On 21 June 2025, President Donald Trump announced that the United States military had carried out airstrikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, directly joining Israelโs ongoing campaign to dismantle Iranโs nuclear program.
The targeted sites included the underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, as well as facilities at Natanz and Esfahan, reported AP News.
Trump made the announcement via his social media platform, Truth Social, just before 8pm in Washington, DC (8am on 22 June 2025 in Singapore).
๐จUpdate: US Has completely destroyed three Iranian nuclear facilities with massive bunker buster bombs. Iran claims most of the equipment has been removed. pic.twitter.com/L8BEIm3th1
โ US Homeland Security News (@defense_civil25) June 22, 2025
The attack marks the first time in nearly four decades that an American president has ordered direct airstrikes on major Iranian installations.
Background and Build-Up
The US decision followed more than a week of Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
Israelโs campaign began on 13 June 2025, targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, with the stated aim of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Israelโs strikes systematically degraded Iranโs air defences and missile capabilities, damaging several nuclear enrichment facilities.
Iran retaliated with hundreds of rockets and drones directed at Israel. Air raid sirens sounded across Tel Aviv and the West Bank, with Israelโs air defence systems intercepting most incoming threats.
The conflict escalated as both sides exchanged further strikes, and Iran declared it would not negotiate on its nuclear program under threat.
Details of the US Strikes
The US strikes focused on three key nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
The Fordow facility, located about 160km south of Tehran and buried roughly 90 meters under a mountain, was seen as the most fortified and challenging target.
Only the US military possesses the 13,500kg GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, capable of reaching such deeply buried sites, and these bombs were delivered by B-2 stealth bombers.
Israeli officials confirmed they were notified in advance of the US strikes and described the operation as fully coordinated.
Trumpโs team had debated the risks for days, with some advisers urging continued intelligence support for Israel rather than direct involvement. Ultimately, Trump decided to proceed, citing the need to ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.
Motives Behind the Attack
The immediate trigger for the US strikes was Iranโs refusal to return to nuclear negotiations, even after Trump publicly offered a two-week window for talks.
Trump had previously attempted diplomatic backchannels, including outreach via Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoฤan, but these efforts stalled.
Israeli officials had also lobbied the US to take direct military action, arguing that only American bunker-buster bombs could neutralise Fordow.
Trumpโs administration stated that the strikes were intended to โdecapitateโ Iranโs nuclear program and weaken a long-standing adversary.
The action was also framed as a response to Iranโs escalatory attacks on Israel and its growing uranium stockpile, which US intelligence had assessed was not yet being used for weaponisation, a conclusion Trump publicly disputed.
Reactions and Next Steps
Iran has not immediately acknowledged the strikes but previously warned that any US involvement would prompt retaliation against American forces in the region.
Saudi Arabia and other regional governments condemned the military escalation, calling for an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations.