The US gave Israel a heads-up before striking Iran’s nuclear sites overnight.
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”
Earlier, Iran launched dozens of drones towards Israel.
Earlier in Istanbul, where he was meeting with Turkey’s president, Iran’s foreign minister warned that U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict would be ‘very, very dangerous.
The strikes represent a high-risk gamble for both the U.S. and Mr. Trump personally. Iran has vowed retaliation against any nation joining Israel’s assault, while Trump – who won the White House by promising to avoid costly foreign conflicts – has long mocked the value of American interventionism.
It follows earlier reports that the United States deployed advanced B-2 stealth bombers to an undisclosed location as tensions with Iran continue to escalate.
The move, seen as a strategic warning, comes amid discussions by former President Donald Trump about potential responses to the simmering conflict, fueling speculation over possible U.S. military action in the region. Defense officials, however, stress that no orders have been issued to carry out operations against Iran using the stealth aircraft.
The reports follow overnight exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran, after Israel claimed strikes on a ‘weapons depot’ and ‘military infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has prepared for the worst—appointing both military successors in case of Israeli strikes and three senior clerics to take his place if he is killed.
The civilian death toll from Israel’s attacks on Iran has risen to at least 430, Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian announced during a press briefing in Tehran on Saturday.
Earlier that day, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported at least 3,056 Iranians had been wounded since the conflict began, citing figures from the health ministry.
In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed by Iranian missile attacks, according to local authorities, in the worst conflict between the longtime enemies.
As of Saturday (local time), the nuclear-capable B-2 Spirits were tracked flying over the Pacific, with analysts suggesting they may be en route to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam—a key staging ground for U.S. power projection in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East. The deployment underscores Washington’s readiness to protect its interests and allies amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
