Strikes on Iranian nuclear sites thrust US into escalating Middle East conflict
CNN —
The United States decisively entered into conflict with Iran on Saturday after President Donald Trump ordered US warplanes to drop massive bombs on three nuclear sites inside the country, thrusting him squarely into an escalating Middle East conflict even as he holds out hope the matter can be resolved diplomatically.
In social media posts and during a late-night address from the White House, Trump described the bombings as entirely successful and warned Iran against retaliation.
'Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's No. 1 state sponsor of terror,' Trump said during his four-minute speech from the White House Cross Hall.
He described the mission as a 'spectacular military success' and called on Iran to immediately return to diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. He said the sites had been 'totally obliterated.'
'Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,' Trump said, flanked by his vice president, secretary of state and defense secretary. 'If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.'
The US strikes on the Iranian nuclear sites, which Trump identified earlier as Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, significantly ratchet up tensions in the country, and amounts to one of the most consequential choices of Trump's young second presidency. The debate over whether to target Iran directly had divided Trump's political coalition, with concerns high among some members of the Republican base that intervening could drag the US into a new, prolonged conflict.
The strikes were carried out by B-2 Spirit bombers, like this one pictured at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph, Missouri, in September 2024.
Master Sgt. Patrick Evenson/US Air National Guard/Reuters/File
The US used six B-2 bombers to drop a dozen 'bunker buster' bombs on the Fordow nuclear site, a US official told CNN. Trump said in a message on social media that 'a full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow.'
'There is not another military in the World that could have done this,' Trump wrote. 'NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!'
The bombs used in the strikes were GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrators, known as a 'bunker busters,' two sources familiar with the operation said. Experts have highlighted them as the only type of bomb potentially capable of destroying Iran's underground Fordow nuclear facility.
The MOP — a 30,000-pound bomb with 6,000 pounds of explosives — was designed for 'reaching and destroying our adversaries' weapons of mass destruction located in well-protected facilities,' according to a fact sheet from the US Air Force. Saturday is the first known instance of the bomb being used operationally.
The move to target the Fordow facility in particular, which successive US presidents had considered but ultimately decided against, will now insert Trump directly into a growing crisis that he had once hoped to defuse through diplomacy.
The decision to target Iran directly came days after the White House announced Trump would allow for two weeks to determine whether diplomacy was possible to resolve the conflict.
It's the first time in several decades — since the Iranian revolution in 1979 — that an American president has deployed Air Force assets to target major facilities in the country.
In his remarks Saturday night, Trump described himself as a longtime opponent of allowing Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
'I decided a long time ago that I will not let this happen,' he said.
In this photo released by the US Air Force on May 2, 2023, airmen look at a GBU-57, known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri.
US Air Force/AP
The US gave Israel a heads-up on its strikes before launching them, two officials familiar with the matter told CNN. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke Saturday evening following the strikes, two White House officials said.
Trump said during his speech that he and Netanyahu had worked closely to coordinate the attacks in Iran. The Israeli leader praised Trump's decision, saying it will 'change history.'
'President Trump, I thank you. The people of Israel thank you,' Netanyahu said in a statement.
As Trump was mulling his decision, Iran had vowed to retaliate to any US aggression, and American military assets had begun massing in the region to prepare for any retaliatory action from Tehran. After his address to the nation, Trump issued a stark warning to Iran, saying any retaliation will be met with 'far greater' force than the Saturday strikes.
Trump appears hopeful the strikes will propel Tehran back to negotiations, and there were no plans for additional US actions inside Iran on Saturday evening as he presses Iranian leaders to 'agree to end this war,' according to sources familiar with the matter.
Trump had come to believe over the last several days that US forces were necessary to taking out Iran's highly fortified nuclear facilities, and made the decision when it seemed clear that diplomacy remained deadlocked.
US officials had come to believe Iran was not ready to strike a satisfactory nuclear deal after Europeans leaders met with their Iranian counterparts in Geneva on Friday, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
Iran's foreign minister said after the Geneva meeting that Iran would not sit down with the United States without Trump asking Netanyahu to stop Israel's attacks, which was not something the president was willing to do, the sources said.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN's Alayna Treene and Kristen Holmes contributed to this report.
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AFP "In this new dangerous situation ... our consultations with Russia can certainly be of great importance," Araghchi said after landing in Moscow, according to Russian state media. The official IRNA news agency reported Sunday that Araghchi would "hold consultations with the president and other senior officials of Russia regarding regional and international developments following the military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran." Putin initially pitched himself as a possible mediator between Iran and Israel, but on Friday said he was only "suggesting ideas", after US President Donald Trump pushed back against a role for the Kremlin leader. Russia's foreign ministry on Saturday condemned the US strikes as "irresponsible," after having previously warned against military intervention. 09:15 Iran warned the United States of severe repercussions following US attacks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities, as the Iran-Israel war entered its 11th day. "This hostile act... will widen the scope of legitimate targets of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and pave the way for the extension of war in the region," said armed forces spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari. "The fighters of Islam will inflict serious, unpredictable consequences on you with powerful and targeted (military) operations," he said on state television. 08:15 The US State Department issued a "worldwide caution" for Americans, saying the conflict in the Middle East could put those traveling or living abroad at an increased security risk. "There is the potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad," and "the Department of State advises US citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution," said the State Department's security alert. 08:05 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China to help deter Iran from shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial trade route, following American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. AFP "I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that because they heavily depend on the Strait of Hormuz for their oil," Rubio said on Fox News. China has joined Russia and a chorus of Arab states in condemning the US attacks, saying that they "escalate tensions in the Middle East." Analysts have said Iran may opt to retaliate against Washington's early Sunday attack by shutting the Strait, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output passes. "If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it, and we retain options to deal with that," Rubio added. "But other countries should be looking at that as well, it would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours. It would be, I think, a massive escalation that would merit a response. Not just by us but from others," he said. Meanwhile, Iran has threatened bases used by the US military, with an advisor to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying they will be considered a "legitimate target for our armed forces." 08:00 US President Donald Trump hinted at interest in regime change in Iran, despite several of his administration officials earlier stressing that US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites did not have that goal. "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. Trump also claimed that US strikes had destroyed Iranian nuclear sites, after other officials cautioned that the extent of damage was still unclear. "Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term!" Trump wrote on social media, without sharing the images he was referencing. "The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!" he added. 16:20 Three empty oil and chemical tankers have diverted away from the Strait of Hormuz, according to MarineTraffic data as reported by the Times of Israel, as fears grow over potential Iranian reprisals following recent strikes on Tehran nuclear facilities. The Marie C, an oil tanker sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands, and Red Ruby, a crude oil tanker flying the flag of Panama, dropped anchor near Fujairah in the UAE, while the Kohzan Maru, another oil tanker flying the british flag, was tracked sailing in the Gulf of Oman. Japan's Nippon Yusen and Mitsui OSK Lines have also instructed their vessels to minimise time in the Gulf as a precaution. The strategic waterway remains tense amid escalating regional instability. 16:05 Qatar's foreign ministry confirmed on Monday that the country's security situation remains stable, following a precautionary message from the U.S. Embassy advising American citizens to shelter in place. Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said the alert did not point to any specific threat. He added that Qatar stands ready to take "all necessary measures" to safeguard citizens and residents. The advisory had raised concerns earlier in the day, though no incidents were reported. 15:45 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that there was "no reason to criticise" the United States over its strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran. "There is no reason to criticise what America did at the weekend. Yes, it is not without risk. But leaving things as they were was not an option either," Merz said in a speech to the Federation of German Industries. 15:20 Power supply was restored Monday to northern Tehran after outages caused by an Israeli air raid earlier in the day, local media reported. "The outages were completely resolved in northern Tehran," Tasnim news agency said, citing the regional electricity company. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Where is Iran's uranium? Questions abound after US strikes - Region
After President Donald Trump bragged US strikes had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear capabilities, officials cautioned it was still too soon to assess the impact on the country's nuclear programme. Many questions remain after Sunday's strikes, especially about the whereabouts of Iran's sensitive stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent -- a short step from the 90 percent required for a nuclear weapon. Where is Iran's enriched uranium? The US attacks, carried out by B-2 stealth bombers, targeted three Iranian nuclear sites: Isfahan and Iran's main enrichment plants in Fordo and Natanz. While significant damage has been reported, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has voiced concern about Iran's stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium. Tehran has an estimated 408.6 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60 percent, according to the UN nuclear watchdog, whose inspectors last saw that stockpile on June 10. That material, if further refined, would theoretically be sufficient to produce more than nine nuclear bombs. IAEA head Rafael Grossi on Monday demanded access to Iran's nuclear sites, saying the agency needs to "account for" the uranium stockpile. Concerns about the fate of the sensitive stockpile have loomed large. On June 13, the day Israel began its Iran attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to the IAEA, announcing the implementation of "special measures to protect nuclear equipment and material". Days before the US attacked, satellite imagery showed vehicles near Fordo's entrance. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had "interesting intelligence" on the matter, declining to elaborate. Israel announced Monday it had carried out strikes to block access routes to Fordo. "It will be difficult if not impossible to track down all of Iran's 60 percent enriched uranium, stored in small canisters that are easily transportable by car," Kelsey Davenport, an expert with the Arms Control Association, told AFP. "They (Iranians) no longer have the capacity to turn that stockpile of highly enriched uranium to weapons-grade uranium, and that was really the goal there," US Vice President JD Vance told ABC News. He added the Trump administration would deal with the uranium "in the coming weeks". Can Iran still make a nuclear bomb? Analysts have been treading carefully when addressing this issue. Before the attacks, Iran had about 22,000 centrifuges -- the machines used to enrich uranium. Many of them were damaged when Natanz was hit, the IAEA head said. Grossi also said "very significant damage" is expected to have occurred at Fordo, "given the explosive payload utilised and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges". Experts however say that it is unclear how many centrifuges Iran has, with some of them believed to be stored at unknown locations. With "60 percent enriched uranium and a few hundred advanced centrifuges, Iran still has the capability to weaponise, and now there is more political impetus to dash for a bomb", said Davenport. What are the proliferation risks? Before the Israel aggression, the IAEA said it had "no indication" of the existence of a "systematic programme" in Iran to produce a nuclear weapon. But without access to nuclear sites, the agency no longer has oversight. Grossi warned Monday that the "global non-proliferation regime that has underpinned international security... could crumble and fall", urging parties to return to diplomacy. Iran ratified the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) in 1970, committing it to declare its nuclear material to the IAEA. But it has recently begun preparing the grounds for a possible withdrawal from the treaty, accusing the agency of acting as a "partner" in Israel's "war of aggression". Reza Najafi, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, said Monday the "unlawful act of aggression" by the United States had "delivered a fundamental and irreparable blow" to the non-proliferation regime. "I do think there is a major risk that Iran withdraws from the NPT and expels inspectors, or simply does not provide them with access to key sites," said Eric Brewer of the US research institute Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). He added that Iran could also "over time, build (a) covert" programme like North Korea, which withdrew from the NPT in 2003 and went on to become a nuclear-armed power. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
