U.S. has struck three Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says, joining Israeli air campaign
Share this @internewscast.com

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported early Sunday that attacks targeted the country’s Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites.

IRNA quoted Akbar Salehi, Isfahan’s deputy governor in charge of security affairs, saying there had been attacks around the sites.

He did not elaborate.

Another official confirmed an attack targeting Iran’s underground Fordo nuclear site.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the U.S. military conducted strikes on three locations in Iran, aligning directly with Israel’s mission to dismantle the country’s nuclear ambitions. This bold move aims to undermine a persistent adversary, while Iran’s warnings of potential counterattacks could lead to a larger regional conflict.

So far, there has been no prompt confirmation from Iranian officials regarding these military strikes. However, the state-run IRNA news agency reported early Sunday about an incident at the Fordo nuclear facility that triggered air defense systems, though no further details were provided.

This U.S. action follows more than a week of Israeli attacks intended to methodically dismantle Iran’s air defenses and missile capabilities, simultaneously targeting its nuclear enrichment infrastructure. Officials from both the U.S. and Israel indicated that utilizing American stealth bombers, along with the unique 30,000-pound (13,500-kilogram) bunker buster bomb, is seen as the optimal strategy for penetrating Iran’s deeply buried nuclear sites.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump said in a post on social media. “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.”

Trump added in a later post that he would address the national at 10 p.m. Eastern time, writing “This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!”

Trump said B-2 stealth bombers were used but did not specify what types of bombs were dropped. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation.

The strikes are a perilous decision, as Iran has pledged to retaliate if the U.S. joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally. He won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism.

Trump told reporters Friday that he was not interested in sending ground forces into Iran, saying it’s “the last thing you want to do.” He had previously indicated that he would make a final choice over the course of two weeks.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States on Wednesday that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them.” And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared “any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.”

Trump has vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country’s leaders to give up its nuclear program peacefully.

The Israeli military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran’s foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.”

The prospect of a wider war loomed. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel’s military campaign. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the U.S.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel announced that the U.S. had begun “assisted departure flights,” the first from Israel since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump planned to make his decision on the strikes within two weeks. Instead, he struck just two days later.

Trump appears to have made the calculation — at the prodding of Israeli officials and many Republican lawmakers — that Israel’s operation had softened the ground and presented a perhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran’s nuclear program, perhaps permanently.

The Israelis say their offensive has already crippled Iran’s air defenses, allowing them to already significantly degrade multiple Iranian nuclear sites.

But to destroy the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, Israel appealed to Trump for the bunker-busting American bomb known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets and then explode. The bomb is currently delivered only by the B-2 stealth bomber, which is only found in the American arsenal.

If deployed in the attack, it would be the first combat use of the weapon.

The bomb carries a conventional warhead, and is believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility.

Previous Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has said.

Trump’s decision for direct U.S. military intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push — including with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians — aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear program.

For months, Trump said he was dedicated to a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. And he twice — in April and again in late May — persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on military action against Iran and give diplomacy more time.

The U.S. in recent days has been shifting military aircraft and warships into and around the Middle East to protect Israel and U.S. bases from Iranian attacks.

All the while, Trump has gone from publicly expressing hope that the moment could be a “second chance” for Iran to make a deal to delivering explicit threats on Khamenei and making calls for Tehran’s unconditional surrender.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump said in a social media posting. “He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”

The military showdown with Iran comes seven years after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the “worst deal ever.”

The 2015 deal, signed by Iran, U.S. and other world powers, created a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Trump decried the Obama-era deal for giving Iran too much in return for too little, because the agreement did not cover Iran’s non-nuclear malign behavior.

Trump has bristled at criticism from some of his MAGA faithful, including conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, who have suggested that further U.S. involvement would be a betrayal to supporters who were drawn to his promise to end U.S. involvement in expensive and endless wars.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Israeli-Supported Organization Requests $30 Million from the US to Help Gaza

WASHINGTON – A coalition led by the U.S. has requested the Trump…

Parrot Known for “Samuel L. Jackson” Style Language Available for Adoption

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WPRI) — A “loud and explicit” parrot has been…

Pro-Trump MAGA Influencers Rally Support for Him Following U.S. Airstrikes on Iran

The MAGA movement’s top influencers were divided over bombing Iran until President…

The US Launches Strikes on Three Iranian Nuclear Facilities, Engages in Conflict

On Saturday, President Trump revealed that the United States had conducted bombings…

Global Community Urges Diplomacy in Response to US Strikes on Iran

The U.S. attack on Iran has sparked concerns that Israel’s conflict with…

Governor Ron DeSantis Enacts 13 New Laws in Florida: Here’s What They Are

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On Friday, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis finalized another 13…

“Florida Politicians and Leaders Respond to U.S. Air Strike on Iranian Nuclear Facilities”

ORLANDO, Fla. – Politicians across Central Florida were quick to react to…

Republican Congressman Questions Constitutionality of U.S. Bombing Iran

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), one of the most vocal Republicans pushing against…

Lt. Gen. Newton: Striking Iranian Targets was the Best Course of Action

() Retired Air Force Lt. Gen Newton believes the bombing of three…

Expect a Warm and Steamy Weekend in Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s starting off pretty nice and dry across Central…

Zelenskyy Reports Ukraine Received Over 20 Russian Soldiers’ Bodies in Recent Swaps

KYIV – Ukraine’s president mentioned that Russia sent back at least 20…

Possible Israeli Responses to U.S. Attacks on Iran

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site…