US joins Israel in attacking Iran, strikes Fordow, Isfahan, Natanz sites

President Donald Trump has announced that the United States forces struck 3 Iranian atomic sites successful a “very palmy attack”, adding that the heavy fortified Fordow atomic installation is “gone”.

Trump’s determination connected Saturday to articulation Israel’s subject run against Iran represents a large escalation of the conflict.

“We person completed our precise palmy onslaught connected the 3 Nuclear sites successful Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan,” Trump posted connected Truth Social, adding that the subject planes were present connected their mode home.

“NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!” helium added.

Later, successful a televised Oval Office address that lasted conscionable much than 3 minutes, Trump said Iran’s aboriginal held “either bid oregon tragedy”, and that determination were galore different targets that could beryllium deed by the US military.

“Iran’s cardinal atomic enrichment facilities person been wholly and wholly obliterated,” Trump said.

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of breaching planetary law.

“The United States, a imperishable subordinate of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a sedate usurpation of the UN Charter, planetary instrumentality and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful atomic installations,” Araghchi said successful a societal media post.

“The events this greeting are outrageous and volition person everlasting consequences. Each and each subordinate of the UN indispensable beryllium alarmed implicit this highly dangerous, lawless and transgression behavior.”

He added that Iran “reserves each options to support its sovereignty, interest, and people”.

CBS News reported that the US reached retired to Iran diplomatically connected Saturday to accidental the strikes were each it planned and that the US did not mean connected authorities alteration efforts.

The raid connected the Iran atomic sites was carried retired by B-2 stealth bombers that dropped alleged “bunker buster bombs,” on with submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, US media reported.

The strikes came arsenic Israel and Iran person been engaged successful much than a week of aerial combat, with deaths and injuries successful some countries.

Israel launched the attacks connected Iran connected June 13, saying that it wanted to region immoderate accidental of Tehran processing atomic weapons. Israel itself is wide assumed to person atomic weapons, which it neither confirms nor denies.

Iran says its atomic programme is for peaceful purposes only. Iranian officials person repeatedly said they bash not program to make atomic weapons but volition prosecute its close to atomic vigor and research.

Trita Parsi, enforcement vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, says determination was “absolutely nary evidence” that Iran posed immoderate benignant of menace to the US.

“Neither was it existential, nor imminent,” helium told Al Jazeera.

“We person to support successful caput the world of the concern which is that 2 nuclear-equipped countries attacked a non-nuclear weapons authorities without having gotten attacked first. Israel was not attacked by Iran – it started that war; The United States was not attacked by Iran – it started this confrontation astatine this point.”

Parsi said the attacks connected Iran “will nonstop shockwaves” passim the satellite due to the fact that it volition beryllium precise hard for countries that hazard ending up successful the crosshairs of the US and Israel to consciousness that they are harmless without having a atomic deterrent.

“So I fearfulness that we volition spot proliferation but I besides deliberation that this has much oregon little warrant that Iran volition beryllium a atomic weapons authorities successful 5 to 10 years from now.”

‘No summation successful radiation levels’

Iran’s atomic bureau connected Sunday said radiation strategy information and tract surveys bash not amusement signs of contamination oregon information to residents adjacent the sites.

“Following the amerciable US onslaught connected the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan atomic sites, tract surveys and radiation systems information showed: No contamination recorded,” the organisation said successful a societal media post, adding that determination was nary information to residents around.

Shortly aft the attacks, the bureau insisted its enactment would not stop.

“The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran assures the large Iranian federation that contempt the evil conspiracies of its enemies, with the efforts of thousands of its revolutionary and motivated scientists and experts, it volition not let the improvement of this nationalist industry, which is the effect of the humor of atomic martyrs, to beryllium stopped,” it said successful a statement.

Later connected Sunday, the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency said it had not detected immoderate summation successful radiation levels astatine cardinal atomic sites successful Iran pursuing US aerial strikes.

“Following attacks connected 3 atomic sites successful Iran… the IAEA tin corroborate that nary summation successful off-site radiation levels has been reported arsenic of this time,” the atomic watchdog posted connected X.

Parsi of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said it was apt Iran had taken precautionary actions up of the US attacks.

“It appears that they already had gotten an precocious informing – but I deliberation besides adjacent abbreviated of that, erstwhile Trump that said helium is going to marque a determination wrong 2 weeks, I don’t deliberation the Iranians took that seriously,” helium told Al Jazeera.

“They understood that helium was buying to effort clip portion moving subject assets successful bid to really strike. So I deliberation for immoderate clip they person moved those assets – wherever they are is unclear astatine this point.”

Parsi said Iran’s astir invaluable atomic plus is its stockpile of enriched uranium.

“As agelong arsenic they proceed to person that, they inactive really person precise overmuch a atomic programme that inactive could beryllium weaponised,” helium added.

“And I deliberation we are going to commencement perceive from the Israelis successful alternatively abbreviated order, that this was not the benignant of palmy onslaught Trump has claimed but they are going to commencement making the lawsuit that determination needs to beryllium a much ongoing bombing run against Iran.”

‘Catastrophic consequences’

Al Jazeera analogous Kimberly Halkett said Trump was advised that the bombings would let for the dismantling of Iran’s atomic programme.

“Donald Trump has been advised that, arsenic commander-in-chief, this volition not pb to escalation,” Halkett reported from Washington, DC. “But helium knows determination is simply a accidental that determination could beryllium an escalation arsenic a effect of his action.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s determination to onslaught Iran.

“Congratulations, President Trump. Your bold determination to people Iran’s atomic facilities with the awesome and righteous mightiness of the United States volition alteration history,” Netanyahu said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said helium was “gravely alarmed” by the “dangerous escalation” of the US strikes.

“There is simply a increasing hazard that this struggle could rapidly get retired of power – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” helium said successful a statement.

At slightest 430 radical person been killed and 3,500 injured successful Iran since Israel began its attacks, Iranian state-run Nour News said, citing the Ministry of Health.

In Israel, 24 civilians person been killed by Iranian rocket attacks, according to section authorities, successful the worst nonstop struggle betwixt the longtime enemies. More than 450 Iranian missiles person been fired towards Israel, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.

Israeli officials said astir 1,300 radical person been injured since the opening of the hostilities, with implicit a twelve successful superior condition.