Trump says US strikes 'obliterated' Iran nuclear sites

Trump says US strikes 'obliterated' Iran nuclear sites
By Danny Kemp in Washington with Payam Doost Mohamadi in Tehran and Adam Plowright in Jerusalem
Washington (AFP) June 22, 2025

President Donald Trump said US air strikes on Sunday "totally obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites, with Tehran later accusing Washington of "blowing up" talks aimed at a deal on its nuclear programme.

Following the attack -- the United States' first large-scale strikes on Iran -- Trump warned Washington would hit more targets if Tehran did not make peace. Hours later, Iran launched two waves of attacks against long-time foe Israel.

"Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success," Trump said, adding the key underground enrichment site at Fordo was hit, along with facilities in Isfahan and Natanz.

"Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran the bully of the Middle East must now make peace," he said, warning future attacks would be "far greater" unless a diplomatic solution was reached. "Remember, there are many targets left."

Trump's intervention -- despite his past pledges to avoid another "forever war" -- threatens to dramatically widen the conflict, after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iran last week, with Tehran vowing to retaliate if Washington joined in.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of sabotaging diplomacy after talks with European powers.

"This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy," he wrote on X.

Aragchi later told reporters in Istanbul the United States and Israel had "crossed a very big red line", asserting Iran would continue to defend itself "by all means necessary".

- 'Change history' -

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the US strikes, saying Trump's decision to "target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history".

In response to the US attack, Iran's armed forces said they targeted multiple sites in Israel including Ben Gurion airport, the country's main international gateway near Tel Aviv.

Israeli rescuers said at least 23 people were wounded. Police said at least three impacts were reported.

One of them was the Ramat Aviv area of Tel Aviv, tearing holes in the facades of apartment blocks.

"Houses here were hit very, very badly," said Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai. "Fortunately, one of them was slated for demolition and reconstruction, so there were no residents inside."

In Jerusalem, Claudio Hazan, a 62-year-old software engineer, said he hoped the US intervention would hasten an end to the Iran-Israel war.

"Israel by itself would not stop... and it would take longer," he said.

Israel said it had launched fresh strikes on western Iran and in Qom, south of Tehran. Iran's official IRNA news agency reported four Revolutionary Guard members were killed in strikes on a military base in the city's north.

The Israeli military said it had "struck missile launchers ready to launch toward Israeli territory, soldiers in the Iranian Armed Forces, and swiftly neutralised the launchers that launched missiles toward Israeli territory a short while ago".

In Tehran, AFP journalists said the roar of aircraft flying over the city could be heard repeatedly for the first time since Israel's initial attacks.

The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency said it had not detected any increase in radiation levels at key nuclear sites in Iran following the strikes and Tehran said Sunday there were "no signs of contamination".

- 'Step back' -

Saudi Arabia said no radioactive effects were detected in the Gulf and voiced "great concern" over the US strikes.

The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman, which had been mediating Iran-US nuclear talks, criticised the US move and urged de-escalation.

The European Union called on all sides "to step back", while stressing Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Iran to "return to the negotiating table" over its nuclear ambitions.

The Iranian foreign minister said he would travel to Moscow for "serious consultations" with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

US media reported the strikes were carried out by B-2 stealth bombers dropping bunker-buster bombs, as well as submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Following his address, Trump warned Iran against "any retaliation". Iran and its proxies have previously attacked US military bases in Iraq and elsewhere in the region.

Iran's Huthi allies in Yemen on Sunday repeated their threat to resume attacks in the Red Sea if Washington joined the war, saying they were "ready to target US ships and warships".

The US president had stepped up his rhetoric against Iran since Israel first struck Iran on June 13, repeating his insistence it could never have nuclear weapons.

Israel and Iran have traded wave after wave of devastating strikes since then.

Tehran denies seeking an atomic bomb. On Saturday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran's right to pursue a civilian nuclear programme "cannot be taken away... by threats or war".

Iran's nuclear programme: from its origins to today's dispute
Vienna (AFP) June 22, 2025 - A week after Israel launched an unprecedented attack against Iran over fears about its nuclear ambitions, US strikes overnight on Sunday on three Iranian nuclear sites have further ramped up the dispute.

Western powers have repeatedly expressed concerns about the rapid expansion of Iran's nuclear programme, questioning in particular the country's accelerated uranium enrichment.

Israel has accused Iran of being on the verge of developing nuclear arms, which Tehran denies.

The following is a recap of the main developments regarding Iran's nuclear programme.

- 'Structured programme' -

Iran laid the foundation for its nuclear programme in the late 1950s with technical assistance from the United States, when Iran's ruling shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington.

In 1970, Iran ratified the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), committing it to declare its nuclear material to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

But revelations in the early 2000s about undeclared nuclear sites raised concerns. A 2011 IAEA report, collating "broadly credible" intelligence, said that at least until 2003 Iran "carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device".

- Historic accord left in tatters -

After suspending enrichment activities, Iran began talks with European and then international powers that would later culminate in a historic deal.

On July 14, 2015, Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany reached an accord in Vienna.

The deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), placed significant restrictions on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief after 12 years of crisis and 21 months of protracted negotiations.

But the hard-won deal began to unravel when the US, during Donald Trump's first presidency, walked away from it on May 8, 2018, and reimposed sanctions on Iran.

- 'Nuclear escalation' -

Following the US withdrawal, Iran retaliated by stepping up its nuclear activities as if "a red cape had been waved in front of a bull", said Clement Therme, associate researcher at the Rasanah International Institute for Iranian Studies.

According to Therme, Iran "embarked on a strategy of escalation" in a bid to up pressure and obtain help to circumvent sanctions. But Tehran's moves were unsuccessful and came at an "exorbitant economic cost".

Iran first began enriching uranium to five percent -- breaching the limit of 3.67 percent imposed by the deal -- before it raised the enrichment levels to 20 and then to 60 percent in 2021, which is a short step from the 90 percent required for use in a weapon.

Iran has also increased its stockpiles of enriched uranium, which was set at 202.8 kilogrammes under the deal. Iran's total enriched uranium stockpile is currently believed to be more than 45 times that limit.

And Tehran has since exceeded the number of centrifuges -- the machines used to enrich uranium -- it is allowed to have while beginning to produce more material faster by using advanced models at its plants.

Efforts to revive the deal have been fruitless so far, with European-led talks on hold since the summer of 2022.

After Trump's return to the White House, talks between Washington and Iran and mediated by Oman resumed in April.

While the US president has voiced confidence that Iran would eventually sign a nuclear deal, Tehran said that Israeli strikes targeting a slew of military and nuclear sites "dealt a blow" to diplomacy.

On Sunday, Iran's foreign ministry said the US bombings showed that Washington "will stop at no illegality or crime" to support Israel.

- 'No indication' -

Faced with Iran's rapidly expanding nuclear programme, the IAEA expressed "serious concern" in its latest quarterly report at the end of May.

According to the UN agency, Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to 60 percent. It theoretically has enough near-weapons-grade material, if further refined, for more than nine bombs.

However, the manufacturing and delivering of a nuclear bomb requires many other steps, including mastering both ballistics and the miniaturisation of the nuclear charge.

The IAEA has said it currently has "no indication" of the existence of a "systematic programme" in Iran to produce a nuclear weapon.

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified to a Senate committee in March that Iran was not actively building a nuclear bomb.

Iran has always denied having such ambitions, regularly referring to a long-standing fatwa, or religious edict, by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prohibiting atomic weapons.

Reactions on US attacks on Iran
Washington (AFP) June 22, 2025 - The United States carried out attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran on Sunday, joining Israel's bombing campaign after days of speculation over US involvement in the conflict.

"Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace," Trump said in a televised address to the nation from the White House after the strikes.

Here is a roundup of the key reactions:

- Iran: 'Everlasting consequences' -

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US attacks as "outrageous" and said his country has a right to defend its sovereignty.

"The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences," he posted on social media, adding that the attacks were "lawless and criminal" behavior.

"In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," the foreign minister said.

Iran's atomic energy organization also called the US attacks "a barbaric act that violates international law," adding that it "will not let the path of development of this national industry... be stopped."

- Israel: 'Change history' -

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump, saying the attacks will "help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace."

"Your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history," Netanyahu said in a video message, adding that the attacks demonstrated "America has been truly unsurpassed."

He also told Israelis that his promise to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities had been "fulfilled."

- UK: 'Stability is priority' -

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Iran to "return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis."

"Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat," Starmer said on X, adding that "stability in the region is a priority."

- EU: 'Step back' -

The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas called for de-escalation and a return to negotiations.

"I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation," Kallas wrote on X, adding Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation on Monday.

- UN: 'Dangerous escalation' -

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strikes a "dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge."

"There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace," Guterres said in a statement.

The UN's nuclear agency also reported that it had not detected any increase in "off-site radiation levels" after the attacks on the three nuclear sites in Iran.

The agency's chief called for an emergency meeting Monday.

- Iraq: 'Grave threat' -

Iraq warned that the US attacks on its neighbour Iran's nuclear facilities threaten peace and stability in the Middle East.

"This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability," said government spokesperson Basim Alawadi.

- Saudi Arabia: 'Exercise restraint' -

Saudi Arabia expressed "great concern" after the US air strikes on nuclear facilities in its neighbour, the "sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran."

"The Kingdom underscores the need to exert all possible efforts to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation," the Saudi foreign ministry posted on X.

- Pakistan: US attacks 'violate international law' -

Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed Muslim country and a longtime Washington ally, said the US attacks "violate all norms of international law."

"We are gravely concerned at the possible further escalation of tensions in the region," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that Iran has the legitimate right to defend itself under the UN Charter."

- Hamas: 'Brutal aggression' -

Palestinian militant group Hamas condemned the "blatant US aggression against the territory and sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

"This brutal aggression is a dangerous escalation," Hamas said, calling the attack "a flagrant violation of international law, and a direct threat to international peace and security."

- Huthis: 'Blatant declaration of war' -

Yemen's Huthi rebel government, which is backed by Iran, condemned the United States' attacks and expressed solidarity with the Iranian people.

"The Trump administration's reckless aggression... is a blatant declaration of war against the brotherly Iranian people. We declare our full support for the brotherly Iranian people," they said.