CIA Director John Ratcliffe issued a public statement Wednesday addressing the current state of Iran’s nuclear program following recent military actions.
“CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes. This includes new intelligence from an historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years,” he said.

In a candid interview in Hebrew with Kikar HaShabbat, Shas chairman and War Cabinet member Aryeh Deri offered his firsthand reflections on Israel’s unprecedented military campaign against Iran. Deri described the behind-the-scenes deliberations that preceded the operation, the unexpected successes, and the dramatic moments in the command bunker when the order was given to launch the offensive.
“We paid a heavy price in this war,” Deri acknowledged, referencing the loss of 28 soldiers. “But that number is less than 8% of the minimum estimate we were given before the operation—and not even 3% of the maximum projection. We must recognize the miracles.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) responded enthusiastically to the outcome of New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, hailing Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s win as an “incredible victory.”
Taking to X, Omar offered her congratulations and applauded New Yorkers for rejecting what she described as the influence of “bigots and corrupt billionaires.” Her post came shortly after Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor, acknowledged Mamdani’s lead and conceded the race.
“Congratulations @ZohranKMamdani!” Omar wrote. “This is an incredible victory and testament to the people powered campaign you put together. Thank you NYC for not letting the bigots and corrupt billionaires prevail. This victory also belongs to you.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte extended a warm and colorful welcome to President Donald Trump during Wednesday’s alliance summit in The Hague, lauding him as “a man of strength,” “a man of peace,” and even “the daddy” who managed to broker a truce between Iran and Israel.
According to SkyNews, Trump likened the recent conflict to a schoolyard brawl, saying, “They fight like hell. You can’t stop them. Let them fight for about two, three minutes. Then it’s easier to stop them.”
Rutte picked up on the analogy, replying with a grin, “Then, daddy has to sometimes use strong language,” in reference to Trump’s colorful remarks during his efforts to enforce the ceasefire, as reported by SkyNews.

President Donald Trump urged Israeli authorities to put an end to the legal proceedings against Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, calling the charges a politically driven attack.
“I was shocked to hear that the State of Israel, which has just had one of its Greatest Moments in History, and is strongly led by Bibi Netanyahu, is continuing its ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime Minister!” Trump declared in a detailed message posted on Truth Social.
He criticized the ongoing corruption trial as a baseless pursuit with political motives.

MK Moshe Gafni, who leads the Degel HaTorah faction within United Torah Judaism, stirred outrage from right-wing politicians on Wednesday morning after questioning the rationale behind Israel’s continued military campaign in Gaza.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sent a letter to President Donald Trump praising his successful efforts in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran and expressing renewed commitment to pursuing a full peace agreement with Israel.
In his message, Abbas emphasized that the truce between Iran and Israel marks a key moment in efforts to ease broader tensions in the region.
The Palestinian leader also extended his appreciation to Trump for what he described as the president’s “courageous” recent appeals to bring an end to the fighting in Gaza.
“This constitutes an additional step in [your] important efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace between us, the Israelis, and the entire world,” Abbas writes.

The United States and Qatar announced Wednesday that the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel has opened a potential window to reignite stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a possible truce and hostage exchange deal in Gaza.
Majed Al Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, told CNN that Doha has maintained active communication with “all sides” involved in the hostage discussions. He said they hoped to use the momentum generated by the Iran-Israel ceasefire to advance the talks—remarks that closely mirrored those made by President Trump.
“This is the time now for President Trump to push for it and we believe he is sincere about it,” said Ansari. “We are willing to help on that.”

President Trump unleashed a fiery response on Wednesday following Zohran Mamdani’s unexpected win in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary, slamming both his ideology and personal presentation.
“Democrats have crossed the line” by elevating “100% Communist Lunatic,” Trump railed in a Truth Social post.
He remarked that while radical figures have emerged in the party before, this instance went beyond what he viewed as acceptable boundaries. “We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous,” he added.
Trump then turned his criticism toward Mamdani’s physical appearance and demeanor, pulling no punches.

Mossad Director David Barnea released a highly unusual public video on Wednesday, offering a glimpse into his address to agents who took part in the dramatic series of operations against Iran beginning on June 13—operations that, by all accounts, deeply destabilized the Iranian regime.
Addressing his operatives with a pointed message to Iran, Barnea declared, “We will [continue to] be there, like we have been there.”
Barnea described the scope of Mossad’s accomplishments as “unimaginable,” alluding to their reported involvement in eliminating senior Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists, and in demolishing facilities related to Iran’s nuclear program, drone manufacturing, and ballistic missile capabilities.