Iran Israel conflict. Middle East conflict, Iran Nuclear Program Israel air strike U.S. Bases in Qatar. Tension between Iran and Israel has grown quickly in 2025. Both countries are now attacking each other directly and this could change the future of Middle East.
Background: Why Iran and Israel are Enemies?
Iran and Israel have been against each other since 1948 . When Israel came into existence in May 14, 1948 Iran doesn’t accept Israel as a country. On the other hand Iran’s Nuclear Program as a serious threat until now they mostly fought through proxy groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. But now things has been changed they are attacking each other directly.
Israel Iran Conflict 2025. In the aftermath of the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, a series of leaked intelligence reports and assessments have begun to emerge offering a starkly different picture from the one painted by former President Donald Trump and his administration.
While Trump declared the operation. one of the most successful military strikes in history, intelligence leaks and credible media sources suggest a far more nuanced and less decisive outcome.
What the Intelligence Really Says
According to assessments leaked from U.S. intelligence agencies, the American airstrikes did not fully destroy Iran’s nuclear program. Contrary to Trump’s claims, these strikes have only set Iran back by a few months. Key components such as centrifuge machines and Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remain largely intact.
Seven sources familiar with the initial damage assessment reported to CNN that the U.S. bombing of Iran’s three nuclear sites—including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—failed to destroy the foundational elements of Iran’s program. The facilities were damaged, but the core infrastructure for uranium enrichment survived.
The report, prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), contradicts earlier public statements by Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who both claimed that the strikes had completely wiped out Iran’s nuclear weapons development capabilities.
Israel’s Role and Its Own Assessment
Before the U.S. strikes, Israel had already conducted several days of attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites. Israeli military officials, however, concluded that only the U.S. had the capability to deliver the bunker-busting bombs necessary to strike deep underground facilities like Fordow.
U.S. B-2 bombers eventually dropped over a dozen 30,000-pound bombs on these sites. But even after these powerful strikes, sources say the damage was largely limited to surface-level structures—including power systems and facilities where uranium is converted into metal.
Even Israel’s own internal intelligence concluded that the damage at Fordow was less than expected. Nonetheless, Israeli officials maintain that the joint strikes have pushed Iran’s program back by up to two years—assuming Iran is left uninterrupted to rebuild, which Israeli defense forces are committed to preventing.
Differing Claims and Rising Tensions
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth doubled down on the Trump administration’s position. In an interview with CNN, he claimed,
“Our bombs hit every target with precision. The impact now lies buried under Iran’s mountains. To say otherwise is to undermine a successful mission and play politics with national security.”
But serious doubts remain.
Two sources within U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed that Iran had preemptively relocated its enriched uranium from key facilities and that most centrifuge systems were protected or untouched. More worryingly, these same sources revealed that Iran likely has undisclosed nuclear sites that were not targeted and remain fully operational.
Postponed Briefings and Unanswered Questions
Adding to the mystery, a classified briefing to the U.S. Congress and Senate regarding the Iran operation was suddenly postponed earlier this week. New schedules show the full Senate is now set to be briefed behind closed doors the following evening.
This development comes amidst growing questions over whether America’s Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) commonly known as “bunker buster bombs” are truly capable of destroying Iran’s deepest, most fortified facilities, particularly at Fordow and Isfahan. Interestingly, while the U.S. used bunker busters on Fordow, it opted for cruise missiles at Isfahan. According to one source, this decision was made because analysts believed even the bunker busters would not reach the lowest chambers at Isfahan, which are buried deeper than those at Fordow.
Recent Escalation and Analysis
The rising tension between Iran and Israel has once again endangered the fragile peace of the Middle East. Following the recent attacks , a globally debate has emerged did Iran defeat Israel or did Israel achieve its objectives?
In my opinion if we look at the situation as a whole Israel has indeed faced certain level of defeat in this conflict, especially when Iran launched direct missile and drone attack on Israel territory. However from another perspective Israel seems to have already accomplished what it set out to do. Why I’m saying this is because Iran has reached nearly 90% completion in its nuclear program, but after Israel strikes Iran is now forced to restart almost from zero. But Iran’s officials say that we know about the attack and we’ve shift our nuclear program to another place. In response Iran expressed its fury through intense retaliation. Its attack were not limited to Israel American air bases in Qatar were also targeted. In my perspective Iran clearly indicates that assault, but as border international conspiracy against it from one angle it appears that Israel has suffered a tactical defeat from Iran. The scale of Iran’s retaliation was something that we never seen in decades on the other hand Israel was clearly on its defensive. I’ve seen for the first time that Israel faced sustained missile fire directly from Iranian soul by passing the traditional route of proxy warfare. This approach also strength Iran position among its regional allies and send a signal to countries like Saudia, Iraq and Syria that Iran is willing to escalate directly if provoked.
The Bigger Picture
These revelations raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of America’s strike strategy and cast a shadow over the political narrative built by the Trump administration. On platforms like Truth Social, Trump continues to boast about the mission’s success, calling it a historic operation but intelligence reports from both U.S. and Israeli agencies tell a more complicated story.
It is now becoming clear that the Iranian nuclear threat has not been “eliminated.” At best, it has been delayed and even that is assuming Iran does not resume its activities in secret.
As new intelligence continues to emerge, the world watches closely. For now, one thing is certain: the narrative of total destruction is being increasingly challenged by facts on the ground.
Written by: Ali Afzal
Voice of Ali – Political Perspectives from Pakistan and Beyond
Sources: https://www.aljazeera.com/
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-conflict-us-trump-06-26-25-intl-hnk