Official Israel Vs. Iran 2025 thread: First post updates! US, Israel attacks set Iran back months at best. Ceasefire in effect. Everybody wins(?)
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Israel had 'no choice' but to attack Iran because it was 'rushing' to nuclear bomb, president Isaac Herzog claims
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also suggested the Israeli war cabinet was discussing the likelihood of targeting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel had 'no choice' but to attack Iran because it was 'rushing' to nuclear bomb, president Isaac Herzog claims
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also suggested the Israeli war cabinet was discussing the likelihood of targeting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Why you can trust Sky News
Israel had "no other choice" but to attack Iran because it was proceeding "dramatically" towards a nuclear bomb, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has claimed.
Speaking to Sky News' Yalda Hakim, he said Iran was "rushing" to the bomb "under disguise".
He also suggested the Israeli war cabinet was discussing Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, amid reports that President Donald Trump vetoed a plan to kill him.
It comes as Israel and Iran continue to fire missiles at each other after Israel launched an unprecedented strike on Iran's nuclear and military capabilities.
Tehran has long denied that its nuclear program has been attempting to obtain a nuclear weapon.
He claimed Iran was proceeding "dramatically" towards the bomb, both in terms of the enrichment of uranium and, "clandestinely", the armament part of the process.
Mr Herzog was asked why Israel attacked Iran when it did.
"When you take such decisions of historic magnitude and proportions, you have to analyse all facets and all facts," he replied.
"The truth of the matter is there was no other choice."
He claimed Iran was proceeding "dramatically" towards the bomb, both in terms of the enrichment of uranium and, "clandestinely", the armament part of the process.
"I've always been very crystal clear with regards to a nuclear capability of our enemies - it has to be removed at once."
Mr Herzog added: "We have to remove the Iranian nuclear program because we see the negotiating process as being futile because they are lying whilst talking to us.
"They are lying whilst talking to the United States and other allies."
This is more of course, but I don't like posting full articles.
It already happened in DC. No one cared
Israel really about to overthrow the government 
WhereIsTheLove
All Star
US aircraft carrier sails towards the Middle East
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz left Southeast Asia after cancelling plans to dock in Vietnam and is headed to the Middle East as Israel and Iran do battle.
At 13:45 GMT, the carrier was travelling through the Malacca Strait towards the Indian Ocean, according to Marine Traffic, a ship-tracking site.
An unnamed Vietnamese official confirmed to AFP news agency a planned reception aboard the USS Nimitz on June 20 – as part of the ship’s expected June 19-23 visit to Da Nang, Vietnam – had been cancelled.
The official shared a letter from the US embassy announcing the Pentagon cancelled the event because of “an emergent operational requirement”.
The movement of one of the world’s largest warships came on day four of the escalating air war between Israel and Iran, with no end in sight despite international calls for de-escalation.
“The concern is that this war will continue and expand, that Iran might hit US targets, including some of the military installations that the United States has in the region,” said Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC.
“So I would look at the movement of aircraft carriers and other equipment to deter Iran. I don’t think the Iranians are eager to bring the United States into what is already quite a devastating conflict for them.”
Despite divisions, Iranians unite in face of Israeli threat
Foad Izadi, professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, says people in Iran have united against Israeli aggression.
“We had hundreds of thousands of people come to the streets a couple of days ago demonstrating against [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu because he issued a statement … asking people to come to the streets and unify [against the government]. They did – against him,” Izadi told Al Jazeera.
Despite people having varying views about the Iranian government, ultimately, they “like Iran” and “don’t want to see civilian deaths”, Izadi said.
“They don’t want their country to be attacked in this manner,” he said, adding Iran has “no choice but to respond” if Israel continues to carry out attacks.
There must be a “cost” for Israel’s attacks so they’re not repeated in the future, said Izadi.
‘Calling someone a mouthpiece doesn’t give you permission to kill them’
Foad Izadi, professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, says he fears there are going to be “a lot of casualties” following the attack on the building of Iran’s state-run television.
Footage from the scene shows the building engulfed in flames.
“It’s a huge building,” Izadi told Al Jazeera. “Iran’s news channel is located on the first floor. It has four floors, and on every floor you have at least 200-300 people working,” he said.
“They were getting ready for the evening programmes. This is going to result in a lot of civilians – generally young people, young journalists – getting killed,” he added, noting that people who are not working as journalists would also have been in the building at the time of the attack.
Izadi said he expected the attack to spark international outrage and be condemned by international media outlets.
“Calling someone a mouthpiece doesn’t give you permission to kill them,” he said.
“If you don’t like the content of the news channel, it doesn’t give you permission to eliminate the people who work there,” Izadi added, describing Sahar Emami – the presenter who was live on air at the moment of the attack – as “a true journalist”.
“[She is] very unbiased and very fair in her reporting.”
Trump says Iran should talk about de-escalating ‘before it’s too late’
Iran wants to talk about de-escalating hostilities with Israel, and should do so immediately “before it’s too late”, President Trump said.
“I’d say Iran is not winning this war … and they should talk immediately before it’s too late,” he told reporters at the start of a meeting with Canada’s PM Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Kananaskis.
40 min ago
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog accused Iran of using talks over a new nuclear deal as a ploy to keep the United States onside while it scrambled to build a nuclear weapon.
In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer today, Herzog dismissed the idea that Iran was engaged in a “peaceful, diplomatic” process with the Trump administration.
“Underneath” the talks, Tehran was “moving forward” with building a nuclear weapon, Herzog claimed.
He said it was the “unanimous” judgment of the Israeli defense and security establishment that Iran was rushing to enrich its uranium to weapons-grade levels.
Israeli president accuses Iran of using negotiations with Trump as cover to advance nuclear weapons program
From CNN’s Christian EdwardsIsrael’s President Isaac Herzog accused Iran of using talks over a new nuclear deal as a ploy to keep the United States onside while it scrambled to build a nuclear weapon.
In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer today, Herzog dismissed the idea that Iran was engaged in a “peaceful, diplomatic” process with the Trump administration.
“Underneath” the talks, Tehran was “moving forward” with building a nuclear weapon, Herzog claimed.
He said it was the “unanimous” judgment of the Israeli defense and security establishment that Iran was rushing to enrich its uranium to weapons-grade levels.
