In a dramatic development late Saturday night, former U.S. President Donald J. Trump confirmed that the United States has carried out a series of precision airstrikes on three of Iran’s most critical nuclear facilities, marking a major escalation in the long-standing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The announcement came via Trump’s Truth Social platform, where he declared that American forces had completed “a very successful attack” on Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. These sites have long been at the heart of Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts and are considered essential to the country’s nuclear ambitions.
“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 Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors,” Trump wrote.
“There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”
The Targets: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan
The Fordow nuclear facility, buried deep within a mountain, was reportedly the primary focus of the operation. Western intelligence agencies have long viewed Fordow as a particularly dangerous site due to its heavily fortified construction and its capability to enrich uranium to near-weapons-grade levels.
Natanz and Isfahan, also significant to Iran’s nuclear fuel cycle, were hit simultaneously in what appears to have been a highly coordinated strike involving stealth capabilities and advanced bunker-busting ordnance.
U.S. Firepower: B-2 Bombers and the GBU-57A/B
According to defense sources, the airstrikes were carried out using B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, among the most sophisticated aircraft in the U.S. arsenal. The bombers reportedly deployed GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs, each weighing 30,000 pounds and capable of penetrating deeply buried, reinforced structures.
With their stealth design and global strike capabilities, B-2 bombers can evade radar detection while delivering both nuclear and conventional payloads. Manned by a two-person crew and supported by aerial refueling, the aircraft is uniquely suited for long-range, high-stakes missions like this one.
“The B-2 brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses,” states a description from the U.S. Air Force.
Regional and Global Fallout
The Pentagon has yet to issue an official statement, and it remains unclear whether the strike was conducted with the coordination or authorization of President Joe Biden’s administration, raising questions about command and legality.
Iran has not yet issued a formal response to the attack, but analysts warn that retaliation could be swift and severe. The Islamic Republic has frequently vowed to defend its sovereignty and has previously threatened to retaliate against any military action targeting its nuclear infrastructure.
Middle East analysts are calling this the most serious flare-up in U.S.-Iran relations since the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020, also under Trump’s leadership.
A Call for Peace?
While Trump framed the operation as a show of American strength, he also used the moment to make a surprising call for peace.
“NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE,” he wrote.
It remains to be seen whether the aftermath of this high-risk military operation will bring diplomacy, or fuel another chapter in the decades-long confrontation between the United States and Iran.
This is a developing story. Updates will follow as more information becomes available.
