US President Donald Trump announced that his forces had carried out a major strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities last night, namely Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, and called on Iran to make peace now.
Trump called the strike a “great and historic victory” and warned Iran that if it retaliated, it would face “punishment far greater than what it saw last night.”
“We have completed our successful strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan,” Trump said. He said that heavy bombs were dropped on the facilities, and the US aircraft safely departed Iranian airspace.
“Congratulations to our brave American troops. No other military in the world has the ability to do this. Now is the time for peace,” Trump added.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said tests showed no signs of toxicity or danger from the attack, and that there was no danger to the public living near the facilities. Iranian media also reported that some nuclear sites, such as Fordow, had already been evacuated.
Manan Raasi, a member of parliament from Qom, where Fordow is located, said the damage was minimal and could be rebuilt. “Fordow was not really destroyed, what Trump said was a lie,” he said.
The attack was widely condemned. DAWN, founded by murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, called the attack illegal and unconstitutional. “Only Congress has the power to authorize war,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of DAWN.
The US Democratic Party also strongly opposed the attack. House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries said Trump carried out the attack in an authoritarian manner without consulting Congress. “Trump must take full responsibility for the consequences of this war,” he said.
Iran, meanwhile, said it had not yet made a formal decision on its response to the attack. However, political experts have warned that Iran’s regional allies such as Yemen’s Houthis, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and Shiite militias in Iraq could respond individually to the US without waiting for an official order from Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Sayyed Abbas Araghchi called the attack a grave violation: “The US has clearly violated the UN Charter, international law, and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities.”
He said the attack was a serious and violent act that would have long-term consequences, calling on UN member states to condemn it. “Iran has the full right to defend itself in accordance with the UN Charter to protect its sovereignty, national interests and people.”
The security chief of Iran’s Qom province said the Fordow facility had been evacuated long ago, indicating that the attack would not significantly alter Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Some media outlets are also reinforcing the claim that key nuclear materials had already been removed from the site.
Trump said the strike had eliminated the threat posed by Iran to Israel, but did not prove any direct threat from Iran to the United States. This has raised many questions about the real reason behind the attack, as an attack would be illegal if there was no direct threat to Washington.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, praised Trump, saying the strike “writes new history.” Israel’s Foreign Minister also said that history will remember the “courageous leadership” of Trump and Netanyahu in attacking Iran.
The new tension has raised fears that the region could be heading for a major war, with the public still reeling from the Iraq war and the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani and other Iranian military leaders. The official response from the Iranian government and the next steps from the United States are now awaited.
