Incredible satellite pics show the aftermath of ‘devastating' strikes on Iranian nuclear bases after massive US blitz
ASTONISHING satellite pictures have emerged of the aftermath of the US's "devastating" strikes on Iranian nuclear bases.
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A new series of satellite images has revealed the precision of the US attacks on Iran's primary nuclear facility
Credit: maxar technologies
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Two clusters of six craters show where the bombs were dropped
Credit: maxar technologies
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The Isfahan nuclear technology in Iran before U.S. strikes
Credit: AP
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Six B-2 stealth bombers descended over Iran
Bunker buster bombs were
Also hit were the nuclear plants at Natanz and Isfahan, which Israel had already targeted with its own missiles.
US submarines also launched around 30 Tomahawk missiles in a coordinated air-and-sea operation.
Trump declared that the Fordow plant is now "gone" and all the night's targets were "obliterated".
Read more on World
Satellite imagery of the
Two clusters of at least six holes are seen at the Fordow nuclear site, where the massive 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs were dropped.
Bombs of this kind are believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet below the surface before exploding.
Following the bombing, Sir Keir Starmer reinstated his commitment to making Iran nuke-free.
Most read in The US Sun
He, along with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, released a joint statement following the US bombings on Iran.
It read: "We have discussed the latest developments in the Middle East earlier today. We reiterate our commitment to peace and stability for all countries in the region. We affirm our support for the security of Israel.
"We have consistently been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and can no longer pose a threat to regional security.
"Earlier today, the United States conducted targeted military strikes against nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Our aim continues to be to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
"We call upon Iran to engage in negotiations leading to an agreement that addresses all concerns associated with its nuclear program. We stand ready to contribute to that goal in coordination with all parties.
"We urge Iran not to take any further action that could destabilise the region. We will continue our joint diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions and ensure the conflict does not intensify and spread further."
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said
He added Trump has been clear that "any
Hegseth said: 'Iran would be smart to heed those words. He's said it before, and he means it.'
The Defence Secretary went on to praise the US leader, calling it "bold and brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back".
He urged: "When this President speaks, the world should listen."
US warns it WILL strike again and world 'should listen to Trump'
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arghchi has said he is going to Russia today to meet mad leader Putin.
He revealed: 'I'm going to Moscow this afternoon, and I have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow morning.'
Arghchi called Moscow a 'friend of Iran,' adding 'we always consult with each other'.
Fears loom that the conflict could spiral into a world war, with Putin puppet Dmitry Medvedev making a veiled threat to supply Iran with nuclear weapons.
He said: "A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their nuclear weapons."
After declaring the
He said in a nationally televised speech at the White House: "
"There will be
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A closer satellite view shows holes and craters on a ridge at Fordow underground
Credit: Reuters
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President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington after the strikes
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Trump addressed the world after announcing the strikes
'Remember there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal.
'But if
'Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There's no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight."
And shortly after speaking on-camera, he posted to Truth Social: "This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.
"Remember,
"But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill."
Meanwhile Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arghchi dubbed the strikes "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences".
He also called the military action "a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations".
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Imagery shows where the bombs likely entered before pummelling
Credit: maxar technologies
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The Isfahan nuclear technology center in Iran after U.S. bombardment
Credit: AP
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Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant in Iran before the US blitz
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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
I visited Iran to see what it's REALLY like – I ended up in hiding in terror and fleeing for my life
EMERGING from a carpet shop in Iran's beautiful and ancient city of Esfahan, I was engulfed by a group of jostling young men. Like a desert mirage, as quickly as they had arrived they were gone. 8 Sun Man Oliver Harvey in Iran in 2012 by a poster of former Iran leader Ayatollah Khomeini Credit: Oliver Harvey 8 Tehran's skyline in the shadow of the Alborz mountain range Credit: Getty - Contributor 8 The Statue of Liberty as a skull painted on the wall of the former US embassy in Tehran Credit: AP:Associated Press Patting myself down, a zip on my trouser pocket was undone. My passport was gone. And this so-called Axis of Evil nation had no British Embassy to get a replacement. Hands trembling uncontrollably, my adrenalin-induced sweat of fear smelt like cat's urine. read more on iran There can be few more hazardous places on Earth for a journalist without papers — and an entry stamp — than the Islamic Republic of Iran. Years later Barry Rosen — a US embassy worker held hostage there in 1979 — told me how his interrogation played out. With a rifle pressed to his temple, Barry was told he had ten seconds to admit he was a spy. As the grim countdown began, the New Yorker wrestled with the dilemma of either being perceived as a traitor to his country or leaving his kids fatherless. Most read in The Sun 'On the count of five I relented,' Barry told me. 'I signed the false confession, distraught and completely ashamed.' Trump's shock Iran strikes take us to brink of global conflict and will strengthen Axis of Evil alliance, experts warn Barry would eventually return to his loved ones in the US after 444 days in captivity. Britons are high-value hostages for the regime. She was finally released when Britain paid a £400million outstanding debt to Iran. 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American stars and stripes underwear was also available in several shops. One black-clad shopper in her thirties told me: 'The underwear is very popular. 'We have nothing against your country.' The message that the lingerie worn under the chadors sent out was clear: Knickers to the hardliners. Indeed, as a metaphor for things being very different under the surface in Iran, it couldn't be bettered. Another stall sold 'We don't hate Britain,' a 26-year-old Red Devils-mad taxi driver told me. 'Far from it. 'We admire your freedom.' After a few days in Tehran I took a shared taxi on the five-hour, 280-mile journey to Iran's third largest city Esfahan. It's home to an exquisite square overlooked by the imposing aquamarine dome of Shah Mosque, regarded as one of the masterpieces of Persian architecture. The city's outskirts are also home to one of the largest uranium enrichment facilities in the country. 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'We have far less freedom now.' Deciding the Dutch would be most amenable to a stricken Brit, I tried their embassy but it was closed for holidays. So I went to the Danes instead. They took my details and I was told to return the following day. Presented with a paper Danish temporary passport 24 hours later, I profusely thanked the embassy staff for making me an honorary viking. Taking a cab to the airport, I checked my bag on the flight then queued up at immigration dreaming of a glass of red on the plane. A bearded border guard disdainfully looked at my Danish passport, sniffing as he tossed it away: 'No good, no ministry stamp.' It was back to my new friend's sofa to watch subtitled TV, including shows with Jamie Oliver and James May. The former prisoner — raising a glass of home-distilled spirits — revealed: 'Twice every year the police go upon the roof and smash up all our satellite dishes. 'But we simply go out and buy some more. 8 A chanting crowd during the Iranian revolution in 1979 Credit: Getty 'There's a saying here that the regime closed down thousands of brewers during the revolution but created a million more. 'Everybody brews their own now.' After two days queuing at the relevant Iranian ministry — and praying that they wouldn't google my identity — I finally got my stamp. My plane banked over the vast mausoleum built to house Khomeini's remains as it headed west. One after another, most of the women on the flight removed their head scarves, then their restrictive chadors. Settling with a glass of wine, I hoped one day to return to this fascinating land under better circumstances. Now, with the ayatollahs' regime perhaps at threat of being toppled, I may one day make it to Persepolis. Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Trump warns ‘bully' Iran to make peace quickly ‘or we'll be back' after US destroys hidden nuke base in huge blitz
DONALD Trump warned 'Middle East bully' Iran to make peace quickly after the US yesterday smashed its most fortified nuclear facility to smithereens. Advertisement 10 US President Donald Trump warned Iran to make peace quickly after the US smashed its most fortified nuclear facility to smithereens Credit: White House 10 Six GBU-57 mega-bombs changed the landscape of the site where scientists were feared to be close to perfecting a nuclear weapon 10 Trump warned of even bigger attacks to come if Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's rogue regime dared to retaliate Credit: Getty Before and after pictures showed six But last night the world held its breath as There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Donald Trump In a surprise attack, it launched Operation Midnight Hammer, involving 125 US military aircraft including seven B-2s. Advertisement READ MORE ON IRAN CONFLICT Some headed into the Pacific as a decoy while the B-2s went directly to Iran, according to US air force chief General Dan Caine. Just before they entered Iranian airspace, more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched from a US submarine at the Isfahan site. Other deception tactics were used before 14 bunker buster bombs were dropped on two target areas, with Fordow said to be wiped out. In a televised address, Mr Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Breaking 'If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. 'There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Trump's shock Iran strikes take us to bring of global conflict and will strengthen Axis of Evil alliance, experts warn 'Remember there are many targets left. 'Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. Advertisement 'But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. 'Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. 'There's no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight.' Advertisement No sign of backing down However, there were claims that Iran had evacuated its nuclear sites. Hassan Abedini, deputy political director of the state broadcaster, said Iran 'didn't suffer a major blow because the materials had already been taken out'. Britain was not involved in the strikes and not asked to help, but was informed ahead of time. 10 Advertisement Mr Trump and Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu have vowed to continue military strikes unless Iran axes both its nuclear and ballistic missile building plans. But And the spectre of global escalation loomed as Iranian officials warned they will be meeting Russian ally Vladimir Putin to plot a response. Russia 'strongly condemned' the US bombings, calling them 'irresponsible' and a 'gross violation of international law'. Advertisement Its Foreign Ministry added in a statement: 'It is already clear that a dangerous escalation has begun, fraught with further undermining of regional and global security.' 10 Airmen with one of the bombs in an earlier exercise Credit: AP 10 US Armed Forces head General Dan Caine Credit: Getty 10 US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth hailed the US blitz as an 'incredible success' Credit: Getty Advertisement Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi dubbed the strikes outrageous and warned they would have 'everlasting consequences'. He went on to boast of the 'strategic partnership' between Iran and Russia and announced he was flying to Moscow to see Putin today. Putin puppet and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev stoked tensions further by making a veiled threat to give Iran nukes. He said: 'A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their nuclear weapons.' Advertisement 10 Iran has supplied Moscow with thousands of military drones to strike US and Ukraine in return for help from Putin's atomic boffins. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer's Government continued to sit on the fence last night and repeated calls for both sides to de-escalate. Trump had an option to launch the historic B-2 mission from the joint US-UK base in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean — 3,000 miles from Iran. Advertisement The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. Security-General Antonio Guterres But they flew more than 6,000 miles direct from the US as the President would've been obliged to ask Russian and Iranian ally China called the US attack a 'serious violation of international law' yesterday as global battle lines were drawn. Sources said the 86-year-old was in a reinforced bolthole in Tehran's Lavizan suburb. Advertisement 10 Trump vowed to continue military strikes unless Iran axes both its nuclear and ballistic missile building plans Credit: The Mega Agency 10 B-2 stealth bomber arrives back at base in the United States Credit: AP The UN Security Council met yesterday — following a request by Iran — and said the US attack 'marks a perilous turn'. Security-General Antonio Guterres added: 'I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East. Advertisement 'The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction.' He added that 'diplomacy must prevail'. Yesterday morning, Iran launched waves of revenge hits on Israel. Explosions and damage was reported in northern and central Israel, including in Haifa, Ness Ziona, Rishon LeZion, with 86 people treated for injuries and trauma. Advertisement Israeli officials said 240 residential buildings were damaged and 9,000 citizens are homeless following Iranian attacks over the past ten days. Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a statement as Europe pleaded for peace last night. They said: 'We have consistently been clear Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and can no longer pose a threat to regional security. "We call upon Iran to engage in negotiations. Advertisement 'We urge Iran not to take any further action that could destabilise the region.'
