Incredible satellite pics show the aftermath of ‘devastating' strikes on Iranian nuclear bases after massive US blitz
ASTONISHING satellite pictures have emerged of the aftermath of the US's "devastating" strikes on Iranian nuclear bases.
11
A new series of satellite images has revealed the precision of the US attacks on Iran's primary nuclear facility
Credit: maxar technologies
11
Two clusters of six craters show where the bombs were dropped
Credit: maxar technologies
11
The Isfahan nuclear technology in Iran before U.S. strikes
Credit: AP
11
Six B-2 stealth bombers descended over Iran
Bunker buster bombs were
Also hit were the nuclear plants at Natanz and Isfahan, which Israel had already targeted with its own missiles.
US submarines also launched around 30 Tomahawk missiles in a coordinated air-and-sea operation.
Trump declared that the Fordow plant is now "gone" and all the night's targets were "obliterated".
Read more on World
Satellite imagery of the
Two clusters of at least six holes are seen at the Fordow nuclear site, where the massive 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs were dropped.
Bombs of this kind are believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet below the surface before exploding.
Following the bombing, Sir Keir Starmer reinstated his commitment to making Iran nuke-free.
Most read in The US Sun
He, along with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, released a joint statement following the US bombings on Iran.
It read: "We have discussed the latest developments in the Middle East earlier today. We reiterate our commitment to peace and stability for all countries in the region. We affirm our support for the security of Israel.
"We have consistently been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and can no longer pose a threat to regional security.
"Earlier today, the United States conducted targeted military strikes against nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Our aim continues to be to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
"We call upon Iran to engage in negotiations leading to an agreement that addresses all concerns associated with its nuclear program. We stand ready to contribute to that goal in coordination with all parties.
"We urge Iran not to take any further action that could destabilise the region. We will continue our joint diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions and ensure the conflict does not intensify and spread further."
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said
He added Trump has been clear that "any
Hegseth said: 'Iran would be smart to heed those words. He's said it before, and he means it.'
The Defence Secretary went on to praise the US leader, calling it "bold and brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back".
He urged: "When this President speaks, the world should listen."
US warns it WILL strike again and world 'should listen to Trump'
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arghchi has said he is going to Russia today to meet mad leader Putin.
He revealed: 'I'm going to Moscow this afternoon, and I have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow morning.'
Arghchi called Moscow a 'friend of Iran,' adding 'we always consult with each other'.
Fears loom that the conflict could spiral into a world war, with Putin puppet Dmitry Medvedev making a veiled threat to supply Iran with nuclear weapons.
He said: "A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their nuclear weapons."
After declaring the
He said in a nationally televised speech at the White House: "
"There will be
11
A closer satellite view shows holes and craters on a ridge at Fordow underground
Credit: Reuters
11
President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington after the strikes
11
Trump addressed the world after announcing the strikes
'Remember there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal.
'But if
'Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There's no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight."
And shortly after speaking on-camera, he posted to Truth Social: "This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.
"Remember,
"But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill."
Meanwhile Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arghchi dubbed the strikes "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences".
He also called the military action "a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations".
11
Imagery shows where the bombs likely entered before pummelling
Credit: maxar technologies
11
The Isfahan nuclear technology center in Iran after U.S. bombardment
Credit: AP
11
Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant in Iran before the US blitz
11
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Trump says he is open to regime change in Iran
President Donald Trump has called into question the future of Iran's ruling theocracy, seemingly contradicting his administration's earlier calls to resume negotiations and avoid an escalation in fighting. '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???' Mr Trump posted on social media. 'MIGA!!!' The posting on Truth Social marked something of a reversal from defence secretary Pete Hegseth's Sunday morning news conference that detailed the aerial bombing on three of the country's nuclear sites. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Mr Hegseth said. "The damage to the Nuclear sites in Iran is said to be 'monumental.' The hits were hard and accurate. Great skill was shown by our military. Thank you!" –President Donald J. Trump — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 22, 2025 Secretary of state Marco Rubio warned on Fox News that any retaliation against the US or a rush toward building a nuclear weapon would 'put the regime at risk'. Mr Trump's warning to Iran's leadership comes as the US has demanded that Iran not respond to the bombardment of the heart of a nuclear programme it spent decades developing. The Trump administration has made a series of intimidating statements even as it has simultaneously called to restart negotiations, making it hard to get a complete read on whether the president is simply taunting an adversary or using inflammatory words that could further widen the war between Israel and Iran that began earlier this month. Up until the president's post on Sunday afternoon, the coordinated messaging by Mr Trump's vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Mr Hegseth had said that America 'does not seek war' with Iran, while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. But the unfolding situation is not entirely under Washington's control, as Tehran has a series of levers to respond to the aerial bombings, which could intensify the conflict in the Middle East with possible global repercussions. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on Sunday (Alex Brandon/AP) Iran can block oil being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, attack US bases in the region, engage in cyber attacks or double down on a nuclear programme might seem like more of a necessity after the US strike. Mr Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, returned to social media on Sunday to lambast Republican Congress member Thomas Massie, who had objected to the president taking military action without specific congressional approval. 'We had a spectacular military success yesterday, taking the 'bomb' right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!)' Mr Trump said as part of the post on Truth Social. At their joint Pentagon briefing, Mr Hegseth and Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 'Operation Midnight Hammer' involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance. General Caine indicated that the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved. 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' he said. An electronic billboard beams an image of president Donald Trump alongside the message 'Thank you, Mr. President' referring to the US involvement in the war between Israel and Iran (Bernat Armangue/AP) While US officials urged caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticised the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,' he said at a news conference in Turkey. 'I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy.' China and Russia, where Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the US military action. The attacks were 'a gross violation of international law,' said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated 'returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course.' A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to 'a global level'. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies. His office said he talked on Sunday with Mr Trump about the need for Tehran to resume negotiations, but Mr Trump would have posted his remarks about regime change after their conversation. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need for 'a rapid resumption of negotiations.' France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi Crown Prince and the Sultan of Oman.
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
John Whelan: Ireland behind the curve in pharma R&D amid Pfizer call
Pharma companies met with the Trump administration earlier this month to try and defer implementation of the executive order signed by President Trump on May 12, effectively forcing drug companies to commit to aligning their US prices with 'the lowest price of a set of economic peer countries''. At the meeting of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) with the Trump administration, Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla called for the US government to lead an initiative to increase overall drug spending outside the US. While the exact mechanism of implementing the Trump executive order to reduce drug prices in the US remains unclear, the Pfizer chief proposed an alternative solution, suggesting that other countries should spend a certain percentage of their GDP per capita on innovative medicines. In an attempt to lead on the recommendation, he added that Pfizer could consider not making its drugs available for government reimbursement in some countries if the US carries through on its price control and other countries don't increase their prices. Effectively, Mr Bourla, who chairs the pharma industry lobby group PhRMA, suggested the US should push for a Nato-type agreement, which commits each country to a minimum 2% of their national GDP on defence spending. And whereas there may be good logic in the Pfizer proposal, any commitment of this nature will likely create major challenges for Ireland, as OECD and World Bank figures show Ireland lagging well behind other countries in research and development expenditure. In 2022, the last year for which finalised figures have been released, US pharmaceutical companies' R&D spending amounted to 2.33% of the nation's GDP. There is no comparable figures for the Irish market, in terms of pharmaceutical industry expenditure in research and development. However, the figures available from the World Bank and the OECD for years 2022/2023 show that total R&D for all industry as a percentage of GDP, in Ireland was 0.9%. This is well below the EU average of 2.29%, and even further below countries like the US at 3.6% and Israel at 6.3% who invest more heavily in R&D than Ireland. Economists have inferred that Trump is leveraging unfavourable policies such as drastically lowering prices points of US drugs and tariffs on imports, to coerce the pharmaceutical industry to increase investments in the US. Several large pharma companies, including Eli Lilly, Merck & Co, and Bristol Myers Squibb, have unveiled major US investments planned for the next few years in attempt to curry favour with the Trump administration. But noticeably Pfizer remains an exception to that trend. However, Mr Bourla stated that Pfizer has invested in US manufacturing and will continue to do so, but risks from those Trump policies are making it difficult for the company to commit further. "I don't think it makes sense to make announcements of future investments in an environment that is very fluid,' Mr Bourla said. That suggests Pfizer, one of our largest and longest-term investors in the pharmaceuticals space, is unlikely to back off its Irish investments anytime soon. However , we need to heed the Pfizer CEO's call for more R&D support in Europe, which clearly includes Ireland. Besides Pfizer, many pharma companies are leveraging the United States' threat of tariffs on drug imports to push for policy changes in the EU. In a letter sent on April 11 to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, 32 pharma companies demanded more favourable policies in order for them to maintain operations in the EU . In the same letter they say that policy changes are needed to ensure Europe remains a location to research, develop, and manufacture medicines. The CEOs also included in their letter that European countries should rethink their drug pricing policies and enable a better commercial environment for innovative medicines. Ireland's Research and Innovation Act 2024 , replaces Science Foundation Ireland in an attempt to fast forward the provision for the funding of research and innovation, but this caters for all fields of activity and neither commits to double the level of funding to €2bn per year needed to reach EU level, nor does it commit to meet the specific requirements of the pharma industry.
RTÉ News
5 hours ago
- RTÉ News
UN Security Council meets amid push for a ceasefire
The UN Security Council met to discuss US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites as Russia, China and Pakistan proposed the 15-member body adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East. "The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a perilous turn," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council yesterday. "We must act - immediately and decisively - to halt the fighting and return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear programme," he added. Russia and China condemned the US strikes. "Peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved by the use of force," said China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong. "Diplomatic means to address the Iranian nuclear issue haven't been exhausted, and there's still hope for a peaceful solution," he added. But acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea told the council the time had come for the US to act decisively, urging the Security Council to call upon Iran to end its efforts to eradicate Israel and terminate its drive for nuclear weapons. "Iran long obfuscated its nuclear weapons programme and stonewalled our good-faith efforts in recent negotiations," she said. "The Iranian regime cannot have a nuclear weapon." Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia recalled former US Secretary of State Colin Powell making the case at the UN Security Council in 2003 that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein constituted an imminent danger to the world because of the country's stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons. "Again we're being asked to believe the US's fairy tales, to once again inflict suffering on millions of people living in the Middle East. This cements our conviction that history has taught our US colleagues nothing," he said. Cost of inaction 'catastrophic' Iran requested the UN Security Council meeting yesterday. Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani accused Israel and the US of destroying diplomacy, said all US allegations are unfounded and that the nuclear non-proliferation treaty "has been manipulated into a political weapon." "Instead of guaranteeing parties' legitimate rights to peaceful nuclear energy, it has been exploited as a pretext for aggression and unlawful action that jeopardise the supreme interests of my country," Mr Iravani told the council. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon praised the US for taking action against Iran, saying: "This is what the last line of defence looks like when every other line has failed." He accused Iran of using negotiations over its nuclear programme as camouflage to buy time to build missiles and enrich uranium. "The cost of inaction would have been catastrophic. A nuclear Iran would have been a death sentence just as much for you as it would have been for us," he told the council. It was not immediately clear when the council could vote on the draft resolution. Russia, China and Pakistan have asked council members to share their comments by this evening. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the US, France, Britain, Russia or China to pass. The US is likely to oppose the draft resolution, seen by Reuters, which also condemns attacks on Iran's nuclear sites and facilities. The text does not name the United States or Israel. "Military action alone cannot bring a durable solution to concerns about Iran's nuclear programme," Britain's UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council. "We urge Iran now to show restraint, and we urge all parties to return to the negotiating table and find a diplomatic solution which stops further escalation and brings this crisis to an end," she added. UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said that while craters were visible at Iran's enrichment site buried into a mountain at Fordow, "no one - including the IAEA - is in a position to assess the underground damage." Mr Grossi told the Security Council that entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit at Iran's sprawling Isfahan nuclear complex, while the fuel enrichment plant at Natanz has been struck again. "Iran has informed the IAEA there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels at all three sites," said Mr Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency.
