Israel Report - Friday 20 June 2025
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. [Isaiah 2; vv 4-5]
Jerusalem Under Fire From Iranian Ballistic Missiles - How Will The US Respond?
IDSF - Israel's Defence and Security Forum
In today’s briefing, Elie Pieprz, Director of IDSF International Governmental Relations, talks about his experience in Jerusalem as the regime in Iran sends him and his neighbours into their bomb shelters.
He then explains the dynamics of the Israel - US relationship and he notes that there is extensive misinformation about the true nature of the relationship.
Elie talks about the reasons that we could see the US enter into this war and what that would mean for the rest of the world.
HERE is the recording of the briefing from today.
Our next briefing will be Tuesday 24 June 2025
Trump Holding off Attack….
As the conflict between Israel and Iran entered its seventh day, U.S. President Donald Trump today signaled that he’ll decide on whether to order the U.S. military to strike Iranian nuclear facilities within the next two weeks.
That decision will ultimately depend on whether or not Tehran enters into talks over ending its nuclear weapons program.
In a statement relayed through White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump said: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”
Yesterday, Trump was reportedly moving closer to getting directly involved in the fight. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump “told senior aides late Tuesday that he approved of attack plans for Iran, but was holding off on giving the final order to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program.” The publication cited three people familiar with the deliberations.
It’s always possible that this is a ruse and the decision has already been made, similar to how Israel launched its attack prior to scheduled talks with the U.S., but we have no evidence of that at this time.
Israel Continues Attacks…
The damaged heavy water reactor building at Arak, seen on June 19, 2025. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies
Israel continued to strike targets at dozens of locations in Iran overnight, with perhaps the most prominent being the Arak heavy water reactor.
The damage caused by the attack is revealed by satellite imagery of the aftermath, including a direct hit on the large dome-like structure at the facility that covers the reactor itself.
Iranian state television reported that there was “no radiation danger whatsoever” and that the facility had already been evacuated before the attack.
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that the facility was still under construction and contained no nuclear material.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) had warned people to evacuate the area around the heavy water reactor in the regions of Arak and Khondab a few hours before it launched its attack.
Located around 150 miles southwest of Tehran, the Arak facility produces the heavy water used to cool nuclear reactors.
As a byproduct of this process, the plant also produces plutonium, which can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. This would offer another route to procuring a nuclear warhead, other than enriched uranium.
After the strike, Israel said it was still concerned the facility could be used to produce plutonium.
The IDF said in a statement: “The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development.”
As well as hitting Arak, the IDF said it had also carried out a further attack on the nuclear enrichment site at Natanz, [above] as well as air defence batteries, missile storage sites, radars, and other sites.
According to reports, there is a wave of attacks in the Lavizan neighborhood of Tehran, using bunker-penetrating bombs.
Ali Khamenei’s bunker is believed to be there, although it does not appear that he was the target.
The SPND HQ was struck last night by the IDF in Tehran. It is the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), a body under Iran's Defence Ministry responsible for developing military technology. SPND was responsible for missile production and headquarters for research and development of the nuclear weapon project.
Developing…
Latest Barrages of Iranian Missiles…..
Locations that were targeted by the latest barrage of Iranian missiles included Holon and Ramat Gan in central Israel. In Holon, emergency services said that one person had been seriously wounded and another two dozen left with minor injuries.
Explosions were also heard over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In Tel Aviv, a missile hit a high-rise building and several other residential buildings in at least two locations, according to the Magen David Adom rescue service.
At least 240 people were wounded in the various attacks around Israel, AP reports, citing Israel’s Health Ministry.
An Iranian missile hit Beer Sheba this morning. Major damage to buildings and cars but thanks to people taking shelter as advised only 5 people were mildly injured
DIMONA a Target? Close Hormuz?
There are suggestions that Iran could be poised to attack Israeli nuclear facilities.
Reports in the Israeli media state that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued an evacuation order for Israeli citizens living close to the Dimona nuclear plant.
Another option available to Iran involves closing down the Strait of Hormuz, the marine artery through which around 20 percent of daily global oil exports pass.
The option was raised by a member of the Iranian Parliament National Security Committee presidium, Behnam Saeedi, [below] who was quoted by the semi-official Mehr news agency.
Iran has in the past threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure, and shipping sources say that commercial ships are avoiding Iran’s waters around the strait.
Iran continues to warn off the United States from more actively supporting Israel in the conflict, which could include kinetic attacks.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi [above] said that if the United States wants to become more involved in the conflict on behalf of Israel, Iran would be forced to defend itself.
“If the United States wants to actively enter the field in favour of the Zionist regime, Iran will have to use its tools to both teach a lesson to aggressors and defend its national security and national interests,” Gharibabadi said. “Naturally, our military decision makers have all the necessary options on the table.”
U.S. Replenishes Weapons Supply……
Quoting the Israeli Defence Ministry, several cargo aircraft carrying arms and other military equipment for the service touched down in Israel today. The ministry said the delivery was “part of efforts to strengthen operational continuity and support all the IDF’s needs, both for achieving the goals of the war and for improving readiness and stockpiles.”
The same report notes that, since the start of Operation Rising Lion, Iran, 14 cargo aircraft with equipment for the IDF have landed in Israel. Most of these aircraft have flown from the United States.
The U.S. assessment of Iran’s nuclear program has not changed since March, when the director of national intelligence told lawmakers that Tehran has large amounts of enriched uranium but has not made a decision to rush toward building an atomic weapon, according to the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee and a source with knowledge of the matter.
Comments by President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have painted a different picture, suggesting that Iran is racing toward creating a nuclear weapon.
Either which way, it now appears that whatever is under the mountains of Fordow it is about to be destroyed?
Role of Russia “Unclear”….
Amid calls from Israel and the United States for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” the role of Russia in the ongoing crisis has been somewhat unclear.
While Moscow has expressed concern about the fate of Iran, there has been a general acknowledgment that Russia has only a limited ability to influence the unfolding events.
Putin said that Iran has not requested Russian help so far, but noted that, “If the situation escalates, we’ll see if they will need help.”
The Russian leader added that there is no “defence clause” in any agreements between Russia and Iran. “Iran did not want to cooperate with Russia on air defence previously. Iran fights the fight alone; they’re proud and want to be self-reliant,” Putin added.
Iran’s Air Defences Degraded…
Every hour that passes, Iran’s air defences (which are still a threat, albeit a greatly diminished one) and arsenal degrades.
Command and control is under increasing pressure, although there is risk of some recovery there with time if the pressure is let off.
Big question is where does Iran’s short-range ballistic missile, one-way-attack drone, and cruise missile capability sit? Has it been degraded substantially too?
If not, that is what is the greatest risk to the region, not the MRBM/IRBMs we are seeing being used against Israel, which are much harder to hide and disperse.
The U.S. could up its non kinetic support in the meantime with lower risk of major reaction. Supply tanker support to the IAF would make a huge difference in velocity of the conflict. Even if some of this is happening now clandestinely, it cannot match doing it in the open at scale.
More time, even a day or two, will allow more assets to be moved into place to best execute any orders and defend against any blowback.
This includes the Nimitz carrier strike group that is in the Indian Ocean now on its way to the CENTCOM area of responsibility..three aircraft carriers will then be in position off the Iranian coast.
Israel Report