U.S. Strikes Three Iranian Nuclear Sites, Iran Vows Retaliation

Donald Trump confirmed that the U.S. military conducted a successful strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities. The targeted sites, believed to include Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, were struck with precision using advanced bunker-busting weapons. Trump stated that the operation was completed without American casualties and declared the mission a success.

Iran’s officials acknowledged the strike and reported structural damage to the affected facilities. However, they denied any radiation leaks or loss of nuclear material. The country’s leadership has strongly condemned the act, calling it a “violation of sovereignty and international law” and warning of “serious consequences.” Iran’s military has since gone on high alert, with increased deployments around key infrastructure and airspace monitoring systems activated.

Trump warned Iran against retaliating, stating that the strikes had "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities. He urged Iran to strive for a peace deal in its conflict with Israel, cautioning that failure to do so would result in "tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days."

The strikes targeted Fordo, an enrichment facility buried almost 300 feet beneath a mountain and protected by significant air defenses. Experts believed the best chance at destroying the facility lay with the U.S.-produced "bunker-buster" bomb known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, which could only be dropped by an American B-2 bomber. Two senior Defense Department officials confirmed that three B-2s were used to strike Fordo, each armed with two MOPs. Natanz and Isfahan were struck by Tomahawk missiles launched by submarines.

The U.S. had reached out to Iran diplomatically to convey that the strikes were the extent of their plans and that regime change efforts were not intended. Earlier in the week, multiple U.S. officials had indicated that Trump opposed an Israeli plan to target Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader. Not all U.S. allies in the region who house U.S. troops were informed in advance of the coming U.S. plan to strike in Iran, with some being notified as the planes were in the air.

The U.S. had alerted Israel ahead of the strikes, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump for conducting the strikes, stating that "peace through strength" was the approach taken. Iranian state media acknowledged the attacks on all three nuclear sites, with Iran's Atomic Energy Organization confirming the strikes but claiming they would not halt Iran's nuclear program. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reserved the right to defend Iran's sovereignty and interests, alleging that the U.S. had committed a grave violation of the UN Charter.

Homeland Security officials were monitoring for potential physical and cyber reprisals from the U.S. attack, amid a "very high" threat level. U.S. intelligence officials expressed uncertainty about how Iran would react, with assessments ranging from little to no action to desperate and drastic measures. The response from U.S. lawmakers was mixed, with some Republicans expressing support for the strikes while Democrats criticized Trump for not seeking congressional authorization. House Speaker Mike Johnson was briefed ahead of the strikes, while others, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, questioned the U.S. involvement in the conflict. Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, along with Sen. Mark Warner, criticized Trump for potentially dragging the U.S. into another war in the Middle East without a clear strategy or congressional approval.