In a bold and controversial escalation of Middle East tensions, President Donald Trump ordered US warplanes and submarines to launch coordinated strikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities early Sunday, drawing America directly into Israel’s war with Tehran and prompting urgent warnings from both allies and critics about the risk of a broader regional conflict.
Targeting Iran’s uranium enrichment centers at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, the operation was hailed by Trump as a “spectacular military success.” Speaking from the White House in a televised four-minute address, Trump claimed the sites had been “completely and totally obliterated.” Backed by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, he demanded that Iran now “make peace” or face a future of swift and devastating US-Israeli retaliation.
“There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than what we have witnessed over the last eight days,” Trump warned. “Most of their remaining targets can be taken out in a matter of minutes.”
According to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, six 30,000-pound “bunker-buster” bombs were dropped on Fordow by B-2 stealth bombers, while 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from submarines at Natanz and Isfahan. These facilities, long considered the core of Iran’s potential nuclear weapons development, had been shielded deep underground beyond the reach of most conventional Israeli weaponry.
While Trump previously expressed hesitancy about joining Israel’s military campaign against Iran, a sharp change in tone emerged after a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 9. With Israeli strikes already underway and Iran vowing retaliation, Trump decided to provide the military support Israel had been requesting. “We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before,” Trump said, praising Netanyahu during his address.
The decision sparked immediate and heated political fallout back in Washington. Senior Republicans largely praised the strike, calling it a firm message to a hostile regime.
Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, both briefed before the attack, called it a necessary check on Iran’s ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon.
“President Trump has been consistent and clear that a nuclear-armed Iran will not be tolerated,” Johnson said. “That posture has now been enforced with strength, precision and clarity.”
But top Democrats, many of whom were given little to no notice before the strike, condemned the move as unconstitutional and reckless.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Trump of misleading the country, bypassing Congress, and risking “a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer demanded a vote on legislation requiring explicit congressional approval for the use of military force.
“This is an unauthorised war,” said Rep. Jim Himes, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. “Trump’s action is a clear violation of the Constitution, and we do not yet know whether it will result in a prolonged conflict that puts American lives at risk.”
Adding fuel to the backlash, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for Trump’s impeachment, saying the president had “impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations.”
Iran has not issued a formal response but previously warned that any direct US involvement in Israel’s war would provoke retaliation.
Iranian missiles are within striking range of American military bases and diplomatic missions across the region. The US has raised its threat level, and additional military assets have reportedly been repositioned to reinforce bases in Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar.
Trump’s message on Truth Social after the address left little ambiguity, “ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT.”
Even as Trump celebrated military success, reports emerged of human suffering on the ground. Iranian missiles struck neighborhoods in Israeli cities including Nes Ziyona, Tel Aviv, and Haifa in apparent retaliation for the earlier Israeli bombardments. Images showed destroyed homes and rescue workers evacuating children from rubble, underscoring the spiraling civilian toll.
Meanwhile, emergency services across Israel remain on high alert, with fears that additional missile strikes or proxy attacks could be imminent.
The military action marks a striking reversal for Trump, who campaigned and governed on promises to avoid foreign wars. Behind the scenes, White House aides had sought a diplomatic solution until the final hours, including exploring a meeting with Iranian officials in Istanbul brokered by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. But the effort collapsed when Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei reportedly in hiding could not authorise talks.
Trump’s shifting posture was evident in the hours before the strike. Just two days earlier, the White House had indicated that no decision was imminent. But following the successful first wave of Israeli strikes on June 13, Trump began signaling privately that he would act soon.
Advisers say he saw the operation as a limited, high-impact show of strength not a prelude to a ground war.
Still, critics on both sides of the aisle warned of unintended consequences.
Multiple lawmakers have renewed calls to reassert congressional authority over military engagements. Representative Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) criticised Trump for “reckless actions” that could endanger American lives. Even some Republicans, like Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), said the strike violated the Constitution, arguing that Congress not the president has the power to declare war.
Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, condemned the lack of transparency and strategy. “The president has taken steps that could drag the United States into a war without a clear plan, without consulting Congress, and without explaining what’s at stake to the American people,” he said.
As Iran weighs its response and global capitals scramble to assess the implications, the world now waits in uncertainty. Trump has made clear that the US is prepared for more strikes if necessary and has threatened a fast, overwhelming response to any attack on American interests.
Whether this operation successfully deters Iran from continuing its nuclear pursuits or pushes the region into a prolonged and devastating conflict may become one of the defining questions of Trump’s second term.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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