MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US obliterates Iran's nuclear capabilities, Trump says after attack

If peace does not come quickly, we can take out Iran's other targets in a matter of minutes, Trump insisted

US President Donald Trump announced Saturday that warplanes from his country, including B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, conducted “massive precision strikes” that “obliterated” three Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. The operation, carried out at about 2.30 am Iranian time on Sunday, involved bunker-buster bombs to penetrate the heavily fortified Fordow site, located 300 feet underground.

“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. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote on social media.

The attack, aimed at destroying Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities, was described as a “spectacular military success.” The Republican leader warned Iran of further strikes if it does not agree to peace, emphasizing that the US could target additional sites quickly. The strikes followed a collapsed two-week negotiation period for a potential cease-fire between Israel and Iran. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the U.S. action, stating it would “change history.”

Iran condemned the strikes as a “savage assault” and vowed to continue its nuclear program and retaliatory actions against Israel.

“Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror. Tonight, I can report to the world the strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump also pointed out. “Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,” he insisted while noting there were many “targets left” unattended.

“Tonight's was the most difficult of them, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes,” he further warned Tehran. In addition, he said that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was not to be targeted for now.

“History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons,” Netanyahu argued after Trump had announced a two-week negotiating window for potential cease-fire talks.

Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, located near Qom and deeply buried beneath mountains, houses 3,000 centrifuges. In 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found uranium enriched to 83.7% purity at the site, just below the 90% threshold needed for nuclear weapons. The facility's depth and enrichment level have raised international concerns about Iran’s nuclear intentions. However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday said his country refused to reduce its nuclear enrichment “under any circumstances” while vowing to keep its retaliatory attacks against Israel.

Meanwhile, the Houthis in Yemen threatened to resume attacks on US vessels in the Red Sea if Washington continued supporting Israel against Iran. “Any US aggression or attack in support of the Israeli enemy against Iran serves this goal and therefore cannot go unanswered,” the Houthis said in a statement. “Remaining silent would mean surrendering the freedom and dignity of the [Iranian] nation and allowing its wealth to be plundered,” it went on.