Topline
President Donald Trump on Sunday appeared to signal his support for a regime change in Iran—despite other administration officials insisting that the U.S. had no interest in such a thing— as he claimed the U.S. military strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities resulted in “monumental damage.”
Israeli soldiers inspect the site in Tel Aviv, Israel, struck by a direct missile strike launched … More
Timeline
In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Donald Trump claimed Iran’s nuclear sites sustained “Monumental Damage” from the U.S. strikes, citing satellite images.
The president added: “Obliteration is an accurate term…The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!”
Earlier on Sunday, the president raised the prospect of regime change in Iran, despite other officials in his administration insisting that the U.S. was not seeking such a thing.
In a post, Trump wrote “It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!”
A short while later, Trump wrote that the B-2 bomber pilots who struck Iran “have just landed, safely, in Missouri.”
Iran launched about 40 missiles at targets in Israel, the Associated Press confirmed, injuring 23 people, while the Israeli Air Force struck targets in four cities across Iran, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed in a statement on X, dropping munitions on targets including command centers and missile launchers.Israel’s strikes killed at least seven members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and two conscripts, The New York Times reported, citing Iranian state-affiliated media.
Vice President JD Vance told “Meet the Press” the U.S. was “not at war with Iran, we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program,” adding the U.S. has “no interest in boots on the ground.”
“I certainly empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East,” Vance said, adding “I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents, and now we have a president that actually knows how to accomplish America’s national security objectives,” taking an apparent swipe at former President George W. Bush, whom Trump has blasted for years over his handling of the invasion of Iraq.
Vance also responded to criticism from members of Congress who condemned the administration for making the strike without seeking congressional approval, insisting that “the idea that this was outside of presidential authority, I think any real, serious, legal person would tell you that’s not true.”
“This mission was not, and has not been about regime change,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a press conference, calling the strike a “precision operation.”
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine announced the mission’s codename was “Operation Midnight Hammer,” which involved strikes with massive ordnance penetrator bombs, Tomahawk missiles and a decoy operation.
Caine said the military was unaware of any shots fired at the U.S. bombers on the way into Iran or on the way out after dropping their payloads.
Trump addressed the nation in a brief speech from the White House, claiming that “the strikes were a spectacular military success.”
He warned Iran against retaliating, saying the U.S. was prepared to strike more targets should that happen. “There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,” Trump said.
Trump in a Truth Social post announced the U.S. struck the “Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan” nuclear sites in Iran, noting “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow.”
How Did The U.s. Conduct The Strike?
The strike was conducted by seven B2 Spirit bombers that took off from an Air Force base in Missouri overnight, Hegseth and Caine said Sunday. One of those bombers dropped two massive ordnance penetrators on a nuclear facility in Fordo at 2:10 a.m. local time, Caine said—the first of 14 bombs dropped across Iran. Additionally, a submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at the nuclear facility in Esfahan around 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Caine said. Caine added the operation also involved launching more bombers to the Pacific as a decoy, which he called an “effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders.”
How Has Iran Responded?
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the U.S. operation an “outrageous, grave, and unprecedented violation of the fundamental principles of the charter of the United Nations and international law.” Araghchi condemned Trump for what he called “abusing our commitment to diplomacy” and “deceiv[ing] his own voters” after campaigning to end “forever wars” in the Middle East. The U.N. Security Council scheduled a 3 p.m. EDT emergency meeting at the behest of the Iranian government, the Associated Press reported Sunday morning.
Crucial Quote
“American deterrence is back,” Hegseth said. “We will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners or our interests are threatened.”
Key Background
The escalation in the Middle East began on June 13 after Israel launched a surprise campaign of airstrikes at key Iranian nuclear facilities, initially killing at least 78 people. Iran responded by launching volleys of missiles at Israeli targets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The two adversaries continued to exchange strikes over the course of the week, but the U.S. initially stayed out of the conflict. On Thursday, Trump abruptly announced he would make a decision about joining Israel’s war against the Middle Eastern nation within two weeks, urging Iran to make a deal. The U.S. and Iran had spent weeks attempting to negotiate a new nuclear deal in Oman, but the talks were suspended after the Israeli campaign began.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
