{"id":16406,"date":"2026-02-23T11:55:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T11:55:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/16406\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T11:55:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T11:55:15","slug":"us-inserts-itself-into-israels-war-with-iran-strikes-3-iranian-nuclear-sites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/16406\/","title":{"rendered":"US inserts itself into Israel’s war with Iran, strikes 3 Iranian nuclear sites"},"content":{"rendered":"

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) \u2014 The United States struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel\u2019s war<\/a> aimed at destroying the country\u2019s nuclear program in a risky gambit<\/a> to weaken a longtime foe despite fears of a wider regional conflict.<\/p>\n

Addressing the nation from the White House, President Donald Trump asserted that Iran\u2019s key nuclear were \u201ccompletely and fully obliterated.\u201d There was no independent damage assessment.<\/p>\n

It was not clear whether the U.S. would continue attacking Iran alongside its ally Israel, which has been engaged in a nine-day war with Iran. Trump acted without congressional authorization<\/a>, and he warned that there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Saturday, June 21, 2025, after the U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear and military sites, directly joining Israel\u2019s effort to decapitate the country\u2019s nuclear program, as Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listen. (Carlos Barria\/Pool via AP)<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Saturday, June 21, 2025, after the U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear and military sites, directly joining Israel\u2019s effort to decapitate the country\u2019s nuclear program, as Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listen. (Carlos Barria\/Pool via AP)<\/p>\n

Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n

Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n

Share<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, warned in a post on X that the U.S. attacks \u201cwill have everlasting consequences\u201d and that Tehran \u201creserves all options\u201d to retaliate.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s ambassador to the United Nations called for an emergency Security Council meeting to discuss what he described as the U.S.\u2019s \u201cheinous attacks and illegal use of force\u201d against Iran.<\/p>\n

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said that the U.N.\u2019s most powerful body must \u201ctake all necessary measures\u201d to hold the U.S. accountable under international law and the U.N. charter.<\/p>\n

The U.N. nuclear watchdog said later that there has been \u201cno increase in off-site radiation levels\u201d at the locations that the U.S. hit. The International Atomic Energy Agency sent the message via the social platform X. <\/p>\n

Early Sunday morning Israel alerted the public of an Iranian missile launch and urged people to take shelter. Sirens sounded in Jerusalem a short while later and a series of booms were heard.<\/p>\n

Iranian has been firing missile barrages<\/a> at Israel since the war began but they have decreased in size as Israel targets Tehran\u2019s missile launchers. The Islamic Republic may also be keeping some arms in reserve.<\/p>\n

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed that attacks took place on its Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz sites, but it insisted that its work will not be stopped. Iran said there were no signs of radioactive contamination at the three locations and no danger to nearby residents.<\/p>\n

Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb. However, Trump and Israeli leaders have claimed that Iran could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon, making it an imminent threat.<\/p>\n

The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country\u2019s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,500-kilogram) bunker-buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,\u201d Trump said in a post on social media. \u201cAll 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump added in a later post: \u201cThis is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!\u201d<\/p>\n

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump\u2019s decision to attack in a video message directed at the American president.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour bold decision to target Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,\u201d he said. Netanyahu said the U.S. \u201chas done what no other country on earth could do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israel announced Sunday that it would close the country\u2019s airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the U.S. attacks. The war has disrupted air travel<\/a> throughout the Middle East.<\/p>\n

The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation. U.S. military leaders are scheduled to provide a briefing at 8 a.m. Eastern. <\/p>\n

The attack used bunker-buster bombs on Iran\u2019s Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant that is built deep into a mountain, a U.S. official said. The weapons are designed to penetrate the ground before exploding. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows vehicles at the Fordo enrichment facility in Iran on Friday, June 20, 2025. (Maxar Technologies via AP)<\/p>\n

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows vehicles at the Fordo enrichment facility in Iran on Friday, June 20, 2025. (Maxar Technologies via AP)<\/p>\n

Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n

Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n

Share<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

In addition, U.S. submarines launched about 30 Tomahawk missiles, according to another U.S. official who also spoke on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n

The strikes are a perilous decision, as Iran has pledged to retaliate if the U.S. joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally. He won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism.<\/p>\n

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was \u201cgravely alarmed\u201d by the \u201cdangerous escalation\u201d of American strikes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control \u2014 with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Trump told reporters Friday that he was not interested in sending ground forces into Iran, saying it\u2019s \u201cthe last thing you want to do.\u201d He had previously indicated that he would make a final choice over the course of two weeks.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States on Wednesday that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will \u201cresult in irreparable damage for them.\u201d And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared \u201cany American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump has vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country\u2019s leaders to give up its nuclear program peacefully.<\/p>\n

The Israeli military<\/a> said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran\u2019s foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement \u201cwould be very, very dangerous for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The prospect of a wider war loomed. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels<\/a> in Yemen said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel\u2019s military campaign. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump planned to make his decision on the strikes within two weeks. Instead, he struck just two days later.<\/p>\n

Trump appears to have made the calculation \u2014 at the prodding of Israeli officials and many Republican lawmakers \u2014 that Israel\u2019s operation had softened the ground and presented a perhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran\u2019s nuclear program, perhaps permanently.<\/p>\n

The Israelis say their offensive has already crippled Iran\u2019s air defenses, allowing them to significantly degrade multiple Iranian nuclear sites.<\/p>\n

But to destroy the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant<\/a>, Israel appealed to Trump for the bunker-busting American bomb<\/a> known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets and then explode. The bomb is currently delivered only by the B-2 stealth bomber, which is only found in the American arsenal.<\/p>\n

It was the first combat use of the weapon.<\/p>\n

The bomb carries a conventional warhead, and is believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, assigned to the 509th\/131st Bomb Wings out of Whiteman Air Force Base, performs a flyover of Barnes-Jewish Hospital May 8, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo\/Jeff Roberson, File)<\/p>\n

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, assigned to the 509th\/131st Bomb Wings out of Whiteman Air Force Base, performs a flyover of Barnes-Jewish Hospital May 8, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo\/Jeff Roberson, File)<\/p>\n

Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n

Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n

Share<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A\/B were used to hit the facility. <\/p>\n

Previous Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has said.<\/p>\n

Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 865 people and wounded 3,396 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group said of those dead, it identified 363 civilians and 215 security force personnel.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s decision for direct U.S. military intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push \u2014 including with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians \u2014 aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear program.<\/p>\n

For months, Trump said he was dedicated to a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. And he twice \u2014 in April<\/a> and again in late May \u2014 persuaded Netanyahu<\/a> to hold off on military action against Iran and give diplomacy more time.<\/p>\n

All the while, Trump has gone from publicly expressing hope that the moment could be a \u201csecond chance\u201d for Iran to make a deal to delivering explicit threats on Khamenei and making calls for Tehran\u2019s unconditional surrender.<\/a><\/p>\n

The military showdown with Iran comes seven years after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the \u201cworst deal ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2015 deal, signed by Iran, U.S. and other world powers, created a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran\u2019s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.<\/p>\n

Trump decried the Obama-era deal for giving Iran too much<\/a> in return for too little, because the agreement did not cover Iran\u2019s non-nuclear malign behavior.<\/p>\n

Trump has bristled at criticism from some of his MAGA faithful who have suggested that further U.S. involvement would be a betrayal to supporters who were drawn to his promise to end U.S. involvement in expensive and endless wars.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Madhani reported from Morristown, N.J. Rising reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Iran; Mehmet Guzel in Istanbul; Josef Federman in Jerusalem; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Matthew Lee and Josh Boak in Washington; and Farnoush Amiri and Jon Gambrell in Dubai contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) \u2014 The United States struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16407,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[7297,5424,11339,1701,11335,5423,18,11340,2783,65,3188,3288,3289,6229,11337,11336,69,11338,2746,7295,7298,1046],"class_list":{"0":"post-16406","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-geneva","8":"tag-2024-2025-mideast-wars","9":"tag-abbas-araghchi","10":"tag-amir-saeid-iravani","11":"tag-antonio-guterres","12":"tag-barack-obama","13":"tag-benjamin-netanyahu","14":"tag-donald-trump","15":"tag-esmail-baghaei","16":"tag-general-news","17":"tag-geneva","18":"tag-iran","19":"tag-iran-government","20":"tag-iran-nuclear","21":"tag-israel-government","22":"tag-karoline-leavitt","23":"tag-mideast-wars","24":"tag-politics","25":"tag-u-s-news","26":"tag-united-nations","27":"tag-war-and-unrest","28":"tag-washington-news","29":"tag-world-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16406"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16406\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}