US President Donald Trump on Sunday declared that Iran’s key nuclear facilities had been “completely and totally obliterated” following precision airstrikes carried out by American forces. In a brief yet forceful address to the nation, Trump labelled Iran “the bully of the Middle East” and warned of more severe consequences should Tehran fail to pursue peace.
The US strikes, confirmed to have targeted Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, marked the first direct American military involvement in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The operation, which the President described as “a spectacular military success”, reportedly involved B-2 stealth bombers dropping bunker-busting bombs on the deeply buried Fordow site and cruise missile strikes on the others.
“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal,” Trump said from the White House.
The President added that the strikes aimed to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment infrastructure and eliminate what he termed “the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror.” He said: “Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity... Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”
The Pentagon has yet to release an official operational summary, but multiple sources have confirmed that the Fordow facility—located under a mountain and considered virtually impregnable—was struck with six GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators. These are 30,000-pound conventional bombs capable of penetrating deeply buried targets. According to CBS News, the Biden administration conveyed to Tehran prior to the strike that the action was limited in scope and did not seek regime change.
Also read: US joins Israeli offensive, B-2 bombers hit Iran's nuclear sites
Trump reiterated that “a full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” and celebrated that “all planes are now outside of Iranian airspace and safely on their way home.”
From his own platform, Truth Social, the President posted: “We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran.” He confirmed earlier reports that 30 Tomahawk missiles were fired at Natanz and Isfahan.
Trump also acknowledged Israel’s role in the joint operation. “I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before,” he said. “We've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel. I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they've done.”
The President’s statement came after over a week of Israeli-led aerial bombardments targeting Iranian air defences and missile positions. Those attacks reportedly weakened Iran’s ability to intercept incoming aircraft and paved the way for the US-led strikes.
Observers say the strikes have pushed an already volatile region into uncharted territory. The diplomatic fallout remains uncertain, but American officials told Reuters the mission was carefully calibrated to avoid igniting full-scale war.
As regional actors absorb the scale of the attack, Tehran has yet to issue a formal counter-response, though threats of retaliation have already emerged from Iranian allies across the Middle East.
Subsequently, Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the military action. According to the state-run Saudi Press Agency, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said, “Blatant Israeli aggressions against the Islamic Republic of Iran… undermine its sovereignty and security, constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms, and threaten the security and stability of the region.”
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