Trump announced U.S. aircraft dropped a full payload of bombs on Iran’s Fordow facility, the main target of the strikes.
After US Strikes, Trump Threatens ‘Far Greater’ Attacks If Iran Doesn’t Make Peace
In a White House address on the evening of June 21, President Donald Trump touted the success of a series of U.S. strikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites, and warned of even greater attacks to come should Iran choose to retaliate.
“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 sponsors [of terrorism]. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump announced.
The strikes mark a direct U.S. foray into a military campaign that Israel started a week earlier, in a surprise attack in the early morning hours on June 13. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had cast his country’s surprise operation as a move to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program and defang its offensive nuclear capabilities.
These Israeli strikes came one day before Iranian and U.S. representatives were set to hold a sixth round of talks with the United States looking to limit Iran’s nuclear program. Iran pulled out of those talks following the Israeli attack.
Thus far, Iran has responded to Israel’s attack by launching waves of ballistic missiles and explosive attack drones at Israel. Some of these weapons have begun to break through Israel’s air defense networks, causing damage, injuries, and deaths.
As he delivered his White House address, Trump warned Iran not to continue fighting.
“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier,” the president said.
Trump said there are many targets left in Iran, but the ones that U.S. forces struck on Saturday were the most difficult.
While the initial Israeli operation had inflicted extensive damage to Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, the Iranian uranium enrichment facility at Fordow had remained a difficult target for Israeli forces to eliminate on their own.
The Fordow facility is situated hundreds of feet underground, nestled into a mountainous region of Iran. Military analysts assessed that U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers carrying 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs known as GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrators would be one of the best ways to take out the fortified nuclear site.
Earlier on Saturday, reports emerged indicating B-2 bombers had departed the United States overnight between June 20 and 21, heading west.
On Saturday evening, Fox News host Sean Hannity reported that he had spoken with Trump following the U.S. strikes. Hannity said the president told him that B-2 bombers dropped five or six heavy bunker busters on the Fordow facility, while U.S. submarines fired 30 Tomahawk missiles at Iran’s Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities.
In his address, Trump said Iran’s key nuclear facilities have now “been completely and totally obliterated.”
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency has confirmed that the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities had been hit.
The full extent of the damage to the Iranian nuclear facilities cannot be independently confirmed at this time.
As he concluded his remarks, Trump announced Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would hold a press conference on Sunday morning to provide more details about the operation.
In his own televised address on Saturday night, Netanyahu thanked Trump for ordering the U.S. strikes on the Iranian nuclear sites. Netanyahu said Israel had done some “amazing things” in the span of its military campaign against Iran since June 13. “But in tonight’s actions against Iran’s nuclear facility, America has been truly unsurpassed.”
“History will report President Trump actively denied the world’s most dangerous regime the world’s most dangerous weapons,” Netanyahu added. “His leadership today has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace.”
On Sunday, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran issued a statement condemning the U.S. strikes as a violation of international law. According to Iran’s state-run PressTV, the Iranian nuclear agency vowed it would not allow the U.S. strikes to halt the progress its program.
Joseph Lord contributed to this report.
Trump Commends Teamwork With Netanyahu in Iran Strikes
In his address to the nation, President Donald Trump said he worked “as a team” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we have gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel,” Trump said.
Trump thanked the Israeli military “for the wonderful job they have done.”
He also lauded the “American patriots” who carried out the strikes, along with the entire U.S. military, for executing an operation “the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.”
“Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity,” he said.
Trump urged Iran to sign a peace agreement.
Democrats Criticize Trump for Iran Airstrikes
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) criticized President Donald Trump for launching airstrikes on Iran without congressional approval.
“In January—speaking to the entire nation at his Inauguration—Donald Trump proclaimed ‘We will measure our success not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into,’” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement before Trump’s 10 p.m. speech.
Martin accused Trump of going “against his own words.”
He said Americans strongly oppose war and expect the president to seek congressional approval before engaging in military action.
“Donald Trump needs to bring his case to Congress immediately,” Martin said.
Hegseth to Hold 8 a.m. Press Conference
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will hold a press conference at 8:00 a.m. on June 22.
It comes after President Donald Trump announced that the United States had carried out strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, including the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan sites.
Hegseth appeared alongside Trump, joined by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a 10:00 p.m. press conference at the White House Saturday.
Trump Threatens ‘Far Greater’ Attacks If Iran Doesn’t Make Peace
President Donald Trump said during a late-night address to the American people that Iran would face “far greater” attacks than it had earlier on Saturday if the nation didn’t make peace.
“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,” Trump said, flanked by the vice president, secretary of state, and secretary of defense. “If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.”
He added, “There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.
“Remember, there are many targets left tonight … 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.”
Trump Says Iranian Nuclear Sites ‘Completely and Totally Obliterated’
President Donald Trump said during an address to the nation that U.S. strikes had “completely and totally obliterated” three key Iranian nuclear sites, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
“Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump said during a 10 p.m. ET speech from the White House. He was accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Trump announced earlier that the United States had carried out strikes on the three sites.
“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,” Trump said.
The Iranian state news agency has acknowledged some damage to the sites, but has provided few details.
Netanyahu Thanks Trump For Striking Iran’s Nuclear Sites
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised address on June 21, thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for authorizing strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities.
“Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,” he said.
Netanyahu said the United States “has done what no other country on earth could do.”
“History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world’s most dangerous regime the world’s most dangerous weapons,” he added.
Trump Tells Hannity 6 Bunker Busters Dropped, 30 Tomahawks Fired
President Donald Trump spoke with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Saturday evening, in an interview shortly after the president announced U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Recounting their conversation, Hannity said Trump informed him that U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped five or six heavy bunker buster bombs on Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment facility.
The heavy bunker busters in question may be 30,000-pound bombs known as GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrators.
The Fordow nuclear facility is buried hundreds of feet underground in a mountainous region of Iran.
The GBU-57 is able to penetrate up to 200 feet down into soil and concrete before exploding.
In addition to the six heavy bunker busters, Hannity reported U.S. submarines located some 400 miles away, launched a salvo of 30 Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, targeting Iran’s Natanz and Esfahan nuclear sites.
US Strikes 3 Iranian Nuclear Sites
U.S. warplanes dropped bombs on Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment facility and two other Iranian nuclear facilities on June 21, President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform.
The president said the U.S. aircraft have already exited Iranian airspace and are now returning home.
“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’s statement reads.
“Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this,” he added.
The strikes came just hours after reports emerged that U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers had departed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, heading west.
Israeli aircraft first began striking Iran on June 13, as part of an operation to halt Iran’s nuclear program and defang its offensive military capabilities.
While Trump had voiced support for the Israeli operation and said that Iran must not be able to obtain a nuclear weapon, he had avoided directly involving the U.S. military in the burgeoning Middle East flash point for more than a week.
On June 19, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would decide within the next two weeks whether the United States would join in military action against Iran.
“I have a message directly from the president, and I quote: ‘Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,’” Leavitt said at a White House press briefing.
This is a breaking story and will be updated with additional details.
By Ryan Morgan
Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com
