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Dispute Over Iran Claim
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office pressured Israel’s intelligence and security establishment to endorse claims that Iran’s nuclear program had been “completely destroyed” after the end of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025.
““There was one small problem with that statement. “It simply wasn’t true.””
The confrontation reportedly took place hours after the war ended, with Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth saying Israeli intelligence officials refused to issue such an assessment and instead pointed to damage that was “significant—but incomplete.”
A senior intelligence official reportedly refused to sign the requested document, telling his superior: “I cannot sign this.”
The report described resistance within Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, where Brigadier General Moshe Edri, director general of the commission, agreed to help prepare an assessment but sought approval from senior nuclear scientists who rejected an initial draft as “heavily distorted.”
Pressure, Compromise, and Quotes
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Netanyahu’s office intensified pressure on security, intelligence and military officials to produce an assessment confirming that Iran’s nuclear facilities had been destroyed, reinforcing a claim made by U.S. President Donald Trump following U.S. strikes on Iran in June 2025.
The newspaper said preliminary Israeli assessments, based on satellite imagery, drone surveillance and other intelligence, concluded that the damage was “significant, but not complete, and certainly did not amount to total destruction.”
A compromise document was reportedly drafted stating that U.S. strikes had destroyed critical infrastructure at Fordow and significantly delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions, while avoiding any claim that the country’s nuclear program had been eliminated.
The final version included a caveat that long-term gains would depend on preventing Iran from regaining access to its remaining stockpile of enriched nuclear material, with the report saying Israeli experts estimated Iran still possessed approximately 440 kilograms of fissile material, enough for roughly 11 nuclear weapons.
What’s at Stake Next
The dispute over the “completely destroyed” narrative unfolded alongside broader tensions over Washington’s peace negotiations with Iran, with The Times of Israel reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to meet in the US in the near future during a phone call Friday.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump agreed to meet soon in the US”
The Times of Israel also said the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and undertake 60 days of negotiations on a final deal covering Iran’s nuclear program, while Israel was not a party and its fight with Iran had also paused.
In parallel, Israeli officials were preparing to present options for another attack, with DW reporting that Netanyahu would try to persuade Trump that Iran’s missile program expansion is a serious threat that may require swift action.
DW further quoted White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly saying, “The IAEA and the Iranian government have assessed the U.S. assessment that the 'Hammer Midnight' operation has completely destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities,” as Israel weighed concerns about rebuilding nuclear enrichment sites and ballistic missile production sites.
