Trump Says Nato Defence Spending Rise Is ‘Big Win'
BBC News
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The CIA director has backed President Trump's view that the US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites caused severe damage
John Ratcliffe says his agency has new intelligence that "several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed"
The Trump administration has been pushing back against a leaked intelligence assessment that suggested US attacks had only set back Iran's plans by "a few months"
Meanwhile, the ceasefire between Israel and Iran seems to be holding – Donald Trump says he doesn't think "they'll be going back at each other"
Tehran is starting to look and feel like itself, reports the BBC's Lyse Doucet from inside Iran
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Watch: On the second day of a shaky ceasefire, Tehran is beginning to return to normal, Lyse Doucet reports. Our chief international correspondent is being allowed to report in Iran on condition that none of her reports are used on the BBC’s Persian service. This rule from Iranian authorities applies to all international media agencies operating in Iran
Edited by Nathan Williams and Brandon Livesay, with reporting from Lyse Doucet in Iran
As the ceasefire continues to hold between Iran and Israel, let's check in on the latest developments:
We're pausing our live coverage for now. But be sure to check out some of the BBC's other coverage on this evolving situation.
There's been a lot of back and forth on the scale of damage the US strikes inflicted on Iran's nuclear programme. Here's how the story has unfolded:
After the US dropped bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites at the weekend, Trump said the Iranian nuclear programme was "obliterated".
Then on Tuesday night, a leaked initial intelligence assessment – from the Pentagon's Defence Intelligence Agency – suggested the damage was limited and possibly only set back Iran's efforts by months.
The White House said the "flat-out wrong" assessment was leaked by "a low-level loser in the intelligence community".
On Wednesday, Trump told a Nato summit in The Hague that the strikes led to the "virtual obliteration" of Iran's nuclear capabilities and set it back "by decades".
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the leaked intelligence as only a "preliminary" assessment in which we can only have "low confidence".
Later the same day, Israel's Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) said the "devastating" strike "destroyed the site's critical infrastructure".
And now CIA director John Radcliffe has released a statement saying he has "credible intelligence" that Iran's programme was severely damaged and will take years to rebuild.
We bring you more now from CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who issued a statement weighing in on the effectiveness of the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
"CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran's Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes," Ratcliffe says.
"This includes new intelligence from an historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.
"CIA continues to collect additional reliably sourced information to keep appropriate decision-makers and oversight bodies fully informed.
"When possible, we will provide updates and information to the American public, given the national importance of this matter and in every attempt to provide transparency."
Macron met with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Mariano Grossi earlier today
French President Emmanuel Macron says it is urgent that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) be allowed to resume its mission in Iran.
Posting on X, he says France stands firmly with the IAEA, an organisation which he says is "vital for nuclear safety and security".
Earlier this month, the IAEA criticised Iran's "general lack of co-operation" and said it had enough uranium enriched to 60% purity, near weapons grade, to potentially make nine nuclear bombs.
The director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, says his agency has "credible intelligence" that indicates Iran's nuclear programme has been "severely damaged" by the recent US strikes.
Posting on X, he says this includes "new intelligence from an historically reliable and accurate source/method" which shows several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed.
It would take several years for these facilities to be rebuilt, Ratcliffe says.
The Trump administration has been pushing back against a leaked intelligence assessment which suggests that core components of Iran's nuclear programme have not been destroyed – and could be rebuilt within months.
Earlier at the Nato summit, President Trump reiterated his assertion that the nuclear programme had been "obliterated".
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the preliminary Pentagon assessment was made with "low confidence" and the FBI was investigating the leak.
BBC Monitoring
Iranian media outlets are reporting the names of more military personnel killed during the 12-day war with Israel.
They include members of both the regular army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
The state-controlled Fars News Agency announced the death of an IRGC aerospace commander, Javad Pourrajabi, citing a personal account from his wife.
Separately, Fars published a list of 35 personnel killed in Iran's air force – showing a range of ranks.
In both cases, no details were provided regarding the dates or locations of the deaths.
The chief of Israel's Mossad spy agency, David Barnea, visited intelligence agents to thank them for their role in the recent fighting with Iran.
In a video posted on Facebook on Wednesday, he was seen speaking to agents, who are blurred around him.
He said the operation to target Iran's military leadership took years, and has made Israel a safer country.
He also issued a stark warning to Tehran.
"We will continue to keep a close eye on all the projects in Iran, which we know in the deepest detail. And we will be there as we have been there until now."
The rare public comment from Israel's spy chief comes as the country's military leadership acknowledges that Israeli troops operated inside Iran during the recent fighting.
It also comes as Iran executes three men accused of spying for Israel.
The Iranian government has announced the reopening of some airports and the eastern half of the country's airspace to commercial flights, state news agency IRNA reports
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 also says the eastern part of Iran's airspace has reopened.
It's showing a small number of commercial airliners have passed through Iran's airspace in the past couple of hours.
But Tehran’s two major airports Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad are still not operating.
The head of the Israeli military has released a video shedding light on the IDF operation inside Iran recently.
The Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, says that Israel achieved air superiority over Iran and that this was in part "made possible" with the help of "ground commandos".
"They operated covertly deep inside enemy territory and created operational freedom for us," he says.
During the 12-day conflict, Israel's spy agency, Mossad, released footage purporting to show operations on the ground in Iran.
However this is the first time Israeli officials have said that IDF commandos operated inside the country.BBC Monitoring
Iran's health ministry says 627 people were killed and 4,870 injured in Israeli strikes during the 12-day war, the state-run IRIB News Agency reports.
The ministry says most casualties occurred in Tehran and the western province of Kermanshah, with the vast majority of those killed dying at the scene of the attack rather than in hospital.
Iranian authorities have not made public a daily tally of casualties, which coupled with reporting restrictions inside the country has made it hard to get an accurate picture of the war's human cost.
Some rights groups estimate the real figure is significantly higher. An estimate from one group on Tuesday put the death toll at 974.
Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
Donald Trump is on his way back to Washington after a short but friendly meeting with leaders of America’s Nato allies.
There were no obvious diplomatic dust-ups, controversial statements or slights requiring emergency clean-up efforts. With this American president, a smooth ride is by no means guaranteed.
But everything from the red carpet roll-out to the palatial accommodations, to the deferential treatment from allies seemed designed to put Trump at ease.
Trump’s displeasure appeared mostly focused on the US media and what he said was unfair coverage of a leaked Pentagon assessment of Saturday night’s military strike on Iran.
Standing among his fellow leaders and in his later press conference, Trump was all smiles.
He said he loved the Netherlands, he complemented the Finnish president on his golf game and he expressed empathy for a BBC Ukrainian Service reporter whose partner is serving in that nation’s armed forces.
Trump may be in a particularly good mood because Nato nations gave him what he had been demanding.
With the exception of Spain – which received a stern warning from the president – they’ve all promised to boost military spending to 5% of their gross domestic product.
It’s the kind of tangible accomplishment that Trump will surely tout in the days ahead as evidence that his sometimes brash diplomatic style can deliver results.
US National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has just published a post on X repeating Donald Trump's assertions that Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed.
"If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do," she says.
She takes aim at news organisations that have reported on a leaked Pentagon intelligence assessment concluding Iran's nuclear programme has not been destroyed and probably only been set back by months.
"The propaganda media has deployed their usual tactic: selectively release portions of illegally leaked classified intelligence assessments (intentionally leaving out the fact that the assessment was written with "low confidence") to try to undermine President Trump’s decisive leadership and the brave servicemen and women who flawlessly executed a truly historic mission to keep the American people safe and secure," Gabbard writes.
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BBC's Lyse Doucet reports from Iran on second night of ceasefire.
On the second day of a shaky ceasefire, Tehran is beginning to return to normal.
Many shops and offices may remain closed, but life has reappeared on streets and in public squares of the capital.
Chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet is in Iran, where she is allowed to report on condition that none of her reports are used on the BBC’s Persian service.
This rule from Iranian authorities applies to all international media agencies operating in Iran.
French President Emmanuel Macron told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a phone call that he "emphasized the importance of all parties respecting the current truce," according to a post on X.
Macron said that France and Israel share the same goal of ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.
"To ensure this over time, I stressed the need to return to negotiations—on both nuclear and ballistic issues," he wrote.
Macron added: "I reiterated to the prime minister the absolute necessity of establishing a ceasefire in Gaza."
"The release of all hostages, large-scale access for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, and the pursuit of a political two-state solution remain top priorities."
A funeral ceremony for Hossein Salami, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), will be held in Golpayegan on Thursday, 26 June.
Salami was killed in Israeli strikes earlier this month, becoming the most senior Iranian leader to die in the attacks.
Iranian media have reported that the military leader will also have a funeral with other senior figures and nuclear scientists killed in attacks. This ceremony will be held in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Saturday 28 June.
Sameer Hashmi
Reporting from Dubai
The Arab Gulf nations are relieved and hoping that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran will continue to hold.
Since the conflict began, some Gulf states – including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman – engaged in frantic backchannel diplomacy with US President Donald Trump.
But the moment Trump decided to strike nuclear sites in Iran, Gulf leaders knew the gloves were off.
There was a palpable sense of anxiety after Iran’s attack on the US military base in Qatar on Monday. The region is home to several US military bases, with 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers stationed there.
Iran’s choice to strike the US base in Qatar came as a surprise to many. The Qataris have built a unique position as a neutral mediator, maintaining close relations with both the US and Iran.
But Tehran viewed it as a way to send a message without damaging its relationship with Doha. It also gave advance notice to both the US and Qatar.
The strategy seems to have worked.
Qatar called the attacks a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty and international law, but its Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani expressed optimism that ties would "come back to normal" over time.
Alice Cuddy
Reporting from Jerusalem
Sanaa Abu Mousa
Some 868 Palestinians in Gaza were killed during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, according to a BBC tally of figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.
The BBC has been speaking to people in the southern city of Khan Younis about their lives over the past two weeks.
One man, Nader Ramadan, says it felt like "everything got worse" in Gaza.
"The [Israeli] bombing intensified, the damage increased, and the incursion expanded in certain areas… We only felt the destruction," he says.
Sanaa Abu Mousa says "things went from bad to worse" for Gaza during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel.
"Death, evacuation and the bombing were the same," she says, while it became more difficult for her family to find food and they were forced to move from one place to another in search of safety.
Adel Abu Reda says the most difficult thing was the lack of access to aid. He says items were being looted and sold for inflated prices, and civilians were coming under Israeli fire when trying to get food.
"What are we supposed to do?" he asks. "We feel the shooting and the killing all the time."
Adel Abu Reda
Max Matza
US reporter
US officials have arrested 11 Iranians illegally in the US in recent days
Officials across the US are on heightened alert for a possible attack on US soil after the US attack on Iran.
Some FBI personnel, who were focused on immigration enforcement as part of Trump's deportation goals, have reportedly been brought back to focusing on counter-terrorism, according to the BBC'S US partner CBS News. On Sunday, the bureau distributed a memo to field offices telling them to focus resources on terror threats.
The FBI has not confirmed any shift in priorities. "The FBI does not comment on specific operational adjustments or personnel decisions," the agency said in a statement.
"However, we continuously assess and realign our resources to respond to the most pressing threats to our national security and to ensure the safety of the American people."
There is no specific threat, but in recent days American authorities have arrested 11 Iranian men who were illegally in the US. Several have ties to Iran's military or paramilitary proxies. 
BBC Persian
During the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, both Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump spoke several times about regime change. The goal of attacking Iran's nuclear and missile facilities was not to change the government, they said, but regime change could be one of the outcomes.
However, the Islamic Republic’s government remains in power, and dissidents have not, at least so far, taken to the streets in protest.
One BBC Persian viewer, a 25-year-old man from Mashhad in north-eastern Iran, sent us his thoughts on this in a voice message:
Don’t think that the silence of the people is a sign of their approval. The people didn’t protest during the war because if they said anything, the government would cut off their water, electricity, and gas. Not to mention, they restricted the internet. The government had an excuse to say that the electricity was cut off because of Israeli attacks.”
Although there is no direct evidence to prove this claim, such concerns seem to stem from the government’s heavy-handed response to opposition during past protests.
The same approach resurfaced in recent days, with widespread arrests and even six executions in less than two weeks.
Ghoncheh Habibiazad
BBC Persian, World Service reporter
An undated handout picture made available by Iran's Supreme Leader Office shows Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Ali Shadmani in Tehran, Iran (issued 17 June 2025)
Iran has officially acknowledged the death of Ali Shadmani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters.
Iranian state media IRNA has quoted a statement from the headquarters.
It says Shadmani died from injuries after Israeli strikes last week.
The Israel Defense Forces had announced in a statement on 17 June that Shadmani had been killed "following precise intelligence".
Shadmani was an aide to Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and was known as the country’s "wartime chief of staff".
He was appointed on 13 June as the commander of Khatam al-Anbia following Israeli air strikes that killed his predecessor in the role, Gholamali Rashid.
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