President Donald Trump hailed the U.S. airstrikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran as a “spectacular military success,” asserting that the mission had “completely and totally obliterated” key nuclear enrichment sites. The strikes marked the first direct U.S. military action on Iranian soil since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Delivering a nationally televised address from the White House, Trump issued a stern ultimatum to Iran: pursue peace swiftly or face further, more devastating attacks. “There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,” he warned.
Standing alongside Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump reaffirmed that the targets—Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan—had been the most fortified and difficult to strike, describing the operation as precise and highly effective.
“If peace does not come quickly,” Trump cautioned, “remember, there are many targets left. Tonight was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Donald J. Trump Delivers Address to the Nation, June 21, 2025 <a href="https://t.co/yutRDvtWv0">https://t.co/yutRDvtWv0</a></p>— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1936602999553433965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Pentagon confirmed the use of GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrators, also known as "bunker busters," to hit deeply buried nuclear facilities. The strikes were conducted under complete radio silence and reportedly avoided any U.S. casualties.
Although Iranian officials have not confirmed the full extent of the damage, early intelligence suggests significant destruction of nuclear infrastructure. Trump stressed that regime change is not the objective, and that Saturday’s strikes were “all we plan to do”—a message communicated to Tehran via diplomatic channels shortly after the operation concluded.
Reacting to the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed full support, stating that the U.S. had given Israel advance notice. "President Trump and I often say: 'Peace through strength.' First comes strength, then comes peace,” Netanyahu said. “And tonight, President Trump and the United States acted with a lot of strength.”
The conflict began on June 13, when Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran’s nuclear and military sites, aiming to cripple its nuclear ambitions. In response, Iran fired hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel, killing at least 24 people.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a Washington-based rights group monitoring the situation, at least 657 people have been killed in the broader regional conflict so far.
Trump, who had earlier urged restraint and pursued direct negotiations with Iran, reversed course under pressure from Israeli allies and some Republican lawmakers. Two prior Israeli strikes had been delayed at Trump's request to allow diplomatic efforts to unfold.
However, in his address, Trump made clear that further inaction was no longer an option: “Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier.”