4 hours ago
6
ARTICLE AD BOX
US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States has “totally obliterated” 3 Iranian atomic sites successful what helium called “spectacularly successful” strikes.
The subject utilized alleged “bunker buster” bombs and missiles to people the heavy fortified Fordow installation arsenic good arsenic Natanz and Isfahan sites.
Trump’s determination to articulation Israel’s subject run marks a crisp escalation successful the region, which has seen much than 21 months of Israeli genocide successful Gaza.
The US involution comes much than a week aft Israel launched an unprovoked onslaught connected Iranian atomic and subject sites aft accusing Tehran of making an atomic bomb.
Iran, arsenic good arsenic the United Nations atomic watchdog, has rejected the claims that Tehran was connected the cusp of processing atomic weapons.
How did the onslaught happen, and which sites were targeted?
Trump announced the bombing of 3 of Iran’s main atomic sites:
- Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant – A heavy fortified, profoundly buried uranium enrichment tract adjacent the bluish metropolis of Qom.
- Natanz Nuclear Facility – Iran’s main uranium-enrichment complex, located adjacent Isfahan successful cardinal Iran.
- Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center – A cardinal conversion and probe installation southbound of Isfahan city.
According to US General Dan Caine, president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a ample enactment of 7 B-2 stealth bombers, each with 2 unit members, was launched from the US connected Friday astatine midnight arsenic portion of Operation Midnight Hammer.
US Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine speaks during a quality league astatine the Pentagon successful Washington, DC, the US connected Sunday, June 22, 2025, aft the US subject struck 3 sites successful Iran, straight joining Israel’s effort to destruct the country’s atomic programme [Alex Brandon/AP]To support tactical surprise, a decoy radical flew westbound implicit the Pacific, portion the main onslaught radical headed eastbound with minimal communications during an 18-hour flight.
At 5pm EST (1:30am section clip and 21:00 GMT), a US submarine successful the portion launched much than 2 twelve Tomahawk missiles, striking aboveground infrastructure targets successful Isfahan.
At 6:40pm EST (2:10am Iran clip and 22:40 GMT), the pb B-2 dropped 2 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) connected Fordow, followed by a full of 14 MOPs dropped crossed Fordow and Natanz.
All 3 atomic sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—were deed betwixt 6:40pm and 7:05pm EST (1:30am-2:10am section time; 22:40-23:10 GMT). The last question of Tomahawk missiles struck Isfahan past to sphere surprise.
In total, much than 125 US craft participated, including stealth bombers, combatant jets, dozens of tankers, surveillance aircraft, and enactment crews.
The Pentagon described it arsenic the largest B-2 combat cognition successful US past and the second-longest B-2 ngo ever flown. Force extortion crossed the portion was elevated successful anticipation of imaginable retaliation.
Where are Iran’s atomic sites?
Iran’s atomic programme is dispersed crossed respective cardinal sites. While Iran insists its programme is peaceful and aimed astatine vigor and aesculapian research, the US and Israel stay profoundly suspicious.
Iran’s resumption of uranium enrichment aft the US withdrawal from the 2015 atomic woody successful 2018 has lone deepened tensions. Israel, which had vehemently opposed the atomic woody nether US President Barack Obama, has vowed to forestall Iran from acquiring atomic weapons by immoderate means necessary. On June 13, it launched strikes connected Iran a time up of a sixth circular of US-Iran atomic talks.
(Al Jazeera)Attack connected Fordow
Iran’s Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, located astir 95km (60 miles) southwest of Tehran, is built heavy wrong a mountain, reportedly up to 80-90 metres (260-300 feet) underground, to past aerial strikes and bunker buster attacks.
(Al Jazeera)According to Sanad, Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency, 3 locations amusement damage: 2 craters resulting from bunker-busting bombs, and a damaged aerial defence tract designed to shield the atomic reactor.
Mehdi Mohammadi, an advisor to the president of the Iranian parliament, claimed that the US onslaught was not astonishing and that nary irreversible harm was sustained during the strikes. He added that authorities had evacuated each 3 sites successful advance.
(Al Jazeera)Attack connected Natanz
Natanz atomic facility, the largest uranium enrichment tract successful Iran, is located successful Isfahan province.
In a erstwhile onslaught connected June 15, the above-ground conception of a aviator substance enrichment plant, wherever uranium was enriched up to 60 percent, was destroyed by an Israeli strike, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Natanz’s cardinal energy infrastructure, specified arsenic the substation, main powerfulness building, exigency supply, and backup generators, was besides destroyed. There was nary nonstop deed connected the underground cascade hall, but the powerfulness nonaccomplishment whitethorn person damaged centrifuges utilized for uranium enrichment.
(Al Jazeera)Attack connected Isfahan
Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center is simply a cardinal conversion and probe installation southbound of Isfahan city. It plays a captious relation successful preparing earthy materials for enrichment and reactor use.
This is the third clip Isfahan has been struck since Israel launched attacks crossed Iran connected June 13, prompting fears of a determination escalation.
Bunker buster bombs
The strikes connected Iran’s atomic sites were conducted utilizing B-2 stealth bombers equipped with alleged “bunker buster” bombs, alongside submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Experts person agelong noted that the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant—buried heavy wrong a mountain—could lone beryllium destroyed by the US’s 30,000-pound (13,600kg) Massive Ordnance Penetrator, the world’s astir almighty bunker-busting bomb. The US remains the lone state known to person this weapon.
(Al Jazeera)No signs of contamination
Iran’s nuclear agency said connected Sunday that radiation monitoring and tract assessments amusement nary signs of contamination oregon hazard to residents adjacent the targeted sites.
“Following the amerciable US onslaught connected the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan atomic facilities, nary contamination has been recorded,” the bureau posted connected societal media. “There is nary information to residents astir these sites. Safety remains stable.”
In a abstracted statement, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran vowed that its atomic activities would proceed contempt the strikes, saying it “assures the large Iranian federation that, contempt the hostile conspiracies of its enemies, the efforts of thousands of committed and revolutionary scientists volition guarantee that this nationalist industry—built connected the humor of atomic martyrs—will not beryllium stopped”.
The IAEA, the UN atomic watchdog, besides did not announcement an summation successful radiation levels adjacent the targeted sites.
The attacks came arsenic Israel and Iran person been engaged successful much than a week of aerial combat, with much than 400 killed successful Iran and 24 casualties reported successful Israel.
Six Iranian scientists, 2 of whom were salient atomic scientists, were besides killed successful Israeli strikes.
English (US) ·