Iranian nuclear program 'devastated'— US defense secretary – DW – 06/22/2025
US Secretary of Defense Hegseth called strikes on Iran that included 14 bunker-busting 30,000-pound bombs an "overwhelming success." Iran's top diplomat defended the country's right to "a legitimate response."US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday called military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities "an incredible and overwhelming success" that had "obliterated Iran's nuclear ambitions."
Hegseth said neither Iranian troops nor civilians had been targeted in the US operation.
Just hours after the airstrikes on Iran, Hegseth echoed President Trump, claiming the US "seeks peace." He went on to say, "We will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners or our interests are threatened."
Hegseth praised Trump for the operation, which he said had been months in the making: "The operation President Trump planned was bold and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back. When this president speaks, the world should listen."
Iranian media have reported "massive" blasts in the southern city of Bushehr, home to Iran's only nuclear reactor.
Iranian authorities have not yet reported any problem at the plant, which is operated with Russian assistance.
The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear.
China's Foreign Ministry has criticized the US attacks on Iran, saying they "escalate tensions in the Middle East" and go against the UN Charter.
Among other things, it said it condemned the targeting of nuclear facilities supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"China calls on all parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible," the ministry said in a statement.
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Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that the US attacks on nuclear sites were the result of an "irresponsible" decision that goes against international law.
"The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council," the ministry said in a statement.
"We call for an end to aggression and for increased efforts to create conditions for returning the situation to a political and diplomatic track," the ministry said.
Bahrain and Kuwait, both of which host US military bases, have begun preparing for the possibility of military attacks in their countries after US forces bombed Iranian nuclear sites.
Tehran previously pledged to target US military bases in the region in retaliation for any attacks.
Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Navy's 5th Fleet, while Kuwait is home to several key US bases.
On Sunday, Bahrain's Interior Ministry advised drivers to avoid main roads, and nearly two-thirds of government employees were instructed to work from home.
"In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary, to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently," the Interior Ministry wrote on X.
Kuwait has set up numerous shelters in a sprawling ministerial complex.
Earlier this week, Bahraini authorities announced the activation of a national civil emergency plan and conducted air-raid siren testing across the country.
Middle East security analyst Giorgio Cafiero on Sunday told DW that there has been "a lot [of] talk about how Iran was going to retaliate against countries in the neighborhood that possibly played a role in facilitating the US strikes."
But Cafiero pointed out that the US bombs were not launched from any country in the region or flown through their airspace — delivered instead directly from the US via bomber and from a nearby submarine — which means Iran's neighbors might be spared.
"I don't think Iran would consider lashing out against a country in the region," Cafiero said.
Germany's ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, has reiterated calls for a hostage deal and an end to the war in Gaza following the return to Israel of the body of a German-Israeli killed and abducted in the Hamas-led militant attacks of October 7, 2023.
The dead hostage, Shay Levinson, a soldier, was just 19 years old when he was killed in the attack.
"I just spoke to his father; our hearts are with his family and all others waiting for their loved one's return," Seiffert wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"There must be a deal to get them out and end this war," he wrote.
Before becoming ambassador, Seibert, a former TV journalist, was the spokesman for the German government under Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Iran's foreign minister will travel to Moscow on Sunday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin the next day, he announced from Turkey.
"I'm going to Moscow this afternoon" and will hold "serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow" morning, Abbas Araghchi said at a press conference in Istanbul on the sidelines of a summit for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has responded to calls from Britain and the EU to return to negotiations by saying Iran had never left them.
"Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy. What conclusion would you draw?," he wrote, in reference to Friday negotiations with the UK, France and Germany.
"To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must 'return' to the table. But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?"
The Israeli military says it has recovered the remains of three hostages killed and abducted during the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
It identified them as Yonatan Samerano, 21, Ofra Keidar, 71, and Shay Levinson, 19, giving their ages at the time of their deaths.
The remains were discovered on Saturday in a coastal area of Gaza during a joint special operation by the military and the domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet, the Israeli army said.
The families of the dead hostages were informed after the remains were identified by forensic examination, the army reported.
During the attack, the militants killed 1,200, mostly civilians and abducted 251 people.
Hamas is still holding some 50 hostages, less than half of whom are believed to be still alive.
Israel's subsequent offensive on Gaza has so far killed over 55,000, according to figures provided by health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, which the United Nations considers reliable.
Just hours after the US announced that it had attacked three nuclear sites in Iran, effectively joining Israel, digital alerts sounded in Israel, followed by air raid sirens warning of incoming missiles.
In a large underground car park in central Tel Aviv, many people had slept there overnight in small tents pitched on the fourth underground floor. Others made their way to the shelter from the neighborhood.
"I think we all waited for Trump to help us. I thought it would take more time, but here they are actually helping us now,' said Gabi, 32, who declined to give her last name. 'I feel safe here. I don't feel anxious, and we can't hear much down here."
However, he admitted that the conflict had now moved in an unknown direction. "You can see on people's faces that they are worried. But I hope this will bring about change for the people of Iran too."
Dakar Levi has also been sleeping in a small tent provided by Brothers in Arms, an organization that has set up the space as a shelter.
She feels that this conflict is much more destructive than previous ones with the militant group Hamas in Gaza or the Lebanese group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Some missiles have evaded Israel's defence shield and hit residential areas, leaving a trail of destruction.
"I think it was supposed to happen a long time ago, but I think our defence wasn't good enough to fight all those missiles. Now we have the defence, and this has to end. They have said for a long time that they want to destroy the Jewish state."
Levi hopes that the US joining Israel in attacking Iran might shorten the conflict. If not, she is prepared to stay for weeks to come.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday called a meeting of the government's security cabinet following the US attacks on Iran.
According to his spokesman, Stefan Kornelius, Merz also urged Iran "to immediately start negotiations with the US and Israel and come to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict."
Kornelius said the German government believed that "large parts of the Iranian nuclear program had been affected by the airstrikes," but added that a precise analysis of the damage would be possible later.
The US has bombed three of the Islamic Republic's key nuclear sites in Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz, following Israeli strikes on Iran which have lasted for over a week, prompting a war between the two countries.
The attack on the underground fuel enrichment site at Fordo used so-called bunker-buster bombs that are designed to penetrate into the ground before detonating, US media reported. The US is the only country with military capability of dropping the weapon.
The US attacks came after a week of open conflict between Israel and Iran triggered by Israel's June 13 launching of attacks against Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump has claimed that the Iranian facilities were "completely and fully obliterated" in the attacks, claims that have yet to be verified.
Iran's Atomic Energy Organization has confirmed the attacks, but insisted its nuclear program will not be stopped. The US, Israel and several other countries have often expressed fears that the Islamic Republic is developing nuclear weapons, though Tehran has always denied the accusations.
Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA, said there were no immediate signs of radioactive leakage at the three locations following the strikes.
Iran launched several waves of missiles against Israel following the attacks.
There have been mixed reactions to the attacks from other countries, with several calling for a return to diplomacy rather than military action.
The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has called on all sides in the US-Israel-Iran conflict to resume negotiations, while insisting that international security would be under threat if Iran developed a nuclear weapon.
Kallas, who is also a vice-president of the European Commission, said in her post on X, formerly Twitter, that the EU's foreign ministers would hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the current situation.
"Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security. I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation," she wrote.
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What to know after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites – DW – 06/22/2025
The United States has entered the Israel-Iran war with a series of bombings on key Iranian nuclear enrichment sites. It marks a critical escalation in the Middle East. The United States has entered the Israel-Iran war, with President Donald Trump confirming US forces carried out attacks on three Iranian uranium enrichment sites. The attacks come days after Trump, who is also commander-in-chief of the US military, mused whether to enter the escalating conflict amid ongoing calls from Israel for his support and said he would make a decision within two weeks. The war began on June 13 with Israel launching a series of airstrikes against targets linked to Iran's nuclear program. Since then, attempts by other nations to broker a diplomatic solution to the fast escalating conflict have failed. On Saturday (US time), Trump announced US forces had attacked Iran's Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities. The Pentagon on Sunday confirmed seven B-2 Spirit bombers flew non-stop from a US Air Force base in Missouri to launch the attacks before returning home. Among the payload were 30,000-pound (13,600-kilogram) "bunker-busting" warheads, thought to be the only combination of aircraft and bombs capable of penetrating deep below the surface to strike at Iran's subterranean nuclear facility at Fordo. Trump claimed "the attacks were a spectacular military success" in a press conference following the three-site attack. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," he said. While the attacks likely caused significant damage, the extent is yet to be independently verified. Germany believes "large parts" of Iran's nuclear program have been damaged by the strikes. However, some analysts believe enriched uranium may have been removed prior to the attack based on satellite images showing activity at the Fordo site. "Enriched uranium stock may therefore have been transferred to sites not monitored by the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency]," French nuclear expert Heloise Fayet told the AFP news agency. Reports from Iran indicate there has been no increase in "off-site radiation levels" following the attacks. The IAEA, which will hold an emergency meeting on Monday, has warned that damage to uranium enrichment sites, like the ones attacked by the US, carries the risk of radiation leakage, which could affect the public. More concerning would be an attack on the Bushehr nuclear reactor — Iran's only such facility — which IAEA chair Rafael Grossi last week warned could lead to a large-scale release of radioactivity. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video During the election campaign, Trump promised a more peaceful world if he returned to the White House, well aware of public sentiment surrounding America's so-called "forever wars." At his inauguration, he said his administration would measure success "not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into." His decision to enter the US into the conflict between two long-standing enemies in the Middle East is a notable turnabout from those January remarks. The US and other nations have long been concerned about Iran's desire to develop nuclear weapons despite statements from Iran that its nuclear program serves exclusively civilian purposes. Amid negotiations and Israel's start to the war, Trump, in a statement on Thursday, gave a two-week timetable to decide whether the US would directly enter the conflict. Within barely two days, US bombers had attacked three nuclear facilities. At the Pentagon on Sunday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters the attack resulted from "a plan that took months and weeks of positioning and preparation" in anticipation of a call by Trump. "It took a great deal of precision," Hegseth said. "It involved misdirection and the highest of operational security." Israel, which views Iran's uranium enrichment as an existential security threat, began airstrikes against Iranian military and nuclear targets on June 13, killing hundreds. Retaliatory strikes by Iran killed dozens in Israel. After Israel launched its attack, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially stated the US was "not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region." The war began amid a complex diplomatic situation regarding Iran's nuclear program. A previous deal overseen by then US President Barack Obama, which included the signatures of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany, limited Iran's enrichment to energy-generation grades, forced it to both surrender 98% of its enriched uranium and open the door to IAEA inspectors in exchange for eased sanctions. Following his first election victory, Trump withdrew the US from the agreement and called on Iran to return to negotiations on his terms. In the years since that withdrawal, Iran has restricted IAEA monitoring and inspection activities, and increased its enrichment reportedly to 60% — well above what is required for civilian energy generation and approaching weapons-grade levels. Israel's June attacks on Iran followed five rounds of US-Iran negotiations over a new deal. Iran withdrew from a scheduled sixth round of talks after being attacked by Israel and launched its retaliatory strikes. Now that the US has entered the conflict, Trump is seeking a swift resolution. "There will be either peace of there will be tragedy for Iran," Trump said. "Far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Beyond praise from Israel and condemnation from Iran, there has been a mixed response to the US insertion into the war. Regional governments, including those of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Pakistan, India and Iraq, have all expressed concern. Many have explicitly called for de-escalation and a return to negotiations amid fears they too may be drawn into a wider conflict. Traditional US allies have urged a diplomatic solution, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the European Union among them. Through a spokesperson, German Chancellor Frederich Merz called on Iran to "immediately enter into negotiations with the US and Israel and find a diplomatic solution to the conflict." Those sentiments were echoed in public statements by Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and France and Italy's foreign ministers. US rivals China, Russia, both allies of Iran, condemned the US attacks. There are also splits over Trump's decision to involve the US closer to home. Many of Trump's Democratic Party opponents have condemned the decision not to seek the approval of Congress as unconstitutional. While many Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, have publicly supported the decision, others, such as Representatives Warren Davidson and Thomas Massie, have echoed Democrats over the sidelining of congress. Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the most vocal advocates for Trump's "America First" agenda, said the Israel-Iran conflict was "not our fight." Despite the US now involving itself in the Israel-Iran war, Hegseth told reporters on Sunday the Trump administration "does not seek war" with Iran. Nor, he said, was it about overthrowing the Iranian regime. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, concerns will turn to the potential for any further attacks by either side, and the potential for radiation leaks from the destruction of nuclear sites. Inside Israel, the news of the US attacks was followed by air raid sirens, prompting locals to take shelter. Some have welcomed Trump's intervention, despite the escalation possibly shifting the region into the unknown. The US has warned Iran against retaliatory strikes and again called for it to return to negotiations. Iran has responded to the attacks by warning of "everlasting consequences" for the US, and declaring its nuclear program would continue. Amid this, Iran's diplomats intend to meet with ally Russia, and its parliament has approved the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping channel, subject to confirmation by its national security council.
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President Donald Trump "deceived his own voters by submitting to the wishes of a wanted war criminal" after he and his administration bombed three of Iran's nuclear facilities early Sunday morning, an Iranian official declared. During a press conference in Istanbul on Sunday, amid ongoing peace talks between Iran, Germany, France, and the UK, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi condemned the Trump administration's escalation of the Israel-Iran war. "While President Trump was elected on a platform of putting an end to America's costly involvement of forever wars in our part of the world, he has betrayed not only Iran by abusing our commitment to diplomacy but also deceived his own voters by submitting to the wishes of a wanted war criminal who has grown accustomed to exploiting the lives and wealth of American citizens to further the Israeli regime's objectives," Abbas Araqchi stated, referencing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Netanyahu's arrest in November 2024, alleging the Israeli prime minister was responsible for multiple war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, beginning Oct. 8, 2023. Abbas Araqchi added that the "warmongering and lawless" Trump administration is "solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression." "The U.S. military attack on the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of a UN member state carried collusion with the genocidal Israeli machine has once again revealed the extent of the United States' hostility toward the peace-seeking people of Iran," he continued. The Iranian official reaffirmed that Iran will never compromise its independence or sovereignty, emphasizing the nation's unwavering commitment to protecting both its autonomy and its people. As the second-largest country in the region, Iran has a population nearing 91 million. Also on Sunday, the Iranian foreign minister wrote in an X post that the U.S. "committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the [Non-Proliferation Treaty]." He also called it an "outrageous" attack that "will have everlasting consequences." "Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless, and criminal behavior," Abbas Araqchi wrote. "In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people." The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations. The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting…
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US Says Strikes 'Devastated' Iran's Nuclear Program
Unprecedented US strikes have wrecked Iran's nuclear program, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday as Washington sought to assess what remained of the three targeted sites. The surprise strikes threaten to deepen conflict in the Middle East after Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran, with Tehran vowing to retaliate against US involvement. But the United States said President Donald Trump wanted peace and urged Iran to end the conflict after strikes on a key underground uranium enrichment site at Fordo, along with nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz. "We devastated the Iranian nuclear program," Hegseth told a Pentagon press briefing, adding that the operation "did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people." Trump "seeks peace, and Iran should take that path", Hegseth said. "This mission was not, and has not been, about regime change." Standing beside Hegseth, top US general Dan Caine said that "it would be way too early for me to comment on what may or may not still be there." "Initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," he told reporters. People gathered in the center of Tehran to protest against US and Israeli attacks, waving flags and chanting slogans, state TV showed. Trump claimed total success for the operation in an address to the nation hours after the attack, and Vice President JD Vance followed up on Sunday morning. "We know that we set the Iranian nuclear program back substantially last night, whether it's years or beyond," he told ABC. "We're not at war with Iran -- we're at war with Iran's nuclear program," he added. "The president took decisive action to destroy that program last night." In Tehran, AFP journalists said the roar of aircraft flying over the city was heard repeatedly for the first time since Israel's initial attacks. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency said it had not detected any increase in radiation levels at the nuclear sites and Tehran said Sunday there were no signs of contamination. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Istanbul the United States and Israel had "crossed a very big red line," asserting Iran would continue to defend itself "by all means necessary." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the US strikes, saying Trump's decision to "target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history." The Israeli military was also checking the results of the US raid on the deeply buried nuclear facility in Fordo, with a spokesman saying it was "too soon" to know if Iran had removed enriched uranium from the site. The main US strike group was seven B-2 Spirit bombers flying 18 hours from the US mainland to Iran with multiple aerial refuelings, Caine said. In response to the US attack, Iran's armed forces said they targeted multiple sites in Israel including Ben Gurion airport, the country's main international gateway near Tel Aviv. Israeli rescuers said at least 23 people were wounded. In Jerusalem, Claudio Hazan, a 62-year-old software engineer, said he hoped the US intervention would hasten an end to the Iran-Israel war. "Israel by itself would not stop... and it would take longer," he said. Israel said it had launched fresh strikes on western Iran and in Qom, south of Tehran. Iran's official IRNA news agency reported four Revolutionary Guard members were killed in strikes on a military base in the city's north. The Israeli military said it had "struck missile launchers ready to launch toward Israeli territory, soldiers in the Iranian Armed Forces, and swiftly neutralized the launchers that launched missiles toward Israeli territory." Iran's Shargh newspaper reported that a "massive explosion was heard" Sunday in Bushehr province, home to Iran's only nuclear power plant. Iranian news agencies also reported strikes in Yazd province. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman, which had been mediating Iran-US nuclear talks, criticized the US move and urged de-escalation. The European Union called on all sides "to step back," while stressing Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. The Iranian foreign minister said he would travel to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Following his address, Trump warned Iran against retaliation. Iran and its proxies have previously attacked US military bases in Iraq and elsewhere in the region. Iran's Huthi allies in Yemen on Sunday repeated their threat to resume attacks in the Red Sea if Washington joined the war, saying they were ready to target US ships and warships. The US president had stepped up his rhetoric against Iran since Israel first struck the country on June 13, repeating his insistence it could never have nuclear weapons. Tehran denies seeking an atomic bomb. On Saturday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran's right to pursue a civilian nuclear program "cannot be taken away... by threats or war." Israeli security forces and media gather at the site of an Iranian strike that hit a residential neighbourhood in the Ramat Aviv area in Tel Aviv on June 22, 2025 AFP US President Donald Trump addresses the nation after Iran strikes AFP
