Esfahan, Fordow and Natanz— images of key Iran's nuclear sites where US dropped bombs on June 21
Esfahan, Fordow and Natanz— images of key Iran's nuclear sites where US dropped bombs on June 21
7 Photos . Updated: 22 Jun 2025, 10:14 AM IST
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US B-2 bombers struck key Iran's key nuclear sites on Saturday. Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan facilities were attacked in the June 21 airstrike. US President Donald Trump said that a full payload of bombs was dropped on the primary site, Fordow.
1/7Israel Defence Forces posted a video on X and said that their military struck nuclear site in Esfahan and in western Iran. (Screengrab @IDF)
2/7The image shows Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) before June 21 attack carried out by US military. In a post on social media platform Truth Social, Donald Trump said that a full payload of bombs was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. (Maxar Technologies via AFP)
3/7This satellite image shows vehicles at Iran's Fordo enrichment facility, two days before US joined Israel in its direct campaign against Ayatollah Khamenei-led government. (Maxar Technologies via AP)
4/7This satellite image shows damaged Esfahan nuclear facility after US' B-2 stealth bombers struck the site on June 21. (Screengrab @IDF)
5/7This satellite image shows the Isfahan nuclear enrichment facility in central Iran on June 14, a day after Israel's surprise attack on Iran. (Maxar Technologies via AFP)
6/7The Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in central Iran before June 21 airstrike. In a post on social media platform Truth Social, Donald Trump confirmed that US military completed successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. (Maxar Technologies via AFP)
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NDTV
14 minutes ago
- NDTV
How US Airstrikes Created Win-Win Chance For Iran, Diplomatic Fix For Trump
New Delhi: With the US carrying out precision airstrikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, all eyes are now on Tehran's response. Iran now faces a tough choice: a strong retaliation may lead to further escalation, but a meek response may result in the national leadership losing popular support. There is another possibility: Iran may not strike back at the US now. Trump Throws A Bait The Donald Trump administration struck three nuclear installations in Iran -- Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. This is the first time the US has attacked facilities in Iran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. However, the precision nature of the strike suggests that Trump has, in effect, thrown the ball into Iran's court. "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," the US President said after the airstrikes. The US has thrown a bait. If Iran chooses to respond by targeting US facilities, Washington DC would then step up its offensive and push the "we didn't start the war" narrative. What Iran Said After the Attacks Iran's Foreign Affairs Ministry has condemned the US' "brutal military aggression" and termed it a "grave and unprecedented violation" of the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law. "The US military aggression against the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of a UN member state - carried out in collusion with the genocidal Israeli regime - once again laid bare the depth of depravity that governs American foreign policy and revealed the extent of hostility harbored by the US ruling establishment against the peace-seeking and independence-loving people of Iran." "The Islamic Republic of Iran is resolved to defend Iran's territory, sovereignty, security and people by all force and means against the United States' criminal aggression," Iran has said, urging the UN Security Council to step in. Why Iran May Not Target the US It would be reckless of Iran to launch a direct attack on the US at this point. The unequal military capabilities aside, such an attack would give Trump exactly what he wants -- a reason to launch a massive offensive. What Iran may do instead is let Trump have this symbolic victory and continue its attacks against Israel. Doing this keeps Washington out of the war and puts more pressure on Tel Aviv. If the US still targets Iran, it would seem like the aggressor going to war on Israel's behalf. Diplomatic Dilemma For Trump In joining the war against Iran, US President Trump has played a major gamble. For long, Trump has spoken against "forever wars" fought by former US Presidents abroad, but his escalation today flies in the face of that rhetoric. While the Democrats in the US have stepped up their political attacks following the airstrikes, Trump also runs the risk of alienating a section of his Republican supporters. If the US manages to get Iran to capitulate, Trump can still claim a major win. But if that doesn't happen, he will be blamed for drawing Washington into another protracted conflict. This is also bad optics for brand Trump, especially at a time when Pakistan has backed him for the Nobel Peace Prize, stressing that his intervention in the India-Pakistan conflict last month "stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker". India has repeatedly emphasised that the ceasefire was the result of direct diplomacy between New Delhi and Islamabad, with the latter reaching out after India targeted key military installations in Pakistan. A Win-Win Option For Iran Today's airstrikes in Iran provide a big opportunity for Iran to shift its nuclear strategy. Iran had signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968 and ratified it in 1970 as a non-nuclear-weapon state. Amid the spiralling conflict with Israel, Tehran had earlier said its lawmakers are preparing a bill for withdrawal from the NPT. The US airstrikes provide it with a better option. It can now simply say it does not know what has happened to its enriched uranium supplies due to wartime conditions. This would create a strategic ambiguity, and this alone could deter future attacks and keep Western powers guessing. This approach offers Iran three advantages: (1) it can delay a direct confrontation with the US (2) provide a justification to step away from nuclear transparency (3) provide leverage in any post-war negotiation.
Hans India
19 minutes ago
- Hans India
Objective was to eliminate security threat to Israel: Defence experts on US bombing Iran
Amid growing tensions in the Middle East following US military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, Indian defence experts said that the aim of the action -- to eliminate the security threat to Israel -- has been achieved. A couple of defence experts spoke to IANS on the pounding of Iran by US bomber planes and also spoke about the likely impact of escalating tension in the Middle East on global oil and energy supplies. Defence expert Lieutenant General Sanjay Kulkarni (Retd.), speaking to IANS said that the US strike was highly destructive and focused on eliminating Iran's nuclear capabilities. "The way the United States destroyed Iran's three nuclear installations, especially the Fordow facility, using B-52 bombers and bunker-busting bombs weighing 30,000 pounds, marks a significant military strike. Reports suggest 6 to 12 such bombs were dropped, which effectively devastated the entire Fordow nuclear installation," he said. "The goal was to destroy Iran's nuclear infrastructure, and hence, the fear that Israel was facing has now been eliminated," he added. Speaking to IANS, Major General Dhruv C. Katoch (Retd.) said India is not taking sides but is deeply concerned about the potential consequences of continued conflict. "India seeks peace and has always stood for it. While not opposing the United States, India hopes to prevent further escalation, as increased volatility could disrupt the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, impacting energy supplies and causing crude oil and gas prices to soar. This is critical for India's goal of becoming a $30 trillion economy by 2047," he said. He pointed out that the United States had warned Iran of consequences before launching the attack. "The United States had clearly warned that if Iran did not stop, it would target its nuclear reactors. Last night, they struck three nuclear sites using B-52 bombers and submarine-launched missiles, causing significant damage to Iran's nuclear facilities -- a serious escalation in tensions," Katoch added. According to him, Iran is unlikely to remain passive in response to the strikes. "Now the Americans have made it very clear that they are not going to pursue this any further unless Iran reacts. I think Iranian options are limited. I think they will have to react, and after, at least one or two reactions, if nothing else, and those reactions are gonna take place, one against Israel, which I believe has already started. They have hit the Haifa Port," he said. "Iran might actually strike at American targets, possibly by the end of the day or in the next few days, either directly or through proxies. We don't know what is going to happen, but that will be that will, again, be another level of escalation. But in my view, most likely, what is going to happen is that at some point in time, we are going to come to peace," he continued. Reiterating India's position, he said the country stands firmly for dialogue and peaceful resolution. "As far as India's position is concerned, India has always stood firmly for peace. I am quite confident that the official statement from India will reflect this stance -- that India supports peace, not war. We are neither on Iran's side nor on Israel's; we are on the side of diplomacy and peaceful resolution," Katoch said.
News18
23 minutes ago
- News18
US Joins Israel's War By Striking Iran: One Of These 3 Things Could Happen Next
Last Updated: Will Iran strike back? Will Iran back down? Will the US end the Israel war? A look at the possibilities after US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites The US military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel's effort to decapitating Iran's nuclear programme in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict. 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 defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But the US and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-lb. 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. President Donald Trump announced the strikes. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that attacks targeted the country's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. Iran's foreign minister said Iran reserves the right to retaliate. Here are three possible scenarios of what happens next: 1. IRAN STRIKES BACK If the 2020 example is anything to go by, Iran is aware that it doesn't have the strength to take on the US, and that the US can cause massive damage to their country and regime. What had happened then? In January 2020, the earlier Trump administration had assassinated the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani. Iran had then vowed a major reaction, but all it did was launch a barrage of missiles at two American bases in Iraq, which caused no the US fatalities and very little damage. Can Iran strike back powerfully? Iran was believed to have around 2,000 missiles capable of reaching Israel at the start of the war. Media reports say Iran has fired 400-700 of them. Israel has also destroyed about a third of Iran's ballistic missile launchers. If Israel is able to destroy all of them, Iran would not be able to fight back. #IsraelIranWar | US B-2 bombers executed a 37-hour nonstop mission, striking Iran's nuclear sites with bunker-buster bombs @akankshaswarups shares more details #USAttacksIran #IsraelIranWar #News18 | @Elizasherine — News18 (@CNNnews18) June 22, 2025 2. IRAN BACKS DOWN Before the US involvement, Iran had said it was prepared to negotiate, but only when Israel stopped attacking. Is it still possible? Yes and no: Media reports say there is a chance of a compromise if Israel announces a ceasefire and Iran and the US agree to resume negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said he doesn't trust the negotiating process and he doesn't want to stop Israel's military actions until all of Iran's nuclear facilities have been completely destroyed. He's also been bombing Iran's oil terminals and gas facilities to put even more pressure on the regime. Iran's track record: Just like this time, Iran had put up a determined face even during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. It did not consider surrendering until a US missile mistakenly took down an Iranian passenger jet, killing 290 people. Iran had then agreed to a UN-brokered ceasefire. But the Iran-Iraq war lasted eight years, causing an estimated one million deaths. And when the then-supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, agreed to the ceasefire, he said it was 'worse than drinking poison". An analytical piece in The Conversation said that 'given the state of Iran's military capabilities, Khamenei, the current supreme leader, might surrender simply to try to preserve the regime. But this would be quite a climbdown as far as he's concerned, and he has been very obstinate in the past". 'The regime is very unpopular, but the Iranian people are strongly patriotic – loyal to their country, if not the regime. Though it's difficult to gauge opinion in a country of 90 million people, a lot of Iranians would not want to be ordered to do anything by the US or Israel, and would rather fight on," it said. While Netanyahu wants Iranians to rise against the regime, aside from Iran's internal politics, Khamenei's regime has plans in place for his successors. 3. US GETS CREDIT According to a poll by The Economist and YouGov released on June 17, 60% of Americans were opposed to joining the conflict between Israel and Iran, with just 16% in favour. Among Republicans, 53% opposed military action. What happens next? If the war ends, Trump will get credit. Americans, however, may not be in favour of increasing the involvement. top videos View all Did the US destroy Iran's nuclear programme? If the damage is minimal, Iran can easily rebuild it, provoking both Israel and the US. With AP Inputs tags : donald trump israel iran Israel Iran tension United states Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 22, 2025, 14:35 IST News explainers US Joins Israel's War By Striking Iran: One Of These 3 Things Could Happen Next
