“Either peace or tragedy for Iran”: US bombs Tehran’s nuclear sites, announces Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced bombing Iran’s three nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan- and said with this operation, there would either be peace or more tragedy for Tehran. Calling it a teamwork, Trump also thanked Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli army .

Trump addresses Americans after bombing Iran nuclear sites. Photo: White House X

In an address to the world and nation from the White House, President Trump said: “A short time ago, the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime. Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.

“Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.

“For 40 years, Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs. That was their specialty. We lost over a thousand people and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate,” Trump said.

Earlier in a post on X, he announced striking three nuclear sites, as the Israel-Iran conflict entered the second week. He said it is “time for peace now”.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. 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. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote in the post.

Trump Thanks Israeli Military 

Trump thanked the Israeli military “for the wonderful job they’ve done” and praised American servicemembers for “an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.”

“I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they’ve done, and most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades,” the US President said.

“There is no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight,” he said, going on to praise his top military leadership.

“I also want to congratulate the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan ‘Razin’ Caine, spectacular general, and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack.”

Thanking Netanyahu and the Israeli army in his speech tonight, he said, “We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel,” Trump said.

Trump also thanked the U.S. Army and Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, calling the strikes “an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.”

“Hopefully we will no longer need their hope that’s so,” he added. “There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.”

The conflict started a week ago when Israel launched airstrikes against Iranian nuclear and military sites, primarily targeting uranium enrichment facilities to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. 

The two countries have been engaged in aerial strikes.

Earlier, Trump had said he was weighing in on the situation of whether to join the conflict.

According to reports, B-2 bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri in the early morning hours of Saturday (US time). 
The warplanes are known not only for their stealth technology, but also for their ability to fly long-range and carry the big “bunker buster” bombs used in the June 21 mission.