Washington DC [US], June 22: In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, former US President Donald Trump announced that the United States has conducted direct airstrikes on three major nuclear sites in Iran, marking the first American military intervention of its kind since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Trump confirmed the attack in a statement on Truth Social, claiming that US forces had successfully targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, with the Fordow site receiving a “full payload of bombs.”
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space,” Trump wrote. “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”
He went on to praise US military forces, saying, “Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”
Key Targets of the Attack
- Fordow and Natanz are Iran’s primary uranium enrichment facilities. According to reports, Natanz had already been struck earlier in the week by Israeli forces using smaller weapons.
- Isfahan, near a historic Iranian city, is believed to house stockpiles of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium.
According to The New York Times, these strikes represent a significant shift in US policy and are considered a direct act of war. Successive US administrations, from Jimmy Carter onward, have avoided such open military engagement with Iran despite escalating tensions over the decades.
Stealth Bombers Possibly Involved
CNN reported that multiple US B-2 stealth bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri late Friday night. While not confirmed to have been involved in the strike, these aircraft were seen flying over the Pacific, potentially en route to Guam.
The B-2 is the only aircraft capable of deploying the 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a “bunker buster” designed to destroy deeply buried targets like the Fordow facility.
Strategic Context
Trump’s decision follows a week of intense military consultations at the White House. Although he had earlier suggested a two-week deliberation period before any action, the strikes came sooner than expected.
The US intervention comes on the ninth day of the Israel-Iran war, which began on June 13 with Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion” — a broad strike targeting Iranian nuclear and military assets. Iran responded with “Operation True Promise 3,” launching a large-scale missile and drone attack on Israeli military and energy infrastructure.
With the US now officially involved, the regional conflict has expanded significantly, raising concerns about a broader Middle Eastern war and the potential for international fallout.