Folks look over injury to buildings in Nobonyad Sq. following Israeli airstrikes on June 13, 2025 in Tehran, Iran.
Majid Saeedi/Majid Saeedi/Getty Photos Europe
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Majid Saeedi/Majid Saeedi/Getty Photos Europe
Israel launched air strikes into Iran early Friday, focusing on Iran’s nuclear amenities and killing high army leaders, officers and nuclear scientists within the course of. Iran launched over 100 drones towards Israel on Friday morning in retaliation, and the area is bracing for additional army escalation.
Israel launched the strikes over its considerations about Iran’s advancing nuclear program. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel focused Iran’s important nuclear enrichment facility.
“We’re at a decisive second in Israel’s historical past,” Netanyahu stated early Friday, including that the operation would “roll again the Iranian risk to Israel’s survival.”
Forward of the assault, the U.S. and Iran have been discussing a deal that will have Iran scale down its nuclear program in change for the U.S. to elevate sanctions, which have crippled Iran’s financial system. Although Iran insists it doesn’t wish to create a nuclear weapon, Netanyahu has been adamant that the one strategy to cease Iran from growing a nuclear weapon is by going to struggle. The U.S. was set to fulfill with Iran on Sunday, however Iran says it is not going to attend the assembly after the Israeli assault.
In a Morning Version interview, U.S.-Iranian relations professional Trita Parsi, govt vp of the Quincy Institute for Accountable Statecraft, advised NPR’s Michel Martin that Israel doesn’t wish to see the U.S. and Iran resolve their issues and enhance their relationship.
“The Israelis calculate that even when there may be an enchancment in US-Iran relations and a discount in U.S. Iran tensions, it is not going to be accompanied by a discount in Israeli Iranian tensions,” Parsi stated. “So the Israelis have, for greater than 20 years, tried to sabotage any diplomacy between the USA and Iran.”
Whereas talking with NPR’s Steve Inskep, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon stated the choice to assault Iran was an “unbiased determination of Israel” and an “act of self-defense.” Danon went on to say the choice was made after stories that Iran had “sufficient materials for a number of nuclear weapons.”
“After October seventh, we discovered that we’re not going to attend for our enemies to shock us once more,” Danon stated. “That is why we focused the nuclear websites and in addition the business of the ballistic missiles that Iran developed.”
For extra perception into Israel’s assault on Iran and what the strikes imply for the area, right here is extra from Parsi and Danon.
The next interviews have been edited for size and readability.
Israel UN Ambassador explains why Israel attacked Iran
A girl pushes a stroller full with items as individuals fill up with provides, at a store in Jerusalem, on June 13, 2025.
John Wessels/AFP through Getty Photos
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John Wessels/AFP through Getty Photos
Steve Inskeep: What, in Israel’s view, justified an assault on one other nation at the moment?
Danny Danon: Effectively, we obtained the details about a secret program that included all the mandatory elements to place collectively a bomb. The IAEA determined and reported that Iran possesses sufficient materials for a number of nuclear weapons. So, we determined to take a preemptive motion, a preemptive assault, and to not wait and to not be shocked.
Inskeep: Effectively, let’s discuss concerning the data that you simply say you obtained about an Iranian secret program, the assorted elements of a bomb. We are going to observe that Iran at all times denies they’ve any ambition to construct a nuclear weapon, though they insist that they’ve the suitable to a nuclear program. Are you asserting that they have been on their strategy to making a bomb or solely that the key program had the capability to take action?
Danon: No. Furthermore, we’ve got the intelligence that it wasn’t like a nuclear reactors for civil utilization. It was a army program that was hidden from the worldwide neighborhood. And as soon as we realized that they’re enjoying the sport and they’re getting very near the purpose of no return, we could not take that danger. Just a few hours in the past, they despatched greater than 100 drones. We count on ballistic missiles to fly into Israel within the subsequent few days. So we can not anticipate the day that they may truly be capable to put the nuclear functionality on these ballistic missiles that they’ve already.
Inskeep: I simply wish to make it possible for I perceive what you are saying, although. You are saying that they had this program for constructing a nuclear weapon. Was Iran truly actively assembling a nuclear weapon, in response to your intelligence?
Danon: Completely. They have been transferring ahead. And I feel what we realized is that they’ve sufficient uranium, they’ve the expertise. And you understand what? We believed them. They stated very clearly, ‘We are going to destroy the Jewish nation.’ They did not disguise it. So, we determined to not take that probability. Historical past has taught us that when you might have a regime which threatens to annihilate the Jewish individuals, we higher consider them.
U.S.-Iran relations professional says Trump coordinated with Israel to strike Iran
Folks look over injury to buildings following Israeli airstrikes on June 13, 2025 in Tehran, Iran.
Majid Saeedi/Majid Saeedi/Getty Photos Europe
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Majid Saeedi/Majid Saeedi/Getty Photos Europe
Michel Martin: What was your high line evaluation of what simply occurred?
Trita Parsi: I feel the highest line right here is that though the Trump administration says that the US was not concerned, clearly there had been coordination and a few type of a inexperienced gentle given by the Trump administration for the Israelis to do that.
Martin: You stated that as a result of it is simply not cheap to imagine that this is able to have occurred with out some thought that the U.S. would approve?
Parsi: Effectively, additionally, based mostly on what Trump is now at present saying, as a result of he is primarily attempting to reap the benefits of these strikes so as to get the Iranians to capitulate within the negotiations, as a result of there was a possibility to strike a deal, one that will restrict Iran’s nuclear program in change for sanctions aid.
However Trump shifted his place a few weeks in the past and was not content material with simply limiting this system. He needs to primarily get rid of this system. And that led nowhere, predictably. And now as a substitute, it seems that he has shifted in the direction of permitting the Israelis to conduct these strikes so as to see whether or not that may change the Iranian place or not.
Martin: As Iranian state media says, Tehran will reply decisively to the Israeli strikes. You and different analysts have urged this truly makes it extra seemingly that Iran will proceed to pursue a nuclear program.
Parsi: Effectively, nothing actually strengthens your want for nuclear deterrence than truly being attacked. And you’ve got now a number of heads of the Atomic Power Company who’ve been warning that any assault on Iran will enhance the chance that the Iranians will depart the Non-Proliferation Treaty and transfer in the direction of a bomb. And that danger is now very vital.
So, Trump is making a significant gamble right here, considering that this truly will soften the Iranian place and make them capitulate. If they do not, what are his choices? And that is the place I feel the Israelis are hoping that the Iranians is not going to capitulate and that may pressure the USA into the struggle.
Treye Inexperienced edited the digital piece.
