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This satellite image, released by Maxar Technologies, shows the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in central Iran on June 14, 2025, following Israeli airstrikes. (AFP)
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that U.S. forces had carried out a "very successful attack" on three Iranian nuclear sites, declaring that Fordow — the centerpiece of Tehran’s nuclear program — "is gone."
Following days of deliberation, Trump’s move to join Israel’s military offensive against Iran marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
“All planes are safely on their way home,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social, praising “our great American warriors.”
He added, “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. Fordow is gone.”
“IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR,” Trump concluded.
U.S. Bomber Movements and Coordinated Strikes Deepen Israel-Iran Conflict
Reuters reported earlier Saturday that U.S. bombers, capable of carrying heavy payloads needed to target deeply buried facilities like Fordow, were on the move. The Fordow nuclear site, located beneath a mountain, was one of the primary targets.
Israel’s public broadcaster Kan quoted an Israeli official confirming that the operation was conducted “in full coordination” with Washington.
The joint strikes come amid over a week of intense aerial clashes between Israel and Iran, resulting in significant casualties on both sides. Israel has stated that its goal is to eliminate any possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons—a claim Tehran denies, insisting its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
Diplomatic efforts by Western nations to de-escalate the conflict have so far failed.
The U.S. involvement has sparked debate in Washington, with several Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans insisting that President Trump must seek congressional approval before committing U.S. forces to combat in Iran.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military confirmed it had completed another wave of strikes in southwestern Iran on Saturday, targeting multiple military installations. The campaign began on June 13, with Israel claiming Iran was nearing nuclear weapon capability. Israel itself is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, though it maintains a policy of ambiguity.
According to Iranian state-run Nour News, at least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel launched its offensive. In Israel, 24 civilians have died from Iranian missile attacks, marking one of the most intense escalations between the two archrivals. Israeli officials report that over 450 Iranian missiles have been launched toward their territory, with 1,272 people injured—14 of them in serious condition.
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Fire and smoke billow from the Sharan Oil Depot in Tehran, Iran, after Israeli airstrikes on June 15, 2025. Iran’s armed forces issued a warning on Saturday, threatening to target military aid shipments to Israel amid the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
"Any delivery of military or radar equipment by air or sea from any country to support the Zionist regime will be viewed as direct involvement in aggression against Islamic Iran and will be deemed a legitimate target," a military spokesperson said in a televised statement on state-run media. |