US carries out 'successful attack' on three Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says
22 June 2025, 01:10 | Updated: 22 June 2025, 01:32
US President Donald Trump said the US has dropped bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran, directly involving the US in the conflict between Iran and Israel.
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Writing on Truth Social, the US President said: "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan."
"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."
"This is a historic moment for the United States of America, Israel, and the world," the president wrote on Truth Social.
He added that "Iran must now agree to end this war".
The move has inserted the US directly into an open conflict with Iran.
Three senior Iranian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the New York Times they believed the US had bombed Fordow and Natanz at around 2:30am local time in Iran.
The three sites that were hit include Iran's two major uranium enrichment centres - Fordow and Natanz - and a third site, Esfahan, where Iran is believed to keep its near-bomb-grade enriched uranium.
If these areas are destroyed, it is likely to set Iran's nuclear programme back by years.
Mr Trump has reposted a message from an open-source intelligence account saying "Fordow is gone."
The move follows the US deployment of B-2 bomber plans towards Guam earlier today. These planes were used in the strikes, according to Reuters news agency.
The B-2 bombers are capable of delivering the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, also known as the bunker-buster bomb.
The 13,000kg GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb is capable of penetrating up to 60m below the surface. The Fordow plant is thought to be 80-90m deep, meaning that it is likely multiple strikes would be required to destroy it.
The attacks on the three sites mark the first time since 1979 that the US has attacked major facilities inside Iran.
At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel launched its attacks on June 13, according to the Iranian health ministry.
In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed by Iranian missile strikes.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
