Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar claimed this week that the Jewish state’s unprecedented military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have significantly delayed Tehran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon. The remarks, published in Bild, a leading German newspaper, signal the highest-level Israeli admission yet of the scope and ambition behind its offensive — an operation that has already killed hundreds, including top nuclear scientists and military officials.
“According to the assessment we hear, we have already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb,” Saar stated. “The fact that we took out those people who led and pushed the weaponisation of the nuclear program is extremely important.”
The military campaign, which began with a sweeping offensive on June 13, has struck hundreds of military and nuclear sites deep inside Iran, targeting both key infrastructure and the individuals who support it. Despite the intensity of the campaign, Saar insisted that Israel had not set regime change as a formal objective. “At least until now, we didn’t do that,” he added.
Iran, for its part, remains defiant. While the Islamic Republic has retaliated with a mix of drones and missile attacks — over 450 missiles and 400 drones according to Israeli authorities — Tehran continues to deny that it is pursuing nuclear weapons. Iran has maintained this position for decades, even as international watchdogs report uranium enrichment far beyond civilian needs.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, in a stunning reemergence on the international stage, said Iran had “a maximum of two weeks” to avoid direct American military action, fueling speculation that the United States could soon join the conflict in earnest.
“Europe is not going to be able to help in this,” Trump said, referring to ongoing diplomatic efforts led by Britain, France, and Germany. “Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us.”
The comments came as explosions rocked Tehran on Friday, further evidence of Israel’s continued strikes. Satellite imagery and eyewitness reports confirmed that major installations in the Iranian capital — including suspected underground nuclear research labs — had been hit.
The U.S. Department of Defense has reportedly repositioned a third aircraft carrier closer to the region, with Pentagon sources indicating preparations for a possible preemptive strike on Fordo, Iran’s heavily fortified underground enrichment site. U.S. military analysts have long believed that only American bunker-busting ordnance, such as the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, could reach Fordo’s deeper levels.
Inside Iran, life has ground to a halt in many urban centers. In Tehran, usually bustling bazaars and commercial districts were shuttered on Friday as residents braced for further airstrikes. The city’s emergency services have been overwhelmed, with makeshift triage units set up near bombed-out buildings.
Iranian officials claim at least 224 people have been killed since the start of the Israeli operation, including 30 nuclear scientists and a number of senior Revolutionary Guard commanders. However, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports an even grimmer toll — at least 657 fatalities, including 263 civilians.
Iran’s response has been equally deadly. One salvo targeting Haifa — Israel’s largest port city — injured 19 people and left one in critical condition. Sirens wailed in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem multiple times on Friday as Iranian missiles breached air defenses.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed it had launched dozens of missiles at Israeli military installations. A spokesman said, “The Zionist regime must pay the price for every drop of Iranian blood spilled.”
Amid the fire and fury, diplomatic channels are not entirely closed. In Geneva, top diplomats from the E3 — Britain, France, and Germany — met with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, urging Tehran to resume talks with Washington.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasized the importance of diplomacy, stating, “We invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for.”
But Araghchi responded flatly: “We’re not prepared to negotiate with them (the United States) anymore, as long as the aggression continues.”
European officials remain deeply concerned about potential regional spillover. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned, “This is a perilous moment, and it is hugely important that we don’t see regional escalation of this conflict. Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.”
As regional tensions soar, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has attempted to inject a degree of technical clarity into the political narrative. Director General Rafael Grossi told CNN that while Iran enriches uranium to 60% purity — far above the 3.67% limit under the defunct 2015 nuclear deal — there is no conclusive evidence Tehran has the capability to assemble a functional nuclear warhead.
“So saying how long it would take for them, it would be pure speculation because we do not know whether there was somebody… secretly pursuing these activities,” Grossi remarked. “We haven’t seen that, and we have to say it.”
Nevertheless, Western intelligence officials fear that some of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure is hidden in undisclosed facilities or disguised as civilian operations. The loss of key personnel in the recent Israeli strikes may temporarily hinder research and weaponisation, but may not stop it completely.
In response to the crisis, the Arab League convened an emergency session in Istanbul on Friday, with several foreign ministers urging Israel to halt the bombardment. Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported that leaders will continue talks through the weekend under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
While some Arab governments — particularly in the Gulf — have remained relatively muted, fearing escalation or political reprisal, others like Turkey and Qatar have vocally condemned Israeli strikes, calling them “aggression” against a sovereign nation.
Iran, which has cultivated allies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon (via Hezbollah), and Yemen (via the Houthis), could still trigger proxy confrontations across the Middle East. So far, however, Tehran’s proxies have shown relative restraint — possibly under orders to avoid opening new fronts before the next stage of escalation is clear.
In a significant development, Switzerland announced it was temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran due to security concerns, although it would continue its historic role as an intermediary for U.S.-Iran relations. This closure is seen as symbolic of the worsening international confidence in regional stability.
The move follows several other diplomatic withdrawals. Sweden, Canada, and Australia have advised citizens to evacuate Iran, while airlines including Lufthansa and Emirates have suspended flights to Tehran and Isfahan.
What began as a covert struggle between Israel and Iran has exploded into an overt, destructive, and region-wide confrontation. At stake is not just the future of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but the security architecture of the entire Middle East.
For Israel, the offensive marks the most aggressive external campaign since the 2006 Lebanon War, driven by the deeply rooted belief that a nuclear Iran poses an existential threat. Iran, meanwhile, sees the attacks as an act of war — and a justification to accelerate its efforts in defiance.
The next two weeks, as all parties await potential U.S. entry into the war, could decide the trajectory of not only Iran’s nuclear future but the shape of the post-American-order Middle East.
