Donald Trump Confirms US Launched Strikes Against Iran In Major Escalation Of Middle Eastern War
Donald Trump has confirmed that the US struck Iran overnight and 'obliterated' its key nuclear facilities, marking a major escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Just days ago the US president gave himself two weeks to make a decision over joining the war in the Middle East, but clearly chose to strike long before that self-imposed deadline passed.
The shocking move comes after UK prime minister Keir Starmer urged Trump not to strike Iran, noting that the region needs de-escalation.
He warned that Iran's future held 'either peace or tragedy' and that there were many other targets he could hit unless Tehran agrees to end the war.
Tensions soared in the Middle East earlier this month when Israel unexpectedly attacked Iran over fears it was developing nuclear weapons – a claim Iran has denied, insisting that it is only for peaceful purposes.
The two countries then continued to exchange fire over the course of a week.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his 'bold decision' of striking Iran, which he claimed would alter the course of history.
According to CBS News, the States contacted Iran on Saturday to confirm the attacks had come to the US and that it is not looking for regime change.
During a three-minute speech confirming the attacks, Trump said: 'Massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.
'Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise.
'Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror.
'Tonight I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success.
'Iran's key nuclear facilities and been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace.
'If they do not, future attacks will be far greater – and a lot easier.'
pic.twitter.com/wu9mMkxtUg
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2025
As Trump Weighs Up Joining Israel's War Against Iran, Here's A Reminder How We Got Here
Keir Starmer Urges Donald Trump Not To Bomb Iran
Obama Says US Moving 'Dangerously Close' To Autocracy Under Trump
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
17 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Japan's Ishiba Calls for De-Escalation in Middle East
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba comments on the conflict in the Middle East after American bombers struck Iran's three main nuclear sites. "De-escalating the situation as soon as possible is what we think is the most important thing," Ishiba said on Sunday. (Source: Japan Pool via Associated Press)
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk Accidentally Doxxes Himself While Sharing Results of a Drug Test
Elon Musk accidentally doxxed himself while trying to prove he isn't a drug addict. After a New York Times exposé about his drug use revealed that Musk has taken so much ketamine, it's given him bladder issues, the former chief of the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency posted a second drug test on X in the space of a week. The Times also reported Musk had taken ecstasy, magic mushrooms, and Adderall regularly. On Tuesday, Musk posted the results of a urine test that showed he was drug-free, with no traces of 16 substances, including amphetamines, cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, or opioids. He followed up with a hair follicle test the following day—and goaded Times reporters to post the results of their own drug tests. 'The WSJ & New York Times fake 'journalists' lied through their teeth about me,' he wrote in the caption. 'Now let's see their drug test results. They will fail.' But Musk inadvertently leaked the last four numbers of his Social Security number, putting the billionaire at risk of identity theft from hackers and scammers. The Daily Beast has asked Musk for comment about the leak of his personal information. The Times put out a statement following the publication of Musk's drug tests that said it stood by its reporting. 'Elon Musk is continuing to lash out because he doesn't like our reporting,' the outlet wrote. 'Nothing that he's said or presented since our article about his drug use during the presidential campaign was published contradicts what we uncovered.' Musk is sensitive about his personal security. In March, he banned several journalists from Twitter for reporting on the itinerary of his private jet, claiming that users sharing the publicly available information were broadcasting 'basically assassination coordinates.' During his time in the White House, he surrounded himself with up to 20 bodyguards who were deputized as federal marshals, which allowed them to carry weapons on federal grounds. As of Friday, Musk has not commented on the leak of his personal information or removed the post. Musk shared the details of his drug tests after falling out with President Donald Trump following his departure from DOGE. At the height of their feud, Trump referred to Musk as a 'big-time addict' and said, 'He's got a problem. The poor guy's got a problem.' The Wall Street Journal further reported in June 2023 and January 2024 that the billionaire regularly used party drugs like ketamine, LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms. In a 2024 interview with former CNN host Don Lemon, Musk admitted that he took a 'small amount' of medically prescribed ketamine every two weeks for depression. 'If you've used too much ketamine, you can't really get work done, and I have a lot of work,' he said at the time. Musk's drug tests were carried out at the Fastest Labs of South Austin in Texas, though without the involvement of a third party, it is impossible to determine their veracity.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
40,000 reasons to worry: U.S. troops in Middle East vulnerable to counterattack
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has at least 40,000 reasons to worry about the aftermath of Saturday's attack on Iran. That's the rough number of U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, in bases from Bahrain to Syria and points in between. Not to mention U.S. citizens who live and work in the region. Commanders over the past two weeks have beefed up defenses and put troops on higher alert for attack, according to a senior Defense official. Those service members are vulnerable to counterattacks that could involve Iranian ballistic missiles, drones or terrorism after the United States joined Israel in its ongoing attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran can strike 'all of them,' a U.S. Defense official said. Prime targets include Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the Pentagon's sprawling hub for warplanes in the Middle East. There are about 10,000 U.S. troops based there. The threat is real. Iran launched 13 ballistic missiles at U.S. troops in Iraq in January 2020. That attack, which wounded about 100 U.S. troops, followed the U.S. drone strike that killed Gen. Qasem Soleimani, leader of Iran's elite Quds Force, part of the country's hardline paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps. Trump hailed the June 21 attack as a "spectacular" success. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," Trump said in a live address, threatening further strikes if Tehran did not agree to U.S. terms. The U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities was likely spearheaded by the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a bomb that can burrow deep into the earth before unleashing a huge explosion. More: How does a bunker-buster bomb work? A closer look at the GBU-57 This week, to bolster protection for Americans in the Middle East, the Pentagon has begun shifting more firepower to the region, including the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group, which is days away from arriving. Those ships will join others capable of shooting down ballistic missiles. The added warplanes from the Nimitz and others in the region would be able to deliver a devastating response in Iran if they did attack U.S. troops, according to the U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. Asked whether there were adequate protections in place to repel an Iranian attack, a Pentagon spokesperson pointed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's X post on June 16. Hegseth noted the 'deployment of additional capabilities' to the region and that the protection of U.S. troops is 'our top priority.' On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee that 'maximum protection' measures were in place. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat on the committee, said he found Hegseth unconvincing. 'I was really disappointed that he failed to offer greater assurance that we have taken active measures to protect U.S. personnel, both military and civilian, in the event of a strike by the United States,' Blumenthal said in an interview. 'I asked specifically about drones and possibility of using them against American targets. I had no real comfort that there are adequate plans to stop or deflect such attacks.' Dispatching the Nimitz strike group is a good step, Blumenthal said. But he questioned the ships' ability to stop terrorist attacks or swarms of drones. Blumenthal also noted that Iran may have the ability to mount drone attacks from within the United States. He pointed to Ukraine's devastating drone attack on Russian warplanes deep inside its border. Israel, too, used drones smuggled into Iran as part of its attack. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 40,000 U.S. troops at risk after attack on Iran
