US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States conducted a “very successful” military operation targeting Iran’s three key nuclear facilities — Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan — declaring them “completely and totally obliterated.”
Speaking from the White House on Saturday night, Trump said the mission achieved its primary objective: the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability, which he described as a growing threat from “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.”
“Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump stated. “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”
The airstrikes come just two days after Trump announced a two-week window for diplomacy, indicating a rapid escalation in US engagement in the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
In a strongly worded message on Truth Social following his address, Trump warned Iran against retaliating: “There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill.”
He emphasized that Fordow, the primary target, received a “full payload of bombs”, and all US aircraft involved had safely exited Iranian airspace.
“This cannot continue… Tonight’s was the most difficult target, and perhaps the most lethal. But we are prepared for more if necessary,” Trump added.
Trump was flanked by key members of his administration during his televised speech, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The strikes mark a significant escalation in the nine-day-old conflict between Israel and Iran. The hostilities began on June 13, when Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion”, striking Iranian military and nuclear targets.
Iran responded with “Operation True Promise 3”, led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), targeting Israeli energy infrastructure and fighter jet fuel supplies with a barrage of drones and missiles.
The Fordow and Natanz sites — both key uranium enrichment facilities — had long been viewed as central to Iran’s controversial nuclear program. Natanz had already suffered damage from earlier Israeli strikes earlier in the week, according to The New York Times.
Despite the aggressive posture, Trump concluded his remarks with a message of diplomacy: “Now is the time for peace. Congratulations to our great American warriors. There is not another military in the world that could have done this.”
The situation remains fluid, with global leaders watching closely for Iran’s next move and the potential for a broader regional escalation.