U.S. Hammers Iran at Midnight, Bombards 3 Main Nuclear Sites
US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites escalate tensions as Tehran weighs retaliation amid deepening conflict with Israel
Washington: The US carried out airstrikes on three nuclear sites in Iran overnight with B-2 stealth bombers delivering 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs for the first time in combat, directly entering Israel's war with Tehran.
The operation, dubbed “Midnight Hammer” hit all targets including Fordow, a uranium-enrichment site buried deep under a mountain, according to US Air Force General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities were also struck with similar weapons and cruise missiles.
US President Donald Trump said Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities had been “totally obliterated” and warned of “far greater” attacks unless the Islamic Republic agreed to make peace.
The Pentagon described the extensive operation that included 125 aircraft overall, strikes by Tomahawk missiles launched from a US submarine, and the use of 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council will take a final decision on whether to close the Strait of Hormuz following US bombing raids, Iran's Press TV said on Sunday.
Iranian officials said the attacks by Israel, now joined by the US, had left little room for diplomacy, arguing that negotiations are impossible while the country is under assault.
Tehran fired missiles at Israel in response but has so far stopped short of targeting American forces or assets in the region.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it would continue targeting Israel in response and cited American bases in the region as a vulnerability for the US, without openly threatening them. Tehran's nuclear regulatory agency said there was no sign of radiation contamination and that it had taken precautions in anticipation of an attack.
The world awaited Iran’s response on Sunday after the US attacks. In an effort to avert all-out war with the US, it had yet to follow through on its main threats of retaliation against the United States itself - either by targeting U.S. bases or trying to choke off global oil supplies.
US Vice-President J.D. Vance said Washington was not at war with Iran but with its nuclear programme, adding this had been pushed back by a very long time due to the US intervention.
Satellite images following the attack appeared to show damage both to the mountain above the site and to entrances nearby.
Iranians described their fear at the prospect of an enlarged war involving the United States.
"Our future is dark. We have nowhere to go - it's like living in a horror movie," Bita, 36, a teacher from the central city of Kashan, said before the phone line was cut.
Much of Tehran, a capital city of 10 million people, has emptied out, with residents fleeing to the countryside to escape Israeli bombardment. Iranian authorities say over 400 people have been killed since Israel's attacks began, mostly civilians.
Americans must receive a response for their 'aggression', Iran's Pezeshkian told France's Macron on phone.
Meanwhile, the US State Department ordered the departure of family members and non-emergency US government personnel from Lebanon citing the volatile security situation in the region, a State Department notice emailed to U.S. citizens in Lebanon showed on Sunday.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said on Sunday it would set up a ministerial contact group to establish regular contact with international and regional parties to support de-escalation efforts and "stop the aggression against Iran".
In a joint declaration following a meeting of OIC foreign ministers in Istanbul, the 57-member group condemned "the aggression of Israel" against Iran, stressing "the urgent need to stop Israeli attacks and their great concern regarding this dangerous escalation".
It made no mention of the overnight US strikes on Iran.
The US will likely have to put its troops on high alert. It has around 50,000 service members in the region, the bulk being in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
In Yemen, the Houthis, a militant group backed by Iran, issued fresh threats against US commercial and naval ships. Until a ceasefire in early May, the Houthis were regularly firing drones and missiles at Western vessels and warships in the southern Red Sea.
It’s also possible that Tehran opts to leave the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, according to Ali Vaez, the director of the International Crisis Group’s Iran Project and a long-time analyst of the country’s atomic programme.
Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, left the door open for such an eventuality, questioning the treaty’s effectiveness since it failed to “protect” Iran from attacks.
Iran asserted that its nuclear expertise remains intact despite recent US strikes on its atomic facilities. Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said the country’s nuclear industry has deep roots that cannot be destroyed, acknowledging some damage but emphasizing this was not the first time the sector faced setbacks.
The top US military officer has confirmed that three Iranian nuclear facilities sustained "extremely severe damage and destruction" in the recent American airstrikes. The statement comes amid heightened tensions in the region following the US bombardment, which Washington claims targeted nuclear infrastructure but avoided civilian casualties or Iranian personnel.
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites aimed at curbing nuclear capability, not harming Iranian forces or citizens.
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin has no immediate plans to speak with US President Donald Trump following American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, though a call could be arranged if needed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the stance amid global tensions after US attacks on Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. Russian officials, including Duma foreign affairs chief Leonid Slutsky and ex-president Dmitry Medvedev, criticized the strikes as unjustified and ineffective, with Medvedev stating Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remains largely intact.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed India’s “deep concern” over the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel during a call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, urging immediate de-escalation through dialogue and diplomacy to restore regional peace. The call came hours after the US launched airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, escalating tensions and raising fears of a broader conflict. While US President Donald Trump hailed the strikes as a success, Iran condemned them as violations of international law. The European Union and other nations have called for restraint, though China and Russia have yet to comment.
“The attack on Iran’s nuclear sites by the USA is a clear violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. It also breaches the US Constitution, which prohibits military action without Congressional approval. Meanwhile, Israel possesses hundreds of nuclear warheads outside IAEA inspection, and the US is ignoring the ethnic cleansing in Gaza. In the coming years, Iran will enrich uranium to 90 percent, a process that cannot be stopped,” said AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
China’s state media on Sunday condemned the US airstrikes on Iran’s Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear sites as a reckless escalation and violation of international law, warning it pushes the region “toward the abyss.” While Beijing has yet to issue an official statement, Chinese experts doubted the effectiveness of the bunker-buster bombs used by US B-2 bombers, saying Iran’s deeply buried facilities like Fordo may not have been fully destroyed. They also warned the strikes might not be a one-off, though both sides appear reluctant to trigger a wider war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday accused the US of crossing “every red line” with its overnight strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling them the “most dangerous” escalation yet. Speaking in Istanbul, he said diplomacy is “not an option right now” and held Washington “fully responsible” for whatever action Tehran takes next. His remarks come after the US and Israel launched coordinated attacks on sites in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. President Trump claimed the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program and warned of more if Iran retaliates, while Iran’s Foreign Ministry vowed “full-force” resistance.
Iranian Foreign Minister is set to travel to Moscow on Sunday for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Tehran seeks diplomatic backing amid rising regional tensions following US and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed deep concern over the escalating conflict in West Asia during a phone conversation with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Modi reiterated India's consistent call for immediate de-escalation and emphasized the urgent need for dialogue and diplomacy to ensure regional peace and stability. The call came amid heightened tensions following the US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites.