On June 24, 2025, Israel notified the United States of its intention to end the military operation against Iran, which began on June 13, in the near future, but the final deadline depends on Tehran’s further actions, Reuters reported, citing Israeli officials. According to the agency, Tel Aviv is seeking to develop an exit strategy that would end the current campaign, stop Iran’s missile and drone attacks, and avoid further escalation. “We have not yet reached the end goal, but it is likely a matter of days, not weeks. From an Israeli perspective, the end of the operation is close,” Eran Lerman, a former deputy national security adviser to Israel, told Reuters. His words were confirmed by three Israeli officials.

Israel’s Operation Am Kelavi began with surprise strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, as well as military command centers and missile storage facilities. According to The New York Times, Israel destroyed much of Iran’s air defenses, killed key military commanders including Chief of Staff Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, and crippled the nuclear program by damaging thousands of centrifuges at Natanz. The goal of the campaign, according to Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin, was to “eliminate Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile threat,” though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted at regime change in Tehran as a long-term goal.

Iran responded with a massive missile strike, firing around 400 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel, killing 24 civilians and damaging infrastructure including the Soroka hospital in Beersheba. Tehran also attacked the US Al Udeid base in Qatar, firing 14 missiles, 13 of which were intercepted. US President Donald Trump called the Iranian response “weak” and thanked Tehran for warning that there were no casualties. On June 21, the US struck three Iranian nuclear sites, including Fordow, using GBU-57 bombs, which Trump called the “total destruction” of Iran’s nuclear program.