KLIK SAJA - After 12 intense days of warfare that gripped global attention and sparked international concern, Iran and Israel finally agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
However, the end of active hostilities has not stopped both sides from declaring themselves the victor.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the outcome as a “historic victory”, asserting that Israel’s military campaign had significantly set back Iran’s nuclear program by several years.
He emphasized that several strategic Iranian facilities were struck in coordinated operations, including U.S. bunker-buster strikes launched at Israel’s request.
“Iran will not possess nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu declared with conviction.
Yet, this narrative of triumph has been challenged by leaked U.S. intelligence reports.
According to those early assessments, the joint U.S.-Israeli assault only delayed Iran’s nuclear capabilities by a few months—falling far short of its stated objective of total destruction.
The White House confirmed the authenticity of the report, though spokesperson Karoline Leavitt dismissed its conclusions as “wildly inaccurate.”
On the other side, Iran mounted its own claim to victory.
In a televised speech, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that the “Zionist regime nearly collapsed” under Iranian counterattacks, including a surprise strike on the largest American military base in the Middle East, located in Qatar.
Khamenei reiterated Iran’s unwavering stance against American pressure and publicly praised the nation’s military and security personnel for their resilience.
From a purely military standpoint, Israel appears to have inflicted heavier losses. Over 610 Iranian civilians and military personnel were killed, and more than 4,700 injured, including several high-ranking commanders and nuclear scientists.
But if measured against strategic objectives, Israel fell short of achieving its key aims: the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and the overthrow of the Islamic Republic’s leadership.
Despite the damage, Iran’s nuclear facilities remain largely intact. More tellingly, the government under Khamenei emerged with stronger domestic support, rather than political instability.