear enrichment in months; the report contradicts President Trump’s claim that the facilities were “totally obliterated” (NBC News, Reuters)
Ayatollah Threatens “Even Bigger Blow” in Case of Renewed U.S. Attack
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on state television that Iran was prepared to respond to any renewed attack on Iranian facilities, adding that the strike would be larger than Iran’s previous attack on the Coalition Air Operations Center at the Al-Udeid base in Qatar (Reuters)
Iran Snapback Sanctions
France’s foreign minister said today in Brussels that, along with Germany and the United Kingdom, France would trigger a UN snapback mechanism to reimpose sanctions on Iran if nuclear talks do not restart by the end of August (The National)
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday that Tehran would respond with unspecified “appropriate and proportionate” measures if the mechanism was used; the spokesperson added that no date has been set for continued U.S.-Iran nuclear talks (Reuters)
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israel Strikes
According to Iran’s Fars news agency, Iranian President Pezeshkian was injured during Israel’s strikes against Tehran on June 16 while attending an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council; Israel has not commented (BBC)
Iran Would Resume Nuclear Talks if Offered Security Assurances
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that if the United States aims to resume nuclear talks with Iran, then there must be “a firm guarantee” that attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities “will not be repeated” (AP)
Outcome of U.S. and Israeli Strikes on Iran
Israeli intelligence indicates that Iran could retrieve some uranium from the three nuclear sites that the U.S. and Israel attacked last month, an unnamed Israeli official told media in Washington; the official added that such retrieval attempts would likely be detected, and that Israel believes Iran’s nuclear program was set back by about two years (BBC)
Separately, the AP has reported that Iran’s retaliatory strike on a U.S. air base in Qatar had hit a dome that stored communications equipment (AP)
Israel Warns of Future Strikes Against Iran
At an air force graduation ceremony, Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said that if Israel is threatened or harmed, Israel will fire back “with greater force” anywhere in Iran (Reuters)
Additionally, in a briefing for reporters, an anonymous senior Israeli official claimed that some of Iran’s stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium survived U.S. and Israeli strikes; the suspected remaining uranium is near-bomb-grade (NYT)
Moreover, the UK Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee released an intelligence report stating that Iran poses a “persistent UK nationals and UK interests”; the Iranian embassy in London claimed the report’s findings were unfounded (BBC)
U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Companies Doing Business With Iran
The U.S. Treasury Department issued new sanctions on twenty-two companies based in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey for their alleged support in selling Iranian oil for the benefit of Iran’s Quds Force (Reuters)
Iran Casts Doubt on U.S. Talks
In a Financial Times op-ed, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran is interested in diplomacy with the United States, but they “have good reason to have doubts about further dialogue” amid U.S. involvement in the conflict with Israel (FT)
After President Donald Trump claimed that the United States and Iran had scheduled talks concerning the future of Iran’s nuclear program, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Iran has not requested a meeting with the United States (Al Jazeera)
Iranian President Open to Dialogue with the United States
In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that while he would be open to discussing Iran and the United States’ long-term relationship, he questioned if Iran could trust the United States again; President Pezeshkian also claimed that Israel tried to assassinate him (Reuters)
BRICS Countries Condemn U.S, Israel over Iran Conflict
At the BRICS Summit in Brazil, the bloc condemned “the military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran since 13 June 2025,” but did not name the United States or Israel (Times ofIsrael/AFP)
Iran Reaffirms Commitment to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
One day after Iran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that Iran is committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and that Iran’s “cooperation with the IAEA will be channeled through Iran’s National Security Council” (Reuters; X)
Iran Suspends IAEA Cooperation
Iran’s law freezing the country’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) took effect today after it was passed by the legislature last week (Reuters)
The UN watchdog, which is responsible for inspecting Iran’s nuclear sites, said it was awaiting more information on the suspension, while Israel called for a sanctions snapback on Iran (WSJ)
Separately, Iran’s foreign minister told CBS regarding nuclear talks with Washington that the “doors of diplomacy will never slam shut” (CBS)
The top Pentagon spokesperson said that recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites had set the country’s nuclear program back by one to two years, the latest in a series of U.S. damage assessments; Trump previously claimed the program had been “obliterated” (WSJ)
Iranian Foreign Ministry Addresses Trump’s Shifting Stance on Sanctions
In a press conference, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry critiqued President Donald Trump’s previous statement that he would stall sanction relief for Iran, saying that Trump’s statements should be considered “in the context of psychological or media games [rather than] a serious expression in favor of dialogue or problem-solving” (Reuters)
Further, an Iranian state newspaper claimed that if IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi enters Iran, he should be tried and sentenced to death because of his ties to Israel’s intelligence agency; France, Germany, and the United Kingdom released a joint statement condemning the threats (France24)
Iran’s judiciary also asserted that 935 Iranian people were killed during the conflict, including 38 children and 132 women (Reuters)
Following this statement, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said that trust in the UN’s nuclear inspection agency had been damaged within Iran (Guardian)
UN Nuclear Watchdog: Iran Could Resume Uranium Enrichment in Months
In an interview that aired today, UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said Iran could begin producing enriched uranium “in a matter of months” despite recent U.S. strikes inflicting a “very serious level of damage” (FT)
Iran’s ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani also claimed that while nuclear inspectors are currently in Iran, they do not have access to the facilities targeted by U.S. strikes and that Iran’s aspirations for nuclear enrichment may not “ever stop” (CBS)
Six days following an Israeli attack on Evin Prison in Tehran, a facility where dissidents and political prisoners are held, a spokesperson for Iranian state media said that seventy-one people were killed, including detainees, visiting relatives, and prison staff; names were not released, and Israel’s defense ministry did not comment on the matter (NYT)
Meanwhile, chief of staff for Iran’s armed forces Abdolrahim Mousavi met with Saudi Arabia’s defense minister and allegedly said that Iran was ready to mount a strong retaliation if Israel acts aggressively again (AP)
Khamenei Reiterates Vow to Never Surrender as Iran Holds State Funeral
Thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran to mourn the deaths of roughly sixty prominent figures in Iran’s military who were killed during the twelve-day conflict with Israel; participants reportedly chanted “death to America” and “death to Israel” (NYT)
Although Ayatollah Khamenei was not present at the funeral, he claimed in a post on X that America wants Iran to surrender, but “such a thing will never happen” (X)
Meanwhile, satellite images of the Natanz Enrichment Complex, one of the main targets of the U.S. strikes, suggest that Iran may have started repair operations at the site (ISW)
Additionally, Iranian Supreme Leader Advisor Ali Shamkhani, speaking to the media for the first time since the start of the conflict, said that the nuclear negotiations in the months leading up to Israel’s attacks were a plan to spark protests and unrest within Iran (ISW)
This was Shamkhani’s first public appearance after he was previously believed to have been killed by Israeli airstrikes (CNN)
Trump Delays Sanctions Relief to Iran, Responds to Khamenei
Following remarks from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claiming that Iran had successfully repelled U.S. strikes, President Donald Trump stated that the United States would halt plans to ease sanctions (Axios)
Trump also claimed on social media that he rejected Israel’s plan to assassinate Khamenei (Axios)
United States Pursues Diplomacy with Israel and Iran
The Donald Trump administration continues to be in “close communication” with the Iranians, the White House press secretary said, though Iran’s foreign minister said that Tehran does not currently have plans to meet with Washington next week (CBS News;Times of Israel)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the aftermath of Israel-Iran hostilities presents “an opportunity for a dramatic widening” of talks, mentioning the ongoing conflict in Gaza (Reuters)
In his first public appearance since June 19, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed that Iran was “victorious” in the war and delivered a “hand slap to America’s face” (AP)
Khamenei also stated that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities did “not achieve anything significant” (AP)
Meanwhile, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi said that the centrifuges at Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility were “no longer operational” (NYT)
U.S. and international officials have issued varying reports about the fate of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium; the White House said yesterday that there was “no indication” that any of the enriched uranium was moved ahead of the U.S. strikes—contradicting Grossi’s assessment this week that “the evidence points to their moving out a lot of it” (NYT)
Israel-Iran Truce Appears to Hold
Trump said Washington and Tehran will hold talks next week; he cautioned that the talks might not result in a new nuclear agreement but that “we want no nuclear” (NYT)
Iran did not immediately confirm plans for talks, though U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said the two countries had been in touch in recent days (Bloomberg)
Additionally, President Trump claimed that a leaked report from the Defense Intelligence Agency, which stated that the damage to the Iranian nuclear sites attacked by the United States did not fully obliterate the Iranian facilities, was inaccurate; President Trump claimed that the damage may be “very severe”, and asserted that the U.S. strikes were the reason that the war between Israel and Iran was over (Reuters)
CIA Director John Ratcliffe also claimed that U.S. airstrikes last week “severely damaged” Iran’s nuclear facilities, adding that several of the facilities would need to be rebuilt over years (NYT)
Following the leak of the document, the Trump administration revealed plans to limit sharing classified information with Congress, and the FBI is investigating the situation (Axios)
Separately, Iran’s legislature approved a bill to suspend its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and require the country’s top security council to approve any future inspections, state-linked media reported (Reuters)
Iran’s government also executed three people accused of spying for Israel, and Iranian authorities have arrested more than seven hundred people in recent days, reports from semi-official news agencies said; the crackdown comes after Israeli media aired footage that appeared to show Israeli agents firing weapons from inside Iran (NBC)
Human rights groups have warned that Iranian authorities could sweep up innocent people (Amnesty)
Israel, Iran Accused of Violating Ceasefire Within Hours of Trump’s Announcement
Trump wrote last night on social media that both Iran and Israel would cease their attacks on each other in the next twelve hours (Axios)
Shortly after the ceasefire was due to take effect, Israel’s defense minister accused Iran of launching missile attacks and ordered Israel to respond militarily (AP)
A post on Iran’s state television Telegram channel denied ordering the launch (WaPo)
Both Israel and Iran acknowledged the truce, which Trump said he would work to shore up as he departed for a NATO summit today (FT)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said soon afterwards that Israel had achieved its war goals and agreed to the ceasefire in coordination with Trump (AP)
Iranian state television framed news of the truce as an Iranian military victory (NYT)
While world leaders and the UN nuclear chief welcomed the truce announcement, some also expressed caution (NYT)
French President Emmanuel Macron warned, “the situation remains volatile and unstable” (NYT). Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote yesterday on social media that Iran’s “final decision” on ending the conflict would come at a later date (X)
Furthermore, President Trump stated that he does not want regime change in Iran, saying that it would bring “chaos” (AP)
Three days after the U.S. military strike on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency reported that the core components of Iran’s nuclear program were not destroyed and that the project was likely set back “a few months”, as opposed to President Trump’s claim that the facilities were “completely and totally obliterated” (CNN)
The Trump administration cancelled plans for classified intelligence briefings with U.S. lawmakers (AP)
Finally, Trump wrote on social media that China would be allowed to keep buying oil from Iran, appearing to contradict U.S. sanctions policy (Bloomberg)
An unnamed White House official told news outlets that Trump was referring to the fact that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open (WSJ)
Iran Launches Retaliatory Attack on U.S. Air Base in Qatar
Two days after the United States struck Iranian nuclear sites, Iran’s government launched missiles at U.S. forces at the Coalition Air Operations Center at Al-Udeid in Qatar; Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said its air defenses prevented the attack and that there were no casualties (AP)
Trump wrote on social media that Iran gave the United States “early notice” and no Americans had been harmed (Truth Social)
Iranian state television described the attack as “a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America’s aggression” (Business Insider)
Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, where the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters are stationed (AP). Countries including China, Pakistan, and Russia said this weekend’s U.S. strikes on Iran violated international law, while Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia expressed concern about mounting escalations (AP)
In a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Putin considered the aggression against Iran “unfounded and unjustified” yet did not directly call out the United States or Israel, and did not offer any tangible military or economic commitments to Iran (NYT)
Oil prices have been jittery amid the possibility that Tehran could try to close the Strait of Hormuz to shipping in retaliation (Bloomberg)
U.S. President Donald Trump sent a warning message on his Truth Social account, telling “everyone,” presumably U.S. oil companies, to keep their oil prices low; he wrote that he is “watching” if they do raise prices, which would play “right into the hands of the enemy” (CNBC)
Meanwhile, Israel and Iran continued to trade strikes overnight (CBS)
Israeli strikes targeted the Evin prison in Tehran and access routes to the Fordow uranium enrichment plant (BBC)
Iran reported at least one death at Evin prison (BBC)
Iranian attacks on Israel targeted an industrial area in Ashdod, near a power station, causing disruptions to some electrical supplies (BBC)
Israel reported four deaths after an Iranian strike on a residential building (NYT)
Iranian state TV reported that its attack was part of its “Operation True Promise 3,” which is targeting Haifa and Tel Aviv (AP)
The attacks are unlikely to stop soon, as the Israel Defense Forces’ Persian-language X account posted a warning to Iranian citizens that they would continue attacking the Tehran area, specifically “weapons production centers, military headquarters, and security institutions affiliated with the regime” (X)
An Iranian official told CNN that the government wants the United States to “directly pay for the war rather than standing behind Israel,” and that Iran is prepared to fight a two-year war (CNN)
Hegseth Addresses Press After Iran Strikes
U.S. officials and independent experts gave conflicting accounts of the damage to Iran’s nuclear sites as a result of the weekend strikes (NPR)
In a press conference at the Pentagon, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth echoed President Trump’s statements from last night, stating the operation “devastated the Iranian nuclear program,” while Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine indicated that the exact extent of the damage remains to be seen but that the attacks represented the largest B-2 strike in U.S. history (NPR)
Iran may have removed some of its highly-enriched uranium stockpile ahead of the strikes, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said (NYT)
Trump encouraged the possibility of Iranian regime change in a social media post (FT)
Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that Tehran will review all possible responses and indicated that diplomacy will begin only after retaliation (Reuters)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the United States “must receive a response for their aggression” (BBC)
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on the escalation (AP)
Early this morning, Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel, hitting four sites across the country and wounding at least twenty-one people, according to Israeli sources (CBS)
United States Bombs Iranian Nuclear Sites
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media that U.S. warplanes conducted strikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan (WaPo)
He addressed the American public following the strikes, claiming to have “completely and totally obliterated” the key nuclear enrichment facilities and vowing further “tragedy for Iran” if it does not pursue peace (ABC)
Trump met with his National Security Council to decide whether to directly enter the conflict before the announcement (NYT)
Earlier in the day, the Israel Defense Forces claimed the killing of Behnam Shahriyari, a commander from Iran’s Quds Force’s Weapons Transfer Unit, in a strike in western Iran; Shahriyari was described as responsible for weapons transfers to Iranian proxies across the Middle East and for financing and arming terrorist organizations targeting Israel (CNN)
Israel also said it killed Saeed Izadi, who was responsible for financing and arming Hamas for its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel (Reuters)
Iran and Israel Trade Airstrikes
Israel targeted Iranian industrial sites involved in the production of missiles and launch infrastructure components, including Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, areas near Kermanshah and Tabriz in western Iran, and the city of Rasht; casualties were not confirmed (AP)
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said that Israel “will not stop… until Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled… until its war machine is disarmed… [and until Israelis and Iranians] are safe” (Reuters)
The Israel Defense Forces’ Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, said that Israeli forces have eliminated Iran’s senior command and destroyed roughly half of its missile launchers; these claims have not been corroborated (Times of Israel)
Meanwhile, Iran launched airstrikes throughout Israel, including in Haifa, injuring at least seventeen people (CNN)
An Israeli military school for software and cyber defense office building in southern Israel was reportedly damaged (WaPo)
Officials from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas met with Iranian officials in Geneva; the outcome of the talks has not yet been reported (Reuters)
Furthermore, Saad Al Kaabi, Qatar’s energy minister and CEO of QatarEnergy, reportedly met with energy officials and companies to warn of the risks the ongoing war poses to the global gas supply; estimates suggest that if Qatar’s liquefied natural gas operations are disrupted, roughly 20 percent of the global supply could be cut off. (Reuters)
The Trump administration also launched new sanctions on Iran’s weapons programs, targeting businesses, cargo ships, and a Chinese individual who allegedly supplied Iran with machinery and research that contributed to Iran’s missile, unmanned aerial vehicle, and asymmetric weapons programs (CNN)
A spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that if Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is assassinated or if the United States directly involves itself in the conflict, there will be “dangerous” consequences and could open a “pandora’s box” that could lead to unforeseen effects (Politico)
Iranian Missile Strike Hits Israeli Hospital
In Beersheba, an Irani missile barrage that allegedly targeted a nearby military site struck the Soroka hospital, injuring 271 people (BBC)
Following the attack, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed Israel’s military to intensify its attacks on strategic and government targets in Tehran (NPR)
Israeli forces, meanwhile, targeted the Arak heavy water reactor 155 miles southwest of Tehran that could produce plutonium, causing unspecified damage to the facility (AP)
Israeli strikes also hit the area of Natanz, a center of Iran’s nuclear program, which had been targeted in previous barrages (Reuters)
Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that “no one is immune,” when discussing the possibility of an attack targeting Irani Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Times of Israel)
In the United States, President Donald Trump has reportedly still not made a final decision on U.S. involvement in the conflict; the White House stated that he will decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military will get directly involved in the conflict, possibly by using American “bunker-buster” bombs to attack Iran’s Fordow nuclear site (AP)
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said that if the U.S. were to get involved in Israeli strikes, there would be “hell for the whole region”, and later added that this is “not America’s war” (BBC)
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington today, posting on social media afterward that “a window now exists” for a diplomatic solution to concerns over Iran’s nuclear activities (X)