By SAM MEDNICK, AAMER MADHANI and DAVID RISING, Related Press
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The US struck three websites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel’s conflict geared toward destroying the nation’s nuclear program in a dangerous gambit to weaken a longtime foe regardless of fears of a wider regional battle.
Addressing the nation from the White Home, President Donald Trump asserted that Iran’s key nuclear had been “utterly and totally obliterated.” There was no unbiased injury evaluation.
It was not clear whether or not the U.S. would proceed attacking Iran alongside its ally Israel, which has been engaged in a nine-day conflict with Iran. Trump acted with out congressional authorization, and he warned that there could be further strikes if Tehran retaliated towards U.S. forces.
“There’ll both be peace or there shall be tragedy for Iran,” he mentioned.
An Israeli flag is hung outdoors a broken condo two days after it was struck by a missile launched from Iran, in Ramat Gan, Israel, on Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Picture/Ohad Zwigenberg)
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An Israeli flag is hung outdoors a broken condo two days after it was struck by a missile launched from Iran, in Ramat Gan, Israel, on Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Picture/Ohad Zwigenberg)
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Iran’s high diplomat, International Minister Abbas Araghchi, warned in a submit on X that the U.S. assaults “can have eternal penalties” and that Tehran “reserves all choices” to retaliate.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations known as for an emergency Safety Council assembly to debate what he described because the U.S.’s “heinous assaults and unlawful use of power” towards Iran.
In a letter obtained by The Related Press Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, mentioned that the U.N.’s strongest physique should “take all mandatory measures” to carry the U.S. accountable below worldwide regulation and the U.N. constitution.
Early Sunday morning Israel alerted the general public of an Iranian missile launch and urged folks to take shelter. Iranian has been firing missile barrages at Israel because the conflict started however they’ve decreased in measurement as Israel targets Tehran’s missile launchers. The Islamic Republic may additionally be retaining some arms in reserve.
The Atomic Power Group of Iran confirmed that assaults passed off on its Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz websites, however it insisted that its work won’t be stopped. Iran mentioned there have been no indicators of radioactive contamination on the three places and no hazard to close by residents.
Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceable functions solely, and U.S. intelligence companies have assessed that Tehran isn’t actively pursuing a bomb. Nonetheless, Trump and Israeli leaders have claimed that Iran may shortly assemble a nuclear weapon, making it an imminent risk.
The choice to straight contain the U.S. within the conflict comes after greater than every week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the nation’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, whereas damaging its nuclear enrichment services. However U.S. and Israeli officers have mentioned American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,500-kilogram) bunker-buster bomb they alone can carry provided the very best probability of destroying closely fortified websites linked to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.
“We’ve got accomplished our very profitable assault on the three Nuclear websites in Iran, together with Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump mentioned in a submit on social media. “All planes at the moment are outdoors of Iran air house. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the first website, Fordow. All planes are safely on their manner house.”
Trump added in a later submit: “That is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s choice to assault in a video message directed on the American president.
“Your daring choice to focus on Iran’s nuclear services, with the superior and righteous may of the US, will change historical past,” he mentioned. Netanyahu mentioned the U.S. “has finished what no different nation on earth may do.”
Israel introduced Sunday that it might shut the nation’s airspace to each inbound and outbound flights within the wake of the U.S. assaults.
The White Home and Pentagon didn’t instantly elaborate on the operation. U.S. army leaders are scheduled to offer a briefing at 8 a.m. Jap.
The assault used bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s Fordo nuclear gasoline enrichment plant that’s constructed deep right into a mountain, a U.S. official mentioned. The weapons are designed to penetrate the bottom earlier than exploding. The official spoke on situation of anonymity to debate army operations.
As well as, U.S. submarines launched about 30 Tomahawk missiles, in response to one other U.S. official who additionally spoke on situation of anonymity.
The strikes are a deadly choice, as Iran has pledged to retaliate if the U.S. joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally. He gained the White Home on the promise of retaining America out of expensive overseas conflicts and scoffed on the worth of American interventionism.
U.N. Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres mentioned he was “gravely alarmed” by the “harmful escalation” of American strikes.
“There’s a rising threat that this battle may quickly get uncontrolled — with catastrophic penalties for civilians, the area, and the world,” he mentioned in an announcement.
Trump informed reporters Friday that he was not all in favour of sending floor forces into Iran, saying it’s “the very last thing you need to do.” He had beforehand indicated that he would make a remaining selection over the course of two weeks.
Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the US on Wednesday that strikes concentrating on the Islamic Republic will “end in irreparable injury for them.” And Iranian International Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared “any American intervention could be a recipe for an all-out conflict within the area.”
Trump has vowed that he wouldn’t permit Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and he had initially hoped that the specter of power would deliver the nation’s leaders to surrender its nuclear program peacefully.
The Israeli army mentioned Saturday it was making ready for the opportunity of a prolonged conflict, whereas Iran’s overseas minister warned earlier than the U.S. assault that American army involvement “could be very, very harmful for everybody.”
The prospect of a wider conflict loomed. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen mentioned they might resume assaults on U.S. vessels within the Purple Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel’s army marketing campaign. The Houthis paused such assaults in Could below a take care of the U.S.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned Thursday that Trump deliberate to make his choice on the strikes inside two weeks. As an alternative, he struck simply two days later.
Trump seems to have made the calculation — on the prodding of Israeli officers and lots of Republican lawmakers — that Israel’s operation had softened the bottom and introduced a maybe unparalleled alternative to set again Iran’s nuclear program, maybe completely.
The Israelis say their offensive has already crippled Iran’s air defenses, permitting them to considerably degrade a number of Iranian nuclear websites.
However to destroy the Fordo nuclear gasoline enrichment plant, Israel appealed to Trump for the bunker-busting American bomb generally known as the GBU-57 Huge Ordnance Penetrator, which makes use of its weight and sheer kinetic power to succeed in deeply buried targets after which explode. The bomb is at present delivered solely by the B-2 stealth bomber, which is just discovered within the American arsenal.
It was the primary fight use of the weapon.
The bomb carries a standard warhead, and is believed to have the ability to penetrate about 200 toes (61 meters) under the floor earlier than exploding, and the bombs may be dropped one after one other, successfully drilling deeper and deeper with every successive blast.
The Worldwide Atomic Power Company has confirmed that Iran is producing extremely enriched uranium at Fordo, elevating the chance that nuclear materials may very well be launched into the realm if the GBU-57 A/B had been used to hit the power.
Earlier Israeli strikes at one other Iranian nuclear website, Natanz, on a centrifuge website have triggered contamination solely on the website itself, not the encircling space, the IAEA has mentioned.
Israeli strikes on Iran have killed no less than 865 folks and wounded 3,396 others, in response to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group mentioned of these useless, it recognized 363 civilians and 215 safety power personnel.
Trump’s choice for direct U.S. army intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push — together with with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians — geared toward persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear program.
For months, Trump mentioned he was devoted to a diplomatic push to influence Iran to surrender its nuclear ambitions. And he twice — in April and once more in late Could — persuaded Netanyahu to carry off on army motion towards Iran and provides diplomacy extra time.
All of the whereas, Trump has gone from publicly expressing hope that the second may very well be a “second probability” for Iran to make a deal to delivering express threats on Khamenei and making requires Tehran’s unconditional give up.
The army showdown with Iran comes seven years after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-administration brokered settlement in 2018, calling it the “worst deal ever.”
The 2015 deal, signed by Iran, U.S. and different world powers, created a long-term, complete nuclear settlement that restricted Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in alternate for the lifting of financial sanctions.
Trump decried the Obama-era deal for giving Iran an excessive amount of in return for too little, as a result of the settlement didn’t cowl Iran’s non-nuclear malign habits.
Trump has bristled at criticism from a few of his MAGA devoted who’ve urged that additional U.S. involvement could be a betrayal to supporters who had been drawn to his promise to finish U.S. involvement in costly and infinite wars.
Madhani reported from Morristown, N.J. Rising reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Related Press writers Nasser Karimi in Iran; Mehmet Guzel in Istanbul; Josef Federman in Jerusalem; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Matthew Lee and Josh Boak in Washington; and Farnoush Amiri and Jon Gambrell in Dubai contributed to this report.
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