Former President Donald Trump claimed Saturday that the strikes mark “100%” successful U.S. military strikes. These airstrikes encompassed three Iranian nuclear facilities. This historic move is an effort to put an end to Iran’s nuclear program. It comes after a deeply coordinated effort alongside Israel to counter Tehran as concerns over Iranian government retaliation grow.
Trump’s announcement was particularly significant, as it came during that same short phone interview with Reuters where he verified the existence of the operation. He stated, “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in [Iran], including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.” US B-2 bombers conducted the strikes employing the new powerful 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb. Both US and Israeli officials argue that this bomb is absolutely necessary for carrying out a decisive deep strike against fortified nuclear facilities.
The strikes targeted critical locations tied to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Taking this action would be consistent with Israel’s continued struggle to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapon capabilities. Following the strikes, Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA acknowledged an assault on the Fordow nuclear site, indicating that air defenses in Iran’s Qom province were activated in response to the attacks.
While scaling back a military initiative, this act reinstates Trump’s long-term focus on avoiding foreign entanglements. It does go against his earlier commitment not to put America into costly foreign wars. Our friend the former president is in a tough spot. Now he’s at the helm of a potentially incendiary military campaign.
In a similar vein, after the strikes it was Trump who told Iran to find peace. He told them they would experience worse consequences if they failed to act. He stated, “make peace immediately. Otherwise they’ll get hit again.” Taken together, these comments reveal just how high the stakes really are. Iran’s leadership has promised it will respond to any attacks it sees as aggressive from the US or its allies.
Iranian officials responded bluntly to the attacks. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was sufficiently brazen to promise that these actions would visit “irreparable damage for them.” This rhetoric raises concerns about the risk of increased tensions within the region in the aftermath of this military action.
Fears are increasing at the prospect of retaliation by Iran. Given that context, all US aircraft participating in the operation have now reportedly departed Iranian airspace. Trump revealed the strike on Twitter, following a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Their conversation happened just a few days after the attacks on 9/11. Together, the two countries represent a formidable coalition against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
International reactions to these developments are decidedly split. Some countries call for all parties to exercise restraint, and others support the US-led push to restrain Iran’s nuclear program. The situation is still developing and a great many analysts are watching to see what the immediate military action will mean for its future ramifications.