The US has joined Israel in its attacks on Iran, carrying out large-scale strikes on three key nuclear facilities.
US President, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.”
He added that the heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility is “gone” “NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!” he stressed.
Later, in a televised Oval Office address that lasted just more than three minutes, Trump said Iran’s future held “either peace or tragedy” and that there were many other targets that could be hit by the US military.
“Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”
Donald Trump
According to US media, the raid on the Iran nuclear sites was carried out by B-2 stealth bombers that dropped so-called “bunker buster bombs,” along with submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Responding to the attacks, Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi accused the US of breaching international law.
“The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.”
Abbas Araghchi
He added that Iran “reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry also issued a statement slamming the US’s latest strikes on its nuclear facilities as a “gross and unprecedented violation” of international law, and saying it has the right to resist such “aggression.”
“The world must not forget that it was the United States that, in the midst of a diplomatic process, betrayed diplomacy by supporting Israel’s ‘aggressive action’, and is now waging a dangerous war against Iran.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry
The ministry said that it has become clear that the US “adheres to no rules or ethics, and in order to advance the aims of a genocidal and occupying regime, spares no lawlessness or crime.”
It added that Iran considers it its right to stand with all its might against “US military aggression and the crimes committed by this rogue regime, and to defend the security and national interests of Iran.”
Israel Succeeds In Dragging US Into Conflict
David Phillips, a Senior Adviser at the US State Department during the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations, opined that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has succeeded in his goal of dragging the US into direct military action against Iran.“This whole episode was unnecessary,” he said.
He noted that US was about to resume diplomacy with Iran, there was a proposal on the table that would have obviated the need for military action.
Nonetheless, the Israeli Prime Minister “decided to go ahead.”
“His plan all along was to drag the United States into it. He seems to have been successful with that, and the US has been directly involved in attacking three nuclear sites.
“So it’s wishful thinking for the US administration to believe that this is an isolated incident, that now it’s the time for peace.”
David Phillips
Trump’s decision to join Israel’s military campaign against Iran represents a major escalation of the conflict.
This stance, Phillips iterated, saying that he believes Iran will retaliate against US military bases and interests following Trump’s order to attack Iranian nuclear sites.
“The US had announced a two-week window for diplomacy to work. It seems like the US has jumped the gun and decided to pull the trigger and attack anyhow, risking escalation in the region and counterstrikes against US troops – 40,000 of them nearby.”
David Phillips
Phillips, currently an academic visitor at Oxford University, said that “the importance of Persian pride” should not be underestimated.
“Now that Iran has been attacked – not only by Israel but by the United States – Iran will look for reprisals, and that largely is going to focus on the US troops in the region, the Red Sea [and] other American assets.”
David Phillips
He also warned this could be the beginning of a long period of escalation.“I don’t think it’s one and done,” Phillips said.
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