TEHRAN – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has officially confirmed that he had sent a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin stating that Israel was not seeking another war with Iran and asking him to relay the message to Tehran.

Netanyahu said he conveyed his position directly to Putin to prevent further escalation, requesting that the message be passed on to Iranian officials. In an interview with Fox News, he also said that Israel “does not seek tensions” with Iran.

The remarks mark a notable shift in tone from Israeli media narratives that had run numerous stories about the possibility of renewed conflict. Netanyahu’s comments suggest a reluctance to escalate and include an indirect call for restraint from Iran.

Analysts say the admission indicates that recent Israeli threats were driven less by confidence and more by concern over Iran’s military capabilities.

The comments come as a major confrontation began on June 13, 2025, when Israel launched an unprovoked military attack on Iran. The assault triggered a 12-day war that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 people, including senior military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.

The United States later entered the conflict, striking three Iranian nuclear facilities, moves Tehran has condemned as grave violations of international law.

U.S. media reported that American forces fired more than 100 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors, and possibly as many as 150, to counter Iranian ballistic missiles during the fighting. The expenditure reportedly consumed about a quarter of the U.S. THAAD stockpile. The United States operates seven THAAD batteries worldwide, two of which were said to have been deployed in Israel during the conflict.

Analysts noted that the extensive use of the interceptors highlighted vulnerabilities in U.S. missile defense systems and depleted an expensive strategic asset amid declining public support for Israel’s defense.

 Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched a coordinated campaign of missile and drone strikes over the 12-day period in response to Israeli attacks and U.S.-backed strikes on Iranian military and scientific facilities. The operations were carried out in 22 distinct waves and targeted key Israeli military, intelligence, and technological sites, eventually forcing a halt to hostilities.

According to Iranian sources, the strikes hit several high-profile targets, including the Kirya military complex in Tel Aviv—often described as Israel’s “Pentagon”—as well as Camp Moshe Dayan and the Tel Nof, Nevatim, Hatzerim, and Ovda air bases, facilities linked to air operations, intelligence training, and command-and-control capabilities. Analysts believe that due to the extent of damages in the June war, Israel will refrain from imposing another war on Iran.