In a significant escalation of tensions in the Middle East, the U.S. military executed strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites early Sunday, directly supporting Israel’s ongoing military campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, amidst Tehran’s warnings of potential reprisals that could ignite a wider regional conflict.
President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the White House, proclaiming that Iran’s critical nuclear facilities had been “completely and fully obliterated.”
He cautioned the Iranian leadership against retaliatory actions against the United States, stating that Iran faced a choice between “peace or tragedy.”
Iran’s nuclear agency confirmed that the attacks targeted its notable locations including the Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz atomic sites but asserted that its nuclear activities would not cease following the strikes.
The American military’s decision to engage directly in the conflict followed a week of Israeli strikes aimed at systematically dismantling Iran’s air defense systems and mitigating its missile capabilities, while also impairing its nuclear enrichment processes.
U.S. and Israeli officials maintained that the deployment of American stealth bombers, capable of carrying the devastating 30,000-pound (13,500-kilogram) bunker buster bomb, was essential for effectively targeting heavily fortified sites integral to Iran’s nuclear program, which are embedded deep underground.
In a social media post, Trump declared, “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran airspace.”
He further stated, “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”
Expressing his satisfaction, Trump labeled the event as an “HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s decision, asserting that the strikes would profoundly change the course of history.
Netanyahu stated, “Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,” commending U.S. forces for doing what no other nation could accomplish.
While the White House and Pentagon refrained from providing extensive details on the operation, Fox News host Sean Hannity reported that six bunker buster bombs were directed at the Fordow facility, while 30 Tomahawk missiles were launched from U.S. submarines positioned 400 miles away to strike the Iranian sites at Natanz and Isfahan.
These military actions invite significant risks, as Iran has pledged to retaliate should the U.S. become involved in the assault, and the operation poses personal repercussions for Trump, who campaigned on a platform of refraining from U.S. entanglement in foreign conflicts.
Trump had previously made it clear that he sought to avoid deploying ground forces in Iran, claiming that it was the “last thing you want to do,” and had suggested he would deliberate for approximately two weeks before making a final decision.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned the United States that strikes on the Islamic Republic would lead to “irreparable damage” for them, while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei cautioned that any American intervention would act as a catalyst for an all-out war in the region.
Adhering to his promise that he would not permit Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, Trump initially sought to coerce Iranian leaders into abandoning their nuclear program through the implied threat of military force.
The latest developments underscore the precarious nature of the situation, as Israel’s military is reportedly preparing for the possibility of a protracted conflict.
Ahead of the U.S. attack, Iran’s foreign minister had warned that American military involvement would be “very, very dangerous for everyone.”
The looming prospect of an expanded war escalates, as Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen threatened to resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration engaged in the military campaign alongside Israel.
These strikes had previously been paused in May due to an agreement with the U.S.
The U.S. ambassador to Israel announced the initiation of “assisted departure flights,” the first of their kind since the military conflict ignited following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which had triggered the war in Gaza.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that Trump had planned to make a decision on potential strikes within a two-week timeframe, yet he moved to act just two days later amidst pressures from Israeli officials and numerous Republican lawmakers who believed that Israel’s operations had created a unique opportunity to significantly damage Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
It is suggested that Israel has already succeeded in crippling various components of Iran’s air defenses, allowing a significant degradation of Iranian nuclear facilities.
To effectively target the Fordow nuclear fuel enrichment plant, Israel requested the use of the bunker-busting bomb known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator from the United States, which specializes in reaching well-protected targets buried beneath the earth.
This weapon, primarily deployed by the B-2 stealth bomber, is specifically utilized for such circumstances and would mark its first combat use should it have been included in this military operation.
The GBU-57 carries a conventional warhead and is estimated to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) underground prior to detonation, with successive bombings allowing deeper penetration into the target before each explosion.
Concerns have been raised by the International Atomic Energy Agency, noting that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordow, raising fears that nuclear material could potentially escape into the surrounding area if the GBU-57 bomb were deployed against the site.
Prior Israeli strikes on another Iranian nuclear site at Natanz, particularly at a centrifuge production facility, reportedly led to contamination localized to the site itself, without impact on the surrounding territory, according to IAEA assessments.
Trump’s directive for direct military action follows a failed two-month diplomatic initiative, which included direct negotiations with the Iranian government intended to persuade Iran to regulate its nuclear activities.
For months, Trump expressed his commitment to a diplomatic approach to bring Iran to the negotiation table, even convincing Netanyahu on two separate occasions to delay military action against the nation, allowing more time for potential dialogue.
In recent developments, the U.S. has repositioned its military assets, including aircraft and naval forces in and around the Middle East, aimed at safeguarding American and Israeli interests against potential Iranian retaliations.
While initially expressing hopes that this moment might serve as a “second chance” for Iran, Trump transitioned into issuing explicit threats towards Khamenei and demanding unconditional surrender from Iran’s leaders.
He stated pointedly through social media, “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”
This military confrontation with Iran arrives seven years after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the multilateral 2015 nuclear deal, which was established under the previous administration to limit Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for sanction relief.
Trump criticized the agreement, labeling it the “worst deal ever” and contended that it afforded Iran excessive concessions without sufficiently addressing its non-nuclear malign activities.
Trump has faced scrutiny from certain factions within his supporter base, particularly anti-interventionist segments, who claimed that this increased U.S. military engagement would betray the promises that initially won him their trust.
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