Trump says Iran's key nuclear sites ‘obliterated' by US airstrikes
Trump warns Iran of more attacks if no peace agreement
Iran confirms Fordow site attacked by 'enemy airstrikes'
Israel claims coordination with U.S. on Iran strikes
Diplomatic efforts to stop hostilities unsuccessful, UN calls strikes dangerous escalation
By Phil Stewart and Steve Holland
After days of deliberation and long before his self-imposed two-week deadline, Trump's decision to join Israel's military campaign against its major rival Iran is a major escalation of the conflict and risks opening a new era of instability in the Middle East.
'The strikes were a spectacular military success,' Trump said in a televised address. 'Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.'
In a speech that lasted just over three minutes, Trump said Iran's future held 'either peace or tragedy,' and there were many other targets that could be hit by the U.S. military.
'If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.'
The U.S. reached out to Iran diplomatically on Saturday to say the strikes are all the U.S. plans and it does not aim for regime change, CBS News reported.
Trump said U.S. forces struck Iran's three principal nuclear sites: Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. He told Fox News' Sean Hannity show that six bunker-buster bombs were dropped on Fordow, while 30 Tomahawk missiles were fired against other nuclear sites.
U.S. B-2 bombers were involved in the strikes, a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
'A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'Fordow is gone.'
Reuters had reported earlier on Saturday the movement of the B-2 bombers, which can be equipped to carry massive bombs that experts say would be needed to strike Fordow, which is buried beneath a mountain south of Tehran. Given its fortification, it will likely be days, if not longer, before the impact of the strikes is known.
An Iranian official, cited by Tasnim news agency, confirmed part of the Fordow site was attacked by 'enemy airstrikes.'
However, Mohammad Manan Raisi, a lawmaker for Qom, near Fordow, told the semi-official Fars news agency the facility had not been seriously damaged.
Iranian media quoted Iran's nuclear body as saying there were no signs of contamination after the attacks, and no danger to residents living nearby.
Hassan Abedini, deputy political head of Iran's state broadcaster, said Iran had evacuated the three sites some time ago.
'The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centres and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots,' he told the channel.
DIPLOMACY UNSUCCESSFUL
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his 'bold decision'.
'History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime, the world's most dangerous weapons,' Netanyahu said.
The strikes came as Israel and Iran have been engaged in more than a week of aerial combat that has resulted in deaths and injuries in both countries.
Israel launched the attacks on Iran saying it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
Diplomatic efforts by Western nations to stop the hostilities have so far failed. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Saturday's strikes a 'dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.'
Both sides' attacks on energy infrastructure, including by Israel on Iran's South Pars gas field and the risk of a complete shutdown of the OPEC member's oil production, as well as Iran targeting shipping in the Straits of Hormuz, have fueled fears of a spike in oil prices and impacts on economies worldwide.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was due to hold a news conference at the Pentagon early on Sunday.
In recent days, Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans have argued that Trump must receive permission from the U.S. Congress before committing the U.S. military to any combat against Iran.
Republican Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi applauded the operation but cautioned that the U.S. now faced 'very serious choices ahead.'
One Republican lawmaker, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, simply said, 'This is not constitutional.' Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it was 'absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.'
Many in Trump's MAGA movement oppose U.S. entanglement in foreign military operations. Trump ally Steve Bannon said on his War Room podcast that the president's address was probably not what a lot of MAGA supporters wanted to hear, and he called on Trump to offer a 'deeper explanation' for why U.S. involvement was necessary.
Trump-aligned commentator Charlie Kirk posted on X: 'America stands with President Trump.'
Israel launched attacks on June 13, saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons, which it neither confirms nor denies.
At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks, Iranian state-run Nour News said, citing the health ministry.
In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed and 1,272 people injured, according to local authorities.
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The South African
37 minutes ago
- The South African
'Change history', 'declaration of war': World reacts to US attack on Iran
The United States struck three nuclear sites in Iran on Sunday, joining Israel's bombing campaign after days of speculation over Washington's involvement in the conflict. 'Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,' US President Donald Trump said after the strikes. Here is a roundup of the key reactions: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US attacks as 'outrageous' and said his country had a right to defend its sovereignty. 'The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences,' he posted on social media, calling the attacks 'lawless and criminal' behaviour. Araghchi later said the United States and Israel crossed 'a very big red line' with the attacks, and said he would head to Moscow later Sunday for talks with President Vladimir Putin. Israel: 'Change history' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump, saying the attacks would 'help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace'. 'Your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history,' Netanyahu said in a video message, adding that the attacks demonstrated 'America has been truly unsurpassed'. He also told Israelis that his promise to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities had been 'fulfilled'. The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas called for de-escalation and a return to negotiations. 'I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,' Kallas wrote on X, adding that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that EU foreign ministers would discuss the situation on Monday. Russia 'strongly condemned' the bombings, calling them 'irresponsible' and a 'gross violation of international law'. 'A dangerous escalation has begun, fraught with further undermining of regional and global security,' the Russian foreign ministry added. Ukraine's foreign ministry said the strikes were justified to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, praising them as a 'clear signal'. 'Ukraine is convinced that Iran's nuclear programme must be stopped so that it never again poses a threat to the countries of the Middle East or any other state,' it said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strikes a 'dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge'. 'There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace,' Guterres said in a statement. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation warned that the strikes could lead to 'heightened tensions and threaten regional security, peace, and stability'. It called for 'de-escalation and self-restraint, and for resorting to dialogue and returning to negotiations and peaceful means.' UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Iran to 'return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis'. 'Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat,' Starmer said on X, adding that 'stability in the region is a priority'. French President Emmanuel Macron has called a meeting of the country's defence council for Sunday, with his office saying he had spoken with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Oman on Sunday. France is urging 'all parties to exercise restraint to avoid any escalation that could lead to an extension of the conflict', Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted on X. China's foreign ministry said it 'strongly condemns' the US strikes, warning that they 'escalate tensions in the Middle East'. 'China calls on all parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible,' the ministry said. Pope Leo XIV said after the strikes that 'humanity is crying out for peace' and called for an end to all wars. 'Each member of the international community has the moral responsibility to end the tragedy of war, before it becomes an irreparable chasm,' Leo said during his weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican. Saudi Arabia expressed 'great concern' after the strikes on its neighbour, the 'sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran'. 'The Kingdom underscores the need to exert all possible efforts to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation,' the foreign ministry posted on X. Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed Muslim country and a longtime Washington ally, said the US attacks 'violate all norms of international law'. 'We are gravely concerned at the possible further escalation of tensions in the region,' Pakistan's foreign ministry said, adding that Iran had the 'right to defend itself under the UN Charter'. The Palestinian militant group Hamas condemned the 'blatant US aggression against the territory and sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran'. 'This brutal aggression is a dangerous escalation,' Hamas said, calling the attack 'a flagrant violation of international law, and a direct threat to international peace and security'. Yemen's Houthi rebel government, which is backed by Iran, condemned the US attacks and expressed solidarity with the Iranian people. 'The Trump administration's reckless aggression… is a blatant declaration of war against the brotherly Iranian people. We declare our full support for the brotherly Iranian people,' it said. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. © Agence France-Presse
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
US involvement in Iran's nuclear conflict: Unconfirmed claims and escalating tensions
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Eyewitness News
an hour ago
- Eyewitness News
Iran-Israel war: SA calling on UN to broker peaceful resolution
JOHANNESBURG - The South African government has expressed concern over the United States (US) military involvement in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. President Cyril Ramaphosa says he had hoped the US, particularly under President Donald Trump, would use its influence to promote dialogue between the warring nations. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says South Africa is now calling on the United Nations to take the lead in brokering a peaceful resolution. ALSO READ: Trump says US strikes 'obliterated' Iran nuclear sites 'It was South Africa's sincerest hope that President Donald Trump will use his influence and that of the US government to prevail on the parties to pursue a dialogue path in resolving their issues of dispute. 'South Africa calls on the United States, Israel, and Iran to give the UN [United Nations] the opportunity and space to lead on a peaceful resolution of matters of dispute, including the inspection and verification of Iran's status of uranium enrichment, as well as its broader nuclear capacity.'
