Iranian President Pezeshkian says Americans ‘must receive a response' after US strikes on nuclear sites
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a stern warning to the United States on Sunday (June 22) following early morning airstrikes on Iran's major nuclear sites by American forces.
'The Americans must receive a response to their aggression,' Pezeshkian told French President Emmanuel Macron, according to state-run IRNA.
In a post on social media platform X, Pezeshkian also sought to rally the Iranian public: 'We walk this path together; We preserve #Iran together; And we will show the world that this great nation is #unbreakable. Being together is our victory….'
Following the strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, the Iranian government reiterated its right to defend itself 'by all necessary means.'
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei condemned the attack in a detailed statement posted to X, calling it an 'unconscionable act of aggression – perpetrated by a nuclear-armed state... against a non-nuclear weapon country.'
He further accused the US of violating international norms: 'It has now become completely evident that the U.S. government has colluded with a war criminal and genocidal warmonger... This is a blatant violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.'
Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, downplayed the effectiveness of the US strikes, claiming that Iran's nuclear capability remains intact.
'Even if nuclear sites are destroyed, game isn't over. Enriched materials, indigenous knowledge, and political will remain,' Shamkhani said.
He added a cryptic warning: 'The political and operational initiative is now with the side that plays smart, avoids blind strikes. Surprises will continue!'
Iran's Health Ministry said contingency plans were in place at hospitals near nuclear sites, but none of the casualties treated showed signs of radiation exposure.
'Fortunately, none of the casualties sent to these centers after the American bombing had radiation contamination,' said ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour on X. 'For years, the Ministry of Health has established #nuclear_emergencies units in the nearest medical facilities to nuclear sites.'
In a dramatic escalation of Middle East tensions, the United States launched precision airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites early Sunday under Operation Midnight Hammer. The operation, personally authorized by President Donald Trump, targeted Iran's heavily fortified Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities — all previously reported to be enriching uranium near weapons-grade levels.
'There will either be peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran,' Trump said in a televised address, defending the decision as a necessary measure to stop what he called "the world's most dangerous regime" from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The strikes were carried out without prior congressional approval. Trump warned Iran against retaliating, saying any further aggression would be met with even more devastating force.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday said American airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities achieved their objectives, particularly at the heavily fortified Fordow site, delivering a significant blow to Tehran's uranium enrichment infrastructure.
Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth said: 'The battle damage assessment is ongoing, but our initial assessment, as the chairman said, is that all of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike and had the desired effect, which means especially in Fordow, which was the primary target here, we believe we achieved destruction of capabilities there.'
The Defense Secretary clarified that the mission — part of Operation Midnight Hammer — was focused solely on degrading Iran's nuclear threat and defending US and allied forces in the region.
'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Hegseth stated.
'The president authorised a precision operation to neutralise the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear programme, and the collective self-defence of our troops and our ally, Israel.'
Hegseth also delivered a clear message to Tehran and the global community:
'When this president speaks, the world should listen. And the US military — we can back it up. The most powerful military the world has ever known — no other country on planet Earth could have conducted the operation that the chairman is going to outline this morning.'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also signaled a diplomatic off-ramp.
'Let's meet directly,' Rubio said in an interview with CBS.
'If Iran chooses the path of diplomacy, we're ready. If not, consequences will follow.'
He clarified that there were no current plans for additional strikes unless Iran 'messes around.'
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