What We Know: US Strikes Iran’s Nuclear Sites in Major Escalation

In a dramatic development in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, US President Donald Trump has confirmed that American warplanes bombed three of Iran’s nuclear facilities in what is now the most direct American involvement in the escalating Middle East crisis.

Speaking in a brief televised address, Trump described the operation as targeting “the most difficult and perhaps the most lethal” of Iran’s nuclear assets. “If peace doesn’t come quickly,” he warned, “we will go to those other targets with precision, speed and skill.”

The US military targeted three key Iranian nuclear sites: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. Among them, Fordo is the most fortified, buried deep inside a mountainside south of Tehran and previously believed to be impenetrable by all but the US military. The site is crucial to Iran’s uranium enrichment programme.

To strike Fordo, the US reportedly deployed GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators—colossal 13,000kg “bunker buster” bombs capable of burrowing through 18 metres of concrete or over 60 metres of earth.

Sources told CBS News that two of these bombs were used on each target site.

Israeli officials confirmed they were in “full coordination” with Washington in the planning of the strikes. However, the US government also reportedly reached out to Iran via diplomatic channels before the strikes, stating that this was a limited operation and that regime change was not a goal.

Despite this outreach, tensions remain high. Iran had earlier warned that any US military involvement would provoke a wider regional conflict.

The latest round of conflict was triggered on June 13, when Israel launched a surprise wave of attacks on Iranian nuclear and military installations. Israel said it aimed to cripple Iran’s nuclear programme, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed was nearing weapons capability.

In retaliation, Iran launched hundreds of rockets and drones at Israeli territory. The tit-for-tat strikes have continued for over a week, dragging in regional actors and alarming global observers.

Though Iran insists its nuclear ambitions are peaceful, the US—long sceptical—has taken a more aggressive stance in recent weeks. Trump, who previously criticised “endless wars” in the Middle East, had given Iran a two-week deadline to re-enter nuclear talks just days before ordering the air strikes.

While President Trump declared the sites “completely and totally obliterated,” Iran has offered a conflicting narrative. A senior official on state TV said the nuclear facilities had already been evacuated and materials removed, suggesting minimal impact.

Independent assessments remain inconclusive as of now, and there is no official confirmation of casualties or the full scale of destruction.

Iran has vowed to retaliate. Analysts warn that Tehran could target US military bases in the region, particularly in Bahrain, where the US Navy’s 5th Fleet is headquartered, or threaten global energy flows by disrupting the Strait of Hormuz, through which 30% of the world’s oil passes.

Iran may also consider strikes against US allies or regional rivals, risking a broader Middle East conflict.

Under US law, only Congress can formally declare war. However, the president, as commander-in-chief, has wide latitude to conduct military operations without congressional approval.

This strike—like Trump’s 2017 bombing of Syria—was launched without legislative consent, a move likely to spark renewed debate in Washington. A War Powers Resolution seeking to restrict Trump’s authority over Iran has been introduced, but a vote remains pending.