TEHRAN – On June 13, U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a full-scale war against Iran, beginning their military campaign by assassinating Iran's top military generals. 

That same night, Iran retaliated by launching barrages of missiles at the occupied territories. Over the following days, Iranian strikes grew increasingly precise and effective. By the fifth day of the conflict, Iran had turned the tables, dealing heavy blows to the Israeli regime.

Several strategic sites were either destroyed or severely damaged, including the Weizmann Institute, the headquarters of Mossad and Aman, the Haifa oil refinery (one of Israel's two refineries, which now operates at only one-third of its original capacity), and several air bases. Because these military and security centers were located within population centers, surrounding buildings also sustained damage from the powerful missile strikes. Hebrew media reported that at least 65,000 buildings were damaged in total, most of which remain unrepaired. 

The war concluded after 12 days, once Israel requested that the U.S. urge Iran to agree to a ceasefire. The day after the hostilities halted, I remember reflecting on our losses and on what the U.S. and Israel may have hoped to achieve. We had lost some of our finest generals and roughly 1,000 of our people, and several of our most vital nuclear sites had been targeted. But was this truly what the Americans and Israelis wanted? Was causing unprecedented destruction in Israeli cities—and showing the world that Washington is not serious about diplomacy—worth the losses on the Iranian side that could ultimately be compensated?

As the dust settled and analysis began regarding why Trump chose war—especially in the midst of nuclear negotiations—it became clear that what was obvious to me and countless others in the country had eluded Trump and the war criminal he serves, Netanyahu. These two officials apparently believed that by assassinating Iran's top generals and threatening other political and military figures during phone calls, the leadership would flee, thereby preempting any military response. They also underestimated the quality of Iranian missiles and, most importantly, believed the Iranian people would trust Netanyahu, who—at the war's outset—promised in a video message that Iranians would become "free" and "prosperous" if they toppled the Islamic Republic.

Now, almost seven months later, the prevailing understanding is that Trump was too foolish to realize he had been brainwashed by advisors who fed him "facts" that were either baseless or deliberate lies. Yet, Trump still appears unable to recognize this flawed counsel, as he has recently threatened another war against Iran—even though the consequences this time would be far more severe and the chances of success even lower than before.

Trump has threatened Iran twice since last Sunday, stating he would attack the country if security forces killed "peaceful protesters." These so-called peaceful protesters are not the bazaar merchants peacefully demonstrating against the collapse of the Iranian rial—a consequence of years of debilitating sanctions under the "maximum pressure" campaign Trump introduced during his first term. In fact, the American president is referring to small cells of armed individuals, primarily in Iran’s western border provinces where weapon smuggling is easier. In the last 10 days, these groups have killed security forces and attempted to capture police stations, military sites, and municipal buildings. They have also set fire to public property, public transport vehicles, private cars, and businesses, and have killed or assaulted civilians who opposed their violent actions.

This time, it is not merely poor advice pushing Trump toward a doomed path of aggression. The president appears to have gained excessive confidence from his recent abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro—a flagrant breach of international law that offers no guarantee of achieving the Trump administration's intended goals.

As the U.S. could be preparing for potential new actions against Iran—which could range from sabotage and assassinations to small-scale strikes or full-scale war—the American media has once again placed itself at the service of the U.S. government. Previously, Western outlets attempted to deceive the Iranian leadership by reporting alleged "rifts" between Trump and Netanyahu. This time, they appear focused on demoralizing the Iranian military. One report, a recycled version of stories from 2009, 2020, and 2022, claimed that the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has coordinated with Moscow to arrange his flight to Russia should the Islamic Republic "collapse". In 2022, Western media said he had fled to Venezuela. Another report alleged that the Iranian Foreign Minister told journalists on Thursday that the country must now focus on "survival." In reality, no such meeting took place; the Tehran Times can confirm this, as our staff is invariably present for such discussions.

The Tehran Times understands that Trump believes he may have an opportunity to strike while Iran is "preoccupied." However, the current riots are significantly smaller than those Iranian security forces have successfully managed in the past. These disturbances have failed to expand for two primary reasons: first, the bazaar merchants who initiated the protests have entered negotiations with the government, which has promised new measures to ease the economic situation; and second, Israeli and American officials were too quick to reveal their intent to exploit the unrest. Several have even admitted that "Mossad agents" are operating on the ground during the protests.

As for Netanyahu, his hostility toward Iran remains a certainty. The war criminal remains ever-ready to seize even the slightest opportunity to inflict harm upon Iran. He may, however, be better served worrying about the growing number of individuals who agree to work with Iranian intelligence services every day, as the Tehran Times has learned through its sources. While his Mossad agents are being arrested within Iran, the public will not topple their government, regardless of how many times he issues such pleas in videos and posts across social media. Military action will prove equally ineffective, much as it did back in June.

But at a time when no one migrates to the occupied Palestine in pursuit of the ultimate 'Jewish safe haven' anymore, there are only so many Israelis Netanyahu can afford to lose to Iranian intelligence. Thousands of those who remain loyal to the Zionist vision received text messages from unknown hackers this week. According to reports by Hebrew media, they were sent their own personal and confidential information and were told they would have to pay if they did not cease their crimes.