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Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Wednesday, June 18, 2025

When Israel launched its series of strikes against Iran last week, it also issued a number of dire warnings about the country's nuclear program, suggesting Iran was fast approaching a point of no return in its quest to obtain nuclear weapons and that the strikes were necessary to preempt that outcome.

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But US intelligence assessments had reached a different conclusion -- not only was Iran not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon, it was also up to three years away from being able to produce and deliver one to a target of its choosing, according to four people familiar with the assessment.

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'Now, after days of Israeli airstrikes, US intelligence officials believe that so far, Israel may have set back Iran's nuclear program by only a matter of months, according to one of those people, a US official.

Even as Israel has done significant damage to Iran's facility at Natanz, which houses centrifuges necessary to enrich uranium, a second, heavily fortified enrichment site at Fordow has remained effectively untouched.

Israel lacks the capability to damage Fordow without specific US weapons and aerial support, defense experts say.

"Israel can hover over those nuclear facilities, render them inoperable, but if you really want to dismantle them it's either a US military strike or a deal," said Brett McGurk, a former top diplomat to the Middle East under the Trump and Biden administrations and a CNN analyst.'

#1 | Posted by Corky at 2025-06-17 12:50 PM | Reply

Donald Trump, the Great Peacemaker, is already waging war with Iran.

If anyone wants to stop those American jets they had better do so within the next twelve hours or so.

#2 | Posted by Zed at 2025-06-17 12:54 PM | Reply

These are the same people that said Russia would over run Ukraine in 2 weeks.

Or that Iraq had biochemical weapons.

Or that hunter biden's laptop was a Russian op.

LOL US intelligence is as smart and on top of it as US Lumpers.

#3 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-06-17 01:08 PM | Reply

IAMRUNT's child-raping hero said he'd end the Russia/Ukraine war on day one. LOL

#4 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2025-06-17 01:11 PM | Reply

Number Two son play both sides against middle... where there is no responsibility for anything.

He would rather sit than stand.

#5 | Posted by Corky at 2025-06-17 01:17 PM | Reply

I wished that Iran would get a nuke or a few to stop rogue nations from bothering them. Would make me happy.

#6 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-06-17 01:23 PM | Reply

Trump Throws Gabbard Under the Bus Over Iran Nuke Claim: I Don't Care What She Said'
www.yahoo.com

... Donald Trump dismissed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's assessment of Iran's nuclear program with a claim that the country was "very close" to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"I don't care what she said -- I think they were very close to having them," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after abruptly leaving the G7 summit in Canada. ...



#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-06-17 06:17 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Trump Throws Gabbard Under the Bus Over Iran Nuke Claim: I Don't Care What She Said'
www.yahoo.com
... Donald Trump dismissed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's assessment of Iran's nuclear program with a claim that the country was "very close" to obtaining a nuclear weapon.
"I don't care what she said -- I think they were very close to having them," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after abruptly leaving the G7 summit in Canada. ...
#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-06-17 06:17 PM

This should terrify everyone.

Zionist infestation included.

#8 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2025-06-18 08:32 PM | Reply

Trump has no real follow through.

He's Flaky, like Pop'n'Fresh dough.

Israel should be very concerned if their Ass is on the line and Trump's the only thing holding them together.

Trump is not Responsible.....Ever.

Alternative Facts notwithstanding.

#9 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2025-06-18 09:54 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

So, does this mean we accused and destroyed preemptively Iraq and Iran of nuclear shenanigans when no nuclear ambitions existed?

#10 | Posted by fresno500 at 2025-06-19 04:03 AM | Reply

#10: The faux "WMD" threat blundered the US into re-invading Iraq in 2003 (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and now the so-called "nuclear" threat posed by Iran may blunder the US into another "Forever War." A US Army Colonel on the JCS planning cell was relieved of his post because he was dead-set against this war and was critical of Israel's malevolent machinations. See my OP from yesterday.

But AIPAC, Democrats US Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and disgraced NYC Mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, as well as Benjamin Netanyahu, are simply 'dee-lighted' with the prospect of US military might doing Israel's dirty work for them against Iran: static.timesofisrael.com

#11 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-06-19 04:19 AM | Reply

While we're at it, any chance of international inspections and regulating in the only country in the ME known to have ready nuke access? It's run by a criminalistic leader and is currently engaged in organized war crimes behavior.

No? Why not?

#12 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-06-19 06:16 AM | Reply

Yeah it's all about the nukes, it has nothing to do with militants in Yemen, hamas, Hezbollah, destabilizing Iraq, and Syria.

The nuclear deal did not prevent or even incentivize Iran away from what they were doing.

#13 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2025-06-19 08:15 AM | Reply

Who said it was all about the nukes?
Oh, riiight, Bibi.
For over 30 years that goon's seen Iranian nukes around the next corner.
Thanks for the reminder.

#14 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-06-19 08:24 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

Who said it was all about the nukes?

#14 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-06-19 08:24 AM | Reply | Flag:

Everybody that talks about the success of the Iran deal keeping them from enrichment.

#15 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2025-06-19 09:43 AM | Reply

I guess Tulsi Gabbard and the rest of America finally got a clear statement of her role: she is a DEI hire as well as a lackey. When told of Gabbard's position that Iran was years away from having a nuclear weapon, Trump's response was "I don't care what Tulsi Gabbard thinks".

#16 | Posted by FedUpWithPols at 2025-06-19 09:45 AM | Reply

#3 | Posted by oneironaut

"These are the same people that said Russia would over run Ukraine in 2 weeks."
No, they didn't.

"Or that Iraq had biochemical weapons."
Cheney said that. US Intel said the report wasn't reliable, just like the British said.

"Or that hunter biden's laptop was a Russian op."
That wasn't Intelligence. It was former intelligence members who said it MIGHT be and we needed more research on it.

Israeli intelligence agrees with US Intelligence on this.

Like Iraq, another Republican is making up Intelligence and lying us into war. And once again, idiots like you will blame US Intelligence rather than another idiot Republican president a few years from now.

You are dumb and should feel bad.

#17 | Posted by Sycophant at 2025-06-19 10:34 AM | Reply

Yeah it's all about the nukes, it has nothing to do with militants in Yemen, hamas, Hezbollah, destabilizing Iraq, and Syria.

The nuclear deal did not prevent or even incentivize Iran away from what they were doing.

#13 | POSTED BY SITZKRIEG AT 2025-06-19 08:15 AM | FLAG:

Who said it was all about the nukes?
Oh, riiight, Bibi.
For over 30 years that goon's seen Iranian nukes around the next corner.
Thanks for the reminder.

#14 | POSTED BY DOC_SARVIS

After mocking Trump for yet another string of absurd and meaningless remarks, Stewart played a video clip of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying, "By next spring, at current rates, [Iran] will move onto the final stage" of creating a nuclear weapon. The audience gasped"before Stewart revealed that the clip was from ... 2012.

x.com

#18 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-06-19 01:33 PM | Reply

The nuclear deal did not prevent or even incentivize Iran away from what they were doing.
#13 | POSTED BY SITZKRIEG

The nuclear deal Trump immediately tore up and abandoned?

Yea, who knows how that would have gone.

But, it's good to see you embracing your neocon, warmongering roots.

#19 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-06-19 01:55 PM | Reply

Bibi has been lying to us for 30 years now about Iran

youtube.com

#20 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-06-19 01:59 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

Netanyahu refuses to allow Americans to leave Israel.

He needs Americans as human shields.

Fortunately Iran is targeting military infrastructure.

Unfortunately Israel puts them in the middle of civilians.

Zionism isn't worth protecting.

#21 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2025-06-19 02:28 PM | Reply

#21: Fox News, OAN, and AIPAC desperately need reports of American casualties in Israel for their bloodthirsty agitprop: img.apmcdn.org

#22 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-06-19 02:45 PM | Reply

__________
Iran Years Away from Nukes, Not Seeking Them

'Now, after days of Israeli airstrikes, US intelligence officials believe that so far, Israel may have set back Iran's nuclear program by only a matter of months, according to one of those people, a US official.

The article contradicts itself on so many levels - we're to understand that:
1. Iran is not "seeking nuclear weapons"...
2. But if they do... they are "years away from them"...
3. But if they are not "years away from them" then the Israelis have only done enough damage (as of June 17th) to "set back Iran's program by only a matter of months"...

And article's different unnamed "experts" say completely different things, some of them are "US intelligence officials" (are these "old" or "new / MAGA" officials, like "Russian asset" DNI Tulsi Gabbard ?) whose views are likely more colored by their attitude toward Israel rather than Iran's program etc. etc.

Real life:

isis-online.org - ISIS - 2025-06-09
"Iran can convert its current stock of 60 percent enriched uranium into 233 kg of WGU in three weeks at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), enough for 9 nuclear weapons
... Iran could produce its first quantity of 25 kg of WGU in Fordow in as little as two to three days. ...

From IAEA:
www.iaea.org

www.iaea.org - 2025-03-03
"I am seriously concerned that the outstanding safeguards issues remain unresolved. They stem from Iran's obligations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and need to be resolved for the Agency to be in a position to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful."

www.iaea.org - 2025-06-09
"Arising from this, the Agency also concludes that Iran did not declare nuclear material and nuclear-related activities at these three undeclared locations in Iran.

Iran's unilateral decision to stop implementation of modified Code 3.1 has led to a significant reduction in the Agency's ability to verify... The rapid accumulation of highly enriched uranium... is of serious concern ... Agency cannot ignore the stockpiling of over 400 kg of highly enriched uranium."

.

#18 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-06-19 01:33 PM
Stewart revealed that the clip was from ... 2012.

Maybe should not get serious news from comedians?

Let's think:

If there were no Iranian nuclear program in 2012, why did Obama negotiate with Iran and had them sign multinational NPT agreement about monitoring it?

Remember Stuxnet (Israeli / US) "worm" that fried Iran's nuclear centrifuges at several plants - that was in 2010, and set Iran's program back by several years.

Was Netanyahu / Israel wrong about Syria building secret nuclear bomb program with the help of North Korea, which was bombed in 2007 in Operation Orchard / Operation Outside the Box?
en.wikipedia.org - Operation Orchard / Operation Outside the Box - September 6, 2007 - Strategic bombing run to destroy the Syrian nuclear site

www.youtube.com - Operation Orchard: The Explosive Raid on Syria's Nuclear Facility - YT video doc (48 min) details of operation and the role of North Korea in development of Syria nuclear program
__________

#23 | Posted by CutiePie at 2025-06-20 06:41 AM | Reply

__________
#21 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2025-06-19 02:28 PM
Netanyahu refuses to allow Americans to leave Israel.
He needs Americans as human shields.
Unfortunately Israel puts them in the middle of civilians.

"Zionist monsters" closed Israeli airspace for no other reason than to keep Americans in as "human shields"... because Iran cares?

Do we really need to keep lying to ourselves and make s**t up or repost every laughably stupid, easily disproved disinfo from eX-Twitter, Instagram, YT, Iranian and Russian propaganda websites** about Netanyahu / Israel / "Zionism" / Jews, only to feed confirmation bias and "keep the hate alive"?

www.travelagewest.com - This Is How Tourists to Israel Can Get Out of the Country - June 17, 2025
|------- As the Israel-Iran conflict continues to escalate, Israel's airspace remains closed, and flights to and from Israel have been suspended. Ben Gurion Airport... is closed until further notice. On Monday, the U.S. State Department raised its travel advisory for Israel to Level 4, or "Do Not Travel." According to the Israel Ministry of Tourism, there are currently 38,000 tourists in Israel... On Tuesday, the organization announced that it has created a pathway for tourists to leave the country. ... -------|

www.cbsnews.com - U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem says State Department "planning for contingencies" to help Americans leave Israel - CBS, 2025-06-18

.

**
From Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) reports (https://networkcontagion.us):

|------- 6/18/25 False Flags and Fake MAGA:

Amid the escalating war with Iran, pro-Kremlin and Iranian state-linked propaganda nodes flooded American social media while masquerading as MAGA loyalists.

... These coordinated efforts exploited what NCRI identifies as a false flag reflex - a conditioned response that turns... into a trigger for trending conspiracy claims.

... Russia and Iran are actively working to destabilize MAGA movement from within. These foreign actors are deploying tens of thousands of social media bots... to amplify disinformation and sow discord among conservatives... The strategy mirrors tactics previously used to disrupt the Democratic Party, suggesting a deliberate effort to undermine political stability within the United States.

The bots work by amplifying the voices of real-life influencers who propagate false flag narratives... By creating an illusion of widespread support for extreme viewpoints, the bots aim to manipulate public perception.

... The report details specific examples of how these tactics are employed. Noctis Draven, a U.S. veteran who frequently contributes to Russian state media, is identified as a key player in spreading false flag narratives. Draven uses social media platforms to reach a potential audience of millions, pushing conspiracy theories and anti-Western propaganda.

... The report also exposes the use of seemingly innocuous online personas to spread disinformation.

One example cited is "Red Pill Media," an account claiming to be based in the U.S. but operated from Pakistan. This account, which purports to expose "Zionist terrorism," has a significant following and actively spreads anti-Semitic and anti-Israel propaganda. These seemingly grassroots accounts are often part of larger, coordinated disinformation networks, amplifying each other's messages and creating a false sense of organic support. ...
-------|

They don't care if you're "woke" or "MAGA" - just different messages for different tribes.
__________

#24 | Posted by CutiePie at 2025-06-20 06:59 AM | Reply

Ya know... when I lived in Alaska... there were a lot of very talented "preppers" who dedicated their lives to justifying why they needed to prepare. Alaska has a sizable per capita population of highly skilled combat veterans... men and women who "saw some stuff". People like them are scattered all over remote regions of the Americas using their survival skill sets.

I don't see them as a threat but I do see them as possibly being the last one's standing when the dust settles.

We wasted those people's talents solving the Zionists' persistent "difficulties" with border diplomacy.

#25 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2025-06-20 07:48 AM | Reply

The nuclear deal Trump immediately tore up and abandoned?

#19 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-06-19 01:55 PM | Reply

Yeah that's the one. The one that was supposed to steer them towards regional economic cooperation, but instead all they did was bankroll terror groups and continually escalate conflicts.

#26 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2025-06-20 08:02 AM | Reply

We already had one President base war decisions on exaggerated intel about a middle eastern nation getting too close to building a nuclear weapon. Are we seeing such recent history repeating already? I do, on this single occasion, applauud Prsident Trump's decision to delay an attack in hope that the Iranians will do something to assure him that they will stop moving towards the construction of a nuclear weapon. The Ayatollah should be made to understand that if an Iranian nuke lands anywhere in the wotld he will be dead within minutes and the Islamic Republic will be history while most Iranians celebrate which would seem like ---- for that evil reigious dictator.

#27 | Posted by danni at 2025-06-20 08:07 AM | Reply

Dead with in minutes.

He's 86.

#28 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2025-06-20 09:23 AM | Reply

Nukes a red herring. Always have been.

Country Reports on Terrorism 2021: Iran

#29 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2025-06-20 09:25 AM | Reply

...deliberate effort to undermine political stability within the United States.

You mean the 'no kings' thing, right?

#30 | Posted by twinkhunter at 2025-06-20 12:48 PM | Reply

#27
omg she's just like Trump, if you extract the solvent

#31 | Posted by twinkhunter at 2025-06-20 12:51 PM | Reply

The demented------------- is considering the use of tactical nukes.

bsky.app

#32 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2025-06-20 12:56 PM | Reply

Benjamin Netanyahu has been Israel PM for ~25 years and couldn't wait to get another AIPAC-funded POTUS in the White House. Although he tried as hard as he could, Bibi could never fool Barack Obama from 2008-2016. A Republican warmonger AIPAC President like Dotard Trumpf is pure icing on Bibi's cake.

https://www.laprogressive.com/.image/ar_4:3%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_1200/MTg2ODY3MDczMjM2MjgwODI0/bibi-meets_obama1.png

Like al-Qaida on 9/11 or the Imperial Japanese Navy on 7 Dec 1941, the IDF conducted a surprise, sneak attack on a sovereign country, causing hundreds of casualties. Now this AIPAC-funded POTUS doesn't rule out deploying nuclear weapons against the Muslims of Iran on behalf of Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu, a suspect who has been indicted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC). An international arrest warrant is active for his immediate detention and extradition to the Hague.

For the American audience, AIPAC distracting points include throwing in the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, or nefarious cyber actors in the Middle East as a smokescreen to validate a US military strike against Israel's enemies in the Middle East. If you are convinced US military action is necessary against Iran, the AIPAC tactic worked.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Sources:

Trump AIPAC $$$

IDF War Crimes

#33 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-06-20 02:08 PM | Reply

Iran probably is nowhere close to having nukes. But they have been funding and supporting international terrorize for many decades. Including. Hamas, hezbollah, Syria, Lebanon and in Yemen.

Nobody is seriously surprised that Israel. Is looking for any reason to take out the theocracy in Iran.

#34 | Posted by moder8 at 2025-06-20 04:32 PM | Reply

Trump says Gabbard and U.S. intelligence are 'wrong' about Iran's nuclear plans

www.youtube.com

#35 | Posted by Corky at 2025-06-20 04:48 PM | Reply

The Iranians are 'evil' so let's nuke them, right? static01.nyt.com

#36 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-06-20 04:51 PM | Reply

"Iranians live under a stupid theocracy! Time for a regime change! Argh!" static01.nyt.com

#37 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-06-20 05:06 PM | Reply

Lister teaches Kryten how to lie | Red Dwarf - BBC

www.youtube.com

Just because....

#38 | Posted by Corky at 2025-06-20 05:11 PM | Reply

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