ARTICLE AD BOX
Portraits of Iranian subject generals and atomic scientists, killed successful Israel's June 13 onslaught are displayed supra a road, arsenic a plume of dense fume and occurrence emergence implicit an lipid refinery successful confederate Tehran, aft it was deed successful an overnight Israeli strike, connected June 15, 2025.
Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images
President Donald Trump connected Saturday said the United States attacked Iran, hitting 3 nuclear sites successful Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan.
"We person completed our precise palmy onslaught connected the 3 Nuclear sites successful Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump wrote connected social media Saturday.
"All planes are present extracurricular of Iran aerial space. A afloat payload of BOMBS was dropped connected the superior site, Fordow," wrote Trump.
"All planes are safely connected their mode home. Congratulations to our large American Warriors. There is not different subject successful the World that could person done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!" the president wrote.
Trump said helium volition code the federation astatine 10 p.m. ET Saturday.
The enactment puts the United States successful nonstop equipped struggle with Iran, a monolithic escalation successful its engagement with Israel's effort to cripple Tehran's atomic programme and topple its regime.
The determination besides erstwhile again engages the American subject successful progressive warfare successful the Middle East — something Trump had vowed to debar during his 2nd word successful office.
It besides marks a large displacement from little than 48 hours ago, erstwhile Trump said the United States would instrumentality "two weeks" to spot if the struggle betwixt Israel and Iran could beryllium resolved diplomatically.
"Based connected the information that there's a important accidental of negotiations that whitethorn oregon whitethorn not instrumentality spot with Iran successful the adjacent future, I volition marque my determination whether oregon not to spell wrong the adjacent 2 weeks," Trump said Thursday successful a connection issued by the White House.
Behind the scenes, the Trump medication has been trying to scope a woody with Iran implicit its atomic program, and Trump successful caller months had reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to clasp disconnected connected a strike.
That diplomatic way whitethorn present beryllium closed. Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said precocious that "any American subject introduction volition undoubtedly beryllium met with irreparable damage."
"If they participate militarily, they volition look harm that they cannot retrieve from," helium added successful a connection work connected Iranian authorities television.
People basal connected a rooftop amidst billowing fume pursuing an overnight Israeli onslaught successful Tehran connected June 17, 2025.
Atta Kenare | AFP | Getty Images
Trump had insisted that the U.S. had "nothing to bash with the onslaught connected Iran," penning connected societal media that, "we tin easy get a woody done betwixt Iran and Israel, and extremity this bloody conflict!!!"
But arsenic Israel's strikes appeared to woody superior blows to galore cardinal Iranian subject and atomic targets, Trump code appeared to displacement to a much assertive posture.
On Tuesday, Trump threatened the Iranian leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling him an "easy target" and penning that America's "patience is wearing thin."
Read much CNBC authorities coverage
Trump and erstwhile American presidents person agelong insisted that Iran cannot person atomic weapons.
Trump successful his archetypal word pulled the U.S. retired of a nuclear agreement that the Obama medication and different nations had brokered with Iran successful 2015, arguing it failed to support America oregon deter Tehran's enrichment aims.
Israel has agelong claimed that Iran is processing atomic weapons, and has threatened to onslaught its atomic programme before. But until now, Tel Aviv has constricted its subject engagement to targeted assassinations and cyber attacks.
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's manager of nationalist intelligence, testified earlier Congress successful March that the U.S. quality assemblage "continues to measure that Iran is not gathering a atomic limb and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the atomic weapons programme that helium suspended successful 2003."
Trump connected Tuesday bluntly dismissed his ain Cabinet official's assessment. "I don't attraction what she said. I deliberation they were precise adjacent to having one," Trump said connected Air Force One.
This is simply a processing communicative and volition beryllium updated.
English (US) ·