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TEL AVIV – A senior Israeli military official on Friday claimed that Israel’s 12-day air campaign against Iran delivered a “major blow” to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, killing dozens of top security and nuclear figures and severely damaging Iran’s missile production capabilities.
In a rare and detailed briefing, the official said that more than 900 military targets were struck across Iran since the opening salvo on June 13, which included a long-range precision strike over 1,500 kilometers away that reportedly disrupted Iran’s air defenses and command structure.
“The Iranian nuclear project suffered a major blow: The regime’s ability to enrich uranium to 90% was neutralized for a prolonged period,” the official said, asserting that Iran’s capacity to produce a nuclear weapon core has been “neutralized.”
According to the Israeli assessment, 33 senior Iranian security officials and 11 senior nuclear scientists were killed in the strikes. The scale and precision of the assault, the official said, significantly hindered Iran’s ability to retaliate in the initial hours of the war.
The conflict, which erupted after months of rising tensions and shadow warfare between the two countries, ended earlier this week with a US-brokered ceasefire. Washington and European allies had voiced concerns that the confrontation risked spiraling into a broader regional conflict.
Iranian officials have pushed back against Israel’s narrative, saying their missile response demonstrated the resilience of Iran’s military capabilities. Iran launched multiple waves of missile strikes targeting Israeli military installations and urban areas, claiming it had successfully breached Israel’s defense systems.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the nation in a televised speech on June 26, calling the ceasefire a “strategic success” for the Islamic Republic and insisting that Iran had “forced the enemy into retreat.”
However, details of the impact on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remain unverified due to tight restrictions on international media access.
Iranian authorities reported that 627 people were killed during the 12-day war, though casualty figures have not been independently confirmed. In Israel, officials said 28 people died from Iranian missile strikes.
As the dust settles, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Friday that he had instructed the military to draft a comprehensive plan to maintain air superiority over Iran and thwart any future attempts by Tehran to revive its nuclear or missile programs.
“Our response has significantly diminished Iran’s capacity to produce and deliver strategic weapons,” Katz said. “But we must remain vigilant. Iran’s support for terrorism and its regional proxies remains an existential threat.”
Despite the declared ceasefire, analysts warn that tensions are unlikely to abate. “This was not the end of hostilities—only a pause,” said Orna Mizrahi, a senior security expert at the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies. “Iran’s nuclear drive and Israel’s determination to prevent it will continue to define the confrontation.”
International observers have called for a renewed diplomatic effort to prevent further escalation and to reestablish oversight mechanisms on Iran’s nuclear activities through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).