*June 22, 2025* – In a dramatic escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict, President Donald Trump announced late Saturday night that U.S. warplanes conducted airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—marking America’s direct entry into a volatile regional war. The strikes, described by Trump as “very successful” on his Truth Social platform, targeted Iran’s uranium enrichment centers and a site believed to store near-bomb-grade uranium, dealing a significant blow to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
The operation, involving B-2 stealth bombers armed with bunker-busting bombs, aimed to cripple Iran’s deeply fortified Fordow facility, buried under a mountain and long considered impervious to conventional attacks. Natanz, previously damaged by Israeli strikes, and Isfahan, a critical nuclear research hub, were also hit, with satellite imagery showing significant destruction at the latter. Trump’s post boasted, “All planes are safely on their way home,” signaling a swift and precise mission, though no official casualty figures have been released.
This bold move comes amid a two-week-old Israel-Iran war that has already claimed over 400 lives in Iran and 24 in Israel, with both sides exchanging missile barrages and drone strikes. Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion” has relentlessly targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, oil refineries, and military commanders, while Iran has retaliated with waves of missiles, including a direct hit on an Israeli medical building. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared Israel’s actions “triggered a war” and vowed severe consequences, raising fears of a broader conflict.
Tensions were already high after Israel’s earlier strikes on Natanz and Isfahan, which damaged centrifuge workshops and prompted Iran to launch over 200 missiles at Tel Aviv. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had warned that U.S. involvement would be “very, very dangerous for everyone,” a prophecy now seemingly fulfilled. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported no radioactive leaks from the U.S. strikes but noted contamination at Natanz from prior Israeli attacks, underscoring the precarious nature of targeting nuclear sites.
The U.S. intervention follows days of deliberation, with Trump initially giving a two-week window for diplomacy after Iran’s talks with European powers faltered in Geneva. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and other hawks urged Trump to “finish the job” by destroying Fordow, a site Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel could hit independently but which analysts argue requires U.S. firepower. The deployment of B-2 bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base to the Pacific signaled Washington’s readiness to act, a move closely watched by Tehran.
Iran has promised retaliation, with its military on high alert. Social media posts on X reflect global alarm, with some users speculating about Iranian drone strikes on Israel and others fearing a spiral into all-out war. Protests erupted in Istanbul and Baghdad, with crowds condemning U.S. and Israeli actions, while Tehran saw anti-Israel rallies after Friday prayers. The region braces for Iran’s response, which could target Israeli cities or U.S. military bases in the Middle East.
As the conflict enters its third week, the world watches anxiously. Will Iran’s vowed reprisals ignite a wider war, or can diplomacy salvage a region teetering on the brink? For now, the skies over the Middle East remain fraught with uncertainty.
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