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Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
U.S. launches airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites: A turning point in U.S.–Iran relations
On June 21, 2025 (June 22 IRST), President Donald Trump announced that U.S. military forces had conducted coordinated airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites— Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan . The attacks, which involved B‑2 stealth bombers armed with bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles , mark the first time the United States has struck nuclear infrastructure inside Iran. The operation signifies a turning point in long-standing tensions between Iran and its regional adversaries, particularly Israel and the United States. Trump said that the mission was 'very successful and historic,' including that all U.S. aircraft returned safely and that the Fordow facility was hit with a 'full payload' . Tensions between Iran and Israel have simmered for over four decades, beginning with Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution and the regime's subsequent opposition to Israel's existence. ' For 40 years, Iran has been saying, 'Death to America,' 'Death to Israel.'' said President Trump. Over the years, this rivalry has manifested through proxy wars, cyberattacks, and regional destabilization. During the 1980s to 2000s, Iran supported militant groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, while Israel launched targeted airstrikes on Iranian weapons shipments and personnel. In the 2010s, the conflict turned digital, with cyberwarfare incidents like the Stuxnet virus attack on Iran's enrichment facilities. More recently, in 2024 and 2025, Israeli airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure and Iran's missile retaliation brought tensions to new heights. The U.S. strikes targeted: Fordow : A hardened underground uranium enrichment facility near Qom Natanz : Iran's primary enrichment center Isfahan : A nuclear storage and uranium conversion site B‑2 bombers reportedly released 30,000-pound GBU‑57 bunker-buster bombs, while naval forces fired Tomahawk cruise missiles. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemned the strikes as 'acts of war' and vowed retaliation. The Iranian Foreign Ministry warned of 'very, very dangerous consequences,' signaling possible responses from Iran's military or regional proxies. In Washington, reactions were sharply divided. While several Republican leaders praised Trump's decisiveness, others—on both sides of the aisle—questioned the legality of the strikes, noting the absence of congressional authorization. Around the world, U.S. allies urged restraint. France and Germany pushed for immediate de-escalation. Portugal, Romania, and Serbia began evacuating citizens from the Middle East. An emergency session of the UN Security Council was convened on June 22, 2025, at the UN Headquarters in New York City. The meeting was urgently called by Iran to address the escalating conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, and to urge immediate action to prevent further regional destabilization. As the situation develops, key questions remain regarding the potential next steps by Iran and the broader implications for regional stability. For now, the U.S.–Iran conflict has entered a new phase, with global attention focused on what may unfold in the coming days. Related
Arabian Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Arabian Post
US Bombing of Fordow Leaves Nuclear Core Intact
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A U.S. intelligence assessment indicates that the air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, have damaged above-ground structures and access points but left underground enrichment infrastructure and uranium stockpiles largely undisturbed. The report by the Defence Intelligence Agency projects only a temporary setback—measured in months—to Iran's nuclear programme, challenging assertions by the White House that the sites were 'totally obliterated'. Satellite imagery released after the strikes on 22 June shows craters and blocked entrances at Fordow, where bunker-busting Massive Ordnance Penetrators reportedly hit ventilation shafts, yet analysts emphasise that the subterranean halls housing centrifuges lie too deep to evaluate via overhead visuals. WMD experts note that centrifuges are 'extremely vibration-sensitive', suggesting potential internal damage, but absent on-site inspection, the extent remains uncertain. ADVERTISEMENT The United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has urged renewed inspections at the sites. Director-General Rafael Grossi told an emergency Board of Governors session that significant underground damage was plausible, yet only rigorous inspections can confirm impact and assess stockpiles of enriched uranium, including the 400 kg of material enriched to 60 percent purity. The DIA report also confirms that Iranian authorities pre-positioned crucial nuclear materials and equipment prior to the air campaign. High-resolution satellite images captured extensive vehicle activity—bulldozers, trucks and sealed tunnel exits—on 19–21 June, indicating a deliberate evacuation of enriched uranium and centrifuges. Analysts speculate this operation undercut the campaign's intended impact, preserving Iran's capacity to resume enrichment and reconstitution of its nuclear programme with comparative ease. The White House disputes the DIA's findings. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the intelligence leak as 'flat‑out wrong', citing the precision of the bombing campaign and reiterating President Trump's declaration of a 'perfectly executed mission' and 'total obliteration' of Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Similarly, the Pentagon backs the President, contending that USAF and Navy strikes, featuring B‑2 stealth bombers flying 37‑hour missions deploying MOPs, decisively hit their targets. Despite official optimism, several non-proliferation experts question whether the attacks achieved strategic success. David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, asserted that while imagery suggests severe impact at Fordow, conclusive assessment requires internal access. Jeffrey Lewis and other analysts emphasise that intact uranium stockpiles, even if held at other sites, provide Iran with a largely intact nuclear baseline. The conflict has escalated beyond the nuclear dimension. Intermittent Iranian missile and drone fire has targeted U.S. and allied bases in the wider Middle East, prompting a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel, while global oil prices fluctuated amid tensions. IAEA technical teams have not yet been able to return to the sites. Grossi reminded parties that uninterrupted oversight is essential for both verifying the damage and ensuring no material has been diverted for weapons purposes. Iran has not formally objected to future inspections, although parliamentary figures have suggested curbs on IAEA activity if international hostility continues. Assessment of long‑term outcomes remains contested. Pro‑strike voices argue that disrupting operations, even temporarily, imposes significant costs on Iran's programme architecture. Critics warn that such tactics could drive Tehran's nuclear scientific talent further underground or accelerate development of redundant facilities. Meanwhile, intelligence officials and non‑proliferation authorities emphasise that blunts, quarterly backtracking cannot substitute for diplomacy. Restoring negotiations with Iran, potentially via intermediaries including the IAEA, remains the keystone for ensuring non‑weaponisation and preventing recurrence. The DIA characterises damage as limited to 'core components and stockpiles'—an interpretation not aligned with politically driven portrayals of mission success. As conflict fatigue weighs on global observers, the effectiveness of military action in halting nuclear proliferation faces renewed scrutiny.
India.com
4 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Besides America, which other countries have stealth bombers, they are dangerous because…
US B-2 stealth bombers- File image B-2 stealth bombers: In a significant development in the Israel-Iran war, the United States of America allegedly destroyed three Iranian nuclear facilities using B-2 stealth bombers this week. B-2 stealth bombers are American heavy strategic bomber that are used to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defense using low-observable stealth technology. However, the question is, is there any country in the world which has a similar stealth bombers or not. Here are all the details you need to know about B-2 stealth bombers and the countries which have similar capabilities. Countries having stealth bombers Often referred to as a stealth bomber, the aircrafts are used to bomb and destroy the places which are located kilometres below the ground. According to media reports, only the US currently has fully operational long-range stealth bombers like the B‑2 and the forthcoming B‑21 and the other countries like China and Russia primarily focus on stealth fighters with limited bomber variants. Notably, the US will soon have the B-21 Raider which will be a very modern and dangerous bomber. US claims to have destroyed Iranian N-programme using B2 Bombers US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that American military strikes at three Iranian facilities have devastated the Gulf nation's nuclear programme even as Vice President J.D. Vance hinted that the US still wants to pursue diplomatic process with Tehran. Hegseth confirmed that the operation was executed under direct orders from the US President Donald Trump and involved secrecy and meticulous preparation. 'The order we received from our Commander-in-Chief was focused, it was powerful, and it was clear,' Hegseth said. How US used B-2 stealth bombers to bomb Iran! The military campaign, designated Operation Midnight Hammer, targeted Iran's primary nuclear enrichment sites at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, he added. The coordinated attack involved more than 125 military aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, the deployment of 14 GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs, and more than 30 Tomahawk missiles. (With inputs from agencies)
Arabian Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arabian Post
Escalation Follows Trump‑Brokered Ceasefire Declaration
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Israeli defence minister Israel Katz declared late on 24 June that he had ordered the Israel Defence Forces to resume 'high‑intensity operations' against regime targets in central Tehran. The announcement followed allegations that Iran had launched missiles into Israeli territory, in what Tel Aviv described as a blatant breach of a United States‑mediated ceasefire unveiled just hours earlier by President Donald Trump. Trump had proclaimed a 'complete and total ceasefire' on Truth Social, explaining that Iran would halt strikes first, followed by Israel, in a phased arrangement ending after 24 hours. Within three hours of that declaration, Israel alleged that Iran launched missiles toward its southern regions, prompting Katz's directive to strike key Iranian infrastructure. ADVERTISEMENT Contradicting Israel's account, Tehran's ISNA student news agency denied firing any missiles post‑ceasefire. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier stated that Tehran would cease retaliatory actions—conditional on Israel halting operations by 04:00 Tehran time, a condition that purportedly lapsed minutes before hostilities were to pause. President Trump, addressing the situation on social media, urged both nations to honour the agreement and warned against any violations, offering his oversight as guarantor of the pledge. His announcement followed the deployment of U.S. B‑2 bombers striking three Iranian nuclear sites, and a symbolic retaliatory missile strike from Iran against a U.S. base in Qatar—strikes reportedly calibrated to minimise escalation. Despite conflicting claims, available evidence indicates a spike in missile exchanges. According to Reuters, Israel's southern city of Beersheba was hit, resulting in at least four fatalities, while various townships experienced temporary power outages after sirens sounded across the region as Iranian missiles streaked overhead. Tehran mourned significant civilian losses, with over 10 Israelis killed and more than 250 injured during Iran's earlier onslaught, which included bombardments on central and southern Israeli regions. Meanwhile, Israel took credit for eliminating senior Iranian military personnel and striking strategic nuclear and missile infrastructure; Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated Israel's success in degrading what he described as a dual existential threat posed by Iran's capabilities. Regionally, Qatar responded strongly, summoning Iran's ambassador and condemning the attack on U.S. forces at Al Udeid Air Base as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Saudi Arabia expressed hope that all parties would uphold the ceasefire and de‑escalate. International markets reacted positively to the ceasefire's initial announcement. Oil prices dropped, and equities rallied on optimism that the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz might ease—although the renewed strikes quickly revived fears of a wider conflagration. Experts scrutinise the long‑term viability of the truce. Some analysts suggest installation damage to Iran's nuclear programme may be reversible, with Iran's leadership determined to rebuild. Others view the U.S. use of bunker‑buster bombs and Israel's strategic targeting of Iranian deterrents as potential deterrents that may delay a rapid resurgence. On the political front, Trump is leveraging the declared ceasefire as a foreign‑policy milestone ahead of an imminent NATO summit. Netanyahu affirmed Israel would respond forcefully to any violations. Tehran warned that its military exercise would persist unless the bombing ended, contending that it acted to 'punish Israel for its aggression until the very last minute'. As global attention turns to negotiations, Qatar's mediation role and U.S. involvement loom large. The deal remains tentative, with both Israel and Iran accusing each other of breaking terms, and uncertainty surrounding whether Trump's phased ceasefire timeline will endure.
The Intercept
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Intercept
Trump Says Iran's Nuke Sites Are 'Obliterated.' The Military Isn't So Sure.
President Donald Trump took to social media to crow over his bombing of Iran on Saturday night. 'Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,' he wrote. Current and former Pentagon officials question Trump's certainty that three of Iran's nuclear sites were 'totally obliterated' by U.S. attacks. One current official called the post-strike assessment, offered in the immediate wake of the Saturday attacks, 'overblown.' All said the destruction at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan was extensive, but that the full extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear capabilities was not immediately clear. 'Overblown and premature,' the defense official, commenting about Trump's claims on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation, told The Intercept by instant message. 'What else is new[?]' That assessment was echoed by a former defense official who also spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the nature of his current employment. In the wake of such criticism, Trump doubled down. 'Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term!' he posted on TruthSocial on Sunday. 'The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!' 'From a targeting standpoint, 'destruction' means there is absolutely nothing left. These facilities were not destroyed by formal definition. Further, there is no way to assess the full scale of damage against such targets without boots on the ground,' said Wes Bryant, a former Pentagon official who previously worked as a Special Operations joint terminal attack controller, or JTAC, and called in thousands of strikes against the Islamic State and other terrorist groups across the greater Middle East. Bryant added: 'Suffice to say that the use of these facilities has been denied for the near or considerable future, and the strikes no doubt had a psychological effect on the regime. However, to state that any potential nuclear weapons development on the part of Iran has been permanently stopped would be incredibly naive.' Six U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bombers reportedly dropped 12 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators — 30,000-pound bombs colloquially known as 'bunker busters' — on the heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility, Iran's main location for enriching uranium. A seventh U.S. B‑2 bomber attacked the Natanz Nuclear Facility with two GBU‑57 bombs, while a U.S. Navy submarine also launched Tomahawk missiles, targeting both Natanz and Esfahan, as part of the mission code-named 'Operation Midnight Hammer.' Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, reiterated the IAEA's consistent message that 'armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place, and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked,' in an address to the agency's Board of Governors on Monday. He noted that craters were now visible at the Fordow site but stated that 'no one — including the IAEA — is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordow. He added: 'Given the explosive payload utilized, and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred.' A senior Iranian official told Reuters that most of the highly enriched uranium at Fordow had been moved to an undisclosed location ahead of the U.S. strikes. Before and after the Saturday attacks, current and former U.S. defense officials told The Intercept that this was highly likely. 'We often don't give our adversaries enough credit and underestimate their savviness. They've been planning for something like this for years. They could have planted information on Fordow as a decoy,' Bryant explained. 'It could be a major nuclear facility but might not have been as important as people think. Their nuclear warfare capabilities might be under development somewhere that we don't even know about and they could have invited the attack on this high-profile decoy. There is no reporting saying that's the case, but these are things you always have to look at when you're planning military operations — especially of this scale against a near-peer adversary.' Grossi also confirmed the damage at Natanz and said that at Esfahan, the 'affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process' and that entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material also appear to have been attacked. U.S. Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said Sunday that there was 'severe damage and destruction' to the three facilities but did not go so far as to say that Iran's nuclear capacities had been eliminated. 'Final battle damage [assessments] will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' Caine said. When asked if Iran still retains any nuclear capability, Caine said that battle damage assessments were 'still pending, and it would be way too early for me to comment on what may or may not still be there.' The Pentagon did not offer an update on Monday. 'We have nothing additional to provide beyond the Chairman's comments at this time,' a spokesperson told The Intercept. The White House did not reply to a request for comment about the discrepancy between Caine's statement and Trump's claims. The aim of the attacks, American and Israeli officials have said, is to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb. The U.S. intelligence community says that threat was not, however, real. 'We continue to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that [Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei has not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003, though pressure has probably built on him to do so,' reads the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment published in March. The assessment serves as the intelligence community's official evaluation of threats to 'the Homeland,' U.S. citizens, and the country's interests. Last week, Trump said Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was 'wrong' about intelligence on Iran when she testified in March before the Senate that the nation was not actively building a nuclear weapon. Photos of the Situation Room during the attack on Iran, released Saturday evening, did not show Gabbard present alongside Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and other administration officials. The White House later told Fox News that Gabbard was present. On Monday, Israel struck Evin prison, Iran's most notorious jail for political prisoners, adding it to the list of nonmilitary and nuclear sites that it has attacked, which includes energy infrastructure and Iran's government news agency. Israeli strikes have killed at least 950 people and wounded 3,450 others since its campaign began 10 days ago, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his desire for regime change in Iran and not ruled out targeting the country's supreme leader, saying 'no one in Iran should have immunity.' Israel's defense minister said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cannot 'continue to exist.' Trump joined in on the threats, pointing out that the U.S. knows Khamenei's location and dangling the possibility of assassinating him in the future. The U.S. attacks on Saturday were incredibly complex and expensive. U.S. forces employed approximately 75 precision guided weapons, including 14 of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, according to Caine. More than 125 U.S. aircraft participated in the mission, including the B-2 stealth bombers, fighter jets, and dozens of air refueling tankers. It was reportedly the largest B-2 strike in U.S. history and the second longest B-2 mission ever flown. Bombers launched from the continental U.S. flew east for 18 hours before they attacked Iran, while a decoy flew west over the Pacific. A guided missile submarine; a full array of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft; and hundreds of maintenance and operational military personnel also took part. Bryant lauded the tactical prowess of the strikes but questioned the aptitude of the man who ordered them. 'It was a demonstration of the unparalleled precision, global reach, and the devastating power of the U.S. military,' he said of the attack, emphasizing that such force needs to be 'tempered and guided by a level hand.' Trump, he said, was unfit for this job, increasingly seems to 'worship' military power, and that the president's sudden decision to join Israel's war 'demonstrates his increasing volatility.'
