What is Iran's next move? US bracing for response to nuke strikes: Live updates

Concerns swirled Monday over possible payback by Tehran against the U.S. or its allies after a strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities amid fears of an all-out Mideast conflict.
The U.S. remained on "high alert" with its 40,000 troops in the region two days after President Donald Trump ordered the bombing of Fordow, a uranium enrichment facility deep inside a remote mountain in Iran, and facilities at Natanz and Isfahan.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin warning of a "heightened threat environment" in the U.S.
The alert from the National Terrorism Advisory system said attacks from low-level cyber 'hacktivists' are likely, and larger attacks could follow if Iranian leaders issue a religious ruling 'calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland.'
On Sunday, U.S. officials claimed an exhubertant victory with the pinpoint strikes, saying Iran's nuclear program had been decimated. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the bombings an "incredible and overwhelming success."
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine warned Iranian retaliation "would be an incredibly poor choice. We will defend ourselves. The safety of our service members and civilians remains our highest priority."
Concerns also mounted over the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil and gas route. The Iranian parliament backed a measure to close the strait, but the final decision was up to Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Iranian TV said.
Will Iran strike back at the US?
Iran − and its hard-line supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – are almost certainly going to strike back in response to historic U.S. military strikes on three of its suspected nuclear facilities.
But if history is any guide, that response could happen at any time − and anywhere, and in any form, former U.S. intelligence officials and diplomatic experts say.
'Missiles, militias and acts of hostage-taking – that's their go-to' range of options, the Biden administration coordinator for the Middle East, Brett McGurk, said on CNN June 21. 'I suspect Iran will have to do something.' Read more here.
−Josh Meyer
Visual look at the strikes: See how Operation Midnight Hammer unfolded
Operation Midnight Hammer used 'bunker busters'
The U.S. used more than a dozen multimillion-dollar, 30,000-pound "bunker busters" to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities in the strike, known as Operation Midnight Hammer, marking the weapon's first operational use, according to the Pentagon.
U.S. bomber planes dropped 14 of the massive bombs on three of Iran's nuclear facilities, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said.
The bombs used in the strikes, called Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs, weigh 30,000 pounds each and cost millions to produce. MOPs, also known as the Guided Bomb Unit, or GBU-57, are GPS-guided weapons designed to burrow deep into underground targets, such as fortified tunnels or bunkers. The bombs are about 20 feet long and span 6 feet at their widest point. Read more here.
− Cybele Mayes-Osterman
What is the War Powers Act?
Some lawmakers, including rigid conservatives and key progressives, are calling the U.S. strikes a breach of the Constitution,.
"The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, posted on X.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, responded to Trump's social media assessment of the attack with the statement: "This is not Constitutional."
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action. The law also limits the deployment of armed forces beyond 90 days in the absence of a formal declaration of war.
− Savannah Kuchar
Why did the US strike Iran's nuke sites?
Trump ordered the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, effectively joining a war that Israel started on June 13 when it began bombing Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. Israel said it helped the U.S. coordinate and plan the strikes.
Trump said all three sites were "totally obliterated." But an independent assessment has not yet been carried out. The International Atomic Energy Agency − the United Nation's nuclear watchdog − released a statement saying that so far it had not detected an increase in "off-site radiation levels," one of the feared consequences of the strikes.
Vice President JD Vance insisted Sunday that the U.S. is not entering an open-ended conflict in the Middle East. 'We're not at war with Iran. We're at war with Iran's nuclear program.' Vance said on NBC.

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USA Today

34 minutes ago

• USA Today

How Operation Midnight Hammer unfolded: Details of US bombing in Iran

The United States entered Israel's war against Iran after attacking nuclear facilities with stealth bombers, a guided missile submarine, and an array of support aircraft in a night operation on June 21. President Donald Trump announced the military operation in a Saturday night address, stating that Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities were "obliterated" and threatening future attacks if Iran did not "make peace." General Dan Caine, Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, outlined the details of the operation, named "Midnight Hammer" in a June 22 briefing. Inside the attack: Details revealed of secret US mission to bomb Iran How Operation Midnight Hammer unfolded: Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. "At midnight Friday into Saturday morning a large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. As part of a plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the West and into the Pacific as a decoy," said Caine. "The main strike package comprised of seven B-2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the East with minimal communications." "As the strike package approached Fordow and Natanz, the U.S. protection package employed high speed suppression weapons to ensure safe passage of the strike package, with fighter assets employing preemptive suppressing fires against any potential Iranian surface-to-air threats," said Caine. "At approximately 6:40 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 2:10 a.m. Iran time, the lead B-2 dropped two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator weapons on the first of several aimpoints at Fordow." Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant is located deep under a mountainside near the city of Qom. "The remaining bombers then hit their targets as well, with a total of fourteen MOPs dropped against two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were struck betwen 6:40 p.m and 7:05 p.m. Eastern time, again, that's about 2:10 in the morning, local time in Iran," said Caine. "In total, U.S. forces employed approximately 75 precision guided weapons during this operation. This included, as the President stated last night, 14 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, marking the first-ever operational use of this weapon." According to Department of Defense documents, the GBU-57 is a guided, penetrating weapon with the ability to reach and destroy targets in deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels. The warhead case is made from a high performance steel alloy, which allows for a large explosive payload while maintaining integrity during impact. "Well prior to the strike General Kurilla elevated force protection measures across the region, especially in Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf. Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks," said Caine. What's next? Roughly 40,000 U.S. troops in the Middle East are bracing for potential counter-attacks, the Department of Homeland Security has issued a bulletin warning of a "heightened threat environment," and Iran's parliament has endorsed the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil transportation route. Trump has threatened further attacks if Iran does not "make peace." Contributing: Sara Chernikoff, Jennifer Borresen, Ramon Padilla and Stephen J. Beard. Read more: Live updates: US on 'high alert' for Iran retaliation, says nuke program 'obliterated' 30,000-pound bunker busters used for first time in Iran nuclear facility strikes Israel-Iran timeline: How Israeli attack and Iranian retaliation unfolded Israel attacks Iran: See strike map, satellite images of nuclear sites How does a bunker-buster bomb work? A closer look at the GBU-57

CBS News

34 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

39 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.