In a dramatic escalation of military tensions in the Middle East, the United States has carried out airstrikes on several Iranian nuclear facilities, with President Donald Trump declaring the mission a success and warning Iran against any retaliation.
Speaking from the White House, Trump said the nuclear enrichment facilities in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan had been “completely and totally obliterated.” The strikes mark the first direct U.S. military assault on Iranian territory, intensifying an ongoing conflict that initially erupted between Iran and Israel on June 13.
“There will be either peace or there will be tragedy,” Trump said during his televised address, flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “Remember, there are many targets left. … [I]f peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.”
Trump announced the attack earlier on Truth Social. He thanked military personnel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and attributed the mission’s success to cooperation between U.S. and Israeli officials.
Netanyahu praised the U.S. president’s actions, saying, “bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might” of the American military would “change history.”
In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump referred to the mission as both a “great success” and a “complete and total success.”
While details about the extent of damage remain unclear, the strikes represent a strategic risk aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear capabilities without triggering prolonged military engagement. Trump and his advisers appear to believe the operation can remain a limited action, capable of delivering a decisive blow without drawing the U.S. into another drawn-out conflict.
Fordo, one of the primary targets, is known for being fortified deep inside a mountain and likely required the use of the U.S. military’s most powerful bunker-buster, the GBU-57. U.S. officials have not confirmed the munitions used, though B-2 bombers capable of deploying the weapon were observed departing Whiteman Air Force Base earlier in the day.
Even with successful hits, the operation carries the possibility of unintended consequences. Iran may still possess the capacity to respond through asymmetric warfare, including missile strikes or proxy attacks on U.S. interests in the region.
In a follow-up post, Trump issued a stark warning on Truth Social:“ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT. THANK YOU! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES”
Iran’s history of unconventional responses raises the prospect of retaliation via its network of regional proxies, including Shiite militias in Iraq and the Houthi movement in Yemen. Although Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza—both key Iranian allies—have suffered significant losses in recent Israeli operations, Iran retains the ability to destabilize the region.
There is concern that Iran might respond by targeting U.S. military bases, embassies, or commercial shipping lanes such as the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for global oil shipments. Any disruption there could have far-reaching economic consequences—even for Iran itself.
In the United States, domestic reaction to the strikes split along party lines.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the administration’s move, warning that “the risk of war has now dramatically increased.”
“President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East,” Jeffries stated.
Former Obama administration official Tommy Vietor issued a cautionary note about potential Iranian retaliation:“Iran might retaliate today, tomorrow or in months. Or a year from now, Iran or its proxies might blow up a bus filled with American tourists in Cyprus,” Vietor posted on social media. “No one knows what comes next. Bombing Iran started something that we no longer have the capacity to predict or contain.”
Meanwhile, prominent Republicans voiced strong support for Trump’s decision.Sen. Lindsey Graham called it “the right call,” while Sen. Ted Cruz described the action as necessary: “The prospect of the Iranian regime acquiring nuclear weapons represents the most acute immediate threat to America and our allies.”
Sen. John Cornyn labeled the strikes “courageous and correct,” and Sen. Rick Scott said they demonstrated “what peace through strength looks like.”
