What strange times we live in to monitor a war via social media. From ANNOUNCEMENT OF PEACE IN CAPS on Truth Social to refutes by Iran Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on X.com, the past couple of days of will-they-won't-they ceasefire proves volatile indeed.
While it's temptingly easy to ask AI for the latest updates on what the US has monikered the "12-day war", we all know the more accurate means would be to kiss your ear to the horse's mouth (apologies for the odd mental picture).
Israel and Iran have been trading blows upon the former's initiation on 13 June, with "Operation Midnight Hammer" marking US involvement and escalating the Middle East conflict. Understandably, the crucial bit of information people—fine, I—want to know is: Was anything even achieved?
Not that bloodshed can be justified, but violence feels even more senseless in a climate like this. After some effectively strong language from Trump to quell last-hour ceasefire violations, POTUS then claimed that attacks on three key Iranian sites "totally obliterated" its nuclear facilities. A statement that recent leaked intel seems to contradict; suggesting that damage on the country's uranium enrichment only set the program back by months at best (last two words my own).
It's no surprise parliament in Tehran has since unanimously approved the bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, aka the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is, in its own words, the world's centre for cooperation in the nuclear field and seeks to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.
The intergovernmental organisation is essentially responsible for monitoring a country's uranium enrichment, which has both civilian and military applications. Inspectors have yet to determine exactly how much of Iran's stock has reached a level close to approximately 90 per cent weapons grade.
The last verified amount before Israeli air strikes began includes more than 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60 per cent.
IAEA states that no other country has enriched to such a purity without producing nuclear weapons. Chief Rafael Grossi is pushing for the resumption of IAEA inspections as his top priority since there had been none following the bombings.
Grossi has noted that centrifuges and the Fordo plant in Iran are "no longer operational", though not exactly "wiped out" after the campaign.
Written as of 27 June 2025
