President Donald Trump has announced that United States forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites in a “very successful attack”, adding that the heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility is “gone”.
Trump’s decision on Saturday to join Israel’s military campaign against Iran represents a major escalation of the conflict.
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that the military planes were now on their way home.
“NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!” he added.
Later, in a televised Oval Office address that lasted just more than three minutes, Trump said that Iran’s future held “either peace or tragedy”, and that there were many other targets that could be hit by the US military.
“The strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump said. “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”
The strikes came as Israel and Iran have been engaged in more than a week of aerial combat, with deaths and injuries in both countries.
Israel launched the attacks on Iran, saying that it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.
Diplomatic efforts by Western nations to stop the hostilities have been unsuccessful.
‘Will not stop’
Iran’s nuclear agency on Sunday confirmed the attacks, but said that radiation system data and field surveys do not show signs of contamination or danger to residents near the sites.
