The US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites and the Iranian response
A thorough review of the events in the last ~24 hours.
And so, as I predicted in my latest two original articles (1 and 2), US President Donald J. Trump did not keep his word (that he would have waited two weeks before hitting Iran)… and, in the end, he launched an aggression on Iran!
Last night the Outlaw US Empire carried out Operation “Midnight Hammer” and bombed three nuclear sites in Iran: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, as reported by Al Mayadeen and US President Donald J. Trump himself, who, in the middle of the night (in Europe and the Middle East), tweeted the following posts on his Truth Social:
But, is Fordow really gone? Or is it just Trump’s kabuki theatre as usual? Mehdi Mohammadi, an adviser to the chairman of the Iranian parliament, posted the following statement on X last night, after the bombing:
Similarly, Mohsen Rezaei, member of the Iran's Expediency Discernment Council, was quoted by Al Mayadeen as saying that “Iran had already moved all enriched nuclear materials to a secure location ahead of the strikes”. Indeed, there so many hints in the last 8-9 days (if not more!) that the Outlaw US Empire was going to bomb Iran that I would have been surprised if Iran had done anything in the meantime. In fact, satellite images from a few days ago show that indeed Iran was evacuating the nuclear sites, moving radioactive material (e.g. uranium) and equipment to other safe places within the country:
…and then preparing the Fordow nuclear facility for an anticipated strike, with trucks and excavators actively filling the entrance tunnels:
As I have seen rumours online speculating that no bombing actually happened, let me show another photo of the Fordow Nuclear Facility after the US bombing (you can find one in the lead image at the top):
You can also see a comparison of the Fordow Nuclear Facility before and after the US bombing in this post by The Guardian.
Of course, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) denounced the US bombing of its nuclear facilities as “brutal and illegal attacks” and “a violation of international law, particularly the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)”, while criticizing the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) for its indifference and even complicity with the Outlaw US Empire, as reported by Al Mayadeen and Tasnim, the latter of which quoted the following passages from the AEOI statement:
The American enemy, through a statement by its president in social media, has officially claimed responsibility for the attacks on these sites, which are under continuous monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) based on the safeguards agreement and the NPT.
It is unfortunate that this action—clearly against international law—has taken place with the indifference and, in some cases, complicity of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran assures the noble Iranian nation that, despite the enemies’ evil conspiracies, it will not allow the peaceful development of this national industry—born from the blood of nuclear martyrs—to be derailed.
Tasnim and Al Mayadeen quoted Manan Raeisi, a lawmaker representing the city of Qom in the Iranian Parliament, as saying (all emphasis mine):
Despite the lies of America’s deceitful president, critical infrastructure remains intact. What was hit was mostly on the ground and fully restorable.
Preliminary inspections at the strike locations confirm there is no nuclear radiation [leak].
Based on verified information, I can say that contrary to the American president’s false claims, the Fordow facility did not suffer significant damage. Most of the impact was surface-level and easily repairable.
Trump’s bluff about destroying Fordow is laughable.
Trump’s fabricated claim about Fordow’s destruction only highlights how ineffective the strikes truly were, so superficial that not a single martyr has been reported at the site.
This act of American aggression marks clear and direct involvement in the war. Iran alone will determine the timing and nature of its response to this reckless provocation.
Early this morning Iran’s National Nuclear Safety System Center, operating under Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, reported that no radioactive contamination had been detected by its monitoring systems, as reported by Al Mayadeen, which also quoted the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as saying that it “had detected no signs of radiation anywhere in the Kingdom or the broader Gulf region following the US airstrikes”.
Similarly, later in the day, Iranian Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi rejected the risk of any radioactive contamination after the US strikes, saying that “there is basically no nuclear fission in the Iranian nuclear facilities used for uranium enrichment”, noting though that Iranian nuclear sites “are at a distance of at least 30 kilometers from the population centers, so that they will not present any threat to public health”, as per Tasnim.
Reactions to the US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities started pouring from around the world soon after Trump’s announcement on his Truth social. I will not quote them here for sake of brevity, but you can find quite a few in these two Al Mayadeen article (1 and 2), which reported also on a few members of the US Congress calling the bombing an “illegal and terrifying escalation” and calling for a vote on Thomas Massie’s “War Powers Resolution” to stop this madness (see this other Al Mayadeen article too). For hypocritical statements of EU/NATO leaders, asking for de-escalation, refer this Al Mayadeen article. I will only report the Yemeni statements (from Saba: 1, 2, 3 and 4) reiterating that the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) are “ready to target US ships and warships in the Red Sea” and this very important comment by Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia (from this post on his Telegram channel):
What have the Americans accomplished with their nighttime strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran?
Critical infrastructure of the nuclear fuel cycle appears to have been unaffected or sustained only minor damage.
The enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue.
A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads.
Israel is under attack, explosions are rocking the country, and people are panicking.
The US is now entangled in a new conflict, with prospects of a ground operation looming on the horizon.
Iran’s political regime has survived — and in all likelihood, has come out even stronger.
The people are rallying around the country’s spiritual leadership, including those who were previously indifferent or opposed to it.
Donald Trump, once hailed as ‘president of peace,’ has now pushed the US into another war.
The vast majority of countries around the world oppose the actions of Israel and the United States.
At this rate, Trump can forget about the Nobel Peace Prize — not even with how rigged it has become. What a way to kick things off, Mr. President. Congratulations!
A few hours after the first announcement on Truth regarding the bombing, Trump delivered an address from the White House, describing the raid as a “very successful attack”. You can watch his speech in the video below or you can read the transcript (from here - emphasis and comments in square brackets mine) further down:
A short time ago, the U.S. military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise.
Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror. [Congratulations! You achieved exactly the opposite!]
Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. [What a success… hitting empty nuclear sites!]
Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. [Satellite images show otherwise]
Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. [The usual threats… so much for the so-called “President of Peace”!]
For 40 years, Iran has been saying, “Death to America, Death to Israel”. [Guess why!] They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs, with roadside bombs. That was their specialty. [No, sorry… that’s NATO’s and its terrorist organizations’ specialty (Al Qaeda, ISIS, etc. - the ones that Iran was fighting)!]
We lost over a thousand people, and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate. [If they hate you, it’s because of your greed and bloodlust!] In particular, so many were killed by their general. Qasem Soleimani.
I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue.
I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we have gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel.
I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they have done. And most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight, and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.
Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that so. I also want to congratulate the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan ‘Razin’ Caine, spectacular general, and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack.
With all of that being said, this cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. [Disgusting threats again!]
Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal.
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. [Again more and more threats!] There’s no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight, not even close. There has never been a military that could do what took place just a little while ago.
Tomorrow, General Caine [and] Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will have a press conference at 8 a.m. at the Pentagon. I want to just thank everybody. And in particular, God, I want to just say we love you God, and we love our great military, protect them.
God bless the Middle East, God bless Israel, and God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Of course, Trump could not issue one more final threat on his Truth Social:
With Trump and all Western warmonger it’s always “my way or the highway”, “peace through strength” and so on… diplomacy and international laws are dead! We are now officially entering World War 3, where hopefully the decadent Outlaw US Empire and its vassal states will be put in their place… hopefully without a nuclear Armageddon! But let’s go back to the reporting…
In the morning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Trump’s statement that the US military strikes on the three Iranian nuclear sites was carried out in full coordination with Israel. Here is what he said in a video message (in Hebrew) on X, as quoted by Al Mayadeen:
From the very beginning of this operation, I promised that Iran’s nuclear facilities would be destroyed—one way or another. That promise has now been kept.
Immediately after the operation was completed, President Trump called me. It was a warm and deeply moving conversation.
Trump’s statements were also echoed later today by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Pentagon briefing, as reported by Al Mayadeen:
Iran's nuclear facilities have been “obliterated”. […] [We] devastated the Iranian nuclear program.
Trump seeks peace, and Iran should take that path.
…while, on the other hand, General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, offered a more measured assessment, saying that three Iranian nuclear sites sustained…
severe damage and massive destruction […] [but it is] too soon to say whether Iran still retains some nuclear capability.
Similarly, Vice President JD Vance stated to NBC's Meet the Press that…
I feel very confident that we’ve substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon, and that was the goal of this attack.
We're not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program.
What a hypocrite! We know that you are at war with Iran, Russia, China and BRICS+. In case you missed it, please refer to my latest translation in the link below, which is key to understand why we got to this point now:
China. Railway line to Tehran inaugurated: Malacca Strait bypassed
Today I am providing my English translation of an article by Giuseppe Gagliano, originally in Italian, published first on NotizieGeopolitiche.net on Tuesday 27th May 2025 and then on ComeDonChisciotte.org on Tuesday 3rd June 2025. Although it is a bit “old”, it may explain quite well why all of a sudden “someone” (not necessarily Netanyahu or Trump, but…
As reported by Tasnim and Al Mayadeen, this morning Iran’s UN envoy Saeed Iravani sent a letter to the UNSC (United Nations Security Council) requesting an emergency meeting to discuss the recent US airstrikes on the three Iranian nuclear facilities, described as “heinous attacks and the illegal use of force against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, “unprovoked and premeditated acts of aggression”, as well as “blatant and illegal act of aggression”. Tonight Al Mayadeen confirmed that UNSC will convene later today.
To be honest, I think that the time for diplomacy and statements at the UNSC has run out and I am pretty sure that Iranians, Russians and Chinese know it, though they keep following the path of diplomacy, at least in appearance (maybe just for theatre or to buy some time). In fact, Iran is now upping the ante, while executing captured Mossad spies (sources: Al Mayadeen and Tasnim)…
As reported by Tasnim, this morning at dawn the IRGC (Islamic Revolution Guards Corps) Aerospace Force launched the 20th wave of Operation “True Promise 3”, including multiple long-range ballistic missiles running on solid and liquid fuel, and equipped with powerful warheads, targeting Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, the Israeli biological research center, logistical bases, and various bureaus of its command-and-control centers.
According to Israeli military, cited by Al Mayadeen, “around 30 missiles were launched from Iran in two salvos toward Gush Dan and the north”, whereas “Iranian state television reported strikes on at least 10 separate sites”. In several areas, mainly Haifa, sirens did no active prior to impact. Among confirmed missiles impacts: Haifa, Tel Aviv, Ness Ziona, Beer Yaakov, Ramla, and the settlement of Bat Yam. Click on the link to the Al Mayadeen article above to see additional photos and videos of the destruction in Israel subsequent to the missile strikes.
Later today the IRGC provided additional details of the 20th wave, specifying the use of multiwarhead Kheibarshekan ballistic missiles, the third generation of the IRGC Aerospace Force’s missiles, and adding that “modern and surprising tactics were employed to increase the accuracy of missiles and ensure their effective and destructive impact on the targets”, as per Tasnim. The IRGC even warned that “the main sections of the capacities of the Iranian Armed Forces have not become operational in the counterattacks so far”!
Please mind that the Iranian missile strikes on Israel this morning were not in retaliation for the US bombing of the three Iranian nuclear sites.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued the following statement, quoted by Tasnim, in essence saying that Iran is entitled to counter the US strikes on its soil (all emphasis mine):
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the brutal US military aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, which was carried out in gross and unprecedented violation of the most fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. It holds the warmongering and lawless US government fully responsible for the extremely dangerous consequences of this major crime.
The US military aggression against the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of a UN member state, carried out in criminal collaboration with the genocidal Zionist regime, once again demonstrates the depth of cruelty and depravity dominating US foreign policy, and the profound hostility of the American ruling establishment toward the peace-loving and independence-seeking Iranian people.
The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to defend itself with full force against US military aggression and the crimes committed by this rogue regime.
The US crime of attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities - carried out in the early hours of the tenth day of Israel’s military aggression against the Iranian nation - exposed America's criminal complicity with the Zionist regime in designing and executing military aggression against Iran. More clearly than ever, this revealed the naked truth: that American politics and governance are under the control of a corrupt and criminal Zionist cartel that exploits the wealth, lives, and reputation of Americans to advance its own criminal goals in the world and West Asia.
The US military assault on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities is not only a blatant and unprecedented violation of the UN Charter - particularly the principles prohibiting the use of force and requiring respect for states’ territorial integrity and national sovereignty - but also a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and a devastating blow to the nuclear non-proliferation regime, committed by a permanent member of the Security Council itself.
The Islamic Republic of Iran reminds the United Nations, the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and other competent international bodies of their urgent responsibility to act in response to this criminal lawlessness. It emphasizes that silence in the face of such blatant aggression will endanger the world with unprecedented peril.
As one of the founding members of the United Nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran expects the organization and each of its responsible members to fulfill their obligations at this critical time, as the world faces an open breach of international law by the United States. We call on the UN Security Council to hold an emergency session to strongly condemn the US aggression against Iran and to hold the rogue regime accountable for its flagrant violations of international rules and principles.
The responsibility of the IAEA and its Director General - who, through clear bias in favor of warmongering parties, provided the pretext and cover for this recent disaster - is more obvious than ever. We call on the IAEA Board of Governors to convene an emergency meeting and fulfill its legal responsibility regarding the dangerous US attack on peaceful nuclear facilities in Iran, all of which were under strict IAEA oversight and safeguard agreements.
The world must not forget that it was the United States, amid ongoing diplomatic efforts, that betrayed diplomacy, encouraged the lawless and genocidal Israeli regime to ignite conflict, and now, completing the Zionist regime's illegal and criminal path, has launched a dangerous war against Iran’s core sovereignty.
It is now clear to all that a regime which claims the status of a permanent member of the Security Council adheres to no law or moral principle, and in pursuit of the goals of a genocidal and occupying regime, refrains from no crime or violation of international norms.
Similarly, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Iran’s right to respond to US strikes during a press conference on the sidelines of an OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) meeting in Istanbul (Turkey) today, as per Tasnim and Al Mayadeen, the latter of which quoted him as saying that the Outlaw US Empire and its Zionist vassal state in the Middle East had crossed “a very big red line”, adding:
I still do not have exact information about the level of damage, but I don't think it matters... Last night's attack was a grave crime.
The United States has dealt a serious blow to international peace and security.
They have proved that they are not men of diplomacy, and they only understand the language of threat and force. The United States decided to blow up diplomacy.
During the day, he also tweeted the following statements:
Al Mayadeen also reported that Araghchi is going to Moscow to hold high-level talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin tomorrow (Monday 23rd June 2025) morning, suggesting that Russia has Iran’s back (as Medvedev’s words also testified), despite the story on the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two country. By the way, TASS also reported that Putin is planning a 4-day visit to Xi Jinping in China, quoting Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov.
The Outlaw US Empire and the Zionist entity called “Israel” are on notice: do not touch BRICS+ or you will get burnt!
In a separate article, Al Mayadeen quoted Major General Mohammad Pakpour, Commander of the IRGC Ground Forces, as saying:
Peace has been stripped from the Zionist entity.
Each time the enemy intensifies its assaults, our cohesion and solidarity strengthen. The unity among our people has become a model worth emulating.
…noting “a rising number of applications to join the country’s Basij, which he described as a clear reflection of growing unity among Iranians” and reaffirming the IRGC “readiness to continue aerospace operations amid ongoing regional tensions, declaring that the Israeli occupation would not experience calm in the wake of its aggression”. In another statement, quoted by Al Mayadeen, the IRGC said that (all emphasis mine)…
The flight paths of the aircraft involved in the aggression have been identified and are currently under surveillance.
US military bases in the region are not a strength, but rather a point of vulnerability.
The invaders must now brace for responses that will make them regret their actions.
We strongly affirm that Iran’s peaceful nuclear technology cannot be destroyed by any attack.
We are not frightened by Trump’s noise, nor by the criminal gangs that control the White House and Tel Aviv.
America no longer holds the initiative and cannot escape the repercussions of a forceful Iranian response.
…indicating that Iran may have left the Outlaw US Empire carry out its bombing, in order to record radar signatures of its airplanes, so that, if it tries it again, it may be humiliated. It also suggests that the IRGC may soon target US military bases in the Middle East, either directly or via its proxies: if it decides to hit them directly, I think it may initially target only the US bases that have been evacuated to avoid casualties and keep control of the escalation ladder.
Soon after the US aggression on their country, this morning Iranian lawmakers “raised the possibility of withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz in retaliation”, as reported in this Al Mayadeen article earlier today, quoting Esmail Kowsari, a prominent member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in Parliament, as saying:
We are reviewing the option of withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Our armed forces will certainly continue striking the Zionist entity.
US military bases across the region will not remain secure. Hitting them will be far easier than targeting the Israeli regime.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is on the table. We will definitely implement it if the situation requires.
Similarly, Sara Fallahi, another member of the parliamentary committee, stated:
Iran will respond decisively [with] a full withdrawal from the NPT and closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
…while Abbas Golroo, Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committee head, posted the following statement on X:
Al Mayadeen also reported that Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced on X an emergency session of the IAEA Board of Governors (BoG) tomorrow in Vienna, “in light of the urgent situation in Iran”. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, did not mince words in a post on her Telegram channel regarding his hypocrisy (italics original):
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi: “We need to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible. Inspectors must be allowed to return to Iranian nuclear sites”.
Missiles landed on the negotiating table today. It was hard not to notice where they came from. Why, then, are all the statements this time smoothed over and impersonal?
This afternoon Iran’s Shura Council heard the calls of Iranian lawmakers and recommended “the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to the recent US military strikes targeting the country’s nuclear facilities”, as reported in this Al Mayadeen article, which reminds us that ~20% of worlds oil flows through this narrow passage, since major OPEC1 producers, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE (United Arab Emirates), Kuwait, and Iraq ship most of the their crude through it, while Qatar, a top global exporter of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), ships nearly all of its LNG through it.
If the Shura Council’s recommendation is approved by the Iranian Supreme National Security Council and Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed and the Western world will face an exponential increase in oil and gas prices, which will cause sky-high inflation and possibly the collapse of Western economy and industry!
Finally, it is worth reporting the following statement by Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser of Islamic Revolution leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei (source: Al Mayadeen - all emphasis mine):
Even assuming the complete destruction of the facilities, the game is not over; enriched materials, domestic expertise, and political will remain intact.
Now, the political and operational initiative is in the hands of the party, with the right to defend, that plays smart and avoids random fire.
The surprises will continue!
I will conclude this long article with the following cartoon (from Saba):
If you liked this article, please click on the “Tip Jar” button below and buy me a coffee… and do not forget to share or restack it and talk about it with your relatives, friends, colleagues, etc. so that we can beat the NATO propaganda in the Western mainstream media (MSM)! It is very important now that we are heading towards World War 3 - in case you missed it, you may want to read my appeal in this article.
P.S.: For further reading, I strongly recommend Peter Haenseler’s article “Trump has decided to attack Iran – this will have consequences – for the whole world?” on Larry C. Johnson’s blog.
Regarding the use of GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) non-nuclear “bunker buster” bombs against deeply buried and hardened underground facilities, such as the nuclear sites in Iran, I suggest this article that Mike Mihajlovic posted last night just a few hours before the bombing.
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
"I think that the time for diplomacy and statements at the UNSC has run out and I am pretty sure that Iranians, Russians and Chinese know it" - I'm sure they do and that they don't count on the UN to do anything but every time they bring issues like this to the UN, they're making a statement to the world that they still believe in international law and national sovereignty and the other foundations contained in the founding UN Charter whereas the West blatantly flouts them.
‘ Midnight Hammer’ - the childish nature of the language😓