Former U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that American forces conducted a major airstrike inside Iran on Sunday, directly targeting its nuclear infrastructure. Trump described the operation as a “bullseye” strike that caused monumental damage to Iran’s nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — calling it the most severe blow to Tehran’s nuclear programme to date. The strikes marked a dramatic escalation and the first direct U.S. military involvement in the conflict alongside Israel.
In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump asserted that the Fordow site, which lies deep within a mountain, was hit with a full payload of bunker-buster bombs, causing the “biggest damage far below ground level.” Satellite images released following the attacks reportedly showed extensive destruction, with Trump claiming that the underground facilities were effectively “obliterated.”
Trump stated:
“All planes are now outside of Iran airspace. A full payload of bombs was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”
U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth later echoed Trump’s remarks, calling the strikes a “huge success” and insisting that Iran’s nuclear ambitions had been set back significantly.
The strikes came after more than a week of Israeli operations targeting Iranian missile systems and air defences. Trump’s decision to authorize direct U.S. military action marked a shift from prior U.S. restraint, signalling deeper involvement in the growing regional conflict.
The global response was mixed. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the U.S. for taking decisive action, countries like Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia condemned the strikes. Iran reacted with outrage, vowing retaliation and warning of a wider conflict.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the attacks as “reckless provocation” and warned that both Israel and the U.S. would be “severely punished.” Hours after the U.S. strikes, Iran launched missiles into Israel, which Khamenei claimed was just the beginning of its retaliation.
President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that the United States “must receive a response” and described the strikes as the most serious Western military aggression against Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran also called for an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting, accusing the U.S. and Israel of undermining global diplomacy and manipulating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty for political purposes.
Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, representing Iran at the UN, condemned the U.S. offensive and warned of long-term consequences. He stated that diplomacy had been “destroyed” and accused the West of “weaponising international agreements” to justify unilateral aggression.
As tensions escalate, global observers remain concerned that the latest attacks could trigger a broader military confrontation in the Middle East.
