The United States carried out airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — as announced by President Donald Trump in a televised address on Saturday evening. The strikes mark a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, which entered its second week.
US targets three Iran nuclear sites
Speaking from the White House, President Trump declared the attacks successful, issuing a direct warning to Iran’s leadership:
“Iran, the bully of the Mideast, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater.”
He was flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The sites hit by American B-2 bombers were among the most sensitive in Iran’s nuclear program.
- Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre: This facility includes multiple plants where natural uranium, in the form of yellowcake, is converted into uranium hexafluoride. This chemical form is crucial for uranium enrichment. The site also produces nuclear fuel for reactors and uranium metal, which can be used in the cores of nuclear weapons.
- Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant: Built in secret and located deep underground to protect against airstrikes, this plant contains about 2,200 centrifuges. These machines spin uranium to increase its concentration of the U-235 isotope, allowing enrichment levels up to 60%.
- Natanz Enrichment Complex: The largest and most advanced of Iran’s nuclear sites, Natanz houses around 14,000 centrifuges. Like Fordow, it is mostly underground and capable of producing highly enriched uranium at similar levels.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported no increase in radiation levels following the strikes.
The permutations at play after the US attack
Israel expressed public support for the US action. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said:
“President Trump and the United States acted with a lot of strength.”
Iran has long warned that any US military involvement would provoke direct retaliation. Following the strikes, Israel reported that Iran had launched a fresh missile attack.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military confirmed it had initiated a new wave of airstrikes targeting what it described as “military targets” in western Iran.
In Baghdad, Iraq’s government criticised the US operation. Spokesperson Basim Alawadi described the situation as a “grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East,” cautioning that it could escalate beyond regional borders.
Iraq called for de-escalation and urged the international community to reflect on the long-term consequences of war.
Iran issues fierce warning in response to US attacks
Iran’s Foreign Ministry denounced the US strikes, calling them a “dangerous war against Iran” and a betrayal of ongoing diplomatic efforts.
In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Iran labelled the attacks a breach of international law and held the US government “fully responsible for the grave consequences.”
“The world must not forget that it was the United States that, in the midst of a diplomatic process, betrayed diplomacy,” the statement read.
Iran further characterised the US and Israel as lawless and accused them of committing crimes against its sovereignty.
Iran asserted its “legitimate right” to defend its national interests “by all necessary means” and called on the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency to urgently address what it described as a criminal act.
The statement also urged the UN Security Council to convene an emergency session to address the matter.
The international community continues to monitor the situation, with concerns growing over potential regional and global repercussions.