US Bombs Iran’s Nuclear Sites Amid Middle East Conflict
June 22, 2025 • 11 minute read.
Conflict Background and Escalation
Israel and Iran’s long-simmering hostilities erupted into open war in mid-June 2025. On June 13, Israel launched unprecedented airstrikes deep into Iran, targeting nuclear facilities and top military commanders. This marked a major escalation of the Middle East conflict, which had already seen rising tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and regional proxy battles. Iranian forces retaliated with missile attacks against Israeli cities in the days that followed, resulting in casualties on both sides.
On June 18, 2025, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any U.S. military intervention would result in “serious irreparable consequences,” urging Washington to avoid direct involvement in the Israel–Iran conflict. At the same time, U.S. decision-makers were weighing options as American forces in the region were placed on high alert.
Timeline of Escalation:
- June 13, 2025: Israel initiates a military campaign against Iran, striking multiple Iranian nuclear sites and assassinating senior Iranian military figures. Over 400 people are reported killed in Iran during the first wave of Israeli attacks.
- June 15–20, 2025: Iran responds with ballistic missile volleys at Israeli targets, including Tel Aviv and Haifa. These attacks kill at least two dozen Israelis and spark air raid sirens across the country. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen threaten to strike U.S. ships in the Red Sea if America enters the war.
- June 19, 2025: Amid mounting speculation of U.S. involvement, President Trump signals that the U.S. is prepared to act. Khamenei warns that any U.S. military action “will result in irreparable consequences”. Trump, who had campaigned on avoiding new wars, faces a pivotal decision as domestic supporters debate intervention.
- June 21, 2025: After days of deliberation and moves of American forces into position, the U.S. formally enters the fray. President Trump announces in a televised address that he has ordered “massive precision strikes” on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, effectively joining Israel’s war against Iran.
US Airstrike on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
Map: Three Iranian nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan – were hit by the US airstrike, marking a dramatic expansion of the conflict.
In the early hours of June 22 (late June 21 UTC), U.S. forces carried out a coordinated airstrike on Iran’s nuclear sites in a bold effort to cripple Tehran’s uranium enrichment program. President Trump announced that American B-2 Spirit stealth bombers had struck three key Iranian nuclear facilities – the Fordow uranium enrichment bunker, the Natanz enrichment complex, and a site in Isfahan – using “bunker buster” munitions. “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 Iranian air space,” Trump declared on social media shortly after the operation. The Pentagon confirmed that multiple U.S. B-2 bombers were involved in the strikes, which had been authorized by President Trump on Saturday.
The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. A dramatic leap forward in technology, the bomber represents a major milestone in the U.S. bomber modernization program. #ReadyAF #AimHigh
According to U.S. defense officials, the overnight air assault – code-named Operation Midnight – was massive in scale. “The U.S. strikes included 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft,” reported General Dan Caine, illustrating the breadth of the operation. The B-2 bombers delivered GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, each weighing 30,000 pounds, capable of punching through tens of meters of concrete and rock to reach underground facilities. Simultaneously, U.S. Navy warships and submarines offshore launched salvos of Tomahawk cruise missiles at air defense and command sites, according to media reports. The goal was to neutralize Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability in one decisive strike while minimizing collateral damage.
President Trump hailed the strikes as a “spectacular military success,” claiming that “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated”. By his account, the operation achieved its objective of “the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity”. Independent verification of the full extent of damage is difficult, but early indications suggest the strikes dealt a severe blow to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Notably, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported no detectable radiation release after the bombing, implying that any damage to nuclear material was contained. U.S. officials also noted that Iranian personnel working at the targeted sites had reportedly been evacuated shortly beforehand, possibly due to Iran anticipating an attack.
Despite the massive show of force, U.S. leaders emphasized that the strike was narrowly focused. “Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the next day, “but the strikes did not target Iranian troops or people”. In a Pentagon statement, Hegseth lauded the operation as “an incredible and overwhelming success” that “devastated the Iranian nuclear programme” while avoiding unnecessary casualties. He praised President Trump’s commitment to “peace through strength” for halting Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The clear message from Washington was that the U.S. had both the capability and will to destroy Iran’s nuclear sites, but sought to avoid a broader war. As one defense official put it, “When this president speaks, the world should listen” – a pointed warning aimed at Iran and others.
Iranian Retaliation and Ongoing Conflict
Iran’s response to the U.S. bombing was swift and defiant. Mere hours after the American airstrikes, Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at multiple Israeli cities in a furious act of retaliation. Loud explosions rocked Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in the early morning of June 22 as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps fired volleys of Shahab and Kheibar Shekan missiles across the region. Air-raid sirens wailed throughout Israeli population centers, and the Israeli military activated all available air defense systems. At least 27 missiles were launched in two waves, targeting the greater Tel Aviv area, the northern port of Haifa, and other strategic sites. Amid the barrage, frightened residents huddled in bomb shelters or evacuated damaged buildings as first responders rushed to impact sites.
Initial reports indicated significant structural damage and dozens of injuries on the Israeli side. In Tel Aviv, a densely populated residential building was hit directly, its facade reduced to rubble. Up to 20 people were injured in that strike alone, according to Israeli medical services. Images from the scene showed stunned residents and rescue crews picking through the debris of collapsed concrete and twisted rebar, searching for survivors in what had been apartment homes just minutes before. In Haifa, emergency teams responded to a blast that sent shards of a missile (or intercepted missile debris) raining down on a neighborhood, injuring several civilians. By the conflict’s second week, Israeli authorities say at least 25 people have been killed in Iran’s missile and drone attacks since the war began.
Tehran has trumpeted these missile salvos as a justified Iranian retaliation for the U.S. “aggression.” Iran’s leaders, furious at the bombing of their sovereign territory, vowed that the United States and Israel would face dire consequences. “The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences,” declared Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a statement on X, condemning the American attack as a “grave violation of the U.N. Charter, international law and the NPT”. Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused Washington of “betraying diplomacy” by joining Israel’s war and warned that Iran “reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interests, and people”. Shortly after the U.S. strikes, Iran even signaled it may withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) altogether – a drastic step underscoring how gravely Tehran views the attack.
Even as missiles flew, strategic analysts noted that Iran now faces a perilous calculus. Iran’s supreme leader and military brass must decide how far to escalate against vastly superior U.S. firepower. “Iran had vowed to retaliate. Now, it faces hard choices,” observed Farnaz Fassihi, a veteran journalist, in an analysis shared on X. “If it retaliates, it risks an all-out war with the US.
Iran had vowed to retaliate. Now, it faces hard choices. If it retaliates, it risks an all out war with the US. If it retreats & negotiates, it will be a shell of itself, nuclear sites destroyed, military weakened & with little leverage. nytimes.com/2025/06/22/wor…
This stark dilemma suggests Iran may calibrate its response: enough to satisfy domestic calls for revenge, but hopefully not enough to trigger direct war with America.
Thus far, Iran’s retaliation has principally targeted Israel – its direct adversary – rather than U.S. forces. However, the risk of a wider conflict remains high. Thousands of U.S. troops are stationed across the Middle East, including in Iraq, Syria, and the Persian Gulf, all within reach of Iran and its allied militias. “There are up to 40,000 Americans within range of Iranian missiles and drones,” noted Middle East expert Stephen Zunes, warning that U.S. fleets in the Persian Gulf could also be targeted. Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen may also open new fronts against U.S. and Israeli interests. In Yemen, the Houthi rebels (armed by Iran) explicitly threatened to attack U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea if America intervened, a warning that now looms large.
President Trump, for his part, has issued blunt warnings to deter any Iranian counterattacks on U.S. assets. “Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight,” Trump wrote after the strikes. The clear implication: if Iran directly targets U.S. forces or interests, Washington is prepared to escalate with overwhelming military power. Despite this rhetoric, the White House insists it does not seek a full war with Iran. The U.S. strike was framed as a one-time measure to remove an imminent nuclear threat, not an invitation to regime change or occupation. Still, the situation is extraordinarily volatile. With Iran feeling cornered and outraged, and the U.S. promising devastating responses to further Iranian moves, the cycle of retaliation could spiral rapidly.
Official Statements and Global Reactions
The U.S. strikes on Iran have drawn strong reactions domestically and around the world. In Washington, President Trump and his allies portrayed the operation as a necessary step to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Trump asserted that the action would ultimately “make the world safer”, and he pointed to Iran’s threats against Israel as justification for American intervention. “Now is the time for peace!” Trump declared, arguing that demonstrating overwhelming force could compel Iran to back down. At a press briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth doubled down on this stance, praising the President’s “bold and brilliant” decision. Hegseth insisted the U.S. strikes “showed the world that American deterrence is back” and that “when this President speaks, the world should listen”.
Not surprisingly, Israel’s government welcomed the U.S. action with open arms. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had been urging Washington’s support, called the American airstrikes “bold, righteous and historic.” In a televised address, Netanyahu thanked President Trump for targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities with the “awesome and righteous might” of the U.S. military. “Congratulations, President Trump. Your decision will change history,” Netanyahu proclaimed, suggesting that destroying Iran’s nuclear capacity was a world-changing event. Israeli officials believe the U.S. intervention may decisively remove what they consider an existential threat – “denying the world’s most dangerous regime the world’s most dangerous weapons”. Across Israel, many citizens, already under missile fire, expressed relief and support for the strikes, even as concerns remained about Iranian retaliation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “President @realDonaldTrump and I often say: ‘Peace through strength.’ First comes strength, then comes peace. And tonight, @POTUS Trump and the United States acted with a lot of strength.”
In Tehran, the mood was one of fury and resolve. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the U.S. attack in the harshest terms, labeling it an act of “international terrorism” and “piracy.” Araghchi’s statement on X (Twitter) accused the United States – a permanent UN Security Council member – of egregiously violating international law by attacking “Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations”. He warned that “each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior” and vowed that Iran “will have everlasting consequences” for the aggression. Supreme Leader Khamenei, in a televised sermon after the strikes, declared that Iran “will not surrender to anyone” and “will stand firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace” – signaling that Iran refuses to be dictated to by force. The Iranian government has also rallied public sentiment through protests; large crowds in Tehran and other cities chanted anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans, and even some moderate Iranians who oppose their regime say they have united against what they see as a foreign attack on their nation’s sovereignty.
International Community Response
The international community’s reaction has been mixed, reflecting geopolitical divides. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres voiced grave concern, calling the U.S. bombing of Iran a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge”. Guterres warned that the confrontation could “rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world”, and he urgently appealed for all parties to step back. “At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy,” the UN chief implored. Many countries echoed his call for restraint, even as they took sides to varying degrees.
Russia and China, both strategic partners of Iran, strongly condemned the U.S. strikes. Moscow blasted Washington’s “irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks”, saying it flagrantly violated the UN Charter and international law. The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded an immediate halt to “aggression” and urged a return to dialogue. Beijing’s Foreign Ministry similarly “strongly condemned” the U.S. action for “seriously violating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter” and exacerbating Middle East tensions. China called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Iran, urging all parties (especially Israel) to exercise restraint and seek negotiations. Both Russia and China signaled they would raise the issue in the UN Security Council, although any concrete action there is unlikely given U.S. veto power.
Traditional U.S. allies in Europe walked a more delicate line. Britain’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, stated that “Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security” and expressed understanding that the U.S. acted to alleviate that threat. At the same time, he and other European leaders stressed the need for diplomacy. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, urged “all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation”. In a post on X, she reiterated that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon, but emphasized that “the only hope is peace” and announced EU ministers would meet to seek a diplomatic path.
Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security. I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation. EU Foreign Ministers will discuss the situation tomorrow.
France and Germany similarly called for restraint: France’s foreign minister implored parties to avoid any expansion of the conflict and affirmed that a lasting solution must be negotiated within the NPT framework. Germany’s Chancellor urged Iran to immediately re-engage in nuclear talks with the U.S. and coordinated with EU partners on next steps. Gulf Arab states like Saudi Arabia, while longtime rivals of Iran, reacted with caution – Riyadh voiced “great concern” over the strikes and urged maximum restraint and de-escalation to avoid a broader regional war. Neutral countries such as Switzerland and mediator states like Oman condemned the U.S. attack outright or urged a swift return to dialogue, fearing the conflict’s impact on global stability and energy markets.
Meanwhile, the strikes set off a debate within the United States about war powers and constitutional authority. Opposition Democrats blasted President Trump for taking the country to the brink of war without consulting Congress. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated that Trump “failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East”, adding that the president “shoulders complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences”. Other lawmakers pointed out that under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress can declare war, arguing that bombing a sovereign nation’s territory oversteps the President’s legal authority. A group of senators announced they will introduce a resolution under the War Powers Act to require congressional approval for further military action against Iran. Outside government, advocacy organizations are also weighing in: the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the strike as “illegal and unjustified”, while the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC praised it as necessary and urged the U.S. to “work with allies to protect our troops and interests against Iranian attacks”. This domestic debate underscores the high stakes of the president’s decision, as Americans grapple with the possibility of another major conflict in the Middle East.
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