US joins Israel in attacking Iran, bombs three key nuclear sites
President Donald Trump said the US targeted three nuclear sites in Iran late on Saturday, as Washington directly joined Israel's days-long assault on the Islamic Republic.
In a televised address, Trump said the attacks were a "spectacular military success" and had targeted the Fordow, Natanz and the Isfahan sites in an effort to disable the Islamic Republic's nuclear enrichment capability.
"I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," Trump said, adding that Tehran needed to "make peace" as he threatened more intense attacks if it did not.
"There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days," he said.
"Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal.
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"But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes."
Taking to X, Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, accused Washington of committing "a grave violation of the UN Charter."
"The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences," he said. "Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," he added.
Iranian media has published a video of Iran's Fordow nuclear site which had reportedly been targeted in US air strikes.
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) June 22, 2025
According to US president Donald Trump, three nuclear facilities, Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz were "completely obliterated". pic.twitter.com/OJzHmebjfq
American officials told the Reuters news agency that US B-2 bombers were involved in the strikes. The news agency had earlier reported the movement of B-2 bombers, which can be equipped to carry so-called "bunker buster" bombs capable of penetrating sites deep underground.
Al Jazeera Arabic later reported that Washington had notified Tehran of the strikes, and that the targeted sites were evacuated.
Meanwhile, Amwaj Media, citing an Iranian political source, reported that "most" of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was kept in secure locations outside of the three targeted areas.
Saturday's attacks came as Israel and Iran have been engaged in more than a week of strikes, with deaths and injuries in both countries.
Israel launched the attacks on Iran on 13 June, saying that it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons.
Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.
Iran's nuclear agency said early on Sunday said that its radiation system data and field surveys did not show any signs of contamination or danger to residents near the sites.
"Following the illegal US attack on the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, field surveys and radiation systems data showed: No contamination recorded," the organisation said in a social media post.
"There is no danger to residents around these sites. Safety is in a stable state."
Saudi Arabia's nuclear regulator also said that no radioactive traces had been detected in the environment of Saudi Arabia or other Gulf states following the strikes.
Israel was in 'full coordination' with US
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heaped praise on Trump's "bold decision," and said his country had been in "perfect coordination" with Washington over the strikes.
"History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime, the world's most dangerous weapons," he said in a speech.
Later, in a video posted to social media, Netanyahu said his promise to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities had been "fulfilled".
"From the beginning of the operation, I promised you that Iran's nuclear facilities would be destroyed, one way or another. This promise has been fulfilled," he said.
Following the strikes, Israel's military raised the country's alert level, closing its airspace until further notice "due to recent developments."
Schools and workplaces were also closed under the new restrictions, with the exception of "essential sectors".
Iran responded to the attacks by launching retaliatory strikes on northern and central Israel, including the cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely alarmed" by the "dangerous escalation" of the US strikes.
"There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world," he said in a statement.
At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks, Iranian state-run Nour News said, citing the Ministry of Health.
According to Israeli official figures, Iranian strikes have killed at least 25 people in Israel.
The US attacks mark a major turning point for Trump, who campaigned for his second term on a pledge to end “forever wars”.
Some of the president's most famous and most loyal supporters on the Make America Great Again (MAGA) circuit made it clear earlier this week that they believed Netanyahu was trying to lure the US into a war that was none of Washington's business.
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