In a historic escalation, the United States launched precision airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities – Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan- overnight, with President Donald Trump announcing the operation’s success in a televised address from the White House.
The strikes targeted Iran’s uranium enrichment sites, with Trump claiming they were “completely obliterated”. He confirmed all U.S. pilots and aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, safely returned to the United States, marking a pivotal moment in the Israel-Iran conflict.
The operation, described as a “bold decision” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has sparked global reactions, raising fears of retaliation and a broader Middle East war.
The strikes, executed on June 21, 2025, involved six B-2 bombers dropping a dozen 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) “bunker buster” bombs on the heavily fortified Fordo site, buried 300 feet beneath a mountain near Qom. U.S. Navy submarines also fired 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Natanz and Isfahan, per a U.S. official cited by NBC News.
Trump, flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, hailed the mission as a “spectacular military success” aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity, which he labelled a threat from “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror”.
On Truth Social, Trump posted, “All planes are now outside of Iran airspace. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordo. All planes are safely on their way home,” sparking widespread discussion on social media.
Netanyahu praised the U.S. for its “awesome and righteous might”, stating the strikes would “change history” by curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The operation followed a week of Israeli airstrikes that weakened Iran’s air defences, enabling the U.S. to target Fordo, a facility Israel lacked the ordnance to destroy.
Trump’s decision, despite his campaign promise to avoid Middle East conflicts, came after failed diplomatic talks in Geneva and pressure from Israeli officials.
He had initially set a two-week deadline for Iran to negotiate but acted within 48 hours, citing an “unparalleled opportunity” to set back Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran condemned the strikes as a “grave violation” of international law, with Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warning of “everlasting consequences” and reserving “all options” for retaliation.
Iranian state media downplayed the damage, claiming Fordo was evacuated and unaffected, though Trump’s claims of destruction remain unverified.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not confirmed the extent of damage, but past reports have noted Fordo’s 83.7% uranium enrichment, which is close to weapons-grade levels.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned of “irreparable damage” to the U.S. for any intervention, raising fears of missile attacks on U.S. bases or disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil route.
Reactions are sharply divided. Top Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Mitch McConnell, backed Trump, calling the strikes a “prudent response” to Iran’s aggression.
Democrats, like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, criticised the lack of congressional authorisation, warning of a “disastrous war”. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) labelled the attack “illegal”, citing U.S. intelligence, including Director Tulsi Gabbard’s March 2025 testimony, that Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Trump dismissed Gabbard’s assessment, insisting Iran was “very close” to a nuclear bomb.
Global leaders urged de-escalation. Mexico and Colombia called for diplomacy, while Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned of a “global crisis”. Houthi rebels in Yemen threatened to resume attacks on U.S. ships, signalling potential regional fallout.
