US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend did not destroy the country’s nuclear program and only set back Tehran's program by only a matter of months, a preliminary US intelligence assessment has determined.
It comes after Donald Trump claimed he “stopped the war” as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to hold.
Referring to the US attack on three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday, the US president posted on Truth Social on Tuesday: “It was my great honor to Destroy All Nuclear facilities & capability, and then, STOP THE WAR!”
A furious Mr Trump earlier accused both the Iranian and Israeli militaries of violating the ceasefire just hours after it came into effect. They don’t know what the f*** they’re doing,” the US president said of both countries.
Israel said Iran had fired missiles on Tuesday morning, prompting defence minister Israel Katz to vow a forceful response on the heart of Tehran – but Mr Trump later ordered Israel to “not drop those bombs”. Tehran, meanwhile, has claimed that Israel continued firing at Iran until 9am local time.
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Key points
- Trump claims he's ‘stopped war’ as fragile Israel-Iran ceasefire appears to hold
- Netanyahu declares historic win and commits to campaign against Iran axis and Hamas
- US strikes only set back Iran's nuclear program by few months, source says US intelligence report suggests
- Iran's president congratulates Iran on 'great victory' and ending war, media report
- Trump to Israel: 'Do not bomb Iran, it will be a major violation'
- 'They don't know what the f*** they're doing': Trump's full quotes on Israel and Iran
JD Vance celebrates Iran bombing victory during home state visit
03:30
,
Rachel Dobkin
Vice President JD Vance visited his home state of Ohio Tuesday evening, making a keynote speech at the Ohio Republican Party Dinner in Lima.
During his remarks, Vance celebrated the U.S. striking three of Iran’s nuclear sites over the weekend, which was the culmination of a conflict between Israel, America’s biggest ally in the Middle East, and Iran over its advancing pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Vance recalled what the president told him in the Situation Room a few days ago.
“Mr. Vice President, you don’t have to call him the supreme leader, but you would if the guy had a nuclear weapon,” Vance recalled Trump telling him of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Vance continued in his own words: “Because the leverage that nuclear weapons give you to destabilize the world, to destroy our economic interests, to destroy our national security interests — you don’t want the worst people in the world to have a nuclear weapon.”
There has been some division among Trump’s Make America Great Again base, as some have criticized the president for getting involved in a foreign conflict.
In response to these critiques, Vance explained Trump’s thinking in what he calls the “Trump Doctrine.”
“Number one, you articulate a clear American interest, and that’s, in this case, that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. Number two, you try to aggressively, diplomatically, solve that problem. And number three, when you can’t solve it diplomatically, you use overwhelming military power to solve it and then you get the hell out of there before it ever becomes a protracted conflict,” he said.
Watch: Trump arrives at NATO summit after blasting Iran-Israel ceasefire violation
03:00
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s Iran bombing raid on nuclear sites: poll
02:00
,
Rebecca Whittaker
A new CNN poll reveals that a majority of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The survey from CNN and SSRS of 1,030 adults in the US between June 22 and June 23 was conducted on the two days after Trump authorized Operation Midnight Hammer wherein U.S. forces dropped bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s nuclear facility at Fordow near Qom and also bombed facilities in Natanz and Isfahan.
The findings showed 56 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s decision to take military action against Iran.
Watch: Cyprus travel safety: UK Foreign Office issues latest advice amid Iran strikes
01:00
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Trump strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, intel assessment suggests: report
Wednesday 25 June 2025 00:00
,
Rebecca Whittaker
US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend did not destroy the country’s nuclear program, early intelligence suggests, contrary to claims by President Donald Trump, a report states.
Citing four people briefed on the initial assessment produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, CNN reports that the strikes likely only set Iran’s nuclear ambitions back by months.
Read more by Oliver O'Connell :
Watch: Why Trump and Israel have only encouraged Iran to go nuclear
Tuesday 24 June 2025 23:45
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Intelligence report suggests Trump strikes did not destroy Tehran's nuclear sites
Tuesday 24 June 2025 23:45
,
Rebecca Whittaker
US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend did not destroy the country’s nuclear program and only set back Tehran's program by only a matter of months, a preliminary US intelligence assessment suggests.
Analysts said that, if the assessment was based on satellite imagery, the extent of damage to the deeply buried Fordow uranium enrichment facility would not necessarily be revealed.
The initial report was prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's main intelligence arm and one of 18 US intelligence agencies.
However, President Donald Trump and high-ranking US officials - including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, said the weekend strikes, which used a combination of bunker-busting bombs and more conventional weapons, essentially eliminated Iran's nuclear program.
Trump's administration on Tuesday told the U.N Security Council that its weekend strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities had "degraded" Iran's nuclear program, short of Trump's earlier assertion that the facilities had been "obliterated."
Asked for comment, the White House pointed to a statement by spokesperson Karoline Leavitt to CNN, which first reported the assessment, that the "alleged" conclusion was "flat-out wrong."
"Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration," she said.
A US official said a more refined report was expected in the coming days and weeks.
Recap: Iran denies reports of drone strikes
Tuesday 24 June 2025 23:30
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Iran's Revolutionary Guards denied earlier reports on Tuesday that there was a drone attack in the northwestern city of Tabriz, three Iranian news sites reported.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian media said air defences were activated in the area amid a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Netanyahu addressed families of the hostages in statement to citizens
Tuesday 24 June 2025 23:15
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed families of the hostages and said: “We have not ceased for a moment, even a single one, including during this war, from our efforts to return home all of our hostages.
“Again: Both the living and the deceased. And we will not relent from this sacred mission until it is complete,” he added.
In a statement addressed to the citizens of Israel and bereaved families, he continued: “Your dear ones, our heroes, did not fall in vain – because it is their heroism and sacrifice that made it possible to dismantle the Iranian axis.”
Turkish President says he welcomed the Iran-Israel ceasefire
Tuesday 24 June 2025 23:00
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in a meeting with US President Donald Trump the he welcomed the Iran-Israel ceasefire achieved through US efforts and emphasised the importance of dialogue in ending the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.
We have removed the 'threat of annihilation by nuclear weapons', says Netanyahu
Tuesday 24 June 2025 22:50
,
Rebecca Whittaker
In a statement addressed to the citizens of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed they had removed the threat of nuclear weapons.
He said: “We removed two existential threats: The threat of annihilation by nuclear weapons and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles. Had we not acted now, the State of Israel would have soon faced the danger of annihilation.”
He added: “For decades, I have promised you that Iran would not have nuclear weapons. And indeed, in all of the swift actions that our soldiers carried out, we sent Iran’s nuclear project to oblivion.
“And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild this project – we will act with the same determination and the same force to cut off any such attempt. I reiterate: Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”
'Our bombs worked perfectly', claimed US defence secretary
Tuesday 24 June 2025 22:40
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, has responded to the report that US strikes did not destroy Iranian nuclear sites.
He told CNN, “Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons.
“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.“
Netanyahu thanked Trump for 'removing the Iranian nuclear threat'
Tuesday 24 June 2025 22:37
,
Rebecca Whittaker
In a statement addressed to the citizens of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US president Donald Trump for “defending Israel’ and “removing the Iranian nuclear threat”.
In the statement written in Hebrew he said: “The US decision to join the campaign, not only on the defensive side, but also on the offensive side, was historic. It has never happened before.
“This was the fruit of a diplomatic effort that I led, together with Minister Dermer, with President Trump and his team.
“I must tell you Israel has never had as great a friend in the White House, and I thank him very much for the joint work.
“It has major implications for Israel’s national security, for the security of each and every one of you, and for your children and grand-children, and for the face of the Middle East.”
Starmer has called for Iran to 'come to the negotiating table'
Tuesday 24 June 2025 22:20
,
Rebecca Whittaker
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called for Iran to "come to the negotiating table".
The UK prime minister met with Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz at the NATO summit in The Hague earlier today.
"The leaders reflected on the volatile situation in the Middle East," Starmer's office said in a statement.
"Now was the time for diplomacy and for Iran to come to the negotiating table, they agreed."
Did Donald Trump just become the most powerful president in modern history?
Tuesday 24 June 2025 22:10
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Donald Trump made it clear over the weekend: he wants to be the most powerful president in modern history.
He may already be.
Saturday evening’s announcement of U.S. strikes on three Iranian targets tied to the country’s nuclear program triggered angry statements from Democrats who accused the president of drawing the country into another Middle East war with potentially no end in sight.
Now directly involved, U.S. participation in the Iran-Israel conflict quickly became an opportunity for Trump to both push the boundaries of the Executive Branch’s power and continue a trend he began in January: the centralization of the Executive Branch’s policy and power within the Oval Office.
Read more here by John Bowden:
Iran's Revolutionary Guards deny reports of drone attack in Tabriz
Tuesday 24 June 2025 21:54
,
Tara Cobham
Iran's Revolutionary Guards denied earlier reports on Tuesday that there was a drone attack in the northwestern city of Tabriz, three Iranian news sites reported.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian media said air defences were activated in the area amid a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
US strikes only set back Iran's nuclear program by few months, source says US intelligence report suggests
Tuesday 24 June 2025 21:44
,
Tara Cobham
An early US intelligence report suggests the US’s strikes only set back Iran's nuclear program by a few months, sources have told The Associated Press.
Two drones heading towards Israel were likely launched in morning hours, Israeli media reports
Tuesday 24 June 2025 21:34
,
Tara Cobham
The two drones heading towards Israel that the Israeli military said it intercepted were most likely launched in the morning hours, Israel’s Kan Radio has reported.
It added that the drones were likely fired around the same time as the launch of a surface-to-surface missile from Iran.
Israeli military says it intercepted two drones heading to Israel 'likely from Iran'
Tuesday 24 June 2025 21:28
,
Tara Cobham
The Israeli military has said it has intercepted two drones that were making their way towards Israel “most likely from Iran”.
Netanyahu claims Israel brough Iran's nuclear program 'to ruin'
Tuesday 24 June 2025 21:25
,
Tara Cobham
Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed Israel brought Iran's nuclear program “to ruin”.
Trump strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, intel assessment suggests: report
Tuesday 24 June 2025 21:10
US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities at the weekend did not destroy the country’s nuclear program, early intelligence suggests contrary to claims by President Donald Trump, a report states.
Citing four people briefed on the initial assessment produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, CNN reports that the strikes likely only set Iran’s nuclear ambitions back by months.
The DIA, the intelligence arm of the Pentagon, based its assessment on battle damage anal;ysis conducted by U.S. Central Command in the aftermath of the strikes on Saturday night, according to one source who spoke with CNN.
My colleague Oliver O'Connell reports:
Trump told Netanyahu not to expect further action after US strikes on Iran, source says
Tuesday 24 June 2025 21:00
,
Tara Cobham
After the US strikes on Iran, Donald Trump told Benjamin Netanyahu not to expect further American offensive military action, a source has told The Associated Press.
A MAGA backlash against the Iran war is turning into a larger debate about U.S. support for Israel
Tuesday 24 June 2025 20:53
,
Tara Cobham
Donald Trump’s decision to join Israel’s attack against Iran has many of his MAGA coalition questioning the wisdom of decades of military support for the longtime U.S. ally.
A diverse coalition of MAGA influencers, podcast bros, think tankers and members of Congress who helped propel Trump to victory in 2024 have spoken out in recent days not only against the war, but against the very idea of American backing of Israel.
The opposition to support for Israel may be limited to a small section of the MAGA coalition for now, but it also happens to be the loudest.
Read more here:
Britain, France and Germany say Iran must come to negotiating table
Tuesday 24 June 2025 20:51
,
Tara Cobham
Leaders of Britain, France and Germany said on Tuesday that it was now "time for diplomacy", as a shaky ceasefire began to take hold between Israel and Iran.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the NATO summit in The Hague.
"The leaders reflected on the volatile situation in the Middle East," Sir Keir’s office said in a statement following the meeting. "Now was the time for diplomacy and for Iran to come to the negotiating table, they agreed."
Iranian air defences shoot down attacking drones in north, according to reports
Tuesday 24 June 2025 20:49
,
Tara Cobham
Iranian air defences shot down attacking drones in the northern city of Rasht, the Iranian Isna news agency has reported, citing the deputy provincial governor.
Strikes degraded Iran's capacity to build nuclear weapon, US tells UN
Tuesday 24 June 2025 20:39
,
Tara Cobham
US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities "effectively fulfilled our narrow objective: to degrade Iran's capacity to produce a nuclear weapon”, acting US envoy to the UN Dorothy Shea told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday.
Iranian air defences activated against drones in Tabriz, Iranian media reports
Tuesday 24 June 2025 20:29
,
Tara Cobham
Iranian air defences were activated on Tuesday evening against drones in the northwestern city of Tabriz, two Iranian news sites reported, amid a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
There was no official confirmation from Iranian authorities.
Early US intel assessment suggests strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, CNN reports
Tuesday 24 June 2025 20:20
An early US intelligence assessment indicated that the US military strikes on three of Iran's nuclear facilities last week did not destroy the core components of Tehran's nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing three people briefed on it.
"This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong," CNN quoted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as saying.
.@CNN Exclusive: Early US intel assessment suggests strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, sources say @NatashaBertrand @ZcohenCNN
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) June 24, 2025
Netanyahu declares historic win and commits to campaign against Iran axis and Hamas
Tuesday 24 June 2025 20:18
,
Tara Cobham
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel had achieved a historic victory that would stand for generations, but it must complete its campaign against Iran's axis, defeat Hamas and bring about the return of all the hostages in Gaza.
In video remarks issued by the prime minister's office, Netanyahu said Israel never had a better friend in the White House than President Donald Trump.
Starmer calls for ceasefire to be respected
Tuesday 24 June 2025 20:15
,
Tara Cobham
Sir Keir Starmer has called for the ceasefire between Israel and Iran to be respected by both sides.
He told reporters: "I want the ceasefire to continue, and therefore, obviously, the sooner we get back to that the better, and that's the message that I'm discussing with other leaders today.
"We've got a ceasefire. We need to get back to that ceasefire, which is consistent with what I've been saying about de-escalation for quite some time now."
Downing Street said the UK was prioritising getting Iran back to talks to agree a lasting settlement.
"Our priority now is a diplomatic solution, which is why the prime minister has urged Iran to come back to the negotiating table in pursuit of a lasting settlement," a No 10 spokesman said.
Pictured: Trump arrives in Amsterdam ahead of Nato summit
Tuesday 24 June 2025 20:00
,
Tara Cobham
Majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s Iran bombing raid on nuclear sites: poll
Tuesday 24 June 2025 19:45
,
Tara Cobham
A new CNN poll reveals that a majority of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The survey from CNN and SSRS of 1,030 adults in the US between June 22 and June 23 was conducted on the two days after Trump authorized Operation Midnight Hammer wherein U.S. forces dropped bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s nuclear facility at Fordow near Qom and also bombed facilities in Natanz and Isfahan.
The findings showed 56 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s decision to take military action against Iran.
My colleague Eric Garcia reports:
Watch: Why Trump and Israel have only encouraged Iran to go nuclear
Tuesday 24 June 2025 19:31
,
Tara Cobham
Iran warns Israel and US to learn from 'crushing blows'
Tuesday 24 June 2025 19:15
,
Tara Cobham
Iran’s joint military command has warned Israel and the US to learn from its “crushing blows” in Israel and the US base in Qatar, Iranian state media has reported.
Trump claims he's ‘stopped war’ as fragile Israel-Iran ceasefire appears to hold
Tuesday 24 June 2025 19:05
,
Tara Cobham
Donald Trump has claimed he has “stopped the war” as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to hold.
Referring to the US attack on three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday, the US president posted on Truth Social on Tuesday: “It was my great honor to Destroy All Nuclear facilities & capability, and then, STOP THE WAR!”
Viral TikTok shows Matt Gaetz lectured by his mom for criticizing Trump on Iran strikes: ‘He hates betrayal!’
Tuesday 24 June 2025 19:00
,
Tara Cobham
Matt Gaetz confirmed on Tuesday that a viral TikTok video showing his mother arguing with him via text about Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran is real, adding that a person sitting behind him on a recent flight “recorded me without my knowledge.”
The messages from the former congressman’s mother Victoria Gaetz, meanwhile, showed her urging her son not to publicly criticize the president on the Iranian conflict because “MAGA will turn on you” and Trump will be incredibly incensed.
“The president has been a very good friend to you. He hates betrayal. Be smart, not stubborn,” Mrs. Gaetz texted.
My colleagues Justin Baragona and Richard Hall report:
Iran has not yet reopened airspace, according to reports
Tuesday 24 June 2025 18:45
,
Tara Cobham
Iran has not yet reopened airspace, Iran’s roads and urban development ministry spokesperson has said, according to an Iranian news agency.
No decision has been made, the Young Journalists Club reported they added.
Israel effectively announces end of war
Tuesday 24 June 2025 18:35
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports from Tel Aviv:
Israel has effectively announced the end of the war by ending all security restrictions on the Israeli population.
“Following a situational assessment and after approval from Defense Minister Israel Katz, it was decided that as of 20:00, all areas of the country will transition to full activity status without restrictions,” Homeland command announced.
Full story: Fragile Israel-Iran ceasefire on the brink of collapse prompts fury from Trump
Tuesday 24 June 2025 18:20
,
Tara Cobham
A fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel looked on the brink of collapse on Tuesday, prompting an explosive response from Donald Trump.
The US president had boasted of a “complete and total ceasefire” between the warring sides on Monday, and upon announcing on Tuesday morning it had come into effect he urged “please do not violate it”.
But within hours the two sides were accusing the other of breaking the arrangement. Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Iran launched a missile at 7:06am local time, six minutes after the US-brokered ceasefire came into effect. It said Iran fired two additional missiles at 10:25am. No casualties or damage were reported.
My colleague Alex Croft reports:
Iran's president congratulates his country on 'great victory' and ending war, Iranian media report
Tuesday 24 June 2025 18:18
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has congratulated his country on a “great victory”, Iranian media have reported.
He claimed Israel started the war and Iran ended it successfully, according to the reports.
He added that Israel’s “adventurism” imposed the 12-day war on Iran, Iranian media said.
'Dear Donald': Trump posts fawning private text from NATO chief on social media
Tuesday 24 June 2025 18:13
,
Tara Cobham
The message started by congratulating Donald Trump on his "decisive action in Iran" and then got even more flattering, gushing about reaching the precipice of achieving "something NO American president in decades could have done".
This wasn't an ardent supporter swooning or the president taking to social media to sing his own praises in his familiar ALL CAPS style. This was NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte heaping direct praise on Trump as he flew to a two-day NATO summit in the Netherlands.
"Mr. President, dear Donald," Rutte's message began, as seen by a screenshot Trump posted on his social media network. "Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer."
The fawning tone may have been an attempt to butter up Trump ahead of a key meeting — the kind of effusive praise that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has adopted lately in negotiating and then announcing a recent trade agreement between the UK and the US that is meant to ease Trump's promised steep tariffs on imported British goods.
Rutte continued, "You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. It was not easy but we've got them all signed onto 5 percent!" — a reference to other NATO member countries mostly having signed onto the new pledge to spend 5 per cent of their gross domestic product on defense, a demand the Republican president has pushed for months.
"Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done," Rutte wrote. "Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win. Safe travels and see you at His Majesty's dinner!"
NATO confirmed that the message came from Rutte and was sent Tuesday.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 06.24.25 09:36 AM EST pic.twitter.com/gIRfFDkIiF
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) June 24, 2025
Iranian lawmaker says IAEA chief Grossi should not be allowed to enter Iran
Tuesday 24 June 2025 18:10
,
Tara Cobham
An Iranian lawmaker has said International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi should not be allowed to enter Iran.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy commission in Iran's parliament, said cooperation with the IAEA should be suspended, the Iranian Students' News Agency reported on Tuesday.
The same commission approved a day earlier the general outline of a bill meant to fully suspend Tehran's cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
Iranian president says ready to resolve issues with US in call with Saudi crown prince
Tuesday 24 June 2025 17:59
,
Tara Cobham
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran is ready to resolve issues with the US based on international frameworks, in comments in a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday.
The call comes a day after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran.
Israeli military chief says 'significant chapter' over but campaign against Iran not finished
Tuesday 24 June 2025 17:49
,
Tara Cobham
The Israeli military's chief of staff Eyal Zamir said the military was at "the conclusion of a significant chapter but the campaign against Iran is not over".
Zamir said that the military's focus was on returning to Gaza to bring back Israel's hostages and to "dismantle Hamas's rule," according to a statement by the military.
