Why Trump Bombed Iran
When President Trump decided to bomb Iran, it seemed a rebuke to Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence. On March 25, Ms. Gabbard told the House Intelligence Committee that the intelligence community 'continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader [Ali] Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.' That was the consensus of the intelligence community when I worked for the DNI more than a decade ago.
When CNN's Kaitlan Collins reminded Mr. Trump of that testimony last week aboard Air Force One, he said: 'I don't care what she said, I think they were very close to having one.'
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CBS News
36 minutes ago
- CBS News
Satellite photos show before and after U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities
New satellite photos show the aftermath of the U.S. military strike that dropped multiple 30,000-pound "bunker-buster" bombs on Iran's Fordo nuclear facility and hit two other key locations in Iran's nuclear program. The stealth U.S. mission, dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer," struck three nuclear facilities in Iran — Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — in the early hours of Sunday local time. Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon briefing Sunday that seven B-2 Spirit bombers each carried two of the bombs known as GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs. Over 25 minutes, a total of 14 MOPs were dropped on two target areas at Fordo and Natanz, while Tomahawk missiles from a U.S. submarine targeted the Isfahan site, he said. He said it was the first time those massive bombs have ever been used in an operation. "Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," Caine said. Satellite photos show impact of strikes on Fordo Satellite images from Maxar Technologies, taken Sunday after the strikes, show damage to the mountainside where the underground nuclear site at Fordo is buried about 300 feet down. They can be compared to images of the same location taken before the strikes. Satellite image by Maxar Technologies shows the Fordo underground nuclear facility in Iran before U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Satellite image by Maxar Technologies shows the Fordo underground nuclear facility in Iran after U.S. strikes taken on June 22, 2025. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies A layer of ash caused by the airstrikes can be seen across a large swath of the area. The images by Maxar show several large diameter holes or craters on the top of the ridge over the underground complex. Satellite photo taken on June 22, 2025, by Maxar Technologies, shows craters and ash on the ridge at Fordo underground complex in Iran after U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Additionally, several of the tunnel entrances that lead to the underground facility appear blocked by dirt following the strikes. Satellite image by Maxar Technologies shows the tunnels leading into the Fordo underground nuclear facility in Iran before U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Satellite image from June 22, 2025, by Maxar Technologies shows the tunnels leading into the Fordo underground nuclear facility in Iran after U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Asked at the briefing whether any of Iran's nuclear capability remains, Caine said, "I think (battle damage assessment) is still pending, and it would be way too early for me to comment on what may or may not still be there." Iran has yet to offer a damage assessment of the site. The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency said in a social media post that it had seen "no increase in off-site radiation levels" in the wake of the U.S. strikes. In a statement on Sunday to the U.N. Security Council, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said his team was unable to assess the underground damage at Fordo. Following the attacks, he said there's a "window of opportunity to return to dialogue and diplomacy." "If that window closes, violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels and the global non-proliferation regime as we know it could crumble and fall," Grossi said. Craters, destroyed buildings in Isfahan and Natanz At Isfahan, which was targeted by about a dozen Tomahawk missiles, satellite images from Sunday show extensive building damage across the facility, compared to images taken June 16. The Israeli military had also heavily bombed Isfahan in recent days Grossi told the UN Security Council that affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process. Entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit, the IAEA director general said. Satellite image by Maxar Technologies shows the Isfahan nuclear facility in Iran on June 16, before U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Satellite image by Maxar Technologies on June 22, 2025 shows the Isfahan nuclear facility in Iran after U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies At the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, a satellite image captured Sunday by Maxar shows an approximately 5.5-meter diameter hole or crater in the dirt directly over part of the underground military complex. Satellite image by Maxar Technologies shows the Isfahan nuclear facility in Iran on June 15, before the U.S. strike. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Satellite image by Maxar Technologies on June 22, 2025 shows the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran after U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Natanz had been previously damaged by the first Israeli strikes on Iran on June 13. Grossi confirmed Sunday that the fuel enrichment plant in Natanz had been hit again, with the U.S. confirming that it used ground-penetrating munitions. He said Iran has informed the nuclear watchdog there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels following the attacks. However, bombing nuclear facilities "could result in radioactive releases with grave consequence," Grossi warned, urging "maximum restraint." U.S. military used decoys and deception in attack President Trump announced Saturday evening that the U.S. had launched strikes against Iran. He said in a national address later Saturday night that the sites "have been completely and totally obliterated." Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Sunday that the U.S. used decoy B-2 bombers, which flew west over the Pacific from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday, to throw off the Iranians from the true plans. The bombers actually involved in the strike took off on an eastward path, refueling several times on their way to the Middle East. Hegseth added that the U.S. used other methods of deception to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped the 14 "bunker-buster" bombs. He said the tactics helped the U.S. drop the bombs without tipping off Iran's fighter jets or its air missile systems. "Our B-2s went in and out … and back without the world knowing at all," Hegseth said. "In that way, it was historic. A strike that included the longest B-2 Spirit bomber mission since 2001, and the first operational employment of the MOP, a Massive Ordnance Penetrator."
The Hill
41 minutes ago
- The Hill
Iran's ‘proportionate response' will be set by military, envoy tells UN
Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, condemned the United States' involvement in its conflict with Israel, and said the nation's military would determine its response after President Trump on Saturday ordered the bombing of three of Iran's nuclear sites. 'The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly warned the warmongering US regime to refrain from stumbling into this quagmire, even though Iran reserves its full and legitimate right under international law to defend itself against this blatant US aggression and its Israeli proxy,' he said at the United Nations. 'The timing, nature and the scale of Iran's proportionate response will be decided by its armed forces.' The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on the escalating war on Sunday afternoon. Iran, the U.S. and Israel were among the nations that spoke to the attack during the meeting. Iravani described the action as the U.S. helping Israel carry out its 'vile agenda.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump on Saturday for directing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. 'President Trump and I often say, 'Peace through strength.' First comes strength, then comes peace. And tonight, President Trump and the United States acted with a lot of strength,' Netanyahu said in a video on the social platform X. Iravani said the Israeli president had hijacked 'U.S. foreign policy, dragging the United States into yet another costly, baseless war.' Dorothy Shea, the interim U.S. ambassador to the U.N., spoke ahead of Iravani, and defended Trump's actions. 'Iran has long obfuscated its nuclear weapons program and stonewalled good faith efforts in recent negotiations, Madam President, the time finally came for the United States in the defense of its ally and in the defense of our own citizens and interest, to act decisively,' she said in explaining Saturday's bombing. Shea told the council that Iran, for decades, 'has been responsible for misery and countless deaths across the Middle East. Iran's government and its proxies have also killed numerous Americans, including American service members in Iraq and Afghanistan.' She accused Iranian officials of ramping up 'hostile bluster and rhetoric' over recent weeks.
Axios
41 minutes ago
- Axios
Trump floats regime change in Iran
President Trump floated the possibility of "regime change" in Iran on Sunday in a post to his Truth Social account. "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!!" the president wrote. Why it matters: This is the first time Trump has raised the possibility of regime change in Iran since Israel launched its war ten days ago — and the U.S. joined with airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear sites on Saturday. Trump has criticized the neo-conservative faction of the Republican Party for years over their support for regime changes in Iraq, Iran and other places around the world. Driving the news: The president's post is a departure from the rest of his administration, which has stressed multiple times over the last several days that its goal is to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and that the U.S. is not pushing for regime change in Iran. Vice President Vance said on Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press" that the administration's view "has been very clear that we don't want a regime change." "We do not want to protract this or build this out any more than it's already been built out. We want to end their nuclear program, and then we want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here," Vance said. Between the lines: An Iran regime change has become an unstated goal of the Israeli government since the war began earlier this month. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even said it could be one of the results of the war. Yes, but: There has been no significant uprising against the Iranian regime since the war began, and experts have mentioned a dynamic of rallying around the flag in Iran — even among Iranians who are critical of the regime. State of play: Trump also wrote on his Truth Social account on Sunday that the damage to the Iran nuclear sites targeted by U.S. airstrikes "is said to be monumental" and that the hits "were hard and accurate."
