Despite ongoing damage assessment, President, Donald Trump has insisted that US airstrikes over the weekend has “totally obliterated” Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.
In a social media post late Sunday night, June 22, Trump stated the nuclear enrichment sites hit with GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles on Saturday night suffered “monumental damage”.
Trump, in the post floated the idea of a regime change in Iran when he stated that if Iranian leaders failed to “make Iran great again,” regime change could be on the table. This contrasts with more measured remarks from other senior U.S. officials.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had emphasized that the mission was “not and has not been about regime change,” calling it a “precision operation” focused on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Also, Vice President JD Vance stated that the U.S. was “not at war with Iran, we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear programme,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that “we’re not looking for war in Iran.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington of being directly involved in Israel’s military actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran and vowed retaliation.
U.S. military officials are still assessing the full extent of the destruction from “Operation Midnight Hammer.” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine acknowledged uncertainty over Iran’s remaining nuclear capabilities, stopping short of echoing Trump’s “obliteration” claim.
However, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director, Rafael Grossi said, “At this time, no one, including the IAEA, is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordow.”
As tensions escalate, the impact is being felt across the Middle East and beyond. Airlines scrambled to assist thousands of stranded travelers and multiple countries began repatriation efforts for their citizens.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a terrorism bulletin alert of possible cyberattacks and hate crimes domestically, although it noted there were “no specific credible threats” at this time.
Oil prices briefly spiked on Monday amid fears that Iran could retaliate by attempting to shut down the Strait of Hormuz — a vital passage for over 20% of global oil supply. Iran’s parliament has reportedly approved such a move, though the final decision rests with its Supreme National Security Council.
Secretary Rubio urged diplomatic pressure on Tehran: “I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them [Iran] about that because they heavily depend on the Strait of Hormuz for their oil.”
