The 12-Day War, also known as the Iran–Israel War, was a short but intense direct military conflict between Israel and Iran that ran from 13 to 24 June 2025, marking a sharp escalation from years of proxy confrontation into open warfare.
On 13 June, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a surprise aerial campaign targeting more than 100 military and nuclear-related sites across 27 Iranian provinces. The strikes killed several senior Iranian military figures, including IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami, as well as multiple nuclear scientists.
Iran responded with Operation True Promise III, firing hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israeli cities and military sites. Tel Aviv, Haifa’s oil refinery, and Soroka Medical Center were among the locations hit.
The United States then entered the conflict on 21 to 22 June with Operation Midnight Hammer, using B-2 bombers and submarine-launched missiles to strike three Iranian nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan.
After days of intensifying attacks, a ceasefire was brokered on 24 June following diplomatic pressure and an Iranian strike on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. US President Donald Trump and Qatari mediators helped secure the truce.
Casualties and damage
Casualty estimates varied widely. Reports from Iranian rights groups placed the death toll in Iran at more than 1,000, including civilians and military personnel. In Israel, roughly 30 people were killed and more than 3,000 were injured.
The war caused major damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and air defence systems. In Israel, property losses were estimated at more than $1.5 billion, while missile interceptor stockpiles were heavily depleted.
What happened next
The war ended without a formal peace agreement, leaving the region in what many described as a fragile pause.
Iran faced internal instability and renewed protests after the conflict exposed serious tactical losses. Israel, while claiming to have set back Iran’s nuclear programme, remained on alert for future retaliation and rearmament efforts.
The conflict also unsettled Gulf states, shaking confidence in the US security umbrella and prompting countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar to diversify their defence partnerships.
Nuclear fallout debate
The scale of damage to Iran’s nuclear programme remains disputed.
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described Operation Midnight Hammer as a spectacular success, arguing that the strikes destroyed the facilities at Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan.
A leaked early assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency suggested otherwise, concluding that the strikes did not destroy the programme’s core and may have delayed it by only months. Later assessments from the Pentagon indicated a longer delay, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe said intelligence showed the sites had been severely damaged and would take years to rebuild.
Broader implications
The conflict underscored how quickly long-running proxy tensions can escalate into direct war, and how fragile deterrence remains in the Middle East. It also exposed the limits of military action in permanently disabling nuclear capability, especially when underground facilities and dispersed infrastructure remain in place.
