The Daily Populous Monday June 23rd, 2025 morning edition
Authored by ynetnews.com and submitted by NotSoSaneExile

Israeli officials signaled Sunday that the country is prepared to halt its military campaign against Iran if Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ceases hostilities and seeks a resolution to the conflict.

The comments came hours after the U.S. struck Iran's primary nuclear facilities , following more than a week of sustained Israeli attacks on targets across the Islamic Republic. According to Israeli assessments, the American strike caused extensive damage. The Natanz facility is believed to have been destroyed, while those in Fordow and Isfahan suffered serious hits.

3 View gallery Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Security sources in Israel estimate that hundreds of kilograms of enriched nuclear material were destroyed in the attacks. “If tomorrow Khamenei stops the fire and says he wants to end this — we will accept that,” an Israeli official said.

Despite the initial assessments, Israeli officials stressed that the full impact of the American strike has yet to be independently verified . “The defense establishment believes the Iranians were unable to remove significant quantities of enriched material ahead of the strike,” one official said. “At most, they managed to extract a small amount. The bulk — several hundred kilograms — was destroyed.”

What to expect next: Ynet breaks it down

How far back was Iran’s nuclear program set? "The estimate is that the program was pushed back more than a decade," Israeli officials said.

US President Donald Trump delivers statement after Iran strike ( Video: The White House )

How long should the public brace for this conflict? What does a “prolonged campaign” mean? “We’ve prepared the public for a prolonged campaign. This doesn’t depend on us — it depends on the Iranians,” officials said. “If Iran drags us into a war of attrition, it will take time. That’s not what we want. We hope to wrap this up soon — ideally this week. But if Khamenei keeps firing, we’ll respond. We can’t absorb without reacting. Our interest is not to prolong this.”

Does Israel have enough interceptors? “We’re continuing to produce interceptors, and the defense budget has been reinforced,” said officials. “Everything has a shelf life. But the main objective — hitting the nuclear program — has been achieved. The missile platforms and launchers are still being targeted and will continue to be in the coming days.”

What is Israel’s overarching goal — limiting the nuclear program or regime change? “The primary goal has always been the nuclear program. Regime change was never the objective. Undermining the regime may result from the strikes, but it was never the aim.”

3 View gallery US President Donald Trump ( Photo: Carlos Barria/Pool via AP )

Will Israel settle for damaging the nuclear infrastructure, or seek broader strategic gains? “If tomorrow Khamenei stops the fire and says he wants to end this — we will accept that.”

Is Israel now expecting a nuclear agreement? “There’s little to no chance. We don’t see them entering negotiations.”

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Is there an understanding between Israel and the U.S. about the ‘day after’? “For now, we’re watching to see what Khamenei does,” officials said. “If he draws the Americans into the conflict, that’s one scenario. If he only targets Israel, that’s another. Broadly, the U.S. would like to see Iran return to negotiations. But everything hinges on what Khamenei chooses — whether he attacks the U.S., only Israel, agrees to talks or surrenders. We, for our part, don’t want to prolong the campaign.”

Iran targets Israeli civilian centers, while Israel strikes military and governmental targets. Could Israel change that approach? “We’re not Iran — we don’t target civilians,” officials emphasized. “When they deliberately hit civilians and we don’t, it gives us international legitimacy. We’ve managed to turn Iran into a global problem. From Paris to Rome to New York, the world now understands what could happen if this spreads. We are a democracy, not a dictatorship — and we don’t kill civilians.”

3 View gallery Impact site of Iranian missile in Tel Aviv ( Photo: Ido Erez )

Was Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile destroyed in the U.S. strike? “We don’t have final confirmation. Even if not all of it was destroyed, we hope 80–90 percent was. It’s still early. We’ll have better verification in the coming days — even if not to the last millimeter.”

How many launchers and missiles does Iran still have? “ We’ve destroyed more than 50 percent of their launchers . Around 200 remain. They still have about 1,500 missiles.”

Is Iran planning retaliatory terror attacks abroad against Israeli or Jewish targets? “Foreign terror attacks are always a possibility — that’s why we’ve raised our alert level and are making a major effort to prevent them.”

Where are the War Cabinet ministers right now? “They’re in a secure bunker — and sleeping there. Their families are elsewhere, in undisclosed safe locations. Only the ministers are in the bunker. Even Sara Netanyahu is not staying there.”

hinterstoisser on June 22nd, 2025 at 20:05 UTC »

Israel is burning through money like nuts. Between the Gaza occupation and wars on Hezbollah, Syria, Houthis, another front strains their finances and severely stretches their already massively fatigued forces.

RobotAlbertross on June 22nd, 2025 at 18:32 UTC »

If I was Iran and I still wanted to build a bomb, I would take Israel's offer and use the time to finish the bomb.

demostv on June 22nd, 2025 at 18:25 UTC »

‘“We have other goals and we will continue to act until we attain them," army spokesman Effie Defrin told reporters in a televised press conference.’

https://www.barrons.com/news/israeli-army-says-has-other-goals-in-iran-will-continue-attacks-5714234c