In a significant escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict, the United States has officially joined the military campaign by conducting airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. On Saturday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the US carried out coordinated attacks on three critical sites in Iran — Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
Trump Announces Strikes via Truth Social
Trump used his social media platform, Truth Social, to share the news. In his post, he wrote, “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”
Soon after, he reshared another post from an open-source intelligence site that declared, “Fordow is gone.”
Target: Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions
The Israeli offensive against Iran’s nuclear program began on June 13, with claims that Tehran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. The US decision to join the strikes followed days of uncertainty about whether Trump would authorise direct military involvement.
According to reports, the US deployed B-2 stealth bombers for the mission. While Trump confirmed the use of these advanced aircraft, he did not reveal the exact types of weapons used. However, Fox News reported that six bunker buster bombs were dropped on the Fordow site, while 30 Tomahawk missiles targeted other nuclear facilities.
Iran Confirms Fordow Attack
Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA cited local officials who confirmed that the Fordow nuclear facility had been hit. Meanwhile, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported that Israeli officials confirmed “full coordination” with the US regarding the operation.
Warnings from Iran
Just days before the strikes, Iran had issued strong warnings to the US. On Wednesday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that any American attack would cause “irreparable damage.” Similarly, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei warned that “any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.”
Trump Rules Out Ground Troops
Despite authorising the airstrikes, Trump told reporters on Friday that he had no intention of sending ground troops into Iran. Earlier, he had said a final decision would come in two weeks, but the fast-moving developments prompted immediate action.
Awaited National Address
Trump is expected to address the nation regarding the strikes at 10 p.m. EDT. The White House and the Pentagon have yet to release official details or comment further on the scope of the operation.
