KEY POINTS
- US bombed Iran’s three nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan
- IAEA reports no rise in radiation levels following the airstrikes
- Iran vows retaliation, calling the strikes an “unforgivable violation” of international law
- Iran launched missile attacks on Israeli sites
- China and Russia condemned the US action as a violation of the UN Charter
WASHINGTON: Unprecedented US strikes have wrecked Iran’s nuclear programme, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday as Washington sought to assess what remained of the three targeted sites.
The surprise strikes threaten to deepen conflict in the Middle East after Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran, with Tehran vowing to retaliate against US involvement.
US President Donald Trump late on Saturday announced successful strikes on three underground nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz.
“We devastated the Iranian nuclear programme,” Hegseth told a Pentagon press briefing.
Trump “seeks peace, and Iran should take that path”, Hegseth said. “This mission was not, and has not been, about regime change.”
Standing beside Hegseth, top US general Dan Caine said that “it would be way too early for me to comment on what may or may not still be there.”
“Initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” he told reporters.
IAEA reports no increase in radiation levels
People gathered in the centre of Tehran to protest against US and Israeli attacks, waving flags and chanting slogans, state TV showed.
Trump claimed total success for the operation in an address to the nation hours after the attack, and Vice President JD Vance followed up on Sunday morning.
“We know that we set the Iranian nuclear programme back substantially last night, whether it’s years or beyond,” he told ABC.
“We’re not at war with Iran — we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear programme,” he added. “The president took decisive action to destroy that programme last night.”
The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency said it had not detected any increase in radiation levels at the nuclear sites and Tehran said Sunday there were no signs of contamination.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Istanbul the United States and Israel had “crossed a very big red line,” asserting Iran would continue to defend itself “by all means necessary.”
The main US strike group was seven B-2 Spirit bombers flying 18 hours from the US mainland to Iran with multiple aerial refuelling, Caine said.
Global concern
In response to the US attack, Iran’s armed forces said they targeted multiple sites in Israel including Ben Gurion airport, the country’s main international gateway near Tel Aviv.
Israeli rescuers said at least 23 people were wounded.
Israel said it had launched fresh strikes on western Iran and in Qom, south of Tehran. Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported four Revolutionary Guard members were killed in strikes on a military base in the city’s north.
The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman, which had been mediating Iran-US nuclear talks, criticized the US move and urged de-escalation.
The European Union called on all sides “to step back,” while stressing Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
China, Russia condemn US strikes
China and Russia on Sunday strongly condemned the US strikes on Iran and accused Washington of violating international law and the UN Charter.
Both countries warned that the US actions had dangerously escalated tensions in the Middle East and called for an immediate return to dialogue and diplomacy.
“China strongly condemns the US attacks on Iran and the bombing of nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the IAEA,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
China’s Foreign Ministry stated that the actions of the US seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East.
“China calls on the parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible, ensure the safety of civilians, and start dialogue and negotiation,” the ministry stated.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that Russia strongly condemns the US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites.
“The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council,” the ministry said in its statement.
“We call for an end to aggression and for increased efforts to create conditions for returning the situation to a political and diplomatic track,” the ministry said.
Following his address, Trump warned Iran against retaliation.
The US president had stepped up his rhetoric against Iran since Israel first struck the country on June 13, repeating his insistence it could never have nuclear weapons.
Tehran denies seeking an atomic bomb. On Saturday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s right to pursue a civilian nuclear programme “cannot be taken away… by threats or war.”
Iran warns US of consequences
Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday condemned the US strikes and warned that Tehran reserves the right to retaliate in self-defence.
Araghchi warned that the US will be held responsible for the consequences.
He described the strikes as an “unprecedented violation of the United Nations Charter and international law” and a crossing of Iran’s “final red line.”
“The United States, in collusion with the genocidal Israeli regime, has launched a military attack on the territorial integrity of a sovereign UN member state,” said Araghchi. “This is a grave and unforgivable violation of international law.”
He denounced the US administration for launching attacks during ongoing diplomatic efforts, adding, “Diplomacy should always remain open, but the US chose aggression in the middle of talks.”
“We were in the middle of diplomacy—negotiations with the Europeans were ongoing in Geneva just two days ago,” he said.
“It is not Iran that walked away from talks. It was the United States that destroyed the diplomatic process. This aggression has shut the door, at least for now.”
“Iran has done nothing wrong. Our nuclear programme remains peaceful and in line with international agreements,” he said.
Russia a ‘trusted friend’
Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that he will be meeting the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, calling Russia a “trusted friend” and requesting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate the US attacks.
He accused President Trump of betraying both Iran and the American people by ordering the strike, calling the attack on peaceful nuclear facilities “unforgivable.”
Araghchi also denounced Israel’s involvement, referring to it as a genocidal regime driven by malicious intent.
He emphasised, that Iran would not compromise on its sovereignty, national interests, or independence, and retains all options to respond. “It is clear now,” he said, “that the US and Israel only understand the language of force.”
Araghchi added that Iran is continuing to assess the damage caused by the strikes and urged the United Nations and the IAEA to hold the United States accountable for what he described as a “criminal act.”
“The Iranian people are united and firm in their resistance to aggression. We will respond—not with words, but with a firm, measured reaction grounded in international law and our national interest,” he said. – Agencies
