American warplanes dropped bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran, bringing the U.S. military directly into the war after days of uncertainty about whether President Trump would intervene.
“Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror,” Mr. Trump said in an address to the nation from the White House on Saturday night.
Mr. Trump said American bombers had hit Iran’s two major uranium enrichment centers: the mountain facility at Fordo and a larger enrichment plant at Natanz, which Israel had struck several days ago with smaller weapons. A third site near the ancient city of Isfahan where Iran is believed to keep near-bomb-grade uranium was also bombed, he said.
He also threatened more action against Iran if it did not return to diplomatic efforts.
“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,” Mr. Trump said in an address to the nation from the White House on Saturday night. “If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.”
Iranian officials confirmed that the three sites had been attacked, including three Iranian officials said that Fordo and Natanz had been bombed around 2:30 a.m. local time on Sunday.
The extent of the damage to the sites early Sunday was not clear. Mr. Trump asserted that the facilities were “completely and totally obliterated.” Iranian officials acknowledged the sites had been attacked but did not immediately describe the damage. A spokesman for the Emergency Committee of Qom, a city near Fordo, said that enemy forces had bombed “parts of the Fordo nuclear facility,” according to the Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran, which has refrained so far from direct attacks on U.S. troops and interests in the Middle East, has warned that American entry into war would bring retaliation, raising fears around the region about the danger of a widening war. What form that response would take is unclear. Analysts have also speculated that Iran could react by attacking U.S. troops and bases in the region, or by accelerating its nuclear program — assuming the program survives U.S. bombing.
After a week of mixed signals, President Trump, who has long vowed to steer America clear of overseas “forever wars,” authorized U.S. forces to strike Iran’s most heavily fortified nuclear installation, deep underground. The goal, American and Israeli officials have said, is to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb.
Israel and Iran, sworn enemies for decades, have been exchanging attacks since June 13, when the Israelis launched a surprise assault that targeted Iranian infrastructure, including nuclear installations, and military leaders. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his nation had no choice but to act if it wanted to stave off a nuclear “holocaust.”
Iran responded with missile barrages of its own, as well as offers to resume negotiations over its nuclear development program.
After the U.S. strikes, Mr. Netanyahu praised Mr. Trump in a video statement, saying he had “acted to deny the world’s most dangerous regime the world’s most dangerous weapons.”
(nytimes.com)
Deeply shamed and pray for Iran and for the world.
Israel cleared the decks of anti aircraft weapons so we could bomb the nuke sites
A lot now depends on the scope and intensity of Iran’s response. The ayatollahs have always said it would be apocalyptic. If it is…. Might be a good idea to stockpile rice and potable water and gas up.
Right, Bruce.
Anything but criticize what most of the world now recognizes as the Terrorist Theocracy of Israel.
At this late stage in your life your legacy emerges.
Sad, really… what you will be ultimately be remembered for.
And let us not forget, the Terrorist Theocracy of the American Looney Left at this late state of your non-existent legacy, Pat.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/06/22/us-strikes-iran-latest-updates/
& Medvedev implies Iran will be supplied nukes.
What of substance has happened to Iran? They lost the potential to make a nuclear bomb. They have lost a significant part of their military leadership, and military ability, both offensively and defensively. There is little threat of Iran being invaded, or of their heads of state being removed by an external force. Then, what has changed? Not much. What is the substantive reason for Iran to expand their war on the West? There isn’t any.
Lyin’ donnie can’t seem to distinguish who the bully is…. They must not let him have mirrors
Why isn’t Congress intervening?
Because mostly they’re a bunch of bloodthirsty psychopaths who owe their allegiance to Israel via AIPAC and not to the USA.
Thomas Massie (R-KY) has introduced a War Powers resolution directing the president to cease his war of aggression. Ro Khanna (D-CA) was the first co-sponsor, and 42 others have signed on. Notably absent are Hakim Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi. Senator Kaine has introduced the bill in the Senate.
The bill will never be brought to the floor
A couple of things to note… it was a TACO attack.
The US informed Iran of the pending attack.
Contrary to Fox News blather, the main site was not fully destroyed, Two of the several entrances were targeted, and this is confirmed by satellite imagery.
The two other sites were hit with cruise missiles fired from ships, not bunker busters dropped from bombers.
Iran says all the important stuff was moved out of those sites months ago. Also, they aren’t idiots – they didn’t spend years building a site inside a mountain and not check the buster bunker specs.
As much as it would be appropriate for Iran to now extinguish the 50,000 US troops in their range, I’m hopeful that they choose to close the Strait of Hormuz instead – and their parliament has already voted to do so. Nothing drives Americans more crazy – especially MAGA idiots – more than the price of gas.
But the best way Iran can respond is by increasing their attacks on Israel. Now that Iron Dome is becoming depleted, Iran’s drones are able to get through – one hit a Nazi settlement in the West Bank. Hopefully they will continue to target Israeli military, government, and infrastructure installations until Israel no longer functions and is forced to beg for peace.
Nazi settlement in the West Bank?
Nazi and Zionist are synonymous (IMHO).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haavara_Agreement
https://cja.huji.ac.il/gross/browser.php?mode=set&id=37454
Objectively, they aren’t the same.
Genocide – check
Lebensraum – check
Supremacy (“master race,” “chosen people”) – check
Fascism – check
Wars of aggression – check
Desire for a Europe without Jewish people – check
The only big difference is that the victims of the Nazis are perceived to be white, and the victims of the Zionists are perceived to be non-white.
Master race? Nobody I know thinks that. And Arabs as not white? Some are, but Arabs are as diverse as Frisco. The Ayatollahs have dreamed genocidal dreams since Israel’s terrorist beginnings. And Israel’s rightwing has dreamed of a ME without Arabs, and here we are. The last chance for a rational accommodation was with Rabin and Peres, and that was sabbed first by Arab fanatics that ushered in Israeli fanatics with Netanyahu.
The Nazis called themselves the master race. The Zionists call themselves the chosen people. What’s the difference? None.
I said “perceived” to be white/non-white. Lots of Jewish people are not white, and lots of Arab people are white. (And some Arab people are … Jewish.) Americans perceive Arabs to be non-white, so in general they have no problem slaughtering them – just as they slaughtered over a million of them in Iraq. They perceived Yugoslavians to be white, so they intervened. They perceived Rwandans to be non-white, so they didn’t intervene.
“The Ayatollahs have dreamed genocidal dreams since Israel’s terrorist beginnings.”
False. The Arab and Persian position has been consistent since day one of Israel’s existence. Palestine should be a place where Jewish people, Christians, and Muslims should live together as they have done for centuries. The “wiped off the map” nonsense is propaganda spread by Neocons/Zionists. What Ahmadinejad said is that Israel should fade from the pages of history.
Your use of the word “genocidal” in this context implies that you think Zionism represents Jewishness. It does not represent Jewishness just like the KKK and the Nazis don’t represent whiteness. Wouldn’t you be offended if I called you a Nazi just because you’re white? It’s offensive to conflate Jewishness with Zionism.
“… Rabin and Peres, and that was sabbed first by Arab fanatics”
False. Zionists killed Rabin – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Yitzhak_Rabin – and in any case both Rabin and Peres were terrorists, members of the Haganah. They wanted Israel as a “Jewish state,” and that is the fundamental problem.
I don’t blame you for having these positions. You’re informed by the NYT and similar mainstream US outlets with the same point of view. Of course, it was the NYT who pushed the ‘yellow cake uranium’ lie which led to the death of over a million Iraqis. There is nothing wrong with calling for the extermination of Zionists, just as there was nothing wrong in calling for the extermination of Nazis. There IS something wrong with calling for the extermination of Jewish people, or calling for the extermination of German/White people. It seems like NYT readers just can’t wrap their heads around that,
All these years and I still haven’t learned not to argue with the infallible. Do you have any other subject?
Correct. On this subject I am right, and you are partially misinformed. I know that you support the Palestinians in your own way, and you don’t vote for D/R criminals. That puts you way ahead of most people. I wish John Ross was still with us to help bring you across the final mile, but in the end it doesn’t matter much.
My other areas of expertise wouldn’t be of interest to you or your readers, for the most part. Maybe someday I’ll submit an article about the five times I’ve had guns pointed at me, four times by militaries and once by paramilitaries. Your readers might find it entertaining.
How about Alexander the Great, Xerxes of Persia, the Romans, the Mongols, Mohammad, etc. They all fit.
Not to mention … the Americans.
Assholes, all of them. The Mongols wanted everyone to live under “The Eternal Blue Sky.” The Americans want to ‘spread democracy (sic).’
Humanity can only go one of two ways. Either follow the assholes and ultimately destroy everyone and everything, or evolve and emerge from the primitive ape-state we are in and project humanity into the future.
Usually, anyone who stands for the latter gets knocked down pretty quickly, so I’d be betting on the former.
Here a Nazi, there a Nazi, everywhere a Nazi, yah, yah, yah.
Iran quits IAEA, joins Israel in refusal to allow inspections. Israel pleads for ceasefire but Iran responds not yet. Slow motion Holocaust continues in Gaza. Little pity in world for Israel post 1968. No pity in world post 2024.
And, right on cue, The Israelis are now begging for a ceasefire (with Iran, not in Gaza).
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-to-convey-message-to-iran-it-is-looking-to-end-war-within-days/
Iran said… nah.
My calm & factual comments are mostly knocked out of the ring by Bruce’s mighty AntisemitismCard.
Maybe he’ll allow me to respond with a smiley:
:-)
It was certainly nice to see Israel get a taste of its own medicine – tens of thousands of their homes destroyed and $billions in damage – https://www.timesofisrael.com/cost-of-damages-from-iran-war-forecast-at-double-october-7-and-ensuing-attacks/ – as well as a presumably underreported number of deaths and injuries. My only sympathy is with Israeli children, whose evil Zionist parents should not have kept them in harms way.
Iran accepting the peace deal while they were winning is disappointing, however. They should have demanded a complete withdrawal from Gaza as well as real humanitarian aid for the Gazans as a condition before ceasing their absolutely righteous pounding of the genocidal state.
A study released by Harvard and conducted by an Israeli professor from Ben Gurion University has concluded that the Israelis have killed or otherwise disappeared 400,000 Palestinians from Gaza – half of them children. https://thecradle.co/articles-id/31546
Any decent people left in Israel should be allowed to leave – permanently – and then all Zionist areas of the country should be absolutely flattened. Iran has left the Palestinians twisting in the wind… once again. EVERY DAY the Israelis shoot and kill dozens of Palestinians at their “humanitarian aid” camps. History shows us that Nazis (=Zionists) .can only be stopped by killing them and killing them and killing them until they stop being Nazis.
That is a reasoned response and fairly represents the situation as it is. Einstein and others warned in 1948 of the possibility of the Israeli Govt becoming like the Nazi’s and he was prescient.. may a great Palestinian nation rise from the ashes of Israel.
Thank you, sir.
Put it simply. As others smarter and more knowing than I have noted–Yet again we enter the ME with our fine bombs and weapons. And yet again we open Pandora’s Box…
Tweets from psychopathic Israelis who want terrorist attacks against the US in response to Trump insisting that Israel respect the ceasefire with Iran (originally in Hebrew):
@amichaishilo – “One symbolic bomb in Washington will remind Trump that he is not omnipotent and will restore our national honor.”
@avrumo_lazenga – “Trump beware, war doctrine awaits you.”
@lolothe2nd – “We did it on some Tuesday in September, didn’t we? That’s what they say”
@twirlingmiz – “All the terrorist cells created in the US will surely begin to awaken. Especially if this whole day isn’t one big troll.”
@efratw – “One ‘Iranian’ bomb in Washington, in an open area”
@realTembel – “Amichai, you should have written that it’s time to activate the pager that Bibi gave to Trump.”
@LianMarai – “If Israel theoretically decides to attack America, what should be the opening? The White House? Silicon Valley? Interesting bases?”