US hits Iran’s nuclear facilities and awaits response: Details

Key questions:

• Which Iranian nuclear sites were attacked by the US?
• What exactly was used in the strike and what was achieved?
• Has Iran’s nuclear program truly been destroyed?
• When is Tehran expected to respond?
• Could the US launch another strike on Iran?

What the US is saying about the attack

US President Donald Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social about the strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space," he announced on the night of June 22.

American media report that the US dropped six 15-ton bunker-busting bombs to destroy the nuclear facility in Fordow. In addition, 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched at the nuclear sites in Natanz and Isfahan.

Later, in an address to the nation, Trump stated that "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated."

The American strike on Iran came as a surprise, as just days earlier the US President had publicly mentioned a two-week deadline during which he was to decide on his next steps.

How Iran is responding

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) confirmed that the nuclear complexes were attacked. However, according to parliamentary adviser Mehdi Mohammadi, they "have not suffered any irreversible damage." Iran’s state television channel IRINN reported that key elements of the program had been moved to secure locations before the strikes, which helped avoid major losses.

The IAEA has already issued a statement. The organization reported that no increase in radiation levels has been detected in Iran following the strikes. Monitoring will continue. The IAEA stated it will provide further assessments of the situation in Iran once more information becomes available and announced an emergency meeting for tomorrow.

According to Reuters, Iran may have removed most of the enriched uranium from Fordow before the American strike.

Possible consequences of US involvement

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the attacks will have "everlasting consequences," and that Iran, within the framework of self-defense, "reserves all options to defend its sovereignty."

The administration of Donald Trump expects that Iran may retaliate for the strikes on its nuclear facilities. A response is expected within the next 48 hours, NBC News reports. Sources note that it remains unclear whether any retaliatory measures will target foreign or domestic sites — or both.

Further military actions by Israel in Iran will depend on Tehran’s response to the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, a source informed CNN.

Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that the primary goal of their airstrikes on Iran is to destroy the country's nuclear program. However, in recent times, there have been increasingly frequent statements about an intention to topple the Iranian regime, CNN notes. This suggests that, in addition to halting the nuclear program, Israel may also be pursuing a political objective — regime change in Tehran, which is viewed as a threat to regional stability and security.

The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reports that the Trump administration has assured the Iranian leadership that the strikes on nuclear facilities were a one-time operation and are not aimed at regime change in Tehran.

How and whom Tehran has already responded to

Amid the American strikes, Israel urgently closed its airspace. Within minutes, Iran launched another strike with ballistic missiles, with debris reported in more than 10 locations. Later, another wave of missile attacks followed.

Israeli media report no fewer than 86 people injured as a result of the latest strikes. They also publish photos and videos of the destruction, including damage in Tel Aviv.

The report is based on statements from US President Donald Trump, Iranian officials, and publications by American media.

As a reminder, two days ago President Trump reiterated his deadline for Iran. According to him, Tehran had "a maximum of two weeks" to abandon its nuclear program. Washington is demanding not only that Iran renounce its intention to develop a nuclear weapon, but also that it refrain from enriching uranium altogether in the future.

However, there were other signs pointing to the preparation of an imminent strike on nuclear facilities. In particular, the United States evacuated nearly one hundred embassy staff and their families from Israel. American media also reported the deployment of B-2 bombers equipped with bunker-busting bombs.

It is worth noting that Iran is already speaking of a collapse in diplomatic efforts toward a nuclear agreement. However, according to Axios, Washington had even attempted to organize a secret meeting in Istanbul, but the Iranian side reportedly could not confirm it in time due to being unable to reach Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — who is in hiding because of Israel’s effective campaign to eliminate top military leadership in Tehran.