The 12 Day War
Iran-Israel Conflict Timeline
Interactive Timeline
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Thursday, June 12, 2025
IAEA Board Resolution Declaring Iran Non-Compliant
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board passed a resolution drafted by the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany declaring Iran non-compliant with its nuclear safeguard obligations. This resolution served as the immediate trigger for Israeli strikes the following day.
Friday, June 13, 2025
Israeli Initial Strike on Iranian Nuclear Facilities
Israel launched Operation Rising Lion with surprise airstrikes on Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility and other strategic sites, marking the beginning of the 12-day conflict. Using F-35A stealth fighters armed with GBU-31 JDAMs and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, Israel conducted its most significant direct military action against Iranian nuclear capabilities. The unprecedented assault targeted Iran's nuclear program infrastructure and eliminated key military and scientific personnel, with Netanyahu confirming that 'Iran's foremost nuclear scientists' were among those targeted. This opening strike killed 78 people and wounded approximately 320, fundamentally altering the regional security landscape.
Saturday, June 14, 2025
Iranian Retaliation Missile Strikes on Israel
In immediate response to the Israeli nuclear strikes, Iran launched a massive three-wave retaliation campaign targeting Israeli cities and military installations. This marked the beginning of Iran's sustained missile offensive that would see over 550 ballistic missiles fired at Israel throughout the 12-day conflict. The initial waves specifically targeted Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and other major Israeli population centers with ballistic missiles carrying massive warheads capable of reducing entire apartment buildings to rubble. The devastating attacks killed 29 Israelis and wounded approximately 3,000, with blast waves from the powerful warheads causing widespread destruction across urban areas.
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Cancellation of US-Iran Nuclear Talks
The sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for June 15 was cancelled, marking the immediate diplomatic collapse following the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Iran. This cancellation occurred as Iranian strikes on Israeli infrastructure intensified, demonstrating how the military conflict completely derailed ongoing peace efforts. The Trump administration, which had been actively pursuing nuclear negotiations with Iran, was forced to distance itself from Israeli operations while simultaneously warning Iran against targeting US interests in the region. Trump's subsequent calls for Iran and Israel to 'make a deal' to end the war, comparing it to successful India-Pakistan negotiations, highlighted the administration's efforts to restore diplomatic channels even as military escalation dominated the conflict.
Iranian Strike on Weizmann Institute of Science
Iranian ballistic missiles scored a direct hit on the prestigious Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, one of Israel's leading research institutions and a symbol of Israeli scientific achievement. This strategic strike represented Iran's deliberate targeting of Israeli scientific and research infrastructure, going beyond military targets to impact Israel's long-term technological capabilities. The Weizmann Institute, renowned for its contributions to physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics, houses critical research facilities and laboratories that support both civilian and defense-related scientific projects. The attack demonstrated Iran's strategy of targeting Israel's intellectual and technological foundation, aiming to degrade not just immediate military capabilities but also the scientific expertise that underpins Israel's technological edge in the region.
Iranian Strike on Bazan Oil Refinery
Iranian ballistic missiles scored a direct hit on the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa, one of Israel's most critical energy infrastructure facilities and a cornerstone of the country's fuel supply chain. This devastating attack on Israel's largest oil processing facility forced the complete shutdown of operations, creating immediate fuel shortages across northern Israel and demonstrating Iran's capability to target vital economic infrastructure. The strike killed three workers and caused extensive damage to the refinery's processing units, storage tanks, and distribution systems. The Bazan Group, which operates the facility, confirmed that all refinery operations were suspended indefinitely due to the extensive damage. This attack represented a significant escalation in Iran's targeting strategy, moving beyond military and scientific targets to include critical energy infrastructure that directly impacts civilian life and economic stability.
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Humanitarian Pause
A temporary 6-hour ceasefire was implemented through intensive diplomatic efforts by the International Committee of the Red Cross and UN mediation, creating vital humanitarian corridors for evacuation of civilians and delivery of medical supplies to affected areas in both Israel and Iran. This brief respite from the escalating violence allowed emergency medical teams to reach wounded civilians trapped in damaged buildings, facilitated the evacuation of international observers and journalists from conflict zones, and enabled the delivery of critical medical supplies to overwhelmed hospitals in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Tehran, and Isfahan. The humanitarian pause demonstrated the international community's growing concern over civilian casualties and the potential for even greater escalation. Despite the temporary ceasefire, both sides continued military preparations and repositioning of assets, with Israeli F-35s conducting surveillance flights and Iranian forces moving additional missile systems into launch positions during the pause.
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Sustained Campaign Climax
This date marked the culmination of the sustained middle-phase campaign (June 16-21) that saw the conflict reach unprecedented levels of intensity and destruction. Israeli forces conducted extensive strikes on three critical buildings in Isfahan's nuclear facilities, with the International Atomic Energy Agency later confirming the complete destruction of a centrifuge workshop essential to Iran's uranium enrichment program. In a series of high-value targeted killings, the Israeli Defense Forces eliminated Quds Force commander Saeed Izadi and targeted IRGC commander Behnam Shahriyari, while Iran confirmed the killing of its tenth nuclear scientist, Isar Tabatabai-Qamsheh, representing a devastating blow to Iran's nuclear expertise. The evening witnessed over 60 Israeli fighter jets conducting coordinated strikes in central Iran, successfully destroying three Iranian F-14 fighter jets on the ground and targeting the Iranian Cyber Police (FATA) headquarters in Tehran. Iranian air defense systems activated across multiple provinces including Isfahan, Tehran, Najafabad, and Malard, but were unable to prevent significant infrastructure damage. The day also saw strikes on residential buildings in Qom and Iran's counter-operation that launched a new missile wave hitting a residential building in Beit Shean, marking the conflict's expansion into civilian areas.
Sunday, June 22, 2025
US Strike on Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant
The United States conducted Operation Midnight Hammer, launching a devastating attack on Iran's most secretive and heavily fortified nuclear facility buried 260 feet underground in the mountains near Qom. Six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, operating from Whiteman Air Force Base, delivered twelve 30,000-pound GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker-buster bombs in the first combat use of these specialized weapons. The unprecedented strike marked direct US military intervention in the Iran-Israel conflict, with American forces targeting Iran's most protected nuclear asset. The massive bunker-buster bombs, each weighing 15 tons and designed specifically to penetrate deeply buried and hardened targets, caused severe structural damage to the underground uranium enrichment halls and compromised the facility's ability to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels. This operation represented the culmination of years of US intelligence gathering and military planning, utilizing America's most advanced stealth technology and most powerful conventional weapons to strike at the heart of Iran's nuclear program.
US Strike on Natanz Nuclear Facility
As part of Operation Midnight Hammer, the United States launched a coordinated multi-platform assault on Iran's largest and most critical uranium enrichment center at Natanz in Isfahan Province. The sophisticated attack combined aerial bombardment from B-2 Spirit stealth bombers with submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, creating a devastating 18-foot diameter hole directly above the underground nuclear complex. Two GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, each weighing 30,000 pounds, were dropped with precision targeting to maximize damage to the buried enrichment cascades. The attack built upon earlier Israeli strike damage from June 13, creating a cumulative effect that severely compromised Iran's largest uranium enrichment operation. The Natanz facility, which housed thousands of centrifuges and was Iran's primary site for producing enriched uranium, suffered catastrophic damage to both its above-ground administrative buildings and its underground production halls. This strike eliminated Iran's ability to produce enriched uranium at industrial scale, dealing a crippling blow to the nuclear program's timeline.
US Strike on Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center
The final component of Operation Midnight Hammer targeted the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center, Iran's primary uranium conversion facility responsible for processing natural uranium into uranium hexafluoride gas - the feedstock essential for uranium enrichment. Multiple submarine-launched BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles, fired from USS Georgia in the Persian Gulf, struck the facility with devastating precision. The attack completely destroyed over a dozen buildings housing uranium conversion equipment and collapsed all four tunnel entrances to the sprawling underground complex. This facility, operated by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was critical to the nuclear fuel cycle as it converted yellowcake uranium ore into the gaseous form required for injection into centrifuges. The destruction of the Isfahan facility created a critical bottleneck in Iran's nuclear program, as without the ability to produce uranium hexafluoride, Iran's remaining centrifuges at other facilities would eventually run out of feedstock. The strike also targeted research laboratories and administrative buildings, eliminating years of technical documentation and research data essential for nuclear fuel cycle operations.
Monday, June 23, 2025
Iranian Attack on Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
Iran launched 'Operation Glad Tidings of Victory,' firing 14 ballistic missiles at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, directly targeting US forces for the first time and bringing the United States into the conflict as a target.
Israeli Strikes on Iranian Regime Security Institutions
Israel conducted extensive airstrikes against Iranian regime targets in Tehran, dropping over 100 munitions in two hours on several sites including Evin Prison, Basij headquarters, IRGC facilities, and internal security forces headquarters.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Ceasefire Agreement
A phased ceasefire mediated by the United States and Qatar officially ended the 12-day conflict, though implementation remained tense with continued exchanges in the final hours before the ceasefire took effect.