News Brief

US Strikes Iranian Nuclear Facilities

Swarajya Staff

Jun 22, 2025, 06:32 AM | Updated 06:38 AM IST


B-2 Stealth bomber with F-35s
B-2 Stealth bomber with F-35s
  • The operation signals the collapse of years of covert containment strategy in favour of open military confrontation.
  • In a moment that could reshape the Middle East and plunge the region into open conflict, the United States has launched direct airstrikes on three of Iran’s most fortified nuclear sites, an escalation that signals a new phase of confrontation.

    “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,” President Trump said in a statement.

    The strikes involved American B-2 stealth bombers deploying massive ordnance penetrators, including a 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb capable of reaching heavily fortified underground facilities. US and Israeli officials said these weapons offered the only viable chance of damaging Iran’s deeply buried nuclear infrastructure.

    Israel has conducted more than a week of coordinated attacks aimed at degrading Iran’s air defenses and missile capabilities. The US decision to intervene follows growing concerns in Washington that Iran’s nuclear program had entered a critical phase, and that Israeli strikes alone might not be sufficient to neutralize key sites.

    The move marks a sharp shift in US posture and carries significant risk. Tehran had earlier warned it would retaliate if the US joined the Israeli operation, a threat that now raises fears of broader conflict across the region.

    The attack is also a potential political gamble for President Trump and his allies in the Republican Party, who have long criticised American military interventions abroad and campaigned on promises to avoid costly foreign entanglements.

    Iran has not yet issued an official response, but military analysts and Israeli officials are warning of possible retaliation in the coming hours.

    This is a developing story. Updates will follow.


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