Bannon: Ceasefire Was to ‘Save Israel’ Amid Iran Fire Power

US President Donald Trump with Isreal PM Benjamin Netanyahu Image credit White House
Former Trump advisor slams Netanyahu, questions Israeli intelligence, and cites US doubts on Iran strike impact
By TRH News Desk
NEW DELHI, June 25, 2025 – Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon has alleged that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran was primarily intended to “save Israel.” In an explosive appearance on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, Bannon claimed Israeli forces were overwhelmed and running out of defence options.
He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—referred to as “Bibi”—of misleading the United States. “They bit off more than they could chew,” Bannon said. He described a “brutal” day for Israeli civilians in Tel Aviv and Beersheba during Iran’s missile retaliation.
Bannon said Israel was running out of defensive missiles. “The Iron Dome was stretched to the limit. They couldn’t sustain the fight,” he added. Iran had launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones during the 12-day conflict.
Bannon also criticized Israel’s dependence on US military power. He pointed out that Washington had to strike Iran’s nuclear sites using Tomahawk missiles. “Why did you need us to take out the nuclear infrastructure? Netanyahu thought he could pull us into a major war,” Bannon said.
He questioned Israeli intelligence, citing the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack as an example of prior failure. “What specific intelligence justifies this escalation?” he asked.
Meanwhile, US intelligence sources have cast doubt on the success of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear program. A report by the US Central Command and Defence Intelligence Agency suggests the attacks only delayed Iran’s ambitions by a few months.
The strikes targeted key nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan—with 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs. But the assessment says Iran’s core nuclear infrastructure remains largely intact.
This contradicts President Trump’s claim that the sites were “completely and totally obliterated.” The White House has rejected the intelligence report, calling it “flat-out wrong.”
Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, also reacted sharply, calling the leak of the intelligence assessment “treasonous.” The Iranian regime is celebrating the ceasefire as victory over Israel per local media reports.
Experts have long questioned the efficacy of the Iron Dome of Israel. Some claim that its success rate is 10-20%. Others claim that the Iron Dome success rate is in the range of 60-70%. But it’s well-known that Iron Dome defence shield of Israel doesn’t stop all the missiles fired on Israel.
Some of the military books claimed that the Iron Dome had been highly effective against crude rockets fired by the Hamas from Gaza and the Hezbollah from Lebanon. But Iranian missiles came in a large number while laced with full firepower.
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