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Iran update as it declares it has struck back against US bombing action
Iran update as it declares it has struck back against US bombing action
The nation has been bombed by American B-2 stealth bombers that US President Donald Trump said had 'obliterated' their targets
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in January 2025 (Photo)
(Image: Getty/ 2025 Contributor#8523328 )
Iran has announced it has retaliated against US military strikes on three of its nuclear facilities. The eyes of the world had been waiting to see how Iran might respond after the bombings by B-2 stealth bombers.
Nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan were targeted by the Trump administration overnight. The US President said the sites had been completely 'obliterated' - although subsequent US statements have not gone this far.
There has been intense speculation Iran might target US military sites in the Middle East or take other measures such as shutting off the vital shipping route the Strait of Hormuz. Reports from Reuters and elswhere this afternoon suggest action in the strait remains under discussion.
But as USA warned Iran of the risks of retaliating, Iran announced that it had actually already responded. The Financial Times reports that Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said 'powerful strikes' on Israel on Sunday morning were actually retaliation for the US activity.
'The attacks were in fact a response to the US aggressive policies, because the Zionist regime basically lacks the capacity and courage to stage attacks on the Islamic republic by itself,' Pezeshkian said at a cabinet meeting. 'The US attacks on our nuclear installations clearly showed that it was the main driver behind the Zionist regime's hostile actions against the Islamic republic."
An Iranian strike hit a residential neighbourhood in Tel Aviv on Sunday morning. At least 16 people were reportedly injured.
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Israel announced on Sunday that it had closed its airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the US attacks.
What has US military said about the US strikes on Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan?
In new media briefings within the last hour, America said it 'does not seek war' with Iran. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth made the claim in the aftermath of the US attack.
The mission, called Operation Midnight Hammer, involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance, Mr Hegseth and US Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news conference on Sunday.
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Mr Hegseth said it is important to note the US strikes did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people. The words might be seen as a veiled effort to indicate to Tehran they do not want retaliation on American targets in the region.
'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Mr Hegseth added. Mr Caine said the aim of the operation – destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan – had been achieved.
US President Donald Trump earlier claimed the facilities had been 'completely and fully obliterated'. 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' Mr Caine said.
