June 26, 2025 – Israel-Iran conflict

• Questions unanswered: The Trump administration is projecting confidence in the success of last weekend’s strikes in Iran, but has not provided new intelligence supporting President Donald Trump’s claim that its nuclear program was “obliterated.” The US Senate received a classified briefing on Iran today, with Democrats and Republicans emerging with divergent narratives.

• Effort to revive talks: Tehran has no plans to resume nuclear negotiations with the US, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday. Meanwhile, sources tell CNN the Trump administration is engaged in secret diplomatic efforts to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table.

• New details: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said it was clear the US strikes “would neutralize the surrounding infrastructure,” but wouldn’t eliminate Iran’s nuclear material itself. Separately, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff revealed that Iran attempted to cover the shafts of its nuclear facilities with concrete ahead of the attack.

Our live coverage of the conflict between Israel and Iran has moved here.

Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, offered a cautious assessment of US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities after Trump administration officials gave a classified briefing to the chamber on Thursday.

“Clearly, damage was inflicted on the Iranian nuclear program,” Warner said, though he added that “it is going to take time to get a final assessment of how much damage.”

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also said her takeaway from the briefing was that “it’s still too early to know exactly what the battle damage was, and that’s normal.”

Still, like Warner, Slotkin said she thinks what she heard from officials about the strikes “was significant both in terms of setting back the program but then also in the mentality of the regime.”

She stressed that the intelligence community and the military “should be nonpartisan, apolitical.” The military conducts strikes and then the intelligence agencies assess the damage, “and that’s by design, right, so you’re not cooking the books from the military,” Slotkin said.

“That’s going to take a minute,” she added.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat that sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, told the briefing made clear that “much assessment is yet to be done” because “nobody really knows how much damage has occurred because there’s been no ability to inspect in a fashion that would give you that information.”

When asked what the next steps should be for the US, Israel and Iran, Merkley said diplomatic work to rebuild relationships so that an agreement can be forged because countries are still skeptical of each other.

Republican senators, after receiving a classified briefing today, expressed confidence in the US strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend amid conflicting reports about the ultimate extent of damage done to Tehran’s nuclear program.

Earlier today, the Pentagon released some new details about how the US prepared for its strikes on Iranian nuclear targets but offered no new evidence of their effectiveness against Iran’s nuclear program.

Here’s what some GOP lawmakers said after the all-Senate briefing:

• Sen. Tom Cotton: “We have effectively destroyed Iran’s nuclear program,” he said, adding it is going to make the US safer. Cotton condemned what he called the “selective and unlawful leaking of a report” that showed an early US intelligence assessment found the strikes did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months. Cotton insisted that, while Iran could “reconstitute” its nuclear program “at some time,” the US strikes had “caused catastrophic damage.”

• Sen. Lindsey Graham: He echoed Cotton’s bullish assessment of the strikes, though Graham cautioned: “Isn’t the real question, ‘Have we obliterated their desire to have a nuclear weapon?’” He added: “Here’s where we’re at: the program was obliterated at those three sites. But they still have ambitions. I don’t know where the 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium exists. But it wasn’t part of the targets there.” Graham said he’s “looking to change (Iran’s) behavior.”

• Sen. John Kennedy: He echoed a similar assessment of the US strikes on Iranian targets, and said that if Tehran tried to rebuild, “Israel would know.” The senator also praised the briefing as “one of the best I’ve ever attended.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites left “extensive and serious” damage.

Araghchi made the remarks as the country moves closer to approving a bill that would suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, according to state media.

“In my opinion, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) should make this decision,” Araghchi added.

Some background: The bill suspending cooperation with the watchdog is now on its final step before becoming law, having been sent to the country’s president for his signature. However, Iran’s supreme leader and the SNSC have decisive authority over how such policies are executed and whether cooperation is effectively suspended.

The US military released new details Thursday morning about its bombing mission against three Iranian nuclear sites, but left key questions unanswered about the degree to which the strikes set back Tehran’s nuclear program.

As the Trump administration defends the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israeli and Iranian leaders are speaking out on their post-conflict positions.

Meanwhile, senators received a classified briefing on Operation Midnight Hammer. A senior White House official told CNN the administration plans to limit what it shares with Congress, believing the report was posted Monday to CAPNET, the classified intel-sharing system.

The White House declined to explain how it will restrict access or address lawmakers demanding full oversight. Top Democrats on House and Senate intel panels have criticized the lack of transparency.

Here are the latest developments:

Tehran has no plans to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday.

“No agreement or arrangement has been made to resume negotiations. Neither any promise has been given, nor any discussion has taken place on this matter,” Araghchi told Iran’s state news channel IRINN in a televised interview today.

Araghchi dismissed speculation about back-channel talks, emphasizing that internal reviews of Iran’s interests are “a separate issue” from formal negotiations.

International flights resumed at Mashhad’s Shahid Hashemi Nejad Airport in eastern Iran after a 13-day halt due to the conflict with Israel, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said Thursday.

Domestic and international flights to and from all airports in the north, south and west of the country, including Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini international airports in Tehran, are still suspended until further notice, IRNA added.

Thousands of Iranians are stranded in various countries due to the suspension of flights.

Last week, Iran reported that approximately 12,500 Iranian pilgrims were stranded in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

The United States and Israel have told Iran it must hand over its enriched uranium, the Israeli defense minister said.

In an interview with Israel’s Channel 13, Israel Katz discussed the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities that took place over the weekend.

The intention of Israel’s recent attacks on Iran was to “neutralize capabilities,” Katz said.

“Today, they have no way to produce a nuclear bomb, because we also destroyed the conversion facility that turns uranium into solid form,” he claimed.

The White House declined to say Thursday how it will be limiting the classified information it shares with Congress, or how it will respond to lawmakers who insist their oversight duties necessitate access to the information.

The comments came shortly before a classified briefing on Iran by Trump administration officials for the Senate, which is now underway after being delayed by several days earlier this week.

“And unfortunately, clearly, someone who had their hands on this — and it was a very few people, very few number of people in our government who saw this report. … That person was irresponsible with it,” Leavitt added, referring to the early Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that found US strikes on Iran did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months.

“We need to strengthen that process to protect our national security and protect the American public,” Leavitt said.

The Trump administration is planning to limit what it shares with Congress, a senior White House official told CNN on Wednesday, believing that the report came out after it was posted on Monday to CAPNET, a system used for sharing classified intelligence with Congress.

This post has been updated to reflect that the Senate briefing is underway.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday dismissed comments from Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Tehran will “never surrender.”

Some context: The 86-year-old Khamenei issued his pre-recorded statement from an undisclosed private location Thursday. Khamenei predictably declared victory over Israel and the United States in his address, despite the killing of key Iranian leaders and the strikes on Tehran’s nuclear sites.

US President Donald Trump’s call for “unconditional surrender” last week appeared to have hit a nerve with Iran’s leader, for whom preserving Iranian sovereignty against Western influence is a central tenet.

While Trump has voiced confidence that US strikes dealt a massive blow to Iran’s nuclear aspirations, US assessments are still ongoing about the extent of the damage.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “expressed interest in coming to the White House” and President Donald Trump is “very open” to it, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.

“The president is obviously very open to that, but we don’t have a date. When we do, we’ll let you all know,” Leavitt told reporters at a briefing.

Israeli media reported Thursday that Netanyahu is planning to visit Washington as early as the second week of July.

Remember: Trump and Netanyahu are close allies. The US leader denounced an ongoing corruption trial against his Israeli counterpart as a “witch hunt” Wednesday night, and Netanyahu has previously called Trump the “greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.”

President Donald Trump is pushing for more Gulf and Arab nations to join the Abraham Accords, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters today.

Leavitt said Trump’s effort to expand upon the landmark series of agreements from his first term, which saw Israel normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, illustrates his commitment to “durable peace” efforts in the Middle East.

“The president and his team, namely special envoy (Steve) Witkoff, continue to be in communication with the Iranians, and especially our Gulf and Arab partners in the region, to come to an agreement with Iran,” said Leavitt.

“And we see a new era in which perhaps some of these Gulf and Arab states can sign on to the Abraham Accords,” Leavitt added, saying Trump had already requested the new Syrian president sign on to the accords when the two met in May.

There was no opportunity for Israel to assassinate Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the 12 days of conflict between the two countries, Israel’s defense minister has said.

“If (Khamenei) had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” Israel Katz said in an interview with Channel 13 that aired today.

Though there was not an opportunity to kill the Iranian leader during Israel’s “Rising Lion” operation, Katz said his country would have “taken him out” if one had arisen.

Senate Democrats said they hope Thursday’s classified briefing from Trump administration officials can provide them with a better idea of the realities on the ground in Iran after last weekend’s US military strikes.

Sen. Dick Durbin told CNN he wants the “best report on what damage was done,” but also, “more importantly, we’ve got to start a conversation about what follows.” This includes whether hindering Iran’s nuclear program will require Americans on the ground in the region, he said.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that three Iranian nuclear sites were “obliterated,” while CNN reported that the US strikes did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to an early US intelligence assessment.

Durbin also called reports that the White House plans to limit the classified information shared with Congress a “disappointment” and a “direct contradiction” to Congress’ constitutional war powers.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal emphasized, “we are still at a preliminary fact-finding stage.” He said remaining questions include what remains of Tehran’s nuclear program and the “mission still ahead, whether it is military or diplomatic.”

Israel’s “victory” against Iran provides opportunities for a “dramatic expansion of the peace agreements,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement today.

The prime minister said there is now a “window of opportunity” to defeat Hamas and ensure the release of hostages currently held by the terror group in the Gaza Strip.

“We must not waste even a single day,” Netanyahu said.

For his part, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also declared victory in the 12-day conflict, despite Israel’s killing of senior Iranian military leaders and strikes on nuclear sites.

More context: Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon had hinted on Tuesday that Israel was open to new relationships with Arab nations.

Speaking to reporters at the United Nations in New York, Danon said now is the “time to build bridges and partnerships in the region.” Danon did not point to any particular country but cited Israel’s normalization of relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco via the Abraham Accords.

There is no evidence that Iran moved any enriched uranium from its nuclear sites before US strikes last weekend, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.

President Donald Trump said earlier Thursday that “nothing was taken out of” Iran’s nuclear facilities ahead of the strikes.

“The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said this morning that in the days leading up to the attack, Iran attempted to cover the main shafts of the facilities with concrete.

The all-Senate classified briefing on the situation in Iran has been scheduled for 2 p.m. ET today, after being rescheduled from earlier in the week.

The Trump administration has faced criticism from top Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, who have expressed frustration at the lack of communication about the US strikes in Iran. Some have warned the administration against manipulating facts ahead of the briefings.

The House is expected to be briefed on Friday.

Iran has moved closer to approving a bill that would suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iranian state media IRNA reported on Thursday.

The bill is now on its final step before becoming law, having been sent to the country’s president for his signature. This follows its approval by Iran’s 12-member Guardian Council, which holds the power to vet legislation and oversee elections.

The Council’s approval came just one day after the Iranian parliament’s national security committee passed the bill to halt cooperation with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog.

The IAEA said on Thursday that it is “aware of these reports.” In a short statement shared with CNN, it added: “As of now, the IAEA has not received an official communication from Iran on this matter.”

According to IRNA, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said cooperation with IAEA will be suspended until Iran’s nuclear facilities are guaranteed security.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Daine shared video of a test of the “bunker buster” bomb used during US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The US used six B-2 bombers to drop 12 of those “bunker-busting” bombs during its strikes, a US official told CNN.

A CNN analysis of satellite imagery showed that the US strikes left at least six large craters at the Fordow nuclear site, pointing to the use of bunker-busting bombs.

Watch the moment Cain shows the test footage:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth doubled down on the Trump administration’s claim that the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities “obliterated” the country’s nuclear program, during a Pentagon briefing this morning.

Meanwhile, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine offered new details on Operation Midnight Hammer.

Here’s what was revealed during the briefing: