Israel
JC Israel Briefing Day 620: Iran ceasefire talks planned but missile strikes continue
Plus, Israel accuses France of antisemitism over air show snub
June 17, 2025 08:28
Plus, Israel accuses France of antisemitism over air show snub
June 17, 2025 08:28This story first appeared as today’s Israel briefing newsletter. You can sign up to receive it daily here.
Israel “controls the skies over Tehran,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated. He declared that the IDF is systematically destroying Iran’s nuclear, missile and command sites.
Military spokesman Effie Defrin said the Israeli Air Force has hit Quds Force command centres and missile sites in Tehran and Isfahan, destroying about 120 ballistic launchers — nearly a third of Iran’s stockpile. Defence Minister Israel Katz insisted that “no bunker is safe,” and urged Iranian civilians near regime sites to evacuate but stressed that Israel is not targeting residents directly.
Iran fired about 20 missiles into central Israel this morning, hitting a parking lot, lightly injuring five people and setting an empty bus on fire. Most rockets were intercepted, but there were several injuries. This came after a quieter night, when Iran launched 30 drones and far fewer rockets than on previous nights, which some saw as a sign Tehran was open to a ceasefire. The fresh volley shows Iran still holds back options if talks collapse.
Israeli officials said raids on launch sites, silos, radar posts and enrichment plants will continue until Iran’s capacity is destroyed. Strikes have damaged the Natanz enrichment site and missile production lines. Israel rejected Russian and Turkish calls to halt, vowing to break Iran’s threat at the source. Israel also reportedly hit the regime's state TV station and footage appears to show the hit while a programme is live on air.
Israel has killed two successive heads of Iran’s Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters in less than a week. It killed Ali Shadmani yesterday just days after striking down his predecessor, Gholam Ali Rashid.
In Israel, total deaths since Friday stand at 24, after two more bodies were recovered since yesterday’s bulletin. Some 300 have been wounded.
Tehran has told Arab intermediaries it is open to a ceasefire if the US stays out of the fighting, according to the Wall Street Journal. Iranian officials suggested talks could limit damage to nuclear sites and buy time to regroup, but refused to stop strikes unilaterally. Arab mediators said Iran expects Israel cannot keep up heavy raids forever and may be forced to negotiate.
Washington says a ceasefire is realistic if Tehran cooperates. Four US officials told Axios the White House plans a direct meeting this week between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. President Trump left the G7 summit early to drive the push, saying the US will not join Israel’s attacks but keeps bunker-buster bombs ready if Iran stalls.
A senior US official told Axios: “They do want to talk. But what we don’t know is, have they been brought to their knees fully so that they realise that in order to have a country, they have to talk? And assuming they get there, is there any degree of enrichment you would allow them to have?”
Trump posted online: “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
Experts and politicians have been giving their take on where the conflict is heading. Former Israeli National Security Council chief Jacob Nagel said Iran’s plan is to pin down Israel with Hamas, drag Hezbollah in deeper, create chaos to pull in the US, then push for a nuclear breakout while the world is distracted. National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said the strikes will weaken but not erase Iran’s nuclear threat. Former Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman called for bombing Iran’s oil and export hubs to choke regime cash.
In Gaza, an Israeli soldier was killed Monday by an explosive device in Khan Younis. Ten others were wounded, four seriously. Israeli commanders said destroying Iran’s missile supply weakens Hamas’s rockets and could help hostage talks.
A fake message telling Israelis to ignore shelter sirens spread online during this missile alerts. Israel’s Cyber Authority called it deliberate disinformation meant to spread panic and urged the public to trust only official warnings.
Israel’s Defence Ministry accused France of “bluntly antisemitic” action after organisers at the Paris Air Show built black walls overnight to block Israeli weapons pavilions. Defence Ministry Director General Major General Amir Baram said: “Israeli industry troubles them because we don’t just display weapons at exhibitions — we prove them in practice. This comes straight from the French government. We’re not backing down. We’re filing court petitions today.”