American bombers struck Iran’s three main nuclear sites overnight, putting the US directly into Tehran’s war with Israel despite President Donald Trump’s longtime promises to avoid new conflicts.
Addressing the nation late on Saturday in Washington, Trump said Iran’s “key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.” He threatened “far greater” attacks if Iran doesn’t make peace, raising the specter of even deeper US involvement in a Middle Eastern war that began with Israel’s strikes on the Islamic Republic nine days ago.
Trump earlier said US planes dropped bombs on Fordow, a uranium-enrichment site buried deep under a mountain and seen as vulnerable only to “bunker buster” munitions that the US possesses. Natanz and Isfahan, two other sites, were also struck.
“Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror,” Trump said. “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.”
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the US’s move “outrageous and will have everlasting consequences.”“Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people,” he said.
Tehran’s nuclear regulatory agency said there was no sign of radiation contamination at the sites and that it had take precautions in anticipation of an attack.
On this special edition of Bloomberg Surveillance, hosts Tom Keene and Paul Sweeney speak with:
- Ethan Bronner, Israel Bureau Chief for Bloomberg News
- Joe Mathieu, co-host of Bloomberg Balance of Power
- Gautam Mukunda, professor at Yale School of Management and Bloomberg Opinion columnist
- Dan Williams, Bloomberg News Jerusalem reporter
- Jennifer Lawless, professor at University of Virginia
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