June 21, 2025
America Joins Israel’s War—Again
By Habib Siddiqui
Israel has done it again—dragged the United States into another war it didn’t start. For over three decades, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lobbied Washington to help dismantle Iran’s nuclear program. In April 2025, he demanded U.S. bunker-buster bombs be used to destroy Iran’s underground Fordo facility. This time, he got his wish.
As I write this on Saturday night, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the U.S. had “completed a successful attack.” American warplanes dropped their full payload on Iran’s most critical nuclear sites: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan.
As is often the case in the Middle East, the escalation began with Israel. On Friday, June 13, Israel launched unprovoked strikes on Iranian soil, violating international law. According to Iran’s health ministry, the attacks have killed at least 400 people and injured over 3,000. Among the dead are ten nuclear scientists and four senior military commanders.
According to the Times of Israel, Israeli intelligence viewed the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists as the most critical element of Operation Narnia. Unlike military leaders or hardware, they argued, scientific knowledge is far harder to replace.
The ten scientists were reportedly killed in their sleep, in a coordinated strike designed to prevent any warning. “They believed they were safe at home,” a senior Israeli official told Channel 12, noting that past assassinations occurred during commutes. These targets had been marked since November 2024, tracked for months, and eliminated in a single night.
Such attacks by Israel are not new. We may recall that on 1 April 2024, Israel conducted an airstrike on the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, destroying the building housing its consular section. Sixteen people were killed in the strike, including eight officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and two Syrian civilians.On 31 July 2024, Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was assassinated along with his personal bodyguard in the Iranian capital Tehran by an Israeli attack.
The UN's high commissioner Volker Türk said it was "appalling to see how civilians are treated as collateral damage" in the latest conflict between Iran and Israel. "The only way out of this spiraling illogic of escalation is maximum restraint, full respect for international law, and return in good faith to the negotiating table," he said.
Well, Iran was in a dialogue with the USA. The diplomats from the two countries had met five times and were preparing for a sixth round of talks when Israel launched unprovoked strikes on June 13. This wasn’t spontaneous—it was premeditated.
Within hours of Israeli attacks, President Trump, in a display of imperial bravado, claimed Iran had lost the war and demanded “unconditional surrender.” Yet Iran struck back, sending missiles deep into Israel, exposing its vulnerability and dependence on U.S. support.
Now, with U.S. bombs falling on Iran’s nuclear sites, if Trump is wishing for an Iranian capitulation, he may have forgotten that Iran is not Lebanon, Iraq, or Yemen. Narcissistic as he is, lessons from past wars haven’t tempered his rhetoric. Once a critic of endless U.S. wars and the Iraq invasion, he has abandoned anti-war conservatives like MarjorieTaylor Greene,Steve Bannon, and Tucker Carlson, and has embraced the very lobby he once resisted. The nuclear threat? Even his former intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard says there’s no proof Iran is building a bomb.
His shift reflects the grip of the pro-Israel lobby. Trump has been in daily contact with Netanyahu, who’s long pushed the U.S. to fight his wars. Since 1992, Bibi has claimed Iran was weeks away from a nuclear bomb—yet decades later, no bomb exists, and IAEA inspectors found no evidence.
Following the utter devastation of Gaza in a genocidal campaign, Netanyahu has turned his sights on Iran, openly calling for regime change. But such ambitions are not only reckless—they’re futile. Bombing nuclear sites may delay Iran’s program, but it cannot erase scientific knowledge. History shows that assassinating ten scientists will only inspire hundreds more to take their place.
Rather than deterring Iran, these strikes may push her—and others—to follow North Korea’s path: secrecy, acceleration, and defiance. If Trump and Netanyahu believe this ends in surrender, they’ve learned nothing from history.
More revealing during this crisis, however, is the West’s Orwellian hypocrisy. EU leaders, who condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now applaud Israel’s unprovoked strikes on Iran. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed Israel’s “right to defend itself,” while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised Israel for doing "the dirty work” of Europe—openly admitting Israel’s role as a Western outpost.
This isn’t new. As far back as 1986, Joe Biden declared that if Israel didn’t exist, the U.S. would have to invent it. As president, he’s taken that logic to its extreme—turning a blind eye to the genocide in Gaza and erasing Palestinian rights from the global agenda.
Europe’s moral and diplomatic collapse hasn’t gone unnoticed. Two respected global voices have sharply criticized Europe’s stance on Middle East violence. Nobel Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the U.N.’s atomic energy watchdog, rebuked Germany for endorsing Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites—remindingBerlin that such actions violate both the Geneva Conventions and the UN Charter.Meanwhile, Francesca Albanese, UN rapporteur for Palestine, condemned French President Macron’s selective outrage. She tweeted, “On the day Israel, unprovoked, has attacked Iran, killing 80 people, the president of a major European power, finally admits that in the Middle East, Israel, and only Israel, has the right to defend itself”—laying bare Europe’s double standards.
We are once again reminded that bombing hospitals is a red line - unless Israel is doing it. Thus, when an Iranian missile struck near Soroka hospital in Beersheba, Israeli leaders erupted in outrage. Israel's defense chief accused Iran of war crimes and said its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be held accountable.Culture Minister Miki Zohar condemned it as an attack on “hospitalized children,” while Israel’s medical association called it a war crime. Yet these same voices were silent—or complicit—when Israeli forces bombed and dismantled Gaza’s hospitals. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has launched over 700 attacks on Gaza’s healthcare system, reducing once-functioning hospitals like al-Shifa and Nasser to rubble. The contrast is stark—and telling. Tears for Beersheba and silence for Gaza!So much for the “only democracy” in the Middle East.
And the hypocrisy deepens. As of June 20, Israel has reportedly attacked five Iranian hospitals, including two just last Friday. Strikes on Hakim Children’s Hospital in Tehran, Farabi Rehabilitation Hospital in Kermanshah, and Red Crescent facilities have killed and injured scores of patients and medical staff. Yet Western leaders remain mute.
As Israel escalates its military campaign against Iran, a familiar figure has re-emerged in Western media: Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch. With polished rhetoric and appeals to democratic ideals, Pahlavi has positioned himself as a transitional figure for a post-Islamic Republic Iran. Yet, beneath the surface of this western media spectacle lies a deeper, more troubling narrative—one that reveals the contradictions of monarchical nostalgia, the fragmentation of Iran’s opposition, and the geopolitical opportunism that are more about reviving a Cold War-era political artifact.
Pahlavi’s lineage is inseparable from Iran’s autocratic past. His father, Mohammad Reza Shah, ruled with an iron fist, suppressing dissent through the SAVAK secret police and deepening socioeconomic inequalities under the guise of modernization. The 1953 CIA- and MI6-backed coup that restored the Shah to power—overthrowing the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh—remains a historical wound that Pahlavi has never meaningfully addressed
To most Iranians, especially those inside the country, Pahlavi represents not hope but regression. His alignment with pro-Zionist and pro-Trump factions in the diaspora have further alienated him from the very people he claims to represent.
This raises both ethical and strategic questions: Can a foreign-backed, ideologically hollow figure—an ‘Ahmad Chalabi’ without grassroots support—truly deliver democratic governance in a nation of 92 million with long, bitter memories of foreign interference? Or is this yet another case of regime change driven more by external agendas than internal legitimacy?
The Real Stakes
The Iran-Israel conflict is not just a regional power struggle; it is a clash of visions for the Middle East. On one side stands a nuclear-armed Israel, emboldened by U.S. backing and driven by a messianic vision of territorial entitlement—from the Nile to the borders of Iran and Turkey. In this vision, Palestinians are expendable, and regional dominance is the ultimate goal.
On the other side is Iran, a nation under siege,facing significant external threats, particularly from the two devils: the United States and Israel.They see themselves as protectors of the Islamic Republic and its ideology, emphasizing national pride and positioning itself as a bulwark against Western hegemony. As part of the so-called Axis of Resistance, Iran views its nuclear ambitions as a sovereign right—one setback won’t end that pursuit.
Only time will reveal which vision prevails: one rooted in colonial ambition—where conflict, occupation, and hegemony are inevitable outcomes—or one grounded in the ideals of justice, human fraternity, and popular resistance to foreign domination.
Conclusion: Beyond the Mirage
The media’s fixation on exiled figures like Reza Pahlavi is a distraction. The future of Iran won’t be shaped by foreign-backed pretenders or warmongers in Washington and Tel Aviv. It belongs to the Iranian people—those who continue to resist occupation, demand dignity, and fight for self-determination.
The US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, including Fordow
US President Donald Trump confirms American strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, stating that a full payload was dropped on Fordow.
In a post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday at dawn that the United States carried out what he described as a "very successful attack" on three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Trump stated that a "full payload of bombs" was dropped on Fordow, the primary target, and confirmed that all US aircraft involved in the operation have exited Iranian airspace and are "safely on their way home."
"Congratulations to our great American Warriors," Trump wrote, adding, "There is not another military in the world that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!"
According to sources cited by Axios, Trump met with his national security team in the White House Situation Room on Saturday evening.
According to an Israeli official, "Israel" was notified by the Trump administration in advance of the strikes, and another senior Israeli official told Axios that B-2 stealth bombers were used for the strike.
This comes after repeated warnings from Iran against US intervention in the war.
Four days after abruptly leaving the G7 summit in Canada and warning civilians to "evacuate Tehran," Trump on Friday signaled a delay in any military action against Iran. Speaking before a fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club, Trump said he was still undecided and waiting to see “whether or not people come to their senses.”
While raising the claim of Iran’s nuclear threat, Trump avoided detailing a potential US response.
Iran confirms Fordow evacuation ahead of US strikes
Mehdi Mohammadi, an adviser to the chairman of the Iranian parliament, stated that Iran had anticipated an attack on the Fordow nuclear facility and evacuated it in advance. As a result, the facility did not sustain any irreversible damage.
"From Iran's point of view, nothing unsurprising happened. Iran has been expecting strikes on Fordow for several days. This nuclear facility was evacuated, no irreversible damage was sustained during today's attack," Mohammadi said in a statement posted on X.
Iran's Expediency Discernment Council member Mohsen Rezaei noted that Iran had already moved all enriched nuclear materials to a secure location ahead of the strikes. This step was reportedly part of Iran's broader strategy to minimize damage in the event of an anticipated escalation.
The statements mark a clear Iranian response to the recent US airstrikes and reflect the growing tensions following Washington's direct intervention in the war.
Iran warns of firm response
On that note, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva warned on Wednesday that Tehran would respond firmly to any direct US involvement in the Israeli occupation’s war on Iran.
The remarks followed days of escalating strikes between Iran and “Israel”, and amid fears of a broader regional war.
Ali Bahreini, Iran’s UN envoy in Geneva, said Tehran considered the United States “complicit in what Israel is doing," adding that Iran has already conveyed a clear message to Washington: if the US crosses a red line by engaging directly in the conflict, Iran will respond decisively. He did not specify what exact actions would trigger a military response.
Iran: Minor damage to nuclear sites after US attack, no radiation
Iran reports full containment after US strikes on key nuclear sites, stating critical infrastructure is intact and warning of a measured response to Washington’s actions.
In its first official response to US airstrikes targeting nuclear facilities inside the country, Iranian authorities stated early Sunday that the attacks caused no radiation leaks or risk to surrounding populations and confirmed that the structural integrity of the targeted sites remains intact.
This comes shortly after US President Donald Trump announced, in a post in Truth Social, on Sunday at dawn, that the United States carried out what he described as a "very successful attack" on three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Iran’s National Nuclear Safety System Center, which operates under Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, reported that monitoring systems had not detected any radioactive contamination at the Fordow, Natanz, or Isfahan nuclear facilities. The agency affirmed that all systems were operating normally and that the situation was under control.
"There is therefore no danger for the inhabitants living around the ... sites," it stressed.
Manan Raeisi, a member of Iran's parliament representing Qom, the province where the Fordow facility is located, affirmed that “preliminary inspections at the strike locations confirm there is no nuclear radiation.” He further asserted that claims made by US officials, particularly US President Donald Trump, were misleading.
“Based on verified information, I can say that contrary to the American president’s false claims, the Fordow facility did not suffer significant damage. Most of the impact was surface-level and easily repairable,” Raeisi said.
Iranian MP: Trump’s claims are false and exaggerated
Raeisi described the US president’s statements as exaggerated and noted that the lack of casualties at the Fordow nuclear site is evidence of the superficial nature of the strikes.
“Trump’s fabricated claim about Fordow’s destruction only highlights how ineffective the strikes truly were, so superficial that not a single martyr has been reported at the site,” he added.
He also warned that the attack represents a direct escalation.
“This act of American aggression marks clear and direct involvement in the war,” he warned, stressing that “Iran alone will determine the timing and nature of its response to this reckless provocation.”
Emergency centers, residents report calm, no damage
Qom’s Emergency Management Headquarters assured the public that “there is no threat to the city or nearby areas.” Local media outlet IRNA interviewed residents near the Fordow facility, who reported no signs of a major explosion or disruption. Traffic along the Qom–Isfahan highway was observed moving normally.
Meanwhile, Fars News Agency released a video from the area surrounding the Fordow nuclear facility, which showed no visible destruction.
In a similar vein, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in Tehran also reported that initial findings contradicted the US narrative, confirming that only external areas such as gates and perimeter fences were struck.
Saudi radiation agency backs Iran’s version of events
According to Iranian officials cited by state media, precautionary evacuations of the three nuclear sites had already taken place in anticipation of possible escalation. Qom’s emergency center also confirmed that Fordow had been preemptively cleared.
Further validating Iran’s account, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that its Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission had detected no signs of radiation anywhere in the Kingdom or the broader Gulf region following the US airstrikes. This independent confirmation reinforced Iran’s claims that the core infrastructure of its nuclear facilities remained unharmed and that the attacks failed to inflict any substantial or hazardous damage.
True Promise 3, wave 20: Ben Gurion, military, research sites struck
In its first major response to US and Israeli airstrikes, Iran targets Ben Gurion Airport and military hubs with a new wave of ballistic missile attacks.
A new wave of Iranian ballistic missile strikes targeted central and northern parts of "Israel" on Sunday, marking the first such attack since US airstrikes hit Iranﾒs nuclear facilities on Sunday at dawn. Sirens were activated across multiple areas, with Israeli authorities urging settlers to remain in shelters.
According to the Israeli military, around 30 missiles were launched from Iran in two salvos toward Gush Dan and the north. On its part, Iranian state television reported strikes on at least 10 separate sites. Sirens were reportedly not activated in several areas, mainly Haifa, prior to impact, raising concerns over the entity's early warning system.
Confirmed missile impacts were recorded in Haifa, Tel Aviv, Ness Ziona, Beer Yaakov, Ramla, and the settlement of Bat Yam, where a fire broke out in a residential building. In Haifa, one missile struck without any prior alert, prompting internal outrage over the failure of the alarm system.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that over 20 missiles landed in various locations across the occupied territories.
23 settlers injured as Iranian missiles hit central, northern "Israel
Israeli media reported that medical teams are assessing the affected areas for damage and casualties. In a related development, Israeli media reported, citing Magen David Adom (MDA), that emergency responders are attending to 23 settlers injured in the Iranian ballistic missile strikes on central and northern "Israel", including some in critical condition.
MDA added that its teams are continuing to survey the reported impact sites, Israeli media reported.
Israeli authorities instructed settlers in impacted areas to remain in shelters until further notice, particularly in Haifa and al-Jalil, where sirens were also triggered.
This missile campaign marks Iran’s first attack since the United States, in coordination with the Israeli occupation, launched airstrikes on the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, an action Tehran has condemned as illegal and escalatory.
In the aftermath of the attack, the Israeli military's spokesperson called on the public and media to refrain from sharing footage or images of the impact zones. Despite this, footage continued to come in from the impacted areas, showcasing the massive destruction. Emergency teams and military units remain on high alert as the situation continues to unfold, as per Israeli media.
Wave 20 of Operation True Promise 3 launched: IRGC
Simultaneously, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the launch of the 20th wave of Operation True Promise 3, targeting key sites across the occupied territories with a combination of long-range ballistic missiles utilizing advanced strike tactics.
IRGC spokesperson Major General Naeini announced that the latest phase of the operation employed missiles powered by both liquid and solid propellants, equipped with high-impact warheads and enhanced features specifically designed to bypass enemy air defense systems.
The IRGC confirmed that the targets struck during this wave included Ben Gurion Airport, a biological research facility, and command, control, and logistical support bases at multiple levels.
Naeini described the operation as a continued part of Iran’s strategic military response to the coordinated aggression by the United States and the Israeli occupation.
