US Attacks Iran: US Says It Does Not Seek War; Iran's Foreign Minister Says No Room For Diplomacy Now

The United States on Sunday entered the Israel-Iran conflict, air striking Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space," U.S. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social

In an address from the White House, President Donald Trump described U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as a “spectacular military success”

U.S. President Donald Trump added that the sites were “completely and totally obliterated” in his address from the White House on Sunday. Trump warned Iran that the U.S. could go after additional targets if Iran does not make peace.

The United States carried out precision strikes at key nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, "Everybody heard those names for years as they built those horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destructtion of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity, "U.S. President Donald Trump said.

"A stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror," U.S. President Donald Trump said, adding that the strikes were a "spectacular military success.”

Calling Iran the bully of the middle east, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran must make peace. "If they do not, future attacks will be far greater, and a lot easier."

U.S. President Donald Trump said that for 40 years Iran had been saying death to America, death to Israel. Speaking about Iran, Trump added that thousands had died as a direct result of the hate and so many were killed by their general.

"I decided a long time ago that I will not let this happen."

President Donald Trump thanked the Israeli military “for the wonderful job they’ve done” and praised American servicemembers for “an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.”

“I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they’ve done, and most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades,” the president said in his Saturday night address to the nation.

“There is no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight,” he said, going on to praise his top military leadership.

“I also want to congratulate the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan ‘Razin’ Caine, spectacular general, and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack.”

The United States used the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb, known as a “bunker buster,” in its strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, two sources familiar with the operation said.

The MOP — a 30,000-pound bomb with 6,000 pounds of explosives — was “designed for “reaching and destroying our adversaries’ weapons of mass destruction located in well-protected facilities,” according to a fact sheet from the US Air Force.

It’s unclear how many MOPs were dropped. Saturday is the first known instance of the bomb being used operationally.

Prior to Saturday’s strikes, some US officials had raised pointed questions about whether the MOP would be able to destroy Iran’s nuclear architecture completely, especially where the enrichment facilities are deeply buried.

President Donald Trump said on social media on Saturday that the US had “completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.”

“All planes are now outside of Iran air space,” Trump said on Truth Social.

The MOP was believed to be the only ordnance able to reach the deeply buried facilities, though there were doubts that one singular munition would be able to penetrate deeply enough to reach them.

The US’ B-2 Spirit bombers are the only aircraft capable of carrying the bombs. CNN reported Saturday that B-2s were used in the operation.

Source CNN

Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, says Iran had been anticipating the US attack on Fordow.

“The site has long been evacuated and has not suffered any irreversible damage in the attack,” Mohammadi wrote in a social media post.

“Two things are certain: First, knowledge cannot be bombed, and second, the gambler will lose this time.”

Source Aljazeera

“ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT. THANK YOU! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The message came after his Saturday night address to the nation

Gideon Saar says the US president “wrote his name in letters of gold in the history books” after his attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Saar also credited Netanyahu for initiating the assault against Iran, lauding what he called the prime minister’s “extraordinary leadership”.

The comments from the US and Israel suggest that both governments have been in lockstep in their attacks on Iran, which critics say have been unprovoked.

source Al Jazeera

The US used six B-2 bombers to drop a dozen Bunker buster bombs on the Fordow nuclear site in Iran, a US official told CNN.

Navy submarines fired 30 TLAM cruise missiles at two other sites, Natanz and Isfahan, and a B2 dropped two bunker busters on Natanz, the official said.

“Bunker buster”: The GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb, known as a “bunker buster,” is a 30,000-pound bomb with 6,000 pounds of explosives.

The MOP was designed for “reaching and destroying our adversaries’ weapons of mass destruction located in well-protected facilities,” according to a fact sheet from the US Air Force.

Source CNN

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is demanding answers from President Donald Trump tonight after he ordered US strikes on Iran.

“President Trump must provide the American people and Congress clear answers on the actions taken tonight and their implications for the safety of Americans,” Schumer said in a statement.

“No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy.”

“We must enforce the War Powers Act and I’m urging (Senate Majority) Leader (John) Thune to put it on the Senate floor immediately,” Schumer said. “I am voting for it and implore all Senators on both sides of the aisle to vote for it.”The Democrat added: “Confronting Iran’s ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, and regional aggression demands strength, resolve, and strategic clarity. The danger of wider, longer, and more devastating war has now dramatically increased.”

Source CNN

Several Latin American countries have criticized the US strikes on Iran, while others voiced alarm and called for peace.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the strikes in a post on X late Saturday, warning it could expand the conflict in the region.

“We strongly condemn the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, which constitutes a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East,” he wrote. “This aggression gravely violates the UN Charter and international law and plunges humanity into a crisis with irreversible consequences.”

Chilean President Gabriel Boric also condemned the attack on X, writing: “We demand and need peace.”

Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned what it called “the military aggression against Iran,” in a statement.

Others called for dialogue and de-escalation.

Colombia’s foreign ministry urged all parties to resume negotiations as “the only responsible and lasting way out of the current crisis,” while Mexico’s foreign ministry wrote on X: “Restoring peaceful coexistence among the states in the region remains the highest priority.”

The Israel Airports Authority says it has closed its airspace until further notice “due to recent developments”.

“The airspace of the State of Israel is closed to entry and exit due to recent developments,” the authority said in a statement, noting that “land crossing points [with Egypt] and Jordan are operating normally”.

The Israeli prime minister said the US strikes on Iran fulfilled a “promise” he made to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities when Israel first launched an attack on that country more than one week ago.

“A short time ago, in full coordination between me and President Trump, and in full operational coordination between the IDF [Israeli army] and the United States military, the United States attacked Iran’s three nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan,” Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Gaza, said in a social media post.

“In doing so, the United States continued, with greater intensity and with great force, the attacks of the IDF and the Mossad on Iran’s nuclear program. This program threatened our very existence and also endangered the peace of the entire world.”

Iranian officials have repeatedly said Iran does not plan to develop nuclear weapons but will pursue its right to nuclear energy and research.

Source Aljazeera

In his first public remarks after the US strikes, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Washington of breaching international law.

“The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations,” Araghchi said in a social media post.

“The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.”

He added that Iran “reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people”.

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In a statement, the Palestinian armed group says it condemns “in the strongest terms the brazen aggression of the United States against the territory and sovereignty of Iran”.

“The US aggression against Iran is a dangerous escalation, blind obedience to the occupiers’ agenda, and a clear violation of international law,” Hamas said.

“We declare our solidarity with Iran, its leadership, and its people, and we have full confidence in Iran’s ability to defend its sovereignty,” it said.

Source Aljazeera

The reports from the Israeli media, citing military sources, talk about continuing Israeli strikes.

Meanwhile, Israel is bracing itself for an Iranian response.

Estimates in the Israeli media, on the army radio, is that Iran’s first response will be towards Israel, and so restrictions on movement in Israel have been increased to the maximum.

Aljazeera

Winston Peters, New Zealand's Foreign Minister, said in statement, “We acknowledge developments in the last 24 hours, including President Trump’s announcement of US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran. Ongoing military action in the Middle East is extremely worrying, and it is critical further escalation is avoided.”

He added that New Zealand strongly supports efforts towards diplomacy, urging all parties to return to talks. “Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action."

The Australian government appeared to offer tacit support for Trump’s actions, saying Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme has been a threat to international security.

It said it notes Trump’s statement that now is the time for peace, and added, “We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, meanwhile, expressed worry about the action, but did not condemn the attacks.

“It is critical further escalation is avoided,” Peters said. “New Zealand strongly supports efforts towards diplomacy. We urge all parties to return to talks. Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action.”

Carriers have continued to steer clear of significant areas of the Middle East today following the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, according to the flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

“Following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, commercial traffic in the region is operating as it has since new airspace restrictions were put into place last week,” it said on social media.

Iran has requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, it said in a letter issued Sunday, urging the council to condemn the US strikes on its nuclear facilities.

In the letter, Iran’s ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani called the US attack a “grave threat against regional and international peace and security.” He confirmed the details of the attack, which targeted the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites in the early hours of Sunday morning.

He also alleged the attacks were “under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” the UN’s nuclear watchdog. He did not provide evidence for the claim. Iran has been increasingly critical of the IAEA since the conflict with Israel erupted.

The strikes violate the UN charter and the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, he added in the letter, urging an emergency meeting “to examine this unlawful act, adopt necessary measures to condemn it and ensure that those responsible will not be left unpunished.”

The UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Sunday that there had been no reported increases in off-site radiation levels at the three Iranian nuclear sites targeted in US strikes.

“Following attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran – including Fordow – the IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time. IAEA will provide further assessments on situation in Iran as more information becomes available,” it said in a post on X.

Israel has launched new airstrikes on western Iran, the military said, its first since the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The Israel Defense Forces in a statement that the Israeli Air Force “has begun a series of strikes toward military targets in western Iran.”

“Additionally, this morning, the IAF struck missile launchers ready to launch toward Israeli territory, soldiers in the Iranian Armed Forces, and swiftly neutralized the launchers that launched missiles toward Israeli territory a short while ago,” the statement said.

SOurce CNN

US attack had more or less guaranteed Iran will be nuclear arms state in a decade.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, says there was “absolutely no evidence” that Iran was about to get a nuclear weapon.

“Neither was it existential, nor imminent,” he told Al Jazeera.

“We have to keep in mind the reality of the situation which is that two nuclear-equipped countries attacked a non-nuclear weapons state without having gotten attacked first. Israel was not attacked by Iran – it started that war; The United States was not attacked by Iran – it started this confrontation at this point.”

Parsi said the attacks on Iran “will send shockwaves” throughout the world because it will be very difficult for countries that risk ending up in the crosshairs of the United States and Israel to feel that they are safe without having a nuclear deterrent.

“So I fear that we will see proliferation but I also think that this has more or less guarantee that Iran will be a nuclear weapons state in five to 10 years from now.”

Aljazeera analysis

Iraq has warned that the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities threaten the stability of the Middle East.

“This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability,” Iraqi government spokesperson Basim Alawadi said in a statement.

Alawadi warned that continued attacks would risk “dangerous escalation with consequences that extend beyond the borders of any single state, threatening the security of the entire region and the world.”

Iraq called for immediate de-escalation and said the international community needed to be reminded “that wars leave only destruction in their wake,” said the statement.

source CNN

Iran’s foreign ministry says the US has begun a “dangerous war against Iran” by striking its nuclear facilities on Sunday, according to a statement shared by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

“The world must not forget that it was the United States that, in the midst of a diplomatic process, betrayed diplomacy,” the foreign ministry statement said. Describing Israel as “genocidal and lawless,” the statement accused the US of launching “a dangerous war against Iran.”

It said the attacks were a violation of the UN charter and international law, and that the US government “bears full responsibility for the grave consequences and dire repercussions of this heinous crime.”

The ministry warned that it was Iran’s “legitimate right to fully and resolutely resist the US military aggression and the crimes committed by this rogue regime and to defend Iran’s national security and interests by all necessary means.”

It urged the UN and its various bodies, including its nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency, to “urgently address this flagrant and criminal act of illegality.” It called on the UN Security Council to hold an emergency session to condemn the strikes.

CNN

At least 20 people in Israel have been wounded in Iran’s latest missile barrage, the Arutz Sheva outlet has reported, citing the country emergency services.

In total, the ongoing conflict with Iran has forced over 10,000 people in Israel to evacuate their homes, according to the outlet. Over 32,000 people have requested government compensation for damage to their homes or property, it added.

Source Aljazeera

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with deep concern the developments in the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly the targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States of America,” the kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said.

The statement also highlighted the need to “exercise restraint”, reduce tensions, and prevent further escalation, urging the international community to step up efforts towards reaching a “political solution”.

Source Aljazeera

It remains unclear whether the latest wave of Iranian missile launches targeting Israeli territories is a direct response to the recent U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities or a continuation of Iran’s retaliation against ongoing Israeli attacks.

According to a recent statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the twentieth wave of Iranian missile attacks on Israeli targets began just a few hours ago. The IRGC also confirmed the deployment of the Kheybar-Shekan missile—one of Iran’s most advanced systems—as part of its retaliatory operations.

The escalation follows continued Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear installations, military positions, and residential areas. In response, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a strong condemnation of the U.S. airstrikes.

Source Aljazeera

So far, congressional reaction has split largely along party lines: Democrats are calling the strikes illegal under the 1973 War Powers Act. They’re also in some cases calling for the president’s impeachment.

Republicans for the most part are supportive, but there are a couple of notable Republicans – such as Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and Congressman Thomas Massie – who have condemned the air strikes.

Massie is trying to push for a resolution that would prevent the Trump administration from continuing further attacks on Iran. But as of right now, the Republican-controlled Congress does not appear to be allowing that resolution to come to the floor for a vote in either the Senate or the House.

Source Aljazeera

Iran is calling for an investigation into the US strikes on its nuclear facilities.

That’s according to a letter from the country’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi, Iran’s SNN news network reported.

Eslami urged Grossi to condemn the US action and take appropriate measures. He criticised Grossi for his “inaction and complicity”, adding Iran will pursue “appropriate legal measures”.

“This letter expresses its protest against the gross violation of international laws and regulations, especially the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT],” it said.

Earlier, Grossi said he’s calling an emergency meeting of the IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors following the US air strikes.

Qatar warns of 'catastrophic consequences' after US strikes on Iran - TOI

Showing the growing concern in the Gulf Arab states, the island kingdom of Bahrain issued a notice Sunday to drivers to stay off main roads if possible.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry wrote on X: “In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary, to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently.”

Authorities also said they activated work-from-home protocols for some 70% of the country’s government workers.

Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet and long been a threatened target of Iran.

- AP

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday the United States and Israel "decided to blow up" diplomacy when they launched strikes on his country's nuclear sites.

In a post on X, Araghchi said Israel blew up negotiations between Tehran and Washington with its strikes on June 13, while the United States did the same to talks with European powers this week with its strikes on Sunday. Addressing European calls for Iran to return to negotiations, he asked "how can Iran return to something it never left".

Asked whether there is still room for diplomacy after the US attack, Araghchi said “not right now”.

“The door for diplomacy should always stay open, but this is not the case right now,” he said in a media address in Istanbul. “My country has been under attack, under aggression, and we have to respond based on our legitimate right to self defence.”

The US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, he said, “is an unforgivable violation of international law”.

Asked what would be the conditions for Iran to come back to the negotiations after the US attack, the Iranian foreign minister said it is “irrelevant” to ask Iran to return to diplomacy.

“We were in the middle of diplomacy. We were in the middle of talks with the United States when Israelis blew it up,” Araghchi said.

“And again, we were in the middle of talks and negotiation with Europeans [that] happened only two days ago in Geneva, when this time, Americans decided to blow it up.

“So it was not Iran, but the US who betrayed diplomacy. They betrayed negotiations,” he said.

“I think they have proved that they are not men of diplomacy, and they only understand the language of threat and force. And this is very unfortunate.”

- AL Jazeera

In his address to media in Istanbul, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it is the responsibility of the “whole international community” to stop US threats against Iran, insisting the country’s nuclear programme has remained entirely peaceful.

“Iran has done nothing wrong. We do not understand why Iran should be attacked for a false accusation that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons,” he said, noting that it was the US that tore up the previous nuclear agreement and interrupted the latest round of talks with military strikes.

“It’s up to the international community to condemn this, to prevent this,” Araghchi added. “Otherwise, there will be nothing left of international law.”

He claimed the Iranian people are “united and in solidarity with the government, and we stand firm against any aggression”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to speak to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, the Kremlin said Sunday following US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, but added that a call could be arranged quickly, state news agency TASS reported.

Russia and Iran signed a “comprehensive partnership agreement” in January, cementing their close strategic alliance, though the agreement stopped short of requiring the two countries to come to the other’s defense if one is attacked.

Meanwhile, in a call Thursday, Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had strongly condemned Israel’s attacks on Iran, according to readouts from the Kremlin and China’s foreign ministry.

Although the statements did not mention the United States, Xi — in a thinly veiled message to Trump — emphasized that “major powers” that have a special influence on the parties to the conflict should work to “cool the situation, not the opposite.”

Iran says it used the Kheibar Shekan, also known as Khorramshahr-4, during its missile attack on Israel earlier. Here are some things to know about weapon:

• The medium-range ballistic missile has been developed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp.

• Unveiled in 2022, it is believed to have the heaviest payload of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal.

• Its range is estimated at about 1,450km (900 miles)

• The name Khorramshahr-4 is derived from the Iranian city of Khorramshahr, which witnessed intense fighting during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.

  Aljazeera

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, says the “absolute majority” of nations are against “the actions of Israel and the United States”.

“Trump, who came as a peacemaker president, started a new war for the US,” he said on his Telegram channel after Washington’s strikes on Iran.

“The United States is drawn into a new conflict with the prospect of a ground operation. With this kind of success, Trump won’t win the Nobel Peace Prize.”

President Donald Trump has no public events on his schedule today as he and his team closely track the Iranian response to his decision to launch strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.

The White House did not list any specific meetings on the president’s agenda, but CNN has inquired about that possibility.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are set to brief reporters on the US operation at the Pentagon at 8 a.m. ET.

CNN

President Emmanuel Macron will convene an emergency cabinet meeting to assess developments in the Middle East following US air strikes on Iran.

Macron has spoken with several leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and plans to hold additional discussions with European and regional leaders throughout the day, the French presidency said in a statement.

France is taking all necessary measures to expedite the evacuation of its citizens wishing to leave Iran and Israel, it added.

Iran’s Shargh news outlet reports an explosion in Iran’s central Yazd province, where it said air defence systems have been activated.

A separate “loud explosion” was also heard in the southwestern province of Bushehr, it also reported.

The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued a stern warning to the United States following a U.S. airstrike on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, declaring that the aggressors "possess neither initiative nor the ability to escape retaliation."

In a strongly worded statement, published on Sunday, the IRGC condemned the attack as a blatant violation of international law and vowed a powerful and precise response targeting the interests and infrastructure of the Zionist regime and its allies.

According to the IRGC, the early morning strike marked a blatant violation of international norms, including the UN Charter, the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The statement declared that Iran’s Armed Forces had identified the origin of the aircraft involved in the attack and placed them under close surveillance, underscoring the country’s comprehensive intelligence superiority.

The IRGC stressed that the widespread presence of U.S. military bases in the region was not a sign of strength but a source of vulnerability. “Their number and dispersion only multiply the risks they face,” the statement read.

Reaffirming Iran’s commitment to peaceful nuclear advancement, the IRGC said such attacks would not halt the country's scientific progress but would instead strengthen the resolve of its young scientists. The force also pledged to continue retaliatory measures under Operation True Promise III, noting that over 20 waves of precise and targeted attacks have already been carried out against Israeli infrastructure and strategic assets.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to respond within the framework of legitimate self-defense, including with options beyond the enemy’s misguided calculations,” the IRGC warned, adding that the aggressors should prepare for responses that will leave them with lasting regret.

Concluding its statement, the IRGC reaffirmed its readiness to defend Iran’s dignity and security under the leadership of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, with the full support of the Iranian nation. “By the grace of God, the Islamic Republic will emerge victorious—bringing honor to the Iranian people and the broader Islamic Ummah.”

After attacks on Iran's nuclear bases, US said it does not want war. United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in a Pentagon media briefing said "The US does not seek war but we will act swiftly and decisively when our people, partners or interests are threatened,"

The secretary of defense says the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites were an “incredible and overwhelming success”, without providing any details.

“The order we received from our commander-in-chief [Trump] was focused; it was powerful and it was clear. We devastated the Iranian nuclear programme,” he told reporters at the Pentagon.

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine outlined the timeline of coordinated strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, conducted under the codename “Operation Midnight Hammer.”

The operation began around midnight ET, late Friday into early Saturday. According to Caine, B-2 bombers departed from the United States, with some heading west as a decoy while the primary strike group flew east under strict radio silence during an 18-hour mission.

At approximately 5 p.m. ET, a U.S. submarine launched over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles targeting surface infrastructure at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear facility.

Roughly an hour and a half later, at 6:40 p.m. ET, the lead B-2 bomber dropped two bunker-buster bombs on the underground Fordow nuclear site. Additional bombers followed, striking their designated targets between 6:40 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. ET — corresponding to around 2:10 a.m. local time in Iran on Sunday.

Following the strikes, U.S. forces began their return journey. Caine noted that Iran did not engage or fire on American aircraft during the mission.

The US military operation against Iran on Saturday, codenamed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” involved more than 125 aircraft and a deception operation that saw bombers deployed over the Pacific as a “decoy,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters on Sunday.

The unprecedented operation involved seven stealth B2 bombers. Bombers dropped more than a dozen 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs on two Iranian nuclear facilities, Fordow and Natanz, Caine said. Tomahawk missiles were launched at Isfahan.

All told, more than 125 aircraft were involved, including the B2s, refueling tankers, reconnaissance planes and fighter jets. The bombers struck Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan beginning at 6:40 p.m. ET and were out of Iranian airspace by 7 p.m. ET, Caine said.

Flying from a base in Missouri, the mission was the longest B2 mission since just after the September 11 attacks, Caine said.

Dozens of Tomahawk missiles were also launched at targets inside Iran as part of the operation, Caine said.

“At midnight Friday into Saturday morning, a large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States,” Caine said. “As part of a plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the west and into the Pacific as a decoy — a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa.”

“The main strike package comprised of seven B-2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the east with minimal communications,” Caine said.

The US is making multiple efforts to communicate with Iranian officials following the US’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as President Donald Trump and his top lieutenants call on the country to negotiate a diplomatic path forward.

“I can only confirm that there are both public and private messages being directly delivered to the Iranians in multiple channels, giving them every opportunity to come to the table,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Pentagon news conference Sunday.

Hegseth continued, “They understand precisely what the American position is, precisely what steps they can take to allow for peace, and we hope they do so.”

CNN had reported that Trump made the decision to proceed with the strikes when it became clear that diplomatic efforts had stalled.

The US and Iran had held five rounds of nuclear talks, led by special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, since April. A sixth round of talks set for last Sunday was canceled following unprecedented Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites and military officials. The White House had said the US remained in correspondence with Iran last week.

- CNN

Israel’s President Herzog said “we all need to commend President Trump for his bold decision” to strike Iranian nuclear sites.

“It’s a historic decision, an outstanding decision that clearly can shift the direction of the Middle East to a much better future,” said Herzog, adding that while “regime change” in Iran is not one of the “official goals of this war”, it would be a “very blessed side effect”.

- Al Jazeera

More than 500 staff members and contractors have departed the US diplomatic mission in Iraq as of Sunday morning, a source familiar said, noting that the plans for departure were already underway prior to the US strikes on Iran.

A State Department spokesperson on Sunday confirmed “additional personnel” departed Iraq on Saturday “as part of our ongoing effort to streamline operations.”

“These departures represent a continuation of the process begun on June 12,” when the embassy went on ordered departure “out of an abundance of caution and due to heightened regional tensions,” the spokesperson said.

“The Embassy and Consulate General remain open and operating,” they said.

- CNN

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued a threat against Iran, saying a retaliation to the US strikes on nuclear sites would be “the worst mistake they’ve ever made”.

“Regime change is certainly not the goal of what we’re working on here”, Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser, claimed in an interview, adding that the US was still “prepared to talk” to Tehran just hours after bombing it.

- CNN

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said it would set up a ministerial contact group to establish regular contact with international and regional parties to support de-escalation efforts and “stop the aggression against Iran”.

In a joint declaration following a meeting of OIC foreign ministers in Istanbul, the 57-member group condemned “the aggression of Israel” against Iran, stressing “the urgent need to stop Israeli attacks and their great concern regarding this dangerous escalation”.

It also urged the international community to take “deterrent measures to stop this aggression and make Israel accountable for crimes committed”.

Separately, the OIC said in a statement it is “deeply concerned” over the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, saying it considers this a “dangerous escalation that could further heighten tensions and threaten peace, security, and stability in the region”.

- Al Jazeera

If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday, “The first people that should be angry about it are the Chinese government, because … a lot of their oil comes through there.”

“They should be the first ones that are saying, if they mine the Straits of Hormuz, the Chinese are going to pay a huge price, and every other country in the world is going to pay a huge price. We will too. It will have some impact on us. It will have a lot more impact on the rest of the world,” Rubio said on CBS News’ Face the Nation.

- CNN

President Donald Trump made the final order for the US to strike Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday, a senior White House official told CNN.

Trump had been deliberating for days about US involvement and directed his press secretary to offer a two-week timeline from the briefing room in recent days. But he had been leaning toward joining Israel’s military campaign in private discussions with senior staff as his envoy Steve Witkoff was still making diplomatic efforts.

Trump made the final call on Saturday and directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to go ahead, this official said.

Massive “bunker buster” bombs were dropped on two of the nuclear sites around 6:40 p.m. ET Saturday in the US, placing the time of the attack around 2:10 a.m. local time Sunday in Iran, according to a timeline provided by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.