US launches strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in high stakes war move
The United States launched airstrikes on three Iranian sites on Sunday, joining Israel's ongoing conflict aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear programme in a high-risk move to weaken a longstanding adversary, despite concerns of a wider regional conflict.
In a statement from the White House, President Donald Trump claimed that Iran's key nuclear sites had been "completely and fully obliterated."
However, there was no independent assessment of the damage.
It remained unclear whether the US would continue to attack Iran alongside Israel, which has been engaged in a nine-day conflict with Iran. Trump warned Iran that any retaliation against the US would be met with further strikes.
"There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran," he stated, reports the Daily Record.
The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran confirmed that attacks had taken place on its Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz sites but insisted that its work would not be halted.
The decision to directly involve the US in the conflict comes after over a week of Israeli strikes on Iran, aimed at systematically destroying the country's air defences and offensive missile capabilities while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. However, US and Israeli officials believed that American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb they carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear programme buried deep underground.
"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump announced in a statement on social media. "All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home."
In another emphatic social media post, Trump declared: "This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!"
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chimed in with acclamation for Trump's decisive move. In a video address, Netanyahu stated: "Your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,".
Trump had nothing but praise for US forces involved in the operation, proclaiming, "has done what no other country on earth could do."
While officials were not forthcoming with specifics, Fox News host Sean Hannity revealed after his 9 p. m.
broadcast that he had spoken directly with the President. Sharing exclusive intel, Hannity specified that the attack entailed six bunker-buster bombs being used on Fordo, while US submarines some 400 miles away fired a volley of 30 Tomahawk missiles towards Natanz and Isfahan's nuclear establishments.
The intensity of military strikes has escalated dangerously due to Iran's promise to strike back at any US involvement in the Israeli conflict, posing international risks and personal jeopardy to Trump. His presidency was largely built on a promise to keep America free from costly foreign entanglements and his criticism of interventionist policies.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres conveyed his grave worries, saying he's "gravely alarmed" by the "dangerous escalation" resulting from US action.
"There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control - with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world," he highlighted in a formal statement.
Friday saw President Trump assure journalists that he wasn't planning to send ground forces to Iran, describing ground troop deployment as "the last thing you want to do."
He indicated earlier that his final decision would come within the next fortnight.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's top authority, issued a stern warning to the US on Wednesday, asserting any attacks on the Islamic Republic would "result in irreparable damage for them."
Esmail Baghaei Hamaneh, speaking for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, cautioned against US involvement suggesting it could lead to full-scale war in the area.
Trump has repeatedly insisted that he will stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, initially believing that the threat of military action would prompt Iran to peacefully abandon its nuclear programme.
On Saturday, the Israeli military announced preparations for a potentially prolonged conflict, while Iran's foreign minister warned before the US strike that American military involvement "would be very, very dangerous for everyone."
Tensions escalated as Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen vowed to resume targeting US vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined forces with Israel's military campaign, having previously halted such attacks in May under a US agreement.
The US ambassador to Israel revealed that the US had initiated "assisted departure flights," marking the first such flights from Israel since the Hamas-led assault on 7 October 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Thursday that Trump intended to make a decision on the strikes within a fortnight; however, he launched the strikes just two days later.
It seems Trump made the decision - possibly swayed by Israeli officials and numerous Republican lawmakers - that Israel's operation had created a favourable situation, potentially offering a unique chance to significantly hinder Iran's nuclear programme, perhaps even permanently.
Iran's capabilities impaired According to Israeli sources, their offensive has already significantly hampered Iran's air defences, allowing them to inflict considerable damage on several Iranian nuclear sites.
However, in order to obliterate the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, Israel sought Trump's aid, specifically the bunker-busting American bomb known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator. This bomb uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to target deeply buried sites before exploding and is currently only delivered by the B-2 stealth bomber, exclusive to the American arsenal.
If used in the attack, it would mark the first combat use of the weapon.
The bomb carries a conventional warhead and is believed to be capable of penetrating roughly 200 feet (61 meters) beneath the surface before detonating. The bombs can be dropped consecutively, effectively drilling deeper with each subsequent explosion.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, which raises the possibility of nuclear material being released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to strike the facility.
Previous Israeli strikes on another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, specifically on a centrifuge site, have only caused contamination at the site itself, not the surrounding area, according to the IAEA.
Trump's choice for direct U.S. military intervention comes after a two-month failed attempt by his administration, which included high-level talks with Iran, to get Tehran to curb its nuclear programme.
For months, Trump professed his dedication to a diplomatic effort to convince Iran to give up its nuclear aspirations. He managed to persuade Netanyahu twice, in April and again at the end of May, to hold off on military action against Iran to give diplomacy more time.
In recent days, the U.S. has been positioning military aircraft and warships around the Middle East to protect Israel and American bases from potential attacks by Iran.
Trump has swung between expressing hope for Iran's "second chance" at a deal and issuing direct threats towards Khamenei, along with demands for Tehran's unconditional capitulation.
"We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding," Trump announced on social media. "He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill! ), at least not for now."
Seven years after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear agreement, which he dubbed the "worst deal ever.", he still faces military tensions with Iran.
The 2015 agreement, which involved Iran, the U.S., and other world powers, aimed to provide a long-term solution to limit Tehran's uranium enrichment in exchange for lifting sanctions.
Trump criticised the Obama-era deal, condemning it for being overly generous to Iran without addressing their non-nuclear malevolent actions.
Facing backlash from his own MAGA base, including influential conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, Trump is dealing with suggestions that any further American involvement contradicts his pledge to stop U.S. participation in costly, protracted conflicts.
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