President Donald Trump said on TruthSocial that US military forces carried out airstrikes against three of Iran’s nuclear facilities overnight, a dramatic escalation in the long-standing tensions between the United States and the Islamic Republic.
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump wrote. “Our bombers have safely exited Iranian air space. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”
The statement marked the first official U.S. acknowledgment of direct military action against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure since the beginning of heightened hostilities in the region earlier this year. The Pentagon has not yet issued a formal statement, and it is unclear whether the strikes were coordinated with allies or approved through consultation with Congress.
The three facilities, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan (Esfahan), have long been central to Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
- Natanz is Iran’s primary enrichment facility and has been at the center of both covert sabotage operations and diplomatic standoffs over the years.
- Fordow, built deep inside a mountain, is considered highly fortified and difficult to target. Its existence was revealed publicly in 2009.
- Isfahan houses facilities for uranium conversion and fuel manufacturing, including a reactor fueled by enriched uranium.
Each of these sites is monitored, to varying degrees, by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), though Iran has sharply curtailed access in recent years following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement.
The strike comes amid months of escalating military tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. In recent weeks, U.S. forces in the region had been placed on heightened alert following Iranian missile tests, increased proxy activity in Iraq and Syria, and Tehran’s refusal to cooperate with international inspectors.
Just days before the strike, US intelligence indicated Iran was preparing to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels, surpassing the 90% threshold. Iranian officials denied the allegations and insisted their nuclear program was for peaceful purposes.
While immediate details remain scarce, early reports suggest explosions were detected near the cities of Natanz and Isfahan around midnight local time. Iranian state media has so far not confirmed the strikes, but officials are expected to issue a response shortly.
The international community is bracing for potential retaliation from the world’s major exporter of terror — the Islamic Republic of Iran government. Oil prices surged on initial news of the strikes, and several Middle Eastern capitals have placed military units on standby. NATO officials are said to be in emergency consultation, and the United Nations Security Council is expected to convene later today.
