Iran’s Guards confirm death of Quds Force senior commander

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Thursday there is “a real window for diplomacy” on the situation in Iran, urging all parties to approach it “with resolve, as the moment demands.”

In a post on X following talks in Paris with France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Grossi expressed gratitude for France’s support for the UN nuclear watchdog’s mission.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday rejected a leaked intelligence assessment that downplayed the impact of American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling the operation “a resounding success” that helped end the 12-day war. “President Trump directed the most complex and secretive military operation in history,” Hegseth said during a Pentagon press briefing, crediting it with creating the conditions for a ceasefire and “decimating—choose your word—obliterating, destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities.”

His comments followed a CNN report citing a leaked preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment suggesting the strikes failed to destroy the targeted nuclear sites or Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. According to the report, the attacks may have delayed Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months.

Hegseth dismissed the report as unvetted and incomplete, saying it had not been coordinated with the broader intelligence community and was based on “linchpin assumptions” that could undermine its conclusions. “Even that preliminary report acknowledges likely severe damage,” he said, accusing unnamed officials of leaking it “to muddy the waters.”

Hegseth also pointed to other assessments, saying they supported the administration’s view. These included comments from the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission, which said the Fordow facility was rendered inoperable, and IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, who told French media the strikes caused “enormous damage” to nuclear sites. Hegseth also cited the IDF chief of staff as saying Israel believed the program was set back by “years,” and Iran’s own foreign ministry, which acknowledged serious damage.

Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency has offered free telemedicine services to Iranians, according to a post on its Persian-language X account on Thursday, after marking it’s first official social media presence in Persian a day earlier.

“We are with you,” the post read, adding: “The regime is focused on protecting its senior ranks, not caring for its citizens.”

It added that a team of Persian-speaking doctors — including specialists in cardiology, diabetes, pulmonary disease, infectious disease, oncology, pregnancy support, and mental health — is available via secure messaging apps.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it delivered the “final blow” that led to the ceasefire with Israel, calling the last missile strike “so severe” that it triggered the “enemy’s howl for a truce,” according to a statement published Thursday.

The IRGC said the US military “failed to change the balance” and that its retaliatory strike on the Al Udeid base in Qatar “reaffirmed Iran’s power.”

“We will not rest,” the statement said, vowing continued efforts toward the “removal of the US from the region and destruction of the Zionist regime.”

Iran’s armed forces chief of staff said the United States turned to regional states to push for a ceasefire during the recent conflict, adding that Washington had surrendered to Tehran’s will.

“US leaders have resorted to begging through some regional countries and have effectively surrendered to the will of the Islamic Republic,” Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said.

“Once again, we warn the Zionist enemy and its backers that we are fully monitoring their movements, and if any strategic mistake is repeated, we will send the aggressors into the black holes of history,” he added.