Yes the US had hits on Iran’s nuke facilities and the world braced for the possible retaliation after all the tough talk….and then….
Iran has made its first retaliatory response to the US airstrikes—it fired a barrage of missiles at an American military base in Qatar on Monday, reports the Wall Street Journal. However, Qatar said it had successfully intercepted the missiles, or at least the first round of them. Sources tell the New York Times that Iran warned Qatari officials about the strikes in advance to minimize civilian casualties—and the attack came shortly after Qatar shut down its airspace.
Iran confirmed the attack on the Al Udeid Air Base after explosions were heard there. An announcement on Iran state TV boasted of “a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America’s aggression,” per the AP. The base, headquarters of US Central Command, is the biggest American military installation in the Mideast. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties there.
After attack analysis…..
The Pentagon says it has no reports of injuries or deaths at its military base in Qatar after Iran fired a barrage of missiles, reports the Washington Post. And the AP notes that Iran made a point to say that it used the same number of missiles as the US dropped on Iran, which the outlet sees as a “likely desire to de-escalate.” Whether that’s an accurate read remains to be seen, but a few other details suggest that Tehran kept things relatively contained:
- The New York Times, citing three Iranian officials, reports that Iran gave Qatar a head’s up about the attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in order to limit casualties. Qatar says it was able to intercept all the missiles, and the nation also shut down its airspace as a precaution.
After the smoke and dust had cleared Dear Clueless Leader announces a ceasefire…..
President Trump claimed in a post on Truth Social on Monday that Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire, ending what he called “The 12 Day War,” an announcement that came amid heavy Israeli attacks on Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said in a post on X that there was no “agreement” on a ceasefire but said Iran would cease counterattacks on Israel if Israel stopped its strikes, which has been Tehran’s position.
“As Iran has repeatedly made clear: Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around. As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Aragchi said.
“However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards. The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later,” he added.
https://news.antiwar.com/2025/06/23/trump-says-iran-and-israel-have-agreed-to-a-ceasefire/
One note here….Neither Israel nor Iran immediately confirmed Trump’s announcement that they had agreed to a ceasefire.
Tit for tat warnings?
The New York Times, citing three Iranian officials, reports that Iran gave Qatar a head’s up about the attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in order to limit casualties. Qatar says it was able to intercept all the missiles, and the nation also shut down its airspace as a precaution.
I am sure that Qatar shared that info with the US.
Then there was a report that the US told Iran of the upcoming airstrike….
Vice President JD Vance raised major questions about the success of the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities after suggesting that Tehran’s near-bomb-grade uranium was moved before the attacks.
Israeli sources were quoted as saying that Iran moved as much as 880 pounds of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity from a secure nuclear storage plant in the ancient city of Isfahan.
“Iran has made no secret that they have protected this material,” Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told CNN.
Announcing the raids, the president said the nuclear sites at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz were “completely and fully obliterated.”
(thedailybeast.com)
The physical sites may have been obliterated but the material remains….where was the success?
The situation is still fluid in my opinion and subject to stupid thinking.
If the ceasefire is a reality then I say bully for not escalating this to the breaking point.
Here is a closing thought….the hope was the attack would cause a popular uprising against the standing government in Iran….so far that has not happened….
However, this strategy has already backfired. Instead of provoking division, namely between opponents of the Iranian government and its backers, the attacks have galvanized national unity across ideological lines. Millions have taken to the streets in cities across Iran including Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan—not only in protest of foreign aggression, but in defense of Iran’s sovereignty. Even longstanding critics of Iran’s government have closed ranks, recognizing that the existential threat posed by US-Israeli aggression transcends domestic political grievances. Iranians around the country are now even assisting security forces to counter and dismantle espionage networks working with Mossad inside Iran. This convergence of sentiment, seen in everything from volunteer enlistments to mass mobilization efforts, underscores a recurring lesson of imperialist miscalculation: external pressures often consolidate, rather than fracture, national identity.
Does not look like ‘regime change’ is in the wind….for now….
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
