Washington, D.C. June 22 – President Donald Trump on Saturday evening confirmed that U.S. military forces had carried out air strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, marking a major escalation in the Middle East conflict and thrusting the United States directly into Israel’s campaign against Tehran.
“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 airspace,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
He added that a “full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” and concluded his message with a call for peace.
“There is not another military in the world that could have done this,” Trump wrote. “NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”
In a follow-up post, the president announced he would address the nation at 10 p.m. ET and declared: “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!” He also reposted a social media message stating, “FORDOW IS GONE.”
The decision to strike Iran’s nuclear infrastructure marks one of the most consequential moves of Trump’s second term, ending a week of intense deliberations within his administration and among Republican allies. While some in Trump’s political base had warned against direct intervention, fearing a prolonged regional war, the president concluded that military action was necessary as diplomatic efforts remained stalled.
According to sources familiar with the operation, American B-2 bombers conducted the strike, targeting Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear sites. The stealth aircraft are the only platform capable of carrying the 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a bunker-busting bomb specifically designed to destroy deeply buried facilities like Fordow.
The attack marks the first time since the 1979 Iranian revolution that an American president has ordered direct military strikes on key infrastructure inside Iran. Fordow, in particular, had long been considered a red line by previous U.S. administrations, which opted against targeting it due to fears of regional escalation.
U.S. officials said Israel was given advance notice of the strikes. Trump also held a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after the operation.
As the U.S. weighed its options, Iran had issued stern warnings of retaliation in the event of any aggression. American military forces had already been mobilised across the region in anticipation of possible Iranian reprisals.
Trump is reportedly hopeful that the strikes will bring Iran back to the negotiating table and, for now, has no plans for additional military action. However, U.S. forces remain on high alert.
“The goal is to end this war, not prolong it,” a senior White House official said.
