Israel Vs. Evil
The War To Stop A Nuclear Iran: A Timeline
In a move that will not only reshape the Middle East but the entire world, Israel preemptively struck Iran before they could develop nuclear weapons. Below is a timeline of how it happened, how Iran retaliated, and how the world responded. (Note: The information is based on social media posts, news reports, and queries to Grok, the X AI tool. Any discrepancy in the time was unintentional and is likely due to the time differences between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Times are approximate and in Eastern Standard Time (EST).)
June 11
5:37 p.m.: The U.S. State Department authorizes the evacuation of non-essential personnel from Iraq due to fears of an imminent Israeli strike on Iran. The Pentagon green-lights the voluntary departure of military family members across the Middle East, primarily Navy and Marine families in Bahrain, home to a major U.S. naval base.
June 12
8:10 p.m.: Israel launches its initial wave of strikes on Iran, targeting nuclear facilities (including Natanz), ballistic missile sites, and military leadership. The operation, named “Operation Rising Lion,” involves over 200 fighter jets and is described as a “preemptive, precise offensive” by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
8:18 p.m.: Iran’s military account on X (@IRIran_Military) posts, “Remember, we didn’t initiate it,” signaling Iran’s acknowledgment of the attack and framing it as unprovoked.
8:26 p.m.: Reports confirm explosions at two of Iran’s main nuclear sites, including Natanz, with significant damage to uranium enrichment facilities.
8:45 p.m.: Secretary of State Marco Rubio releases a statement from the White House: “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.” This statement distances the U.S. from the operation and warns Iran against retaliating against American targets.
9:00 p.m.: President Donald Trump attends a congressional picnic on the White House South Lawn, giving no public indication of the strikes, though aides are aware they are underway. He returns to the West Wing to huddle with top officials afterward.
9:07 p.m.: U.S. media updates its reporting to confirm Israel’s strikes, noting they were conducted unilaterally without U.S. military assistance.
9:30 p.m.: Iranian state TV accuses the U.S. of being “complicit” in the attack, which it claims has “killed children.” Iran reports at least 20 military commanders killed, including senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) figures.
10:00 p.m.: Israel imposes a national state of emergency, closes its airspace, and moves political leaders to a secure location. Defense Minister Katz warns of expected Iranian missile and drone attacks “in the immediate future.”
10:00 p.m.: The U.S. Navy repositions the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner from the western Mediterranean to the eastern Mediterranean, closer to Israel, to enhance ballistic missile defense capabilities in anticipation of Iranian retaliation.
11:00 p.m.: President Trump tells Fox News that the U.S. was aware of Israel’s plans but not involved militarily, expressing hope that Iran will return to the negotiating table. He notes CENTCOM is on high alert for potential Iranian retaliation against U.S. interests.
June 13
12:00 a.m.: Iran launches over 100 drones toward Israel in retaliation, according to the IDF, which works to intercept them. Most drones are shot down before entering Israeli airspace. Iran denies launching drones, and the IDF reports no significant damage from this wave.
1:00 a.m.: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vows “harsh punishment” for Israel, stating it “has prepared for itself a bitter, painful fate.” Iran’s military begins preparing for further retaliation.
2:00 a.m.: Satellite images reveal damage to two Iranian missile sites and an airport runway. The IDF claims “significant damage” to Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility.
2:30 a.m.: Iran launches ballistic missiles toward Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, marking a significant escalation. A U.S. official confirms American forces assist in shooting down some missiles, alongside Israel’s Iron Dome system. Some missiles break through, causing limited damage in populated areas.
5:00 a.m.: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issues a statement to the UN Security Council, calling Israel’s actions an “act of war” and promising a “decisive and proportional” response.
7:00 a.m.: President Trump posts on Truth Social: “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done. Certain Iranian hardliners spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left.”
9:00 a.m.: President Trump tells the Wall Street Journal, “Heads up? It wasn’t a heads up. It was, we know what’s going on,” claiming he was fully aware of Israel’s plans and indicating knowledge of “next already planned attacks” that would be “even more brutal.”
10:00 a.m.: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu states the strikes, part of “Operation Rising Lion,” will continue “for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.” The IDF reports killing three military leaders and nine nuclear scientists in the initial strikes.
12:00 p.m.: President Trump, in a blitz of media interviews, tells ABC News’s Jonathan Karl that Israel’s strikes were “excellent” and suggests “more to come.” He claims the U.S. provided “exquisite” intelligence to Israel and will assist in defending against ballistic missiles if needed.
6:57 p.m.: Iran launches ballistic missiles at Israel, prompting U.S. forces to assist in missile defense operations. USS Thomas Hudner, alongside other destroyers (USS Sullivans, USS Arleigh Burke), supports Israel’s air defense network, intercepting some Iranian missiles.
8:00 p.m.: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, under new commander Major General Mohammad Pakpour, vow retaliation, with Pakpour stating, “The gates of hell will open to the child killing regime.” Anti-Israel demonstrations occur in Tehran.
June 14
2:00 a.m.: Reports indicate over 90 deaths in Iran, with significant damage to Tehran’s infrastructure. Israel activates tens of thousands of soldiers for a projected two-week campaign.
9:10 a.m.: The Pentagon confirms the repositioning of naval assets, including the USS Thomas Hudner, to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel’s defense against Iranian missile and drone attacks. USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, remains in the Arabian Sea, serving as the only carrier in the region. USS Nimitz (in the Indo-Pacific) and USS George Washington (departing Japan) are identified as potential assets that could be redirected to the Middle East if needed.
June 15
12:00 a.m.: Iran launches a significant missile barrage on Tel Aviv and Haifa, killing 13 Israelis, including 3 children, and injuring over 370. Netanyahu’s office reports 35 people missing.
2:00 a.m.: Israel intensifies strikes on Tehran, targeting weapons production complexes and the Shahran oil depot. Defense Minister Israel Katz issues evacuation notices to Tehran residents near military sites, comparing Tehran’s situation to Beirut.
7:00 a.m.: The Pentagon deploys over two dozen tanker planes (refueling aircraft) from the U.S. to air bases in Spain, Greece, Germany, Italy, and Scotland.
8:00 a.m.: President Trump posts on Truth Social, urging de-escalation: “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make… Many calls and meetings now taking place. Make the Middle East Great Again.” He references a rejected Israeli proposal to assassinate Ayatollah Khamenei, which he opposed due to no American casualties and Khamenei’s political status.
9:00 a.m.: Iran threatens to strike U.S. military installations if the U.S. continues assisting Israel’s defenses. Netanyahu, in a Fox News interview, denies “false reports” about U.S.-Israel discussions but does not refute the assassination proposal directly.
2:00 p.m.: Israel strikes Mashhad Airport in eastern Iran, marking its longest-range strike in the operation.
6:00 p.m.: U.S.-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for this day in Oman are canceled due to the ongoing conflict.
June 16
6:52 a.m.: Israeli Airforce posts on X its update from the previous night, claiming a massive dismantling of Iran’s surface-to-surface capabilities. “With this, we can now say that 1/3 of the Iranian regime’s missile launchers have been dismantled.” “At this time, we can say that we have achieved full aerial superiority over Tehran’s skies,” IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin announces.
12:00 p.m.: Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi posts on X, urging Trump to pressure Netanyahu for a ceasefire, offering flexibility in nuclear talks in return. Iran reports 224 deaths from Israeli strikes.
12:38 p.m.: The IDF posts on X, announcing a precise strike on a communication center in Tehran used by the Iranian Armed Forces for military purposes, disguised as civilian infrastructure.
2:00 p.m.: Iran launches a wave of missile attacks targeting Tel Aviv and Haifa, causing significant damage. The Bazan Group, a Haifa-based oil refinery, reports a power station hit, shutting down all refinery facilities; three people are killed in the attack. Missile fragments damage the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, and homes in Bnei Brak, Haifa, and Petah Tikva are struck. Eight civilians are killed, over 90 injured, and 287 hospitalized overnight.
2:50 p.m.: The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group, previously in the South China Sea, is redirected to the Middle East to bolster U.S. presence amid worsening Israel-Iran hostilities. This move places two U.S. aircraft carriers in the region (USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea, USS Nimitz en route), significantly enhancing naval power projection.
3:00 p.m.: Israeli strikes intensify, targeting civilian infrastructure in Tehran, including the state broadcaster’s building during a live broadcast, plunging the set into darkness and setting parts of the building on fire. The IDF claims the building served as a military communications center.
3:57 p.m.: The Israeli military strikes a military base west of Tehran.
5:00 p.m.: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head, Rafael Grossi, tells the BBC that Israel’s strikes likely damaged or destroyed all 15,000 centrifuges at Natanz’s uranium enrichment plant due to a power cut, though the Fordow plant sustained minimal damage.
6:00 p.m.: Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi calls Netanyahu a “war criminal,” accusing him of provoking war to block U.S.-Iran nuclear talks. Araghchi tells four European counterparts that Iran prioritizes confronting Israeli aggression but remains open to diplomacy.
6:17 p.m.: President Trump posts on Truth Social: “Iran should have signed the “deal” I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
6:30 p.m.: Iranian authorities report 220 deaths. Israel’s Home Front Command reports 20 deaths in Israel since the conflict began.
7:00 p.m.: Iran executes Esmail Fekri by hanging, convicted of passing sensitive intelligence to Mossad, signaling internal crackdowns amid the conflict.
8:00 p.m.: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses parliament, denying nuclear weapon ambitions and urging resilience against Israel’s “genocidal aggression.”
8:41 p.m.: The IDF posts on X, detailing morning strikes on trucks carrying weapons, including surface-to-air missile launchers, moving from western Iran toward Tehran. The IAF neutralized the weapons and launchers.
9:00 p.m.: Israel strikes command centers of Iran’s Quds Force overnight, killing four officials, including the head of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization. The IDF says the centers were used to plan terrorist attacks via Iranian proxies.
11:30 p.m.: President Trump leaves the G7 summit in Calgary, Alberta, early to address the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. The White House announces his departure, citing the Middle East situation. Trump declines to join a G7 statement calling for de-escalation.
11:47 p.m.: Israel’s Magen David Adom reports no direct injuries from three waves of Iranian missile fire overnight, unlike the previous night’s attacks that killed eight.
11:58 p.m.: President Trump, speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, says he wants Israel and Iran to strike a deal, noting, “Sometimes they have to fight it out,” but declines to confirm calls for Israel to pause strikes. He emphasizes a desire for a “real end” to the conflict, not just a ceasefire.
June 17
12:02 a.m.: Air raid sirens sound in Tel Aviv as Iran launches additional missiles. The IDF reports intercepting some missiles, but explosions are heard in the Dan district of Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem. An Iranian missile strikes Herzliya, damaging an eight-story building and setting an empty bus on fire.
1:00 a.m.: The Times of Israel reports Israel shot down 30 Iranian drones overnight between June 16 and 17. The IRGC claims to have hit a military intelligence center and a Mossad operations planning center in Israel, though these claims are unverified.
1:53 a.m.: President Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, says his early G7 departure is for reasons “much bigger” than a ceasefire, hinting at broader strategic goals.
2:00 a.m.: Iranian missiles injure seven in Haifa and one in Kiryat Gat, causing fires and property damage. Nine others are treated for panic attacks.
2:33 a.m.: The Israeli military announces the killing of Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani, Iran’s most senior military commander, appointed four days earlier to replace Lt. Gen. Gholamali Rashid, killed on June 13. The strike targets Iran’s chain of command, mirroring tactics used against Hezbollah.
3:07 a.m.: China begins evacuating its nationals from Israel and Iran to neighboring countries, with the Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv urging citizens to leave via Jordan’s land borders. China demands both nations ensure the safety of its citizens.
4:18 a.m.: CNN reports India has evacuated its students from Tehran amid the conflict. The U.S. evacuates some soldiers from Iraq and authorizes the evacuation of soldiers’ family members across the region.
5:18 a.m.: President Trump warns Iran against targeting U.S. assets, saying, “We’ll come down so hard, it’d be gloves off,” and instructs Tehran not to touch U.S. troops. He considers sending Vice President Vance and Steve Witkoff to meet with Iran but says it depends on developments upon his return. Trump reiterates seeking a “real end” to Iran’s nuclear program, not a ceasefire, and expresses frustration with Iran’s refusal to negotiate, saying, “The cities have been blown to pieces, lost a lot of people.”
7:00 a.m.: The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem closes, with U.S. government employees and families ordered to shelter in place. Consular sections in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are closed, and the embassy cannot assist Americans departing Israel.
At press time, the conflict continues to evolve.
