DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) 鈥� The United States attacked three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into aimed at destroying the Iranian nuclear program that prompted fears of a wider regional conflict as Tehran accused Washington of launching "a dangerous war.鈥�
U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that Iran鈥檚 key nuclear sites were 鈥渃ompletely and fully obliterated鈥� in an address to the nation from the White House.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed that attacks took place on its Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz sites, but it insisted that its nuclear program will not be stopped. Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination at the three locations following the strikes.
Satellite images taken after the American attack, analyzed by The Associated Press, show damage to the entryways to the Fordo facility, which is dug deep into a mountain, while light gray smoke lingered in the air.
The images by Planet Labs PBC also appeared to show damage to the mountain itself, apparently blocking its entry tunnels, which means Iran would have to dig out the facility to reach anything inside.
It was not clear whether the U.S. would continue attacking Iran alongside its ally Israel, which has been engaged in a war with Iran for nine days. Countries around the globe Trump , and he also warned there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces.
鈥淭here will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,鈥� he said.
Iran鈥檚 Foreign Ministry said Washington had 鈥渂etrayed diplomacy鈥� with the military strikes in support of Israel, and said that 鈥渢he U.S. has itself launched a dangerous war against Iran鈥� now.
鈥淭he Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to resist with full force against U.S. military aggression and the crimes committed by this rogue regime, and to defend Iran鈥檚 security and national interests,鈥� the ministry said in a lengthy statement.
Hours after the American attacks, Iran鈥檚 paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it launched a barrage of 40 missiles at Israel, including its Khorramshahr-4, which can carry multiple warheads. Israeli authorities reported that more than 80 people suffered mostly minor injuries, though one multi-story building in Tel Aviv was significantly damaged, with its entire fa莽ade torn away to expose the apartments inside. Houses across the street were almost completely destroyed.
Following the Iranian barrage, Israel鈥檚 military said it had 鈥渟wiftly neutralized鈥� the Iranian missile launchers that had fired, and that it had begun a series of strikes toward military targets in western Iran.
The US helped Israel strike Iran's toughest nuclear site
Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb. However, Trump and Israeli leaders have argued that Iran could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon, making it an imminent threat.
The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel that significantly degraded Iran's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, and damaged its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said American B-2 stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,500-kilogram) bunker-buster bomb that only they have been configured to carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.
Trump appears to have made the calculation 鈥� at the prodding of Israeli officials and many Republican lawmakers 鈥� that Israel鈥檚 operation had softened the ground and presented a perhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran鈥檚 nuclear program, perhaps permanently.
鈥淲e have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump said in a post on social media, using common alternate spellings for two of the sites. "All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.鈥�
Trump added in a later post: 鈥淭his is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!鈥�
Israel announced Sunday that it had closed its airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the U.S. attacks.
The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation. U.S. military leaders are scheduled to provide a briefing at 8 a.m. Eastern.
The attack used on Iran鈥檚 Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant that is built deep into a mountain, a U.S. official said. The weapons are designed to penetrate the ground before exploding. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.
In addition, U.S. submarines launched about 30 Tomahawk missiles, according to another U.S. official who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
The International Atomic Energy Agency wrote on X that there has been 鈥渘o increase in off-site radiation levels鈥� after the strikes but that it would continue to monitor the situation.
Trump's turn to strikes departs from some previous statements
The decision to attack was a risky one for Trump, who won the White House partially on the promise of and scoffed at the value of American interventionism.
But Trump also vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country鈥檚 leaders to give up its nuclear program peacefully.
For months, Trump said he was dedicated to a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. And he twice 鈥� and again in late May 鈥� persuaded to hold off on military action against Iran and give diplomacy more time.
After Israel began striking Iran, Trump went from publicly expressing hope that the moment could be a 鈥渟econd chance鈥� for Iran to make a deal to delivering explicit threats on Khamenei and making calls for Tehran鈥檚
He has bristled at who have suggested that further U.S. involvement would be a betrayal to those who were drawn to his promise to end U.S. involvement in expensive and endless wars.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump's decision to attack in a video message directed at the American president.
鈥淵our bold decision to target Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,鈥� he said. Netanyahu said the U.S. 鈥渉as done what no other country on earth could do.鈥�
Fears of a broader war
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strikes a 鈥渄angerous escalation,鈥� as world leaders began chiming in with .
鈥淭here is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control 鈥� with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region and the world,鈥� he said in a statement.
in Yemen, who had threatened to resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel鈥檚 military campaign, called on other Muslim nations to form 鈥渙ne front against the Zionist-American arrogance."
Iran鈥檚 Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned the United States on Wednesday that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will 鈥渞esult in irreparable damage for them.鈥� And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared 鈥渁ny American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region."
said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran鈥檚 foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement 鈥渨ould be very, very dangerous for everyone.鈥�
Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 865 people and wounded 3,396 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group said of those dead, it identified 363 civilians and 215 security force personnel.
Trump鈥檚 decision for direct U.S. military intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push 鈥� including with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians 鈥� aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear program.
During his previous administration, Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, prompting Tehran to begin enriching uranium to higher levels and restrict the access of IAEA inspectors to its facilities.
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Madhani reported from Morristown, N.J. Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi, Mehdi Fattahi and Amir Vahdat in Iran; Julia Frankel in Jerusalem; Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv; Lolita Baldor in Narragansett, Rhode Island; Samy Magdy in Cairo; and Farnoush Amiri in Dubai contributed to this story.
David Rising, Jon Gambrell And Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press
