WEEKLY UPDATE - 06.27.2025

US Bombs Iran’s Nuclear Facilities as Ceasefire is Reached

On Tuesday, Iran, Israel, and the US reached a ceasefire agreement capping a brief period of escalation after the US joined the conflict. Early Sunday morning local time, US B-2 bombers targeted three Iranian nuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. On Monday, Iran responded by firing missiles on the al-Ubayd military base in Qatar which houses US, British, and Qatari forces. Later that evening US President Trump declared that a ceasefire would go into effect on Tuesday as both Iran and Israel continued to exchange fire. Both Israel and Iran ceased their military operations after Trump expressed frustration with both powers.

President Trump has hailed the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear program as a success and urged Iran to return to negotiations regarding its nuclear program. According to some reports, a return to talks could come as soon as next week. The extent of the damage done to Iran’s nuclear program remains unclear. The US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) initially reported that the strikes had only set Iran’s nuclear program back several months while the CIA offered a different assessment on Wednesday claiming the damage had been more substantial.

Following the ceasefire both Iranian and Israeli officials claimed victory in the war. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that Iran had delivered a “slap to the face” of the US and that US achieved nothing significant in its strikes during a pre-recorded speech. Iranian security officials arrested more 700 people it claims of having ties to Israel. The government also announced the execution of three alleged Mossad agents.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu signaled Thursday may be ready to end the war in Gaza. Several Israeli media outlets reported a potential plan to end the war in Gaza and expand the Abraham Accords. Some of the terms of the proposal would see an end of the war within two weeks in exchange for freeing the remaining hostages, Hamas’ leadership would go into exile while an Arab force backed by the UAE and Egypt would take over temporary administration of Gaza.

Islamic Militant Kills Dozens of Christians in Damascus Suicide Bombing

On Sunday, a suicide bomber belonging to little-known militant group carried out an attack on the Mar Elias Church in Damascus killing at least 25 worshippers and wounding dozens more. On Tuesday, Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the attack justifying its actions on “unspecified provocations of the Christians of Damascus.” According to analyst Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi the group previously had ties with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other Islamic militant groups that were active in the Syrian Civil War.

President al-Sharaa condemned the attack and apprehend the perpetrators saying, “We promise … that we will work night and day, mobilizing all our specialized security agencies, to capture all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and to bring them to justice.” However, many Syrians criticized President al-Sharaa and his government’s response following the attack noting that so view senior government officials visited the site of the attack or publicly mourned with Syria’s Christian community.

The attack added to already heightened sectarian tensions in Syria. Islamic militants have previously targeted Alawite minority that dominated the Assad regime and the Druze minority in Suwayda.

In Other News

• More than 100 Israeli settlers attacked the West Bank village of Kafr Malek. According to Al Jazeera, the settlers killed three Palestinians in the attack and the IDF killed another after opening fire trying disperse the attack. The IDF said that it detained five Israelis suspected of participating in the attack and turned them over to police. Settler attacks on West Bank villages have largely gone unpunished.

• The IDF reported that seven Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza when a Palestinian militant attached a bomb to the vehicle they were traveling in on Wednesday.

• Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza continue to be killed while seeking humanitarian aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces killed at least three Palestinians on Thursday near an GHF distribution site and another 59 were killed throughout Gaza. On Thursday, Israel also briefly halted aid deliveries amid accusations that Hamas was stealing aid.

• The Algerian prosecution of Boualem Sansal, a dual French-Algerian writer who is at the center of a diplomatic row with France, is seeking a ten-year sentence. Sansal is being prosecuted for statements he made justifying Moroccan claims to a disputed territory.

• The Iraqi government ordered the arrest of Abbas al-Ardawi, a political commentator, for comments he made online suggesting that a radar system on the Taji military base was used to aid Israeli attacks on Iran in the recent war.

Recommended:

• “The Lethal Risk of Seeking Food in Gaza” New York Times

• “A Cease-fire without a Conclusion” The Atlantic

• “Iran’s Energy Dilemma: Constraints, Repercussions, and Policy Options’’ Sada Journal

• “What did Israel Achieve With its 12-Day War with Iran?” Newlines

• “Syria’s New Men” MERIP