Netanyahu says Israel close to meeting its goals in Iran
Israel is very close to completing its goal of removing the dual threats of Iran's ballistic missiles and nuclear programme, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.
He promised not to let Israel be dragged into a war of attrition but also said he would not end the Iran campaign prematurely.
'We won't pursue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve them, but we also won't finish too soon. When the objectives are achieved, then the operation is complete and the fighting will stop,' he told Israeli reporters.
'I have no doubt that this is a regime that wants to wipe us out, and that's why we embarked on this operation to eliminate the two concrete threats to our existence: the nuclear threat, the ballistic missile threat. We are moving step by step towards achieving these goals. We are very, very close to completing them,' he said.
He said Iran's Fordow nuclear site had been very badly damaged by US bunker-buster bombs overnight but the extent of damage remained to be seen. Tehran has vowed to defend itself at all costs.
Asked about the whereabouts of Iran's 60% enriched uranium, Netanyahu said: 'We've been following that very closely. I can tell you that it's an important component of a nuclear programme.
'It's not the sole component. It's not a sufficient component. But it is an important component and we have interesting intel on that, which you will excuse me if I don't share with you,' he said.
At least until Israel's first strikes against its enrichment installations on June 13, Iran was refining uranium to up to 60% purity, a short step from the roughly 90% that is bomb-grade and far higher than the 3.67% cap imposed by a 2015 nuclear deal, which Iran respected until the year after US President Donald Trump pulled out in 2018.
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Hindustan Times
30 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
US claims strikes on Iran's nuclear sites caused severe damage but full impact unclear
Jun 23, 2025 05:50 AM IST The US military's strike on three sites in Iran raised urgent questions Sunday about what remains of Tehran's nuclear program and how its weakened military might respond. A combination picture shows satellite images over Fordow underground complex, before and after the U.S. struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran, June 20, 2025 (L) and June 22, 2025.(Reuters) The decision to directly involve the US comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. Follow LIVE updates. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-pound (13,600-kilogram) bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground. Also Read | US warns Iran against closing Strait of Hormuz: 'It's economic suicide' 'At this time, no one, including the (International Atomic Energy Agency), is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordo,' said U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi. President Donald Trump announced the strikes. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that attacks targeted the country's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. Iran's foreign minister said Iran reserves the right to retaliate.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Ripples Spread Across World as US Bombs Iran Nuke Trinity
The US inserted itself into the Iran-Israel war by destroying Iranian nuclear sites — at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — with bunker busting bombs in the wee hours of Sunday, making very real the threat of a wider conflict. US President Donald Trump said, 'Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace' or face more devastating attacks. The Pentagon later said US doesn't want to pursue war with Iran. Iran foreign affairs minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would consider all possible responses. There would be no return to diplomacy until it had retaliated, he said. The country's Parliament has approved closing of the Hormuz Strait, through which around 20% of global oil and gas flows. The decision will be finalised by its Supreme National Security Council. Gulf states, home to multiple US military bases, were on high alert. Saudi Arabia upped security, while Bahrain urged drivers to avoid main roads and Kuwait set up shelters. Nuclear authorities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE said they had not detected signs of nuclear contamination. Türkiye said the US strikes had raised the risk of the regional conflict spreading globally. In Europe, leaders of Britain, France and Germany urged Iran not to take any actions that would further destabilise the region. "We have consistently been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and can no longer pose a threat to regional security,' said an E3 joint statement. 'We call upon Iran to engage in negotiations leading to an agreement that addresses all concerns associated with its nuclear programme. We stand ready to contribute to that goal in coordination with all parties,' they said. The E3 also confirmed their support for the security of Israel, the statement said. Russia and China strongly condemned the bombing. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Trump's decision to 'target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the US will change history.' Tehran vowed to defend itself at all costs. It fired another volley of missiles at Israel that wounded scores of people and flattened buildings in Tel Aviv. But perhaps in an effort to avert all-out war with the US, it had yet to follow through on its main threats of retaliation against the US itself — either by targeting American bases or trying to choke off global oil supplies. An advisory from the Department of Homeland Security warned of a 'heightened threat environment in the US.' Speaking in Istanbul, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called for condemnation of the US attacks by the UN Security Council, which is due to meet later on Sunday. 'The US showed they have no respect for international law. They only understand the language of threat and force,' he said. Trump, announcing the strikes in a televised address, called them 'a spectacular military success'. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' defense secretary Pete Hegseth said. 'The president authorised a precision operation to neutralise the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear programme.' Satellite images obtained following the attack appeared to show damage both to the mountain above the site and to entrances nearby. Meanwhile, Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency , announced an emergency meeting of its board of governors on Monday. IAEA said no increases in off-site radiation levels had been reported after the US strikes. A senior Iranian source said that most of the highly enriched uranium at Fordo had been moved elsewhere before the attack. While it is clear that US airstrikes had hit the Fordo site, it was not yet possible to assess the damage done underground there, Grossi said.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Inside Iran, Under Its Nose, How Mossad Built A Secret Network That Crippled Tehran
Israel-Iran War: Recent events suggest the ground war between Israel and Iran had begun long before bombs fell from the sky. Israeli intelligence agents, particularly from Mossad, have been operating covertly within Iran for years, mapping out key targets and preparing a series of precision attacks. Iranian leaders had long suspected foreign infiltration within their security forces. But identifying Mossad's footprint is difficult. Israel rarely confirms its covert actions, and other intelligence services could have played roles as well. Still, mounting evidence indicates Mossad played a central part in identifying and preparing the bomb sites. Early media reports and whispers from within Israeli circles point to a sophisticated campaign. Places like antiaircraft missile depots, submarine defences, command centres and individual military figures were simultaneously hit with pinpoint accuracy. These attacks were possible thanks to extensive on-the-ground intelligence gathered over months and years. Attacks did not stop at weapons systems; they also struck at Iran's internal intelligence networks. The impact has been palpable. And in their wake, tension and confusion have gripped Iran's military leadership. Nine days into the strikes, Iran's Revolutionary Guard circulated a warning to their own teams: halt your use of personal devices – phones, laptops and smartwatches – especially those linked to communication networks. The advisory extended to ordinary citizens too, signaling fears of deep digital breaches. That is a public show of cyber security alarm rarely seen – evidence that the breaches hit deeper than missile silos. The operation inside Iran went far beyond reconnaissance. According to Western and Israeli media, nearly complete weapon systems were assembled on Iranian soil. These included precision-guided missiles and drones, built using imported components smuggled via hidden channels through Iraqi truck convoys, cargo containers and even tourist luggage. Critical parts such as electronic fuzes, electro-optical cameras, lithium batteries and GPS kits were quietly delivered underground to Mossad's secret sites. In Tehran's suburbs, officials discovered a three-story building serving as a covert drone workshop. Local TV showed one drone intact, wings and control units lined up and even a 3D printer likely used for manufacturing drone parts. Iran has arrested two suspected Mossad agents on June 16 at separate sites. They were found with over 200 kilogrammes of explosives, parts for 23 drones, launchers, control gear and a Nissan vehicle – suggesting serious weaponisation efforts. In Isfahan, home to several nuclear sites, the Iranian police raided a workshop full of drone and micro-drone parts. Four people were detained. Reports indicate that these drones were being assembled locally using 3D printers and locally sourced parts, likely to avoid supply chain exposure and detection. Media sources cannot be independently confirmed, but Iranian agencies have a history of detaining alleged spies, sometimes releasing them after later declaring innocence. The precision aspect extended beyond drones. Spy cables shared with Iran's Press TV mentioned seizure of remote-controlled 'spike' missile launchers, specifically modified to strike Iran's air defense systems. These devices were not mounted on vehicles or drones, but placed camouflaged on tripods and remotely controlled from afar with satellite antennas and optical trackers. Last seen in action in 2020, such remote-controlled weapons even killed a leading Iranian nuclear scientist. All evidence suggests Mossad is employing a mix of drones, missiles and electronic warfare to neutralise Iranian defenses before the bombs hit. Beyond hardware, Mossad's plan included striking at the heart of Iranian leadership. Spikes and other weapon systems were reportedly used in assassination-style attacks on mid-ranking military leaders. These were not broad swaths of violence instead, precise actions aimed at the people who held command and control within Iran's armed forces. Notably, two senior IRGC intelligence commanders were targeted in successive strikes – with one commander's killing followed just days later by another's death, believed to be from the same covert operation. According to a recent report by the Hudson Institute, these operations reflect long-term planning. Over years, intelligence from agents on the ground was combined with real-time monitoring and then turned into destructive ground actions. This is not a simple drone strike. It is a layered and highly calculated campaign whose foundations were laid long before the first missile flew. Mossad's operations in Iran illustrate a new model of covert warfare where human networks, advanced weaponry and cyber tactics combine on enemy soil. No longer reliant solely on airstrikes, Israel has quietly built a playbook for strategic sabotage from beneath Iran's own watchful eyes.
