IDF Shares Iran Nuclear Assessment as Trump Doubles Down on 'Obliteration'

 https://www.newsweek.com/idf-shares-iran-nuclear-assessment-trump-doubles-down-obliteration-2090390

IDF Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin gave the assessment at a press briefing on Wednesday, June 25, though he cautioned that it is still early and the results of the strikes are undergoing evaluation.

"We fulfilled all of the goals of the operation, even more than expected," Defrin said, adding that he trusted Israeli military intelligence on the results of the strikes as they have been accurate in recent weeks.

President Donald Trump has described the strikes as causing "total obliteration" to the nuclear sites, pushing back on one early American intelligence assessment that key elements of the program had survived. The White House called that assessment false.

Iran Admits Heavy Nuclear Damage as Israel Backs Trump

 https://www.newsweek.com/israel-backs-trump-iran-nuclear-site-damage-2090538

The Israel Atomic Energy Commission backed President Donald Trump's assessment of the damage done to the Iranian nuclear site at Fordow, saying the U.S. strike "destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable."

Separately, Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, told Al Jazeera that "our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure" by the U.S. and Israeli strikes.

Trump had said the strike resulted in "total obliteration" of the Fordow facility, which is deep underground inside a mountain. That characterization was called into question by a leaked U.S. intelligence report, but the White House called the early assessment false.

"We assess that the American strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran's military nuclear program, has set back Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years," said the statement from the Israeli commission.

Kings have caused much trouble in History

 Rabbeinu Bachya (Devarim 17:15) It would do well for us to study our history and to learn what happened to the Jewish people during the centuries when their political system was headed by a king of flesh and blood. Devarim Rabbah 5,11 sums it up in these words: the Jewish kings caused many of their people to fall in battle because of their faulty policies. Shaul caused many casualties at Gilboah (Samuel I 31,1) David caused a plague (Samuel II 24,15). Achav, King of Israel, became the cause of the three year famine (Kings I 17,1). Tzidkiyah’s policies became the immediate cause for the destruction of the Temple . How was it that the entire people who had experienced a tremendous renaissance under the leadership of the prophet Samuel agreed to ask for a king? The Talmud Sanhedrin 20 dissects the wording in Samuel I 8, pointing out that the elders of the people were motivated by pure considerations asking that the purpose of the king be “to judge us,” (rather than Samuel’s sons whom they did not consider fit). The common people were motivated by the desire for their king to be a general who would lead them in war, and their sin was in saying “like all the nations.” They spelled this out in greater detail in verse 20 of that chapter. The people were agreed that they wanted a king, but they differed regarding the tasks of that king. 

Mishlei (21:1) Like channeled water is the mind of the king in the LORD’s hand;He directs it to whatever He wishes.

Meshech Chochma (Devarim 17:15): … The Ralbag notes that the heart of the king is in G d’s hand (Mishlei 21:1). Thus the king has no free will but what he does is determined by G d. Shmuel was thus afraid of Shaul at this point [Shmuel 1 1:11] because Shaul was no longer king and thus had free will to harm him.

Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky, zt"l: Zealotry is necessary - but only if guided by a clear understanding of Torah

Emes L’Yaakov (Bereishis 49:7): ... Look at what I wrote previously in Bereishis (34:5). There I explained that it is certain that that this represents a punishment for Shimon and Levi, nevertheless Yaakov specifically appointed these tribes to these exalted responsibilities of educating the children and supervision of holy food. That is because only Shimon and Levi manifested the kano’as (zealotry) required for these jobs. This was seen by their response to Yaakov concerning the rape of their sister Dinah (Bereishis 34:5): “Is our sister to be a prostitute?” They alone were referred to as the brothers of Dinah because they were willing to sacrifice themselves for her welfare. Thus for these positions to be fulfilled successfully it is necessary to appoint people who have the attribute of kano’as (zealotry) and mesiras nefesh (total devotion) to serve G-d and His Torah. These positions require men who when they see something irregular, will immediately be aroused for the sake of G-d like an inferno and they will serve their position well. Therefore Yaakov specially appointed Shimon and Levi for this work.

However if we look carefully to see whether they in fact did these jobs according to their father’s expectations, we see that only the tribe of Levi actually did the work of education but not the tribe of Shimon. It was only the tribe of Levi that served as a strong barrier against those who arose to nullify the covenant with G-d. In contrast we don’t find that Shimon was involved in this work. The reason for this is clear. Only the tribe of Levi was exempt from working for Pharaoh during all the years of slavery. Thus only the tribe of Levi was able to sit and be immersed in Torah study. Only when kano’as (zealotry) is grounded and defined by Torah parameters - is it successful. That is why when the Leviim saw the terrible chilul HaShem that resulted from the sin of the Golden Calf they immediately expressed their zealotry for G‑d and killed even friends and relatives who were participating in the sin. Similarly when there were Jews in the Wilderness who wanted to return to Egypt, it was the Leviim who were in the vanguard against them. During the entire time that passed from the events concerning Dinah until the Redemption from Egypt they maintained their zealotry - but it was always bounded and guided by their deep knowledge of Torah.

In contrast, while the kano’as of Shimon was also strong it was not guided by Torah and thus did not have proper nature. When did his “kano’as" manifest itself? It was in the events of the worship of Baal Peor. It was Zimri who expressed this “kano’as” against the rule of Torah provided by Moshe. It was used to uproot the attribute of modesty which was then prevelant amongst the Jews. He expressed his zealotry by his open involvement in sexual immorality with the non‑Jewish woman. Therefore it was only the kano’as of Pinchus, from the tribe of Levi ,who was guided by the laws of the Torah who was able to attack Zimri and defeat him and stop the plague that was punishing the Jews. Kano’as which is not guided by halacha does not have the ability to be successful because it ultimately just destroys the kanoi. It is only the gedolim in each generation who have the proper intuition and sensitivity to know and decide when it is necessary to be a kanoi and to protest and when it is best to remain silent. This ability is only acquired by those who have the keys to Torah in their hands.

Hegseth and Rubio Grudgingly Admit Bomb Intel Leak Is True

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/pete-hegseth-and-marco-rubio-scramble-to-smear-leakers-who-embarrassed-trump/

Two of Donald Trump’s top allies admitted a bombshell leak about the Iran strikes was true Wednesday.

But they then attacked leakers behind the release of the intelligence report that undercut the president’s claims about the success of U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Speaking on Wednesday in the Netherlands, where Trump is attending a NATO summit, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio mounted an aggressive counteroffensive after a leaked preliminary Pentagon assessment said the bombings likely only...

Trump says nuclear deal with Iran not ‘necessary’

 https://thehill.com/policy/international/5368881-trump-iran-nuclear-deal-talks/?tbref=hp

President Trump said Wednesday he doesn’t think it’s necessary to come to a deal with Iran to abandon or contain its nuclear program, but said U.S. and Iranian officials will meet next week over a possible agreement. 

Speaking following the NATO summit in The Hague, Trump said he assessed Iran’s nuclear capabilities to be destroyed, despite U.S. intelligence reports suggesting Tehran’s uranium enrichment program was set back months, not years.

Trump Says Iranian Nuclear Deal Isn’t Necessary After U.S. Strikes

 https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-israel-ceasefire-conflict-news?mod=hp_lead_pos7

The president pushed back on an intelligence report saying the strikes only set back Tehran’s nuclear ambitions by a few months.

Zohran Mamdani's NYC Win is a Political Revolution

 https://www.newsweek.com/zohran-mamdani-nyc-political-revolution-2090477

Zohran Mamdani's win in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary is more than just a stunning political upset.

A self-described democratic socialist who ran on taxing the rich and making the city affordable, Mamdani defeated disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo, a well-funded, familiar and powerful figure backed by billionaire donors and establishment Democrats alike.

Mamdani took such a commanding lead over Cuomo on Tuesday that the former governor, who was seeking a comeback after resigning in disgrace over a sexual harassment scandal, conceded the race early. The ultimate outcome may not be known for days due to the city's ranked choice voting system.

He will now face off against incumbent mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent in November's election—and Cuomo could still reenter the race.

His platform focused on freezing rent, building affordable housing, free buses, free child care, a higher minimum wage and more, mostly paid for by new taxes on the rich.

Trump Warns Iran-Israel War 'Could Maybe Start Again Soon'

 https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-administration-iran-israel-middle-east-live-updates-2090459

Speaking at the NATO summit in The Hague, President Donald Trump defended his confidence in the Israel-Iran ceasefire, crediting the success to U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. While declaring that the war is likely over, Trump conceded it might "start again soon," highlighting both the volatility of the region and his administration's central role in brokering what he has dubbed the "12-day war."

MTG suggests a link between JFK’s assassination and his opposition to Israel’s ‘nuclear program’

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/06/24/congress/mtg-on-jfk-00421426

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Tuesday appeared to suggest in a post on X that former President John F. Kennedy was assassinated over his opposition to Israel’s nuclear program.

“There was once a great President that the American people loved. He opposed Israel’s nuclear program. And then he was assassinated,” Greene posted on X as she defended her dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s weekend strike on Iran. Greene’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment asking for clarity on the remarks.

Israeli officials see "significant" damage to Iran's nuclear facilities

 https://www.axios.com/2025/06/25/iran-nuclear-program-israel-damage-intelligence

Israel, which initiated the war and faces a far more direct threat from Iran than the U.S., is largely satisfied with the early results from Trump's military strike on Saturday.

"A professional battle damage assessment takes time," an Israeli official stressed, suggesting it was far too soon to draw the kinds of conclusions included in the DIA report.

"Israeli intelligence services haven't arrived at any bottom lines for now," the official added. "But we don't think there was any bug in the operation, and we have no indications the bunker-buster bombs didn't work. Nobody here is disappointed."

The classified DIA report was based on early intelligence from just one agency, and the overall picture remains muddled — especially with Iran itself still assessing the damage and weighing its next moves.

U.S. initial damage report: Iran nuclear program set back by months, not obliterated

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/06/24/us-iran-bomb-assessment-nuclear-sites-not-destroyed/

Core components of Tehran’s nuclear effort were damaged but not destroyed by U.S. airstrikes on three key facilities, according to three people familiar with a Defense Intelligence Agency initial assessment.

Witkoff: US, Iran seeking ‘peace deal,’ strikes set Tehran’s nuke program back years

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/witkoff-us-iran-seeking-peace-deal-strikes-set-tehrans-nuke-program-back-years/

The Trump envoy said the American position is that Iran must not resume enriching uranium at all — a position that the White House vacillated on during previous talks with Iran, led by Witkoff, over the two months prior to Israel’s attack on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs that began earlier this month.

Witkoff also doubled down on the administration’s assessment that the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo completely eliminated the Islamic Republic’s ability to attain a nuclear weapon in the near future. He said the program had been set back years, and lashed out against a leaked security assessment that said the strikes did not destroy the underground sites.

“The reporting out there that in some ways suggests that we did not achieve the objective is just completely preposterous,” he said, calling it “not even conceivable” that Iran would be able to reach a nuclear weapon within months.

Concern among NY Jews: Pro-Palestinian Zohran Mamdani wins Democratic primary for mayor

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/410618

Anti-Israel candidate Zohran Mamdani shocks Andrew Cuomo in NYC Democratic mayoral primary focused on Jewish issues, arousing concern among the city's Jewish population.