Israel-Iran Twelve-Day War and US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites
- Date
- 13-24 June 2025
- Category
- Military & conflict
- Region
- Middle East
- Era
- Contemporary
- Significance
On 13 June 2025, Israel launched a surprise air campaign against Iran's nuclear facilities, missile sites, and senior military and scientific personnel, opening a direct twelve-day war between the two adversaries.
On 22 June, the United States joined the offensive in Operation Midnight Hammer, bombing the deeply buried enrichment site at Fordow along with Natanz and Isfahan, the first direct US military strike on Iranian soil since 1988. Iran retaliated with waves of ballistic missiles and drones against Israel and a symbolic strike on a US base in Qatar before a ceasefire took hold on 24 June. The conflict dealt a major blow to Iran's nuclear program and reshaped the strategic balance of the Middle East, though disputes persisted over how far Iran's enrichment capability had actually been set back.
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Further reading
The wider story
A History of the Modern Middle East
The go-to survey of the region from the late Ottoman era to the present.
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