U.S. launches strikes on 3 Iranian nuclear amenities, Trump says

Washington — The USA launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear amenities, President Trump introduced Saturday night, calling them a “spectacular army success.” 

“The U.S. army carried out large precision strikes on the three key nuclear assemblies within the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan,” President Trump mentioned in a nationwide deal with from the White Home Saturday night time. “Our goal was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability and a cease to the nuclear menace posed by the world’s primary state sponsor of terror.”

Previous to his deal with, the president wrote on his Fact Social platform {that a} “full payload of BOMBS” was dropped on the “main web site” Fordo. The president additionally mentioned all U.S. planes made it safely out of Iranian air area. 

And in second put up, Mr. Trump wrote: “That is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISTAEL (sic), AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!” 

Trump warns Iran in opposition to retaliating after U.S. strikes  

The president addressed the nation concerning the strikes late Saturday night time, saying that “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment amenities have been utterly and completely obliterated” and issuing a warning to Iran to attempt for a peace deal in its conflict with Israel.  

“There will likely be both peace, or there will likely be tragedy for Iran far larger than we’ve got witnessed over the past eight days,” Mr. Trump mentioned whereas flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth. “Bear in mind, there are a lot of targets left.”

Mr. Trump added that “if peace doesn’t come rapidly, we are going to go after these different targets with precision, pace and talent. Most of them may be taken out in a matter of minutes.” 

Iran has pledged to retaliate if the U.S. joined the Israeli assault, which started with airstrikes on Iranian nuclear websites and army targets on June 13. Iran has responded with missile and drone assaults on Israeli cities.

However in a follow-up social media put up following his nationwide deal with, Mr. Trump mentioned that “ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT.”

What we all know to this point in regards to the U.S. strikes 

Two senior Protection Division officers confirmed to CBS Information that three American B-2 bombers have been used to strike Fordo early Sunday native time, with every of these B-2s armed with 2 U.S.-produced “bunker-buster” bombs referred to as the GBU-57 Huge Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs — bombs so heavy that they may solely be dropped by a B-2.   

Fordo, the location of a high-grade uranium enrichment facility that worldwide specialists imagine is essential to Iran’s nuclear program, is buried nearly 300 ft beneath a mountain and guarded by vital air defenses. The MOP is believed to be one of the best likelihood at destroying the Fordo facility.  

The officers informed CBS Information Natanz and Isfahan have been struck by tomahawk missiles launched by submarines. It is unclear what number of missiles have been launched at these two websites. 

The U.S. reached out to Iran diplomatically Saturday to say the strikes are all of the U.S. plans and that regime change efforts should not deliberate, the sources mentioned. Earlier this week, a number of U.S. officers informed CBS Information that Mr. Trump opposed an Israeli plan to kill Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme chief. 

Not all U.S. allies within the area who home U.S. troops which might be a part of U.S. Central Command have been knowledgeable prematurely of the approaching U.S. plan to strike in Iran, based on diplomatic sources. Among the allies have been knowledgeable because the planes have been within the air. 

What Israeli and Iranian officers are saying

The U.S. alerted Israel forward of the strikes, two White Home officers informed CBS Information. Mr. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke following the strikes, the officers mentioned. And in a video deal with, Netanyahu praised the president for conducting the strikes. 

“President Trump and I typically say peace by way of power. First comes power, then comes peace. And tonight President Trump and the US acted with a number of power.” 

Based on the Iranian state media outlet IRNA, Morteza Heidari, a spokesman for disaster headquarters in Iran’s Qom province, acknowledged there had been assaults on all three nuclear websites. Iran’s Atomic Power Group additionally confirmed the assaults in a press release, however claimed the strikes is not going to cease it from progressing in its nuclear program. It additionally referred to as on the worldwide neighborhood to sentence the assaults.

And in a social media put up Sunday morning, Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned that “in accordance with” the United Nations Constitution “and its provisions Iran reserves all choices to defend its sovereignty, curiosity, and other people.”

Araghchi alleged that the U.S. in its assault had “dedicated a grave violation of the UN Constitution.” 

Homeland Safety officers are monitoring for potential bodily and cyber reprisals from the U.S. assault, domestically amid a “very excessive” menace degree and with the “pink line” of the Iranian response doctrine now crossed, CBS Information has discovered. 

“We’re in unchartered territory,” one U.S. intelligence official informed CBS Information, whereas talking about potential Iranian threats to the U.S. homeland. “We do not know the way Iran will react to this as a result of that is the very best price of stress and battle we have had in current historical past. We’re simply unsure how the Khomeini regime will react.” 

The official added that assessments vary from little to no motion on the a part of Iranians to determined and drastic motion.   

U.S. lawmakers give combined response 

Home Speaker Mike Johnson was briefed forward of the strikes, based on a supply acquainted.   

The response from U.S. lawmakers has been combined. Some Republicans, together with Johnson, expressed assist for the strikes, whereas others, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, an ardent Trump supporter, posted on X that “this isn’t our battle.”

Each Democratic Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer criticized the president for not in search of congressional authorization for the strikes. 

“President Trump misled the nation about his intentions, failed to hunt congressional authorization for using army drive and dangers American entanglement in a probably disastrous conflict within the Center East,” Jeffries mentioned.  

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chair of the Senate Choose Committee on Intelligence, mentioned in a press release that Mr. Trump campaigned on a promise to “‘finish the infinite overseas wars.'” 

“Tonight, he took steps that might drag the US into one other one, with out consulting Congress, and not using a clear technique, with out regard to the constant conclusions of the intelligence neighborhood, and with out explaining to the American folks what’s at stake,” Warner mentioned. 

The occasions that led as much as the shock strikes

Earlier Saturday, a number of U.S. officers had confirmed to CBS Information that B-2 bombers had departed Whiteman Air Pressure Base in Missouri en path to Guam. A number of U.S. aerial refueling tankers have been noticed on industrial flight trackers flying flight patterns according to escorting plane from the central U.S. to the Pacific.

The U.S. strikes come after Araghchi met with European officers in Geneva Friday and mentioned he was open to additional dialogue. 

“Iran is able to contemplate diplomacy as soon as once more,” Araghchi mentioned, including, “I stress that Iran’s protection capabilities should not negotiable. (However) I specific our readiness to satisfy once more within the close to future.”

On Thursday, the president mentioned he would determine whether or not to strike Iran “throughout the subsequent two weeks.” One supply informed CBS Information on the time that Mr. Trump “believes there’s not a lot alternative. Ending the job means destroying Fordo.”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee mentioned earlier Saturday that the U.S. had begun evacuating Individuals and inexperienced card holders out of Israel aboard assisted departure flights. Two flights departed from Tel Aviv to Athens with roughly 70 U.S. residents, their accompanying fast relations and lawful everlasting residents, the State Division mentioned previous to Mr. Trump’s announcement of the strikes.

In the meantime, the White Home launched photographs of the Scenario Room throughout the strikes. Within the room with the president have been Vance, Hegseth, Rubio, chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Center East particular envoy Steve Witkoff, White Home chief of employees Susie Wiles, deputy chief of employees Dan Scavino, deputy nationwide safety adviser Andy Baker, White Home common counsel David Warrington and White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Gabbard’s presence within the room was vital, as on Friday, Mr. Trump informed reporters that she was “fallacious” when she testified to Congress in March that Iran wasn’t constructing a nuclear weapon. 

Hegseth and Caine have been scheduled to carry a information briefing from the Pentagon at 8 a.m. Jap Time Sunday to offer an replace on the assault. 

Nicole Sganga,

Aaron Navarro,

Margaret Brennan,

James LaPorta and

Jennifer Jacobs

contributed to this report.