On Saturday, June 21, 2025, the United States launched a direct aerial assault on three Iranian nuclear facilities Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan using stealth B-2 bombers and Tomahawk cruise missiles. This marks the first time the U.S. has struck nuclear sites inside Iran, in deep coordination with Israel, following Israeli offensives that had already weakened Iran's air defenses.

The operation included the deployment of “bunker-buster” GBU-57 MOP bombs capable of penetrating up to 200 feet underground aimed at the core of Fordow, along with dozens of cruise missiles launched from submarines targeting Natanz and Isfahan. Six GBU-57s were reportedly dropped, and around 30 Tomahawks struck the other locations. According to Trump, all aircraft returned safely and the “nuclear objective” was neutralized.

At a press conference, former President Donald Trump who had previously announced that an attack would occur “within the next two weeks” as a strategic decoy  declared the mission a “spectacular success.” Analysts believe this two-week timeline was a calculated ruse to mislead Iran, as the actual strike was executed within 48 hours after deploying bombers from Missouri.

The international response was immediate. U.S. leaders like Mike Johnson and John Fetterman praised the attack as necessary and decisive. Meanwhile, critics like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Thomas Massie condemned the strikes as unconstitutional. The United Nations labeled the event a “dangerous escalation,” while Australia's Greens called it a violation of Article 51 of the U.N. Charter.

For the United States, this strike signals a high-stakes strategy: to weaken Iran’s nuclear ambitions, reaffirm alliance with Israel, and display military superiority. However, the risk of retaliation from Iranian proxies, like the Houthis, and greater instability in global oil markets and regional politics, looms large.

The question now is whether Trump’s call for “peace” marks the end of the operation or merely the start of a broader conflict in the Middle East.