Trump says US has attacked three Iranian nuclear sites
The United States has attacked three Iranian nuclear sites, President Donald Trump says, joining an Israeli air campaign as Tehran promises to retaliate.
The move means the US has directly joined Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.
Follow 1News' live updates for the latest developments
In a post on social media, Trump announced the apparent military strike.
He wrote: "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
ADVERTISEMENT
"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.
"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!"
The decision to directly involve the US comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.
But US and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-pound. bunker buster bomb, they alone can carry, offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.
The strikes are a perilous decision for the US as Iran has pledged to retaliate if it joins the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally, having won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism.
More to come
ADVERTISEMENT
Israel says it's preparing for possibility of lengthy war
Earlier, Israel's military said it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war after it announced it had struck an Iranian nuclear research facility overnight and killed three senior Iranian commanders in targeted attacks.
The prospect of a wider war was threatened, too.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would resume attacks on US vessels and warships in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel's military campaign against Iran. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the US.
The US ambassador to Israel announced the US has begun 'assisted departure flights,' the first such flights from Israel since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
Parnia Rahmanian, 13, lies unconscious in a hospital bed following Israeli strike that targeted her neighborhood, in Tehran (Source: Associated Press)
Inside Iran, smoke rose from an area near a mountain in Isfahan, where the province's deputy governor for security affairs, Akbar Salehi, confirmed the Israeli strikes damaged the facility but caused no casualties.
ADVERTISEMENT
The target was a centrifuge production site, Israel's military said. Isfahan was also hit in the first 24 hours of the war as part of Israel's goal to destroy Iran's nuclear program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the latest attack.
Iran again launched drones and missiles at Israel, but there were no immediate reports of significant damage.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity under army guidelines to brief reporters, called it a 'small barrage' that was largely intercepted by Israel's defences.
The official estimated that Israel's military has taken out more than 50% of Iran's launchers.
'We're making it harder for them to fire toward Israel,' he said.
'Having said all that, I want to say the Iranian regime obviously still has capabilities.'
ADVERTISEMENT
The Israeli military's chief spokesman, Brig Gen Effie Defrin, later said Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir told the army to prepare for a 'prolonged campaign."
Iran says US military involvement would be 'dangerous'
Trump was previously weighing up active US military involvement in the war.
On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, 'I think that it would be very, very dangerous for everyone.'
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi listens to speeches as he attends the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting, in Istanbul (Source: Associated Press)
He spoke on the sidelines of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Turkey.
Barring a commando raid or even a nuclear strike, Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered out of reach to all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. Trump said he would put off his decision on military involvement for up to two weeks.
ADVERTISEMENT
The war erupted June 13, with Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists.
At least 722 people, including 285 civilians, have been killed in Iran, and more than 2500 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
One Tehran resident, Nasrin, writhed in her hospital bed as she described how a blast threw her against a wall in her apartment.
'I've had five surgeries. I think I have nothing right here that is intact,' she said Saturday.
Another patient, Shahram Nourmohammadi, said he had been making deliveries when 'something blew up right in front of me' at an intersection.
A number of Iranians fled the country. 'Everyone is leaving Tehran right now,' said one who did not give his name after crossing into Armenia.
Iran has retaliated by firing more than 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates.
ADVERTISEMENT
Israel's multitiered air defences have shot down most of them, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
A person illuminates a light inside a tent while spending the night in a public shelter as a precaution against possible Iranian missile attacks, in Tel Aviv (Source: Associated Press)
Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with a nuclear weapons program, but has never acknowledged it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel's military operation will continue 'for as long as it takes' to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missile arsenal.
No date set for new talks
While talks in Geneva on Friday failed to produce a breakthrough, Iran's foreign minister said he was open to further dialogue. He emphasised that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continues to attack.
ADVERTISEMENT
No date was set for a new round of talks.
For many Iranians, updates remained difficult. Internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org said Saturday that limited internet access had again 'collapsed.'
A nationwide internet shutdown has been in place for several days.
More attacks on Iranian military commanders
Israel's defence minister said the military killed a paramilitary Revolutionary Guard commander who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing 20-month war in Gaza.
Iranian officials did not immediately confirm Saeed Izadi's death, but the Qom governor's office said there had been an attack on a four-story apartment building and local media reported two people had been killed.
Israel also said it killed the commander of the Quds Force's weapons transfer unit, who it said was responsible for providing weapons to Hezbollah and Hamas. Behnam Shahriyari was killed while travelling in western Iran, the military said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Iran threatens head of UN nuclear watchdog
Iranian leaders say IAEA chief Rafael Grossi's statements about the status of Iran's nuclear program prompted Israel's attack.
On Saturday, a senior adviser for Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Ali Larijani, said on social media, without elaboration, that Iran would make Grossi 'pay' once the war is over.
Grossi, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, on Friday warned against attacks on Iran's nuclear reactors, particularly its only commercial nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr.
'In case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity,' Grossi said, adding: 'This is the nuclear site in Iran where the consequences could be most serious.'
Israel has not targeted Iran's nuclear reactors, instead focusing strikes on the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, laboratories in Isfahan and the country's Arak heavy water reactor southwest of the capital.
Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal in exchange for sanctions relief.
ADVERTISEMENT
But after Trump pulled the US out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60% and restricting access to its nuclear facilities.
Iran has insisted on its right to enrich uranium — at lower levels — in recent talks over its nuclear program.
But Trump, like Israel, has demanded Iran end its enrichment program altogether.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
UN Experts Condemn Israeli Attack On Iran And Urge End To Hostilities
GENEVA (20 June 2025) – UN experts* today unequivocally condemned recent Israeli military attacks against Iran, which have targeted nuclear facilities, energy and military infrastructure, as well as residential and media buildings across multiple locations. 'These attacks represent a flagrant violation of fundamental principles of international law, a blatant act of aggression and a violation of jus cogens norms—peremptory rules of international law from which no derogation is permitted,' the experts said. Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, including through any purported claim of preventive self-defense against alleged nuclear proliferation or terrorism. The experts noted reports that Israel's strikes targeting nuclear and uranium enrichment facilities, air defense installations, and command centers, resulted in the extrajudicial killing of Iranian civilian scientists, military commanders and other government officials. Although journalists are civilians protected under international law, Iran's state television channel was reportedly also targeted, causing the death of three media workers. The bombing has caused severe damage and civilian casualties in various areas of the capital Tehran. They also noted reports that Iran's armed response had caused damage to a hospital and residential buildings, among military and energy infrastructure targeted in Israel. 'Israel's attack and Iran's response – with successive waves of attacks against each other's territory – have resulted in many civilian casualties, confirming our grave concerns about this destructive cycle of violence,' the experts said. The experts noted preliminary casualty figures of at least 224 deaths in Iran, with approximately 90% reported to be civilians, and 24 civilian deaths in Israel. They underlined the obligation of all parties to strictly abide by international humanitarian law, including the obligations to avoid deliberate, indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks on civilian objects. They recalled that even when acting in self-defense, States are bound by principles of proportionality, distinction and precaution. 'We are particularly alarmed by reports of the deaths and injuries of women and children, who are among the most vulnerable in armed conflict and disproportionately bear the brunt of such violence,' the experts said. They also agreed with the International Atomic Energy Agency that military action against or near nuclear facilities poses unacceptable risks to regional and international security, as well as catastrophic humanitarian and ecological impacts. 'The timing of the strikes — coinciding with ongoing diplomatic efforts in Muscat aimed at reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — raises serious concerns about the deliberate undermining of peace initiatives,' the experts said. 'This aggravates the charges against Israel of posing a threat to peace and security in the region and beyond.' The experts warned that Israel's attack on Iran and ensuing violence marked a dangerous escalation of risks in a region already strained by overlapping crises and geopolitical rivalries, noting that the normalisation of the use of force as an instrument of foreign policy threatened to collapse the international legal order which is already under significant strain. 'We are gravely concerned that the recent strikes form part of a broader pattern of unlawful unilateral acts by Israel,' the experts said. 'They occur alongside ongoing and intensifying occupation, annexation, apartheid and violence in the West Bank as well as genocidal violence against the people of Gaza, including through systematic use of starvation and domicide. All of which amounts to international crimes punished under the Rome statute and grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law,' they said. The experts stressed that these multiple crises must not be viewed in isolation. 'The implications of the current escalation extend far beyond the Middle East,' they said. 'They strike at the core of the international system founded on respect for the sovereign equality of states, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the prohibition of unilateral military action.' The UN experts urged the international community to take principled and coordinated action to uphold international law, prevent further escalation and cease hostilities. They stressed the necessity of respecting the ongoing international proceedings against Israel for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The proceedings impose an absolute and non-derogable obligation not to recognise, trade with, provide aid to, or assist a state accused of atrocity crimes. 'Stopping the supply of arms to Israel is the first step to return to peace and stability in the region,' the experts said. 'World leaders must recommit to diplomacy and dialogue in resolving disputes in a peaceful manner according to the UN Charter and international law,' they said. 'Failure to act will drag the entire region and beyond into the abyss.' *The experts: George Katrougalos, the Independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order ; Mai Sato, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran ; Claudia Mahler, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; Morris Tidball-Binz, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions ; Ben Saul, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Irene Khan, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression ; Surya Deva, the Special Rapporteur on the right to development ; Michael Fakhri, the Special Rapporteur on the right to food ; Gina Romero, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association ; Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 ; Nicolas Levrat, Special Rapporteur on minority issues; Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krstić, and Haina Lu, Working group on discrimination against women and girls; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context; Geneviève Savigny (Chair-Rapporteur), Carlos Duarte, Uche Ewelukwa, Shalmali Guttal, Davit Hakobyan,
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
UN Chief ‘Gravely Alarmed' By US Bombing Of Iranian Nuclear Sites
"I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today,' said the UN chief, reiterating that there is no military solution. ' This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.' President Donald Trump delivered a televised address to the nation from the White House at 10pm local time and said that Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan had been 'totally obliterated' describing the long-range bombing raid as a 'spectacular military success.' President Trump called on Iran's leadership to now 'make peace' and return to negotiations over its nuclear programme or suffer a far greater wave of attacks. Iranian authorities have yet to confirm the extent of the damage to the three sites in central Iran. Earlier in the day, Iran's foreign minister reportedly warned the US against any involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict which erupted on 13 June. Deadly strikes At least 430 Iranians are believed to have been killed during waves of strikes since then with around 3,500 injured, according to figures from the Iranian health ministry. In Israel, 24 civilians have died in the retaliatory attacks according to local authorities with more than 400 missiles reportedly fired towards the country. B-2 bombers were involved in the US strikes, President Trump confirmed, dropping so-called 'bunker buster' bombs on the uranium enrichment site at Fordow which is buried deep inside a mountain south of the capital Tehran. 'Avoid a spiral of chaos' In his statement, the Secretary-General reiterated his concerns voiced in the Security Council during Friday's emergency meeting on the crisis that the conflict 'could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.' He called on all Member States to de-escalate the situation which threatens the stability of the Middle East and beyond, calling for everyone to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and international law. ' At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos,' he added calling for an immediate return to negotiations between the warring parties. ' There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.'
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
DAWN Statement On The Trump Administration's War On Iran
In response to U.S. airstrikes inside Iran ordered by President Trump, DAWN issued the following statements: 'Trump's unprovoked and unauthorized attacks on Iran not only violate international law but the U.S. Constitution, which grants only Congress the right to declare war,' said Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN's Executive Director. 'Trump has recklessly launched a war that harms American interests in service of Israeli demands, and broken his promise to the American people to put America first.' 'President Trump's actions will most likely lead to retaliation from Iran that puts American troops and citizens across the Middle East in harm's way,' said Raed Jarrar, DAWN's Advocacy Director. 'Congress should immediately pass a War Powers Resolution to prohibit further U.S. military involvement, even in the event of retaliation. We need de-escalation, not more bombs.' 'Trump has completely folded to Netanyahu, dragging the U.S. into a war that undermines American interests,' said Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Israel-Palestine Director at DAWN. 'The UN General Assembly should immediately pass a 'Uniting for Peace' resolution to hold both Israel and the U.S. accountable and demand an end to this regime-change campaign.'
