In a stunning and highly consequential escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran, American warplanes launched a surprise wave of coordinated airstrikes on Sunday, targeting three of Iran’s most critical nuclear facilities — Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan. The strikes, which President Donald Trump described as “very successful,” have sent shockwaves across the international community, raising the specter of a wider regional war and setting back decades of painstaking nuclear diplomacy.
The White House released satellite imagery and infrared footage that purportedly showed direct hits on the facilities, which are central to Iran’s nuclear program. Speaking from the Oval Office in a televised address, President Trump confirmed the operation had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s main uranium enrichment capabilities. “We hit them where it hurts most. Iran will never have a nuclear weapon — not on my watch,” Trump said.
According to US intelligence assessments shared with key allies and later leaked to the press, the airstrikes involved a combination of F-22 Raptor stealth fighters, B-2 Spirit bombers, and long-range cruise missiles fired from warships positioned in the Persian Gulf. Pentagon officials indicated the targets were struck with precision bunker-busting munitions specifically designed to penetrate fortified underground facilities.
The Natanz enrichment complex, long considered the cornerstone of Iran’s uranium centrifuge operations, was “crippled beyond repair,” according to a senior US defense official speaking anonymously. Fordo, buried deep under a mountain near Qom and protected by multiple layers of rock and reinforced concrete, was described by the same official as “no longer a functioning facility.” At Isfahan, explosions destroyed large sections of the uranium conversion plant, including four key buildings reportedly involved in preparing uranium for enrichment.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that communications with on-site monitoring devices at all three locations were lost simultaneously around 2:45 a.m. local time. Director General Rafael Grossi expressed “serious concern” and called for an emergency session of the IAEA Board of Governors.
President Trump has long made Iran’s nuclear ambitions a central focus of his foreign policy. Upon re-entering the White House in 2025, he immediately reimposed “maximum pressure” sanctions and warned Tehran that any movement toward weapons-grade enrichment would trigger military action. On Sunday, he claimed intelligence indicated Iran was “weeks or even days” away from weaponization.
“We’ve been more than patient,” Trump said. “The world has ignored the growing danger for too long. Today we acted — not just for America, but for global peace.”
Israel, a close US ally and long-time adversary of the Islamic Republic, praised the strikes. In a brief statement, Israeli Prime Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the operation “a necessary blow to the head of the Iranian snake.” Israeli defense sources claimed the Natanz strike alone would delay Iran’s nuclear program “by at least six years.”
Since June 13, Israel is believed to have launched at least four targeted strikes on Iranian nuclear-linked sites, including in Isfahan. Though it has not officially taken responsibility, Iranian authorities have blamed Israel for a series of escalating incidents — sabotage, drone attacks, and assassinations of nuclear scientists.
The Iranian leadership was quick to condemn the strikes. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appearing alongside military commanders in Tehran, labeled the attack a “declaration of war” and vowed revenge. “America will pay a heavy price. These crimes will not go unanswered,” he said during a nationally televised address.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has since placed all missile and air defense units on high alert. IRGC commander Gen. Hossein Salami claimed that several US drones and missiles were intercepted during the attack — a claim Washington has denied.
In a defiant tone, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated, “Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and legal. These barbaric attacks will not destroy our capability, only our patience.”
The Iranian parliament held an emergency closed-door session, where lawmakers reportedly discussed invoking Article 51 of the UN Charter, which permits self-defense, and resuming unrestricted enrichment activities. Crowds gathered outside the damaged Natanz complex, chanting anti-American slogans and calling for retribution.
Iran’s nuclear history has been controversial and turbulent. The country’s first research reactor was gifted by the United States in 1967 under the Atoms for Peace program. But relations soured after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and suspicions about Iran’s nuclear intentions grew throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
The landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed in 2015 was seen as a breakthrough. Under the deal, Iran agreed to strict limits on uranium enrichment, reductions in stockpiles, and intrusive inspections in exchange for sanction relief. However, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018, calling it “the worst agreement ever negotiated.”
Since then, Iran has dramatically accelerated its nuclear activities. As of May 2025, the IAEA reported Iran possessed over 9,247 kilograms of enriched uranium — 45 times the JCPOA limit. This includes over 400 kilograms enriched to 60 percent, edging perilously close to weapons-grade.
Experts have warned for months that Iran had enough enriched material to create at least 10 nuclear weapons, should it choose to take the final steps.
Natanz, located about 250 km south of Tehran, was considered Iran’s main uranium enrichment hub, featuring dozens of underground cascades of IR-1 and IR-6 centrifuges. It had previously been targeted in a cyberattack (Stuxnet) in 2010 and physical sabotage in 2021.
Fordo, built under a mountain near Qom, was originally hidden from international monitors. Enrichment here had become a flashpoint in recent years, especially after the discovery of uranium enriched to 83.7% — dangerously close to weapons-grade.
Isfahan’s conversion facility produced uranium hexafluoride gas (UF6) — the feedstock for centrifuges. It also housed fuel fabrication facilities and a new research reactor site, targeted by Israeli strikes earlier this month.
Other sites — Arak, Tehran, and Bushehr — remain untouched for now, though Trump suggested they remain “on the list.” Bushehr, Iran’s only active nuclear power plant, was built by Russia and operates under IAEA safeguards.
The reaction from the international community has been swift and polarized.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting late Sunday. Russia and China condemned the strikes as “aggression” and “a blatant violation of international law,” demanding that the US be held accountable. Moscow warned that such actions could “ignite a catastrophic war in the Middle East.”
The European Union, which had tried to mediate between Washington and Tehran for years, expressed “grave concern” over the situation. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for “maximum restraint from all parties.”
The UK, Australia, and Japan urged de-escalation but stopped short of condemning the US outright. India and Brazil called for diplomatic solutions and urged both sides to return to talks.
In contrast, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates welcomed the US strikes, with Riyadh stating that “unchecked Iranian ambitions must be curbed.” Turkey, however, called the bombing “reckless.”
As of Monday morning, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has reportedly redeployed additional air assets to Qatar, Bahrain, and the USS Eisenhower carrier strike group in the Arabian Sea. American embassies across the Middle East have gone on high alert, and non-essential personnel are being evacuated from Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
Iranian proxies in the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and various Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria, have issued threats of retaliation. A Hezbollah spokesperson said, “American assets are now legitimate targets.”
Meanwhile, oil prices surged 12% amid fears of retaliation and potential disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil supply flows.
Trump’s decision to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites just months ahead of the 2025 presidential election is a high-stakes gamble. While it may shore up support among conservative voters and defense hawks, critics say it risks plunging the US into another protracted conflict in the Middle East.
Democratic lawmakers criticized the strikes as unconstitutional, claiming the president acted without Congressional authorization. Senator Chris Murphy called it “a reckless and illegal use of force.”
Former President Joe Biden, in a rare public statement, said: “There were other options. This was a choice for confrontation over diplomacy.”
Iran now faces a moment of strategic reckoning. It could opt for calibrated retaliation, a resumption of nuclear weapons development, or even full withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). If it does the latter, it will become only the second country to ever do so after North Korea.
At the same time, the world must prepare for the possibility of rapid escalation.
With Trump declaring that “many more targets remain” and warning that future strikes could come “within minutes,” the Middle East stands on the precipice of a far more dangerous conflict.
