July 6, 2025 • 23 mins
How did decades of warnings about Iran’s nuclear ambitions turn into all-out war—and what role did Netanyahu play in pulling the US into the fight? What does the outcome mean for the greater Middle East?
Join me as I unpack the history, the political maneuverings, and the intelligence battles that set the stage for the 12-Day War between Iran and Israel.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Raheel Khan (00:01):
Welcome back to another episode of Khannecting
the Dots.
It's only been a week since mylast episode, and I feel like
there's so much to talk about,it's hard to keep track.
This week, like so many over thepast six months, has been
nonstop commotion.
Republicans passed Trump's BigBeautiful Bill, a sweeping law
(00:22):
that slashes Medicaid and foodassistance while ballooning the
national debt.
Signed with pomp andcircumstance on July 4th, just
like Trump wanted.
Meanwhile, Florida openedAlligator Alcatraz.
A new detention center deep inthe Everglades, complete with
political fanfare and crueljokes about teaching immigrants
(00:44):
how to run away from snakes andalligators, courtesy of the
President.
But it's not all grim news.
In New York City, ZohranMamdani, a Democratic socialist
pulled off a stunning, upset,winning the Democratic primary
for mayor.
The backlash was fast andfurious.
The President labeled him acommunist.
(01:06):
While some Republicansthreatened to strip his
citizenship and deport him.
You'd think mainstream Democratswould support him, but instead,
several accused him of being outof touch and antisemitic while
others refused to endorse hiscandidacy.
All of this, despite the factthat Mamdani's campaign has the
support of many Jews.
And it didn't just energizeprogressives, he won over
(01:29):
disillusioned Democrats whobacked Trump just months ago.
With all this upheaval at home,it's easy to miss what's
happening abroad.
So for today, I wanna pull ourfocus back to the Middle East.
Just over a week ago, theso-called 12 day war between
Iran and Israel ended leavingthe region in a tense, fragile
(01:51):
truce.
The headlines may have faded,but the consequences are only
beginning to unfold.
Why does this conflict matter?
And what's the bigger picturebehind the headlines?
That's what we're looking attoday.
If you've listened before, youknow this show is about more
than breaking news.
It's about tracing the roots oftoday's crises.
(02:12):
Every headline has a backstory.
So let's start there.
Picture Iran, in the early1950s, after decades under a
monarchy, Iranians finally electa leader who inspires hope,
Mohammed Mossadegh.
He was treated like a folk hero.
His promise?
(02:33):
Take back control of Iran's oilfrom foreign hands and use that
wealth for the Iranian people.
That vision threatened powerfulinterests.
The British government furiousat losing their oil monopoly
called in help from Washington.
In August, 1953, the CIA andBritish Intelligence
(02:53):
orchestrated a coup topplingMossadegh's government in just
four days.
The Shah returned to power,backed by the west, and with him
came the SAVAK, Iran's SecretPolice.
Trained in methods ofsurveillance, interrogation, and
torture by both the CIA andIsrael's Mossad.
(03:14):
For 25 years, the SAVAK torturedpolitical prisoners,
assassinated dissidents, andcrushed any opposition.
Meanwhile, Iran's oil profitsflowed abroad and Western
countries supported the Shahturning a blind eye to his
cruelties at home.
By 1979, the anger boiled over.
(03:35):
Iranians from every walk oflife.
Workers, students, secularnationalists and religious
leaders rose up and overthrewthe Shah.
But here's what many peopledon't realize.
The revolution that started as agenuine popular uprising was
gradually hijacked.
Initially, people thought thatreligious leaders would stay
(03:57):
spiritual and symbolic, whileother groups ran the government.
But Ayatollah Khomeini haddifferent plans.
Over the first several yearsafter the revolution, he
systematically imprisoned,tortured, and executed many of
his former allies; leftists andsecular nationalists, while
(04:18):
sidelining and humiliating otherreligious leaders who disagreed
with him.
Workers had created Democraticcouncils giving ordinary people
real power, but Khomeini usedsimilar tactics to disband them
to solidify clerical control.
The regime that emerged has beenbrutal and authoritarian,
(04:38):
oppressing its own people forover four decades now.
But, here's what you need tounderstand.
When they first seized power,they tapped into a very real,
very legitimate anger thatIranians felt toward the United
States and Israel.
The resentment wasn'tmanufactured.
It was earned.
Through 25 years of supporting adictator who tortured and killed
(05:02):
his own people The clergyexploited those feelings to
build their own authoritariansystem.
Resentment has continued throughpropaganda, but also real
negative actions from the US,Israel, and Western powers
towards Iran.
Now let's bring our storyforward and to the man who
(05:23):
shaped Israel's Iran policy fordecades, Benjamin Netanyahu.
For more than 30 years,Netanyahu has been warning that
Iran is just about to get thebomb.
In 1992, he told Israel'sparliament that Iran was"three
to five years away from anuclear weapon".
He repeated the same claim inhis 1995 book.
(05:45):
And in 2012, he stood before theUnited Nations holding up a
cartoon bomb.
Insisting Iran would cross thenuclear threshold by next
summer.
Well, that next summer came andwent.
and still no Iranian bomb.
The Daily Show a few weeks agoran a fabulous montage clip
(06:06):
after clip of Netanyahu makingnearly identical warnings, year
after year, over decades.
John Stewart even joked"Netanyahu talks about Iran
getting nukes the same way Italk about the Knicks winning a
title.
This is the year.
The Knicks are weeks away from achampionship.
But they never win a title." Buthere's what rarely gets
(06:27):
mentioned.
While Netanyahu rails againstnuclear proliferation.
Israel itself is widely believedto have around 90 nuclear
warheads, and they've neversigned the nuclear
non-proliferation treaty.
Iran has, and at leastofficially, still allows
international inspectors intoits facilities.
(06:47):
So the loudest voice againstnuclear weapons in the Middle
East.
Is also the only country in theregion with them.
And the only one refusing anyinternational oversight.
That contradiction is hard toignore.
So why does Netanyahu keepbeating this drum?
Former President Clintonappearing on the daily show last
(07:10):
month put it bluntly.
Netanyahu has long wanted tofight Iran.
Because that way he can stay inoffice forever and ever.
For Netanyahu crisis isn't justpolicy, it's political survival.
The October 7th Hamas attacksshattered his image, as Israel's
security strong man.
(07:30):
He needed a bigger threat torally the country and reclaim
his legacy.
What's bigger than the specterof a nuclear Iran?
But.
Netanyahu had a problem.
He needed US support, especiallyaccess to America's bunker
busting bombs.
Based on reporting from theWashington Post and Times
Magazine.
(07:51):
Netanyahu had already planned toattack Iran since late 2024.
He just needed the US backing todo it, and so he took his case
directly to President Trump,knowing Trump wasn't one for
dense intelligence briefings.
Netanyahu played to Trump'sinstincts.
Reminding him of Iranian plotsagainst his life, showing
(08:11):
dramatic slides of Iran'snuclear sites and insisting,
"Look Donald, this has to betackled because they're racing
forward.
You can't have a nuclear Iran onyour watch." Trump swayed by the
presentation, began echoingNetanyahu's warnings even when
those warnings flew in the faceof his own intelligence
officials.
(08:32):
And here's where things getespecially troubling.
Instead of working with USintelligence, Netanyahu began
feeding Trump Israeliintelligence that directly
contradicted what Americanagencies were reporting.
The Israelis claimed Iran wassecretly acquiring nuclear
weapon parts while pretending tonegotiate.
Yet, just a few months earlierin March, Trump's own director
(08:56):
of National Intelligence, TulsiGabbard had testified before
Congress"Iran is not building anuclear weapon." That was the
official US assessment.
When confronted with thisglaring contradiction, Trump did
what he's done before.
He dismissed his ownintelligence chief.
His exact words,"I don't carewhat she said., I think they
(09:17):
were very close to having it."Pressed further, he doubled
down.
Insisting Gabbard is wrong aboutIran's nuclear efforts.
The manipulation was soeffective.
Trump was now publiclycontradicting his own
government's intelligence,repeating Netanyahu's claims,
even as his own experts saidotherwise.
(09:38):
As US Iran Peace talks werescheduled to continue on June
15th, Netanyahu made his move.
On June 13th, Israel launched"Operation Rising Lion" striking
deep into Iran's nuclear andmilitary infrastructure.
But perhaps the most revealingmoment came just a day later on
June 14th.
(09:58):
It was Trump's 79th birthday,and Washington was hosting a
massive but controversialmilitary parade for the US
Army's 250th anniversary.
As Israeli bombs were stillfalling on Iran, Netanyahu
released this statement, timedfor maximum impact.
(12:25):
This speech was a masterclass offlattery and manipulation.
Its timing, no accident.
Pouring on the praise to Trumpon a special day, at the same
time when so many Americans wereprotesting, neatly tying
Israel's war directly toAmerican power, American
interests, and Trump's personallegacy.
(12:47):
All this manipulation wasbuilding toward one moment, June
22nd, when the US entered thewar in"Operation Midnight
Hammer".
Before we get there, let's takea look at Israel's own"Operation
Rising Lion".
This wasn't just anotherairstrike, it was full scale
war.
Over 200 Israeli fighter jetsstruck Iran's nuclear facilities
(13:10):
and missile sites targeting notjust infrastructure, but also
top Iranian military leaders andnuclear scientists.
Iran hit back with hundreds ofmissiles and drones, some
breaching Israel's famed airdefenses.
For the first time, Israelicivilians were killed in
significant numbers, and theworld watched as the conflict
(13:32):
escalated day by day.
But the wars and Netanyahu's endgame came on day nine, June
22nd.
That morning, the United Statesentered the fray directly.
Seven B-2 stealth bombers flew18 hours from Missouri, dropping
30,000 pound bunker buster bombson Iran's underground nuclear
(13:55):
facilities.
This was a clear signal thatAmerica was no longer just
backing Israel, but activelyfighting alongside it.
And as the world absorbed theshock Netanyahu seized the
moment.
He went on television to showerTrump with praise.
Just listen, Trump clearlybasking in the flattery
(15:37):
responded that he and Netanyahuhad worked as a team,"like
perhaps no team has ever workedbefore".
He thanked Netanyahu and theIsraeli military and praised the
American B-2 fighter pilotssaying"Hopefully we will no
longer need their services inthis capacity".
The choreography wasunmistakable.
(15:57):
Netanyahu and Trump on oppositeends of the world, but still
presenting a united front.
Each leader validating theother, each claiming credit for
a historic victory.
The ceasefire finally came onJune 24th.
But not before Israel launchedone more massive strike, just
hours before the agreement tookeffect.
(16:19):
A move Trump actually criticizedon live tv.
So what did this 12 day waractually accomplish?
Let's start with a human toll.
Iran at least 627 dead.
Nearly 5,000 injured.
In Israel, 28 dead, and over3000 wounded.
(16:39):
More than 9,000 Israelis had toevacuate their homes.
Behind every number is a familyshattered, a community forever
changed.
Iranian hospitals overflowedwith casualties.
Israeli cities once thoughtuntouchable, were hit by missile
fire for the first time indecades.
But beyond the numbers, thestrategic results remain murky.
(17:03):
Trump and his officials claimthey obliterated Iran's nuclear
program and set it back decades.
The Pentagon said Iran was now"closer to two years" from
building a bomb.
But here's where the story getsless clear.
Leaked US intelligence told acompletely different story.
A preliminary defenseintelligence agency assessment
(17:24):
reportedly estimated that Iran'snuclear program was only set
back a few months, not years.
When Trump officials wereconfronted with these leaked
assessments contradicting theirclaims.
They said it was too early tomake reliable judgements, then
they immediately made their owngrand claims about obliteration
and decades of setbacks.
(17:45):
And there's another troublingdetail.
Satellite images showed trucksat Iranian nuclear sites in the
days before the strikessuggesting Iran may have moved
key components.
When asked about Iran's uraniumstockpiles, an Iranian officials
said,"I do not know where thosematerials are, and I will stop
at that." Even RepublicanSenators Lindsey Graham and Tom
(18:08):
Cotton after receiving aclassified briefing stated that
destroying Iran's uraniumstockpiles was never the main
goal of the mission.
After 12 days of war, hundredsof death, billions in military
spending, and risking regionalcatastrophe, we can't even agree
on what was accomplished.
(18:29):
Iran says it's still going toenrich uranium.
The US government givesconflicting assessments.
International inspectors thinkIran could be back to enriching
in months.
So was this a decisive blow orjust a temporary pause in a much
longer conflict?
If all this sounds familiar, itshould.
(18:52):
We're watching the same playbookthat led to the Iraq War.
Claims about imminent weapons ofmass destruction.
Intelligence tailored to fitpolitical goals.
A rush to military action withno clear end game.
Netanyahu was one of the loudestvoices pushing for the Iraq
invasion in 2003.
A war that destabilized theregion and ironically expanded
(19:16):
Iran's influence.
Now with Iran, the stakes areeven higher.
A larger country, a biggerpopulation, and deeper regional
ties.
And the conflict isn't over.
Iran's parliament is nowconsidering withdrawing from the
nuclear non-proliferationtreaty, which would end all
international inspections.
(19:38):
In Washington, some lawmakersare pushing the Bunker Buster
Act, authorizing the transfer ofAmerica's most advanced bombers
and bunker buster bombs toIsrael if Iran starts its
nuclear program again.
If that happens, it would mark apermanent, dangerous shift in
the region's balance of power.
But let's be clear, this war wasnever just about nuclear
(20:02):
weapons.
That was the pretext.
By crippling Iran's military andassassinating its top
commanders.
Israel severely weakened itsmain regional rival, clearing
the way for a new balance ofpower.
Netanyahu calls it"reshaping theMiddle East for the better".
But history shows thatoverwhelming force rarely brings
(20:25):
lasting peace.
Each time Israel has soughtsecurity through dominance in
Gaza, Lebanon, or now Iran.
It has sown the seeds for thenext conflict.
The region is now more unstablethan ever and the cycle of
violence shows no sign ofending.
This conflict didn't just comeout of nowhere.
(20:47):
It's the latest chapter in a 70year story of mistrust,
manipulation, and violencebetween Iran and the West.
The 1953 coup didn't justoverthrow a government.
It created decades of legitimategrievances that Iranian leaders,
including the current regime,have exploited ever since.
(21:07):
The animosity, the proxyconflicts, even Iran's nuclear
program they all grew out ofthat fundamental breach of
trust.
Netanyahu has understood thishistory perfectly, exploiting
decades of Iranian grievances tobuild his case for military
action.
But his approach perpetuates thevery cycle he claims to be
(21:30):
breaking.
For three decades, he's promisedthat eliminating Iran's nuclear
threat would bring security toIsrael.
But his strategy of manipulationand military force, doesn't
solve the underlying problem, itjust escalates it to the next
level.
Now, lawmakers want to giveIsrael access to America's most
powerful conventional weapons.
(21:52):
If this pattern holds.
We're not looking at the end ofregional conflict.
We're looking at the beginningof something far more dangerous.
In our next episode, we'll stepback and connect the bigger
picture.
Beyond Iran to what's unfoldingin Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon,
Syria, and even Yemen.
We'll dig into how settlement,expansion, proxy wars and
(22:15):
military operations across theregion are shaping a new
reality, one that some calledthe pursuit of"Greater Israel"
stretching from theMediterranean to the Jordan
River.
And over the past few days,there's breaking news from Gaza.
The US says Israel has agreed toa 60 day ceasefire proposal with
Qatar and Egypt mediating.
(22:37):
Hamas is now reviewing the planand consulting with other
Palestinian factions.
A decision could come any day.
What could this mean for thepeople of Gaza, for Israel's
long-term strategy?
For the hope of lasting peace?
Will this ceasefire bring realchange, or is it just a pause
before the next round ofconflict?
We'll break it all down in ournext episode.
(22:59):
Thanks for listening toKhannecting the Dots.
If you found this episodeinformative, please subscribe
and share with a friend.
Until next time, stay curious,stay critical, and stay
connected.
Welcome back to another episode of Khannecting
the Dots.
It's only been a week since mylast episode, and I feel like
there's so much to talk about,it's hard to keep track.
This week, like so many over thepast six months, has been
nonstop commotion.
Republicans passed Trump's BigBeautiful Bill, a sweeping law
(00:22):
that slashes Medicaid and foodassistance while ballooning the
national debt.
Signed with pomp andcircumstance on July 4th, just
like Trump wanted.
Meanwhile, Florida openedAlligator Alcatraz.
A new detention center deep inthe Everglades, complete with
political fanfare and crueljokes about teaching immigrants
(00:44):
how to run away from snakes andalligators, courtesy of the
President.
But it's not all grim news.
In New York City, ZohranMamdani, a Democratic socialist
pulled off a stunning, upset,winning the Democratic primary
for mayor.
The backlash was fast andfurious.
The President labeled him acommunist.
(01:06):
While some Republicansthreatened to strip his
citizenship and deport him.
You'd think mainstream Democratswould support him, but instead,
several accused him of being outof touch and antisemitic while
others refused to endorse hiscandidacy.
All of this, despite the factthat Mamdani's campaign has the
support of many Jews.
And it didn't just energizeprogressives, he won over
(01:29):
disillusioned Democrats whobacked Trump just months ago.
With all this upheaval at home,it's easy to miss what's
happening abroad.
So for today, I wanna pull ourfocus back to the Middle East.
Just over a week ago, theso-called 12 day war between
Iran and Israel ended leavingthe region in a tense, fragile
(01:51):
truce.
The headlines may have faded,but the consequences are only
beginning to unfold.
Why does this conflict matter?
And what's the bigger picturebehind the headlines?
That's what we're looking attoday.
If you've listened before, youknow this show is about more
than breaking news.
It's about tracing the roots oftoday's crises.
(02:12):
Every headline has a backstory.
So let's start there.
Picture Iran, in the early1950s, after decades under a
monarchy, Iranians finally electa leader who inspires hope,
Mohammed Mossadegh.
He was treated like a folk hero.
His promise?
(02:33):
Take back control of Iran's oilfrom foreign hands and use that
wealth for the Iranian people.
That vision threatened powerfulinterests.
The British government furiousat losing their oil monopoly
called in help from Washington.
In August, 1953, the CIA andBritish Intelligence
(02:53):
orchestrated a coup topplingMossadegh's government in just
four days.
The Shah returned to power,backed by the west, and with him
came the SAVAK, Iran's SecretPolice.
Trained in methods ofsurveillance, interrogation, and
torture by both the CIA andIsrael's Mossad.
(03:14):
For 25 years, the SAVAK torturedpolitical prisoners,
assassinated dissidents, andcrushed any opposition.
Meanwhile, Iran's oil profitsflowed abroad and Western
countries supported the Shahturning a blind eye to his
cruelties at home.
By 1979, the anger boiled over.
(03:35):
Iranians from every walk oflife.
Workers, students, secularnationalists and religious
leaders rose up and overthrewthe Shah.
But here's what many peopledon't realize.
The revolution that started as agenuine popular uprising was
gradually hijacked.
Initially, people thought thatreligious leaders would stay
(03:57):
spiritual and symbolic, whileother groups ran the government.
But Ayatollah Khomeini haddifferent plans.
Over the first several yearsafter the revolution, he
systematically imprisoned,tortured, and executed many of
his former allies; leftists andsecular nationalists, while
(04:18):
sidelining and humiliating otherreligious leaders who disagreed
with him.
Workers had created Democraticcouncils giving ordinary people
real power, but Khomeini usedsimilar tactics to disband them
to solidify clerical control.
The regime that emerged has beenbrutal and authoritarian,
(04:38):
oppressing its own people forover four decades now.
But, here's what you need tounderstand.
When they first seized power,they tapped into a very real,
very legitimate anger thatIranians felt toward the United
States and Israel.
The resentment wasn'tmanufactured.
It was earned.
Through 25 years of supporting adictator who tortured and killed
(05:02):
his own people The clergyexploited those feelings to
build their own authoritariansystem.
Resentment has continued throughpropaganda, but also real
negative actions from the US,Israel, and Western powers
towards Iran.
Now let's bring our storyforward and to the man who
(05:23):
shaped Israel's Iran policy fordecades, Benjamin Netanyahu.
For more than 30 years,Netanyahu has been warning that
Iran is just about to get thebomb.
In 1992, he told Israel'sparliament that Iran was"three
to five years away from anuclear weapon".
He repeated the same claim inhis 1995 book.
(05:45):
And in 2012, he stood before theUnited Nations holding up a
cartoon bomb.
Insisting Iran would cross thenuclear threshold by next
summer.
Well, that next summer came andwent.
and still no Iranian bomb.
The Daily Show a few weeks agoran a fabulous montage clip
(06:06):
after clip of Netanyahu makingnearly identical warnings, year
after year, over decades.
John Stewart even joked"Netanyahu talks about Iran
getting nukes the same way Italk about the Knicks winning a
title.
This is the year.
The Knicks are weeks away from achampionship.
But they never win a title." Buthere's what rarely gets
(06:27):
mentioned.
While Netanyahu rails againstnuclear proliferation.
Israel itself is widely believedto have around 90 nuclear
warheads, and they've neversigned the nuclear
non-proliferation treaty.
Iran has, and at leastofficially, still allows
international inspectors intoits facilities.
(06:47):
So the loudest voice againstnuclear weapons in the Middle
East.
Is also the only country in theregion with them.
And the only one refusing anyinternational oversight.
That contradiction is hard toignore.
So why does Netanyahu keepbeating this drum?
Former President Clintonappearing on the daily show last
(07:10):
month put it bluntly.
Netanyahu has long wanted tofight Iran.
Because that way he can stay inoffice forever and ever.
For Netanyahu crisis isn't justpolicy, it's political survival.
The October 7th Hamas attacksshattered his image, as Israel's
security strong man.
(07:30):
He needed a bigger threat torally the country and reclaim
his legacy.
What's bigger than the specterof a nuclear Iran?
But.
Netanyahu had a problem.
He needed US support, especiallyaccess to America's bunker
busting bombs.
Based on reporting from theWashington Post and Times
Magazine.
(07:51):
Netanyahu had already planned toattack Iran since late 2024.
He just needed the US backing todo it, and so he took his case
directly to President Trump,knowing Trump wasn't one for
dense intelligence briefings.
Netanyahu played to Trump'sinstincts.
Reminding him of Iranian plotsagainst his life, showing
(08:11):
dramatic slides of Iran'snuclear sites and insisting,
"Look Donald, this has to betackled because they're racing
forward.
You can't have a nuclear Iran onyour watch." Trump swayed by the
presentation, began echoingNetanyahu's warnings even when
those warnings flew in the faceof his own intelligence
officials.
(08:32):
And here's where things getespecially troubling.
Instead of working with USintelligence, Netanyahu began
feeding Trump Israeliintelligence that directly
contradicted what Americanagencies were reporting.
The Israelis claimed Iran wassecretly acquiring nuclear
weapon parts while pretending tonegotiate.
Yet, just a few months earlierin March, Trump's own director
(08:56):
of National Intelligence, TulsiGabbard had testified before
Congress"Iran is not building anuclear weapon." That was the
official US assessment.
When confronted with thisglaring contradiction, Trump did
what he's done before.
He dismissed his ownintelligence chief.
His exact words,"I don't carewhat she said., I think they
(09:17):
were very close to having it."Pressed further, he doubled
down.
Insisting Gabbard is wrong aboutIran's nuclear efforts.
The manipulation was soeffective.
Trump was now publiclycontradicting his own
government's intelligence,repeating Netanyahu's claims,
even as his own experts saidotherwise.
(09:38):
As US Iran Peace talks werescheduled to continue on June
15th, Netanyahu made his move.
On June 13th, Israel launched"Operation Rising Lion" striking
deep into Iran's nuclear andmilitary infrastructure.
But perhaps the most revealingmoment came just a day later on
June 14th.
(09:58):
It was Trump's 79th birthday,and Washington was hosting a
massive but controversialmilitary parade for the US
Army's 250th anniversary.
As Israeli bombs were stillfalling on Iran, Netanyahu
released this statement, timedfor maximum impact.
(12:25):
This speech was a masterclass offlattery and manipulation.
Its timing, no accident.
Pouring on the praise to Trumpon a special day, at the same
time when so many Americans wereprotesting, neatly tying
Israel's war directly toAmerican power, American
interests, and Trump's personallegacy.
(12:47):
All this manipulation wasbuilding toward one moment, June
22nd, when the US entered thewar in"Operation Midnight
Hammer".
Before we get there, let's takea look at Israel's own"Operation
Rising Lion".
This wasn't just anotherairstrike, it was full scale
war.
Over 200 Israeli fighter jetsstruck Iran's nuclear facilities
(13:10):
and missile sites targeting notjust infrastructure, but also
top Iranian military leaders andnuclear scientists.
Iran hit back with hundreds ofmissiles and drones, some
breaching Israel's famed airdefenses.
For the first time, Israelicivilians were killed in
significant numbers, and theworld watched as the conflict
(13:32):
escalated day by day.
But the wars and Netanyahu's endgame came on day nine, June
22nd.
That morning, the United Statesentered the fray directly.
Seven B-2 stealth bombers flew18 hours from Missouri, dropping
30,000 pound bunker buster bombson Iran's underground nuclear
(13:55):
facilities.
This was a clear signal thatAmerica was no longer just
backing Israel, but activelyfighting alongside it.
And as the world absorbed theshock Netanyahu seized the
moment.
He went on television to showerTrump with praise.
Just listen, Trump clearlybasking in the flattery
(15:37):
responded that he and Netanyahuhad worked as a team,"like
perhaps no team has ever workedbefore".
He thanked Netanyahu and theIsraeli military and praised the
American B-2 fighter pilotssaying"Hopefully we will no
longer need their services inthis capacity".
The choreography wasunmistakable.
(15:57):
Netanyahu and Trump on oppositeends of the world, but still
presenting a united front.
Each leader validating theother, each claiming credit for
a historic victory.
The ceasefire finally came onJune 24th.
But not before Israel launchedone more massive strike, just
hours before the agreement tookeffect.
(16:19):
A move Trump actually criticizedon live tv.
So what did this 12 day waractually accomplish?
Let's start with a human toll.
Iran at least 627 dead.
Nearly 5,000 injured.
In Israel, 28 dead, and over3000 wounded.
(16:39):
More than 9,000 Israelis had toevacuate their homes.
Behind every number is a familyshattered, a community forever
changed.
Iranian hospitals overflowedwith casualties.
Israeli cities once thoughtuntouchable, were hit by missile
fire for the first time indecades.
But beyond the numbers, thestrategic results remain murky.
(17:03):
Trump and his officials claimthey obliterated Iran's nuclear
program and set it back decades.
The Pentagon said Iran was now"closer to two years" from
building a bomb.
But here's where the story getsless clear.
Leaked US intelligence told acompletely different story.
A preliminary defenseintelligence agency assessment
(17:24):
reportedly estimated that Iran'snuclear program was only set
back a few months, not years.
When Trump officials wereconfronted with these leaked
assessments contradicting theirclaims.
They said it was too early tomake reliable judgements, then
they immediately made their owngrand claims about obliteration
and decades of setbacks.
(17:45):
And there's another troublingdetail.
Satellite images showed trucksat Iranian nuclear sites in the
days before the strikessuggesting Iran may have moved
key components.
When asked about Iran's uraniumstockpiles, an Iranian officials
said,"I do not know where thosematerials are, and I will stop
at that." Even RepublicanSenators Lindsey Graham and Tom
(18:08):
Cotton after receiving aclassified briefing stated that
destroying Iran's uraniumstockpiles was never the main
goal of the mission.
After 12 days of war, hundredsof death, billions in military
spending, and risking regionalcatastrophe, we can't even agree
on what was accomplished.
(18:29):
Iran says it's still going toenrich uranium.
The US government givesconflicting assessments.
International inspectors thinkIran could be back to enriching
in months.
So was this a decisive blow orjust a temporary pause in a much
longer conflict?
If all this sounds familiar, itshould.
(18:52):
We're watching the same playbookthat led to the Iraq War.
Claims about imminent weapons ofmass destruction.
Intelligence tailored to fitpolitical goals.
A rush to military action withno clear end game.
Netanyahu was one of the loudestvoices pushing for the Iraq
invasion in 2003.
A war that destabilized theregion and ironically expanded
(19:16):
Iran's influence.
Now with Iran, the stakes areeven higher.
A larger country, a biggerpopulation, and deeper regional
ties.
And the conflict isn't over.
Iran's parliament is nowconsidering withdrawing from the
nuclear non-proliferationtreaty, which would end all
international inspections.
(19:38):
In Washington, some lawmakersare pushing the Bunker Buster
Act, authorizing the transfer ofAmerica's most advanced bombers
and bunker buster bombs toIsrael if Iran starts its
nuclear program again.
If that happens, it would mark apermanent, dangerous shift in
the region's balance of power.
But let's be clear, this war wasnever just about nuclear
(20:02):
weapons.
That was the pretext.
By crippling Iran's military andassassinating its top
commanders.
Israel severely weakened itsmain regional rival, clearing
the way for a new balance ofpower.
Netanyahu calls it"reshaping theMiddle East for the better".
But history shows thatoverwhelming force rarely brings
(20:25):
lasting peace.
Each time Israel has soughtsecurity through dominance in
Gaza, Lebanon, or now Iran.
It has sown the seeds for thenext conflict.
The region is now more unstablethan ever and the cycle of
violence shows no sign ofending.
This conflict didn't just comeout of nowhere.
(20:47):
It's the latest chapter in a 70year story of mistrust,
manipulation, and violencebetween Iran and the West.
The 1953 coup didn't justoverthrow a government.
It created decades of legitimategrievances that Iranian leaders,
including the current regime,have exploited ever since.
(21:07):
The animosity, the proxyconflicts, even Iran's nuclear
program they all grew out ofthat fundamental breach of
trust.
Netanyahu has understood thishistory perfectly, exploiting
decades of Iranian grievances tobuild his case for military
action.
But his approach perpetuates thevery cycle he claims to be
(21:30):
breaking.
For three decades, he's promisedthat eliminating Iran's nuclear
threat would bring security toIsrael.
But his strategy of manipulationand military force, doesn't
solve the underlying problem, itjust escalates it to the next
level.
Now, lawmakers want to giveIsrael access to America's most
powerful conventional weapons.
(21:52):
If this pattern holds.
We're not looking at the end ofregional conflict.
We're looking at the beginningof something far more dangerous.
In our next episode, we'll stepback and connect the bigger
picture.
Beyond Iran to what's unfoldingin Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon,
Syria, and even Yemen.
We'll dig into how settlement,expansion, proxy wars and
(22:15):
military operations across theregion are shaping a new
reality, one that some calledthe pursuit of"Greater Israel"
stretching from theMediterranean to the Jordan
River.
And over the past few days,there's breaking news from Gaza.
The US says Israel has agreed toa 60 day ceasefire proposal with
Qatar and Egypt mediating.
(22:37):
Hamas is now reviewing the planand consulting with other
Palestinian factions.
A decision could come any day.
What could this mean for thepeople of Gaza, for Israel's
long-term strategy?
For the hope of lasting peace?
Will this ceasefire bring realchange, or is it just a pause
before the next round ofconflict?
We'll break it all down in ournext episode.
(22:59):
Thanks for listening toKhannecting the Dots.
If you found this episodeinformative, please subscribe
and share with a friend.
Until next time, stay curious,stay critical, and stay
connected.
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