Midnight Hammer: How U.S. Stealth Bombers Obliterated Iran’s Nuclear Sites and Shook the World
Prelude to the Strike: Escalation of a Long-Simmering Conflict
For months, tensions between Iran and its adversaries had been building toward a breaking point. In mid-June 2025, Israel launched a daring military campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, saying it “wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons” theguardian.com. Israeli airstrikes beginning on June 13 systematically targeted Iran’s air defenses and enrichment facilities, “killing several senior leaders” and sparking Iranian missile reprisals washingtonpost.com theguardian.com. Iran, which insists its nuclear ambitions are peaceful, responded defiantly. By late June, the two countries were effectively at war, trading blows across the region.
In Washington, the U.S. watched warily. President Donald Trump – who had once campaigned on avoiding new Middle East wars – oscillated publicly on how to respond. On social media he issued stark warnings, at one point urging “all of Tehran to evacuate”, demanding Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,” and even threatening Iran’s supreme leader by name washingtonpost.com washingtonpost.com. Yet days later, Trump seemed to back off, saying he might wait “two weeks” before deciding on military action to give diplomacy a chance washingtonpost.com. An emergency mediation effort by European powers in Geneva produced “no signs of a breakthrough,” which Trump derided as ineffective washingtonpost.com. Iran’s hardline government flatly refused to halt uranium enrichment entirely – the central Western demand – and accelerated its nuclear activities to near weapons-grade levels (60% purity at the Fordow facility) washingtonpost.com.
Behind closed doors, U.S. military leaders drew up contingency plans. Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, had earlier presented Trump with “a wide range of options” to use “overwhelming force to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon” washingtonpost.com. The most challenging target was Iran’s Fordow enrichment site, buried 80 meters under a mountain near Qom washingtonpost.com. “The only aircraft in the world capable of carrying” the bunker-busting ordnance needed to strike Fordow is America’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, each of which can carry a 13,600-kg GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb washingtonpost.com. U.S. and Israeli officials agreed that only these 30,000-pound “bunker busters” offered “the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites” like Fordow theguardian.com. Throughout the spring, the Pentagon quietly pre-positioned forces: aerial refueling tankers, advanced fighter jets, and even two aircraft carrier strike groups were moved into theaters near Iran washingtonpost.com. By late June, the USS Carl Vinson and Nimitz carrier groups were loitering in waters near the Gulf, and U.S. destroyers with missile defense systems took up stations in the Red Sea and Mediterranean washingtonpost.com.
On the eve of the strikes, Iran’s clerical Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a grim warning. Any attack on Iranian soil, he said on June 18, would “result in irreparable damage for [the Americans].” theguardian.com Tehran also signaled through proxies that U.S. involvement would trigger retaliation against American bases and allies: a spokesman for Yemen’s Houthi militia (aligned with Iran) vowed to strike U.S. warships in the Red Sea if Washington intervened theguardian.com. These threats underscored the stakes as President Trump weighed his options. He had won the White House again in 2024 partly by criticizing “costly foreign conflicts,” yet also vowed “Iran will never get a nuclear weapon.” Now, with Israel pressing for help and Iran edging closer to weapons capability, Trump faced a fateful choice. According to U.S. officials, intelligence assessments (disputed by some experts) suggested Iran could assemble a bomb in a matter of “weeks or months” if it decided to reuters.com. Convinced the moment of decision had arrived, Trump gave the secret order to proceed with a massive, one-night strike to decapitate Iran’s nuclear program.
Operation “Midnight Hammer”: A Daring Stealth Airstrike Unfolds
In the early hours of Sunday, June 22, 2025 (late Saturday June 21 Washington time), the United States executed Operation “Midnight Hammer.” The top-secret mission – known to only a handful of officials beforehand – combined subterfuge and overwhelming force to catch Iran by surprise reuters.com. Seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and flew eastward toward the Atlantic, a roughly 18-hour nonstop flight to Iran with multiple mid-air refuelings reuters.com cbsnews.com. To divert attention, a separate group of B-2s departed Whiteman heading west over the Pacific, in a move that “news reports emerged” tracking toward Guam – a “decoy” to make Iran think any U.S. bombers were repositioning elsewhere cbsnews.com reuters.com. In reality, the strike bombers flew a covert route over the Atlantic and Mediterranean, transiting friendly Middle Eastern airspace in tight radio silence. They linked up with U.S. F-22 and F-35 fighter escorts and electronic warfare support aircraft as they neared Iranian airspace, all “executing a complex, tightly timed maneuver” to penetrate Iran’s defenses undetected cbsnews.com cbsnews.com.
Map released by the Pentagon illustrating the flight paths and timeline of Operation Midnight Hammer, the U.S. mission to strike Iran’s nuclear sites on June 21–22, 2025 cbsnews.com cbsnews.com. In the final phase, as B-2 stealth bombers approached Iran, a submarine launched Tomahawk missiles at Isfahan and U.S. fighter jets deployed decoys to blind Iranian air defenses.
At approximately 5:00 PM EDT (midnight in Tehran), just before the inbound bombers crossed into Iran, a U.S. Navy Ohio-class submarine in the Arabian Sea “launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles” cbsnews.com. These missiles streaked toward Iran’s Isfahan nuclear facility to destroy above-ground targets and divert Iran’s attention. Simultaneously, as one senior commander described, the U.S. employed “several deception tactics, including decoys,” with fighter jets “clearing the airspace ahead” of the bombers to hunt any enemy aircraft or surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries cbsnews.com cbsnews.com. The coordination paid off: Iran’s air defense network never saw the true threat coming. “Iran’s fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran’s surface-to-air missile systems did not see us,” recounted Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who oversaw the strike. “Throughout the mission, we retained the element of surprise.” cbsnews.com reuters.com
At 2:10 AM Iran time, the lead B-2 reached its release point over the primary target: Fordow. It dropped two MOP bunker-busters onto the underground enrichment hall – the first time this 30,000-pound “earth-penetrator” bomb has ever been used in combat cbsnews.com cbsnews.com. Over the next 25 minutes, wave after wave of B-2s unloaded a total of 14 GBU-57 MOP bombs on two sites: Fordow and the larger Natanz uranium enrichment complex cbsnews.com cbsnews.com. Each MOP, akin to an earthquake in a canister, is designed to burrow through dozens of meters of rock and concrete before detonating. As the B-2s struck their targets in succession, the volley of Tomahawk missiles fired earlier “landed at Isfahan” – timing intended to coincide with the bombing of Fordow and Natanz cbsnews.com cbsnews.com. The Isfahan site (a key nuclear research and development center) was hit by over 24 Tomahawks, obliterating laboratories and above-ground infrastructure once the deeply buried sites had been struck cbsnews.com cbsnews.com.
By 2:35 AM, the American warplanes were exiting Iranian airspace – remarkably, without a single shot fired at them. Gen. Caine confirmed that “no shots were fired at the planes as they left,” an almost unbelievable outcome for such a large operation cbsnews.com cbsnews.com. In total, over 125 U.S. military aircraft participated in the mission cbsnews.com. This included the 7 B-2 bombers, dozens of supporting fighters (some flying from bases in the Gulf and likely from the USS Carl Vinson), aerial refueling tankers, surveillance and electronic warfare planes – even drones. More than 75 precision-guided munitions were expended in under half an hour cbsnews.com. The Pentagon noted it was the “largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history” and the second-longest bomber mission ever (after a 2001 Afghanistan sortie) cbsnews.com reuters.com. It was also unprecedented in its secrecy: “a highly classified mission with very few people in Washington knowing the timing or nature of this plan,” Gen. Caine said cbsnews.com cbsnews.com. In fact, many senior U.S. officials only learned it was happening when President Trump announced it on his social media account during the attack reuters.com reuters.com.
From a military standpoint, Operation Midnight Hammer appears to have been an overwhelming success. “The Iranians were unable to get off a single round at the American aircraft and were caught completely flat-footed,” Gen. Caine told reporters, highlighting Iran’s total surprise reuters.com. “Iran’s fighters did not fly… Iran’s surface to air missile systems did not see us,” he emphasized, underscoring the stealth bombers’ effectiveness reuters.com. By dawn, all U.S. planes were safely heading home. “All planes are safely on the way home,” Trump posted triumphantly online moments after the strike washingtonpost.com washingtonpost.com. The U.S. president, who watched the operation from the White House Situation Room, soon appeared on national television to deliver an address at 9 PM EDT. Flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump confirmed U.S. warplanes had struck “three sites, including the subterranean Fordow facility,” and touted a “very successful attack.” washingtonpost.com washingtonpost.com
“Obliterated”: Targets Hit and Damage Assessment
The three targeted installations were pillars of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure:
- Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant – a hardened underground bunker near Qom where Iran was enriching uranium to 60%. Buried beneath 80 meters of rock, Fordow was Iran’s most fortified site.
- Natanz Enrichment Complex – Iran’s primary, sprawling enrichment facility (less deeply buried than Fordow), which had already suffered damage from earlier Israeli strikes and power outages washingtonpost.com.
- Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center – a major hub for nuclear research, uranium conversion, and missile development, with many surface buildings.
Initial assessments indicate all three were devastated. Gen. Caine reported that “initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction.” reuters.com While full analysis would take time, the Pentagon was confident Iran’s enrichment capability had been dealt a crushing blow. In the case of Fordow, U.S. satellites later showed massive cratering on the mountain above the facility – even “visible from space” – marking where the 30,000-pound bunker busters penetrated reuters.com. “It was clear we devastated the Iranian nuclear program,” Secretary Hegseth said at a briefing, stressing that Fordow’s enrichment halls were likely ruined beneath tons of rubble reuters.com. In Natanz, which had already lost power from Israeli raids, the additional U.S. strikes likely collapsed any remaining underground centrifuge halls. One U.S. defense official said the sites were “completely and totally obliterated,” echoing President Trump’s triumphant language theguardian.com. In his White House speech, Trump proclaimed: “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.” theguardian.com
Iran, however, disputed the extent of damage. Tehran’s Atomic Energy Organization acknowledged strikes on “Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities as well as the Isfahan nuclear site,” but quickly claimed that vital materials had been saved apnews.com. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that “most of the highly enriched uranium at Fordow…had been moved to an undisclosed location” before the attack reuters.com. Indeed, U.S. analysts observed signs that Iran anticipated a strike: satellite images reviewed by AP showed Iran had “packed the entrance tunnels to Fordow with dirt and had trucks at the facility ahead of the U.S. strikes.” apnews.com apnews.com It appears Iran tried to empty Fordow of its most valuable assets at the 11th hour. Iranian state media also downplayed the results. The IRNA news agency early Sunday acknowledged a hit on Fordow but said the site had been evacuated beforehand theguardian.com. The semi-official Fars outlet (linked to the Revolutionary Guard) insisted Iranian air defenses fired at the incoming missiles near Isfahan and claimed “explosions had been heard,” implying some interception – though U.S. sources did not confirm any successful defense theguardian.com.
By day’s end, Iran’s nuclear officials struck a tone of defiance. The Atomic Energy Organization announced Iran “will carry on with its nuclear activities” despite the attacks theguardian.com theguardian.com. Mohammad Eslami, the head of the agency, said enrichment would resume and any physical damage could be repaired in time. An Iranian parliamentarian from Qom (site of Fordow) even boasted that damage at Fordow was “not major…only on the ground, which can be restored.” theguardian.com Western experts are skeptical of such rosy assessments. While Iran undoubtedly dispersed some centrifuges and stockpiles in advance, the strikes likely set Iran’s program back years by destroying critical infrastructure and equipment. “Questions remain as to where Iran may be storing its already enriched stocks… these will almost certainly have been moved to hardened and undisclosed locations,” noted Darya Dolzikova, a nonproliferation expert at Britain’s RUSI think tank apnews.com. “It is also unclear what secret facilities may exist… that Tehran could use” to continue its nuclear work clandestinely apnews.com. In other words, Iran might still have hidden assets, but its known sites are now in ruins.
International monitors moved swiftly to gauge any environmental fallout. Both U.S. and Iranian officials were relieved to report no radioactive leaks from the bombed facilities. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it detected “no increase in off-site radiation levels” after the strikes theguardian.com. Nuclear regulators in Saudi Arabia and the UAE – countries downwind of Iran – likewise “said they had not detected signs of nuclear contamination” in the aftermath reuters.com reuters.com. This suggests the strikes did not breach any reactor or high-radiation storage (none of the targets were active reactors, and enriched uranium is not itself highly radioactive in storage). IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, while cautious, confirmed “U.S. airstrikes hit Iran’s enrichment site at Fordow,” and said inspectors would urgently assess how badly underground centrifuges were damaged reuters.com. Grossi announced an emergency meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors for Monday to discuss the Iran situation apnews.com.
Tehran’s Fury and Immediate Retaliation
Iran’s reaction was swift and furious. Within hours of Trump’s announcement of the strikes, Tehran signaled that diplomacy was dead – at least for now – and that it would respond with force. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the U.S. for crossing “a very big red line” and denounced the strikes as “a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty).” reuters.com In an indignant message on social media, Araghchi called the U.S. attack “outrageous” and warned it “will have everlasting consequences.” He urged every UN member to be alarmed by this “extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior,” and vowed that under the UN Charter’s self-defense provisions, “Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.” reuters.com reuters.com Shortly after, Araghchi flew to Istanbul for urgent consultations with Turkey’s leadership and then on to Moscow to confer with Russia’s government apnews.com theguardian.com. At a press conference in Turkey, Araghchi declared that Iran would no longer consider negotiations: the U.S. had “blown up diplomacy” by bombing the nuclear sites, destroying the fragile framework of talks that European mediators had been pursuing theguardian.com theguardian.com. “My country has been under attack and we have to respond based on our legitimate right to self-defence. We will do that for as long as needed and necessary,” Araghchi told reporters, making clear Iran viewed the situation as an active conflict theguardian.com.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council convened an emergency session in Tehran. The powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a blistering statement that the U.S. had now placed itself “at the frontline of aggression” against Iran theguardian.com. The Guards warned that America’s extensive network of Middle East bases – hosting tens of thousands of U.S. troops in at least 8 countries – were “not a strength but a point of vulnerability.” theguardian.com This veiled threat suggested Iran might strike U.S. military installations if provoked further. However, notably, the statement stopped short of an explicit declaration of war on the U.S., reflecting Iran’s careful approach so far.
Instead, Iran’s immediate military response targeted Israel, its original adversary in this conflict. Early Sunday (just hours after the U.S. strikes), Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles into Israel. At around 8 AM local time, air raid sirens wailed across central Israel as Iran unleashed what Israeli reports described as “about 20 ballistic missiles” from its territory theguardian.com. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility, saying 40 missiles were fired including the long-range Khorramshahr-4 that can carry multiple warheads apnews.com. Israeli missile defenses went into action, and most incoming warheads were intercepted or fell in open areas – but not all. In Tel Aviv, Iran’s attack scored a direct hit on a residential area: a Khorramshahr missile slammed into a cluster of apartment buildings in the Ramat Aviv district, “blasting away parts of the walls and blowing out windows” across several buildings theguardian.com. Thanks to Israel’s alert system, residents had taken shelter, preventing mass casualties. Authorities said more than 80 people suffered injuries, mostly minor, though a few dozen were hospitalized for shock and shrapnel wounds apnews.com apnews.com. Miraculously, no deaths were reported in that strike. Overall, Israeli officials tallied 16 people injured in the initial salvo on Sunday morning theguardian.com, but later Iranian barrages increased the toll. By afternoon, Iran fired additional missiles, hitting “10 sites across central and northern Israel” – its most intense missile attack to date theguardian.com. Israeli emergency services treated dozens more for injuries as the day went on.
Israel retaliated immediately against Iran’s launch capabilities. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it “swiftly neutralized” the Iranian missile launchers that fired at Israel apnews.com. Within hours, Israeli Air Force jets were striking targets inside western Iran. Explosions were reported in Iran’s Bushehr province (home to Iran’s nuclear power reactor) and in Khuzestan (Ahvaz), as well as near the city of Yazd apnews.com. The IDF announced it hit “missile launchers in Bushehr, Isfahan and Ahvaz, as well as a missile command center in the Yazd area where Khorramshahr missiles were stored.” apnews.com This represented a significant widening of Israel’s offensive, now aiming at Iran’s missile infrastructure deep inside the country. Tehran, already dealing with the aftermath of the U.S. strike, now faced a second wave of Israeli attacks on its military assets. Iranian state TV asserted that some Israeli warplanes were engaged by air defenses, but Israel encountered little serious opposition in the skies – a sign of how degraded Iran’s anti-air capabilities had become after over a week of strikes.
The human toll of these exchanges is mounting. In under ten days of hostilities (June 13–22), the fighting between Israel (now joined by the U.S.) and Iran has caused heavy casualties, especially in Iran. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists in Iran group reported at least 865 people killed and 3,396 wounded in Iran from Israeli strikes even before the U.S. bombing apnews.com. Of those killed, the NGO said it identified 363 civilians and 215 Iranian security forces apnews.com – a hint of how widespread Israeli bombardment has been. Iranian officials haven’t confirmed those figures, but do admit significant losses. On the Israeli side, Iran’s missile and drone attacks since June 13 have killed 24 people and injured over 1,000 (mostly in Tel Aviv from earlier missile hits) apnews.com. Those numbers climbed slightly on June 22 after the new missile strikes; still, Israel’s multi-layered air defenses (and civilians’ adherence to shelter warnings) have spared it from higher fatalities.
While Iran hit back at Israel directly, notably it refrained (in the immediate aftermath) from striking U.S. forces. Iran’s leadership appears to be calculating its next moves carefully. President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran conferred by phone with allies – including a call to India’s prime minister to brief him on the “conflict between Iran and Israel.” reuters.com Tehran likely recognizes that attacking U.S. assets could provoke an even harsher American response. Nonetheless, U.S. bases remain on high alert from Iraq to the Gulf. As a precaution, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security even warned of a “heightened threat environment in the United States” from potential Iran-backed terrorism or cyberattacks in reprisal reuters.com.
In a dramatic step signaling how seriously Tehran is considering escalation, Iran’s parliament voted on June 22 to approve the closure of the Strait of Hormuz – the narrow Gulf chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil flows reuters.com. Hardline lawmakers and military officials have long threatened that if Iran is attacked, it would choke off Hormuz, strangling global oil shipping. Iran’s Press TV reported the parliamentary vote, though any final decision must be made by the Supreme National Security Council (which includes the supreme leader and top commanders) reuters.com. Closing Hormuz would be seen as an extreme move – effectively a declaration of war on the global economy – and as of now, Iran has not attempted it. But the parliamentary authorization indicates Iran wants to have that option ready if the conflict widens further.
Washington’s Message: “Not Seeking War or Regime Change”
In the wake of the strikes, the Trump administration has been at pains to frame the operation in limited terms. “This mission was not and has not been about regime change,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted on Sunday, pushing back against speculation that Washington’s true aim was toppling Iran’s theocratic government reuters.com reuters.com. “We do not seek war with Iran,” Hegseth said, emphasizing that the strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear program specifically – not its leadership or general population apnews.com cbsnews.com. Vice President JD Vance echoed that sentiment in a television interview, saying the U.S. was “not at war with Iran” but rather with “its nuclear program.” reuters.com He noted pointedly, “we had no interest in boots on the ground.” reuters.com Indeed, unlike the 2003 Iraq invasion or other regime-change wars, the U.S. operation in Iran was a one-night airstrike with no follow-on deployment of ground troops.
American officials are portraying Operation Midnight Hammer as a successful but singular action – not the start of an ongoing bombing campaign. Hegseth and others described the strikes as “focused” and “not open-ended.” reuters.com reuters.com In a briefing to Congress after the fact, the Pentagon characterized it as a “one-off” mission to eliminate an imminent nuclear threat. “There are no planned military operations right now against Iran – unless they mess around,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said bluntly on CBS’s Face the Nation reuters.com. Rubio added, “We have other targets we can hit, but we achieved our objective. There are no more strikes planned…unless Iran responded.” reuters.com This conditional warning underscores the administration’s strategy: hit hard, then pause and urge Iran not to retaliate, under threat of even harsher future blows.
President Trump’s own rhetoric has been a mix of triumphalism and ominous threat. In his televised address, he hailed the strikes as a “spectacular military success” and declared, “there will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.” washingtonpost.com washingtonpost.com He warned that if Iran did not capitulate, “we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill…most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.” cbsnews.com Trump boasted that “there’s no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight…not even close.” cbsnews.com Surrounded by his top national security officials, Trump issued an ultimatum: Iran “must now make peace or face further attacks.” reuters.com In a call with Reuters after the strikes, Trump urged Iran to “make peace immediately. Otherwise they’ll get hit again.” theguardian.com
At the same time, the administration quietly reached out through intermediaries to urge restraint on Tehran. “Private messages had been sent to Tehran encouraging them to negotiate,” Hegseth revealed, indicating the U.S. is trying to leverage the shock of the strikes to push Iran back to talks reuters.com. The paradox of bombing a country and then asking for diplomacy is not lost on observers – but U.S. officials contend that without the strike, Iran would have had no incentive to seriously curb its nuclear program. Now, Washington hopes the threat of even more devastating attacks will force Iran to consider a new deal. Vice President Vance hinted at this on NBC’s Meet the Press, saying, “I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time,” and now Iran’s rulers should come to the table to avoid further pain reuters.com reuters.com.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has been reinforcing U.S. defensive posture across the Middle East to prepare for any Iranian counterstrike. Gen. Caine noted that American forces in the region were already at a high state of alert due to the ongoing Israel-Iran hostilities. After the strikes, the U.S. military “increased protection of troops in the region, including in Iraq and Syria,” deploying additional Patriot and THAAD air defense units to U.S. bases reuters.com. Nearly 40,000 U.S. troops are stationed across the broader Middle East – in Bahrain (home of the U.S. 5th Fleet), Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey reuters.com reuters.com. These installations were already fortified, but now “our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks,” Gen. Caine stressed reuters.com reuters.com. “Which would be an incredibly poor choice,” he added, in a clear message to Tehran reuters.com. In the days leading up to the strike, the Pentagon had even quietly repositioned some forces out of obvious harm’s way – Reuters revealed it “started to move some aircraft and ships from bases in the Middle East that may be vulnerable” to Iran reuters.com. After the strikes, the State Department ordered families and nonessential personnel to depart the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, anticipating possible flare-ups with Iran-backed Hezbollah in that country reuters.com.
Despite the outward confidence from U.S. officials, the decision to bomb Iran was hotly debated within Trump’s inner circle. According to reporting from multiple outlets, several of Trump’s own advisers had initially counseled against direct U.S. intervention. Vice President Vance privately expressed concern that “Israel was going to drag the U.S. into the war,” and argued on a secure call that America should not get directly involved – though in public he toed the line once the decision was made theguardian.com. The Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, had only days earlier voiced skepticism that Iran was actively seeking a bomb, aligning with analysts who believed Iran hadn’t made the political decision to build a nuclear weapon reuters.com. She – along with some Pentagon brass – reportedly opposed the strike, fearing it could spiral into a larger conflict theguardian.com theguardian.com. However, hawks in the administration, led by figures like Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Rubio, ultimately won out by convincing Trump that a limited, “one-off strike” could cripple Iran’s nuclear program without a protracted war theguardian.com. As Dan Balz of the Washington Post observed, “Trump’s decision to strike Iran marked an extraordinary turnabout for a president who built his power a decade ago in part on his rejection of Middle East wars.” washingtonpost.com washingtonpost.com The coming days will test whether the gamble pays off by cowing Tehran – or whether it backfires by igniting a wider conflagration.
Shockwaves Around the Globe: Allies Praise, Adversaries Condemn
Israel was the first to celebrate the U.S. strikes, which essentially saw Washington join Israel’s war against their common foe. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared almost giddy in a late-night video address. “Congratulations, President Trump,” Netanyahu declared. “Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history… History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world’s most dangerous regime the world’s most dangerous weapons.” reuters.com reuters.com He added that Israel and the U.S. were working “as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before,” lauding that they had “gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel.” theguardian.com theguardian.com Netanyahu, who has championed action against Iran’s nuclear program for decades, said Israel’s long-standing promise to prevent a nuclear Iran had finally been upheld with American help theguardian.com. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant likewise praised the operation and noted Israel had provided intelligence and support. Israeli opposition figures, while more cautious, largely backed the strikes’ goal – though some, like centrist leader Yair Lapid, suggested Israel should now seek to “finish its war in Iran” swiftly and consider its objectives achieved rather than getting bogged down theguardian.com theguardian.com.
Across the Persian Gulf, Arab states that are rivals of Iran but partners of the U.S. reacted with a mix of relief and apprehension. Many Gulf Arab leaders quietly welcomed the blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which they view as a dire security threat, but they are also acutely aware that Iran could retaliate against its geographically closer neighbors. On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain were all placed on heightened alert. The UAE’s President, Qatar’s Emir, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (who all hosted Trump on a regional tour just last month) held calls to discuss “the serious implications of the escalation for international and regional security,” according to UAE state media reuters.com reuters.com. Saudi Arabia – Iran’s chief regional rival – put its military on “high-security alert” and, according to sources, even prepared civil defense measures like opening additional shelters in case of an Iranian missile attack reuters.com reuters.com. Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, warned citizens to avoid non-essential travel on main roads and told the majority of government employees to work from home until further notice reuters.com reuters.com. “While the war has so far been contained in direct hostilities between Israel and Iran, direct U.S. involvement is a critical threshold that risks dragging the Gulf states…into the conflict,” cautioned Hasan Al Hasan of IISS, noting Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar could be targeted due to the big American bases on their soil reuters.com. Gulf governments uniformly called for restraint. The UAE’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing “deep concern over the targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities” and urged “an immediate end to the escalation to avoid dangerous repercussions and a slide into new levels of instability.” reuters.com It also urged the UN Security Council to “assume its responsibilities” in resolving the situation reuters.com. Qatar said it “regrets the deterioration of the situation” after the bombing and warned that “the dangerous tension…will lead to catastrophic repercussions” regionally and internationally reuters.com. Notably, Oman – often a quiet mediator between Iran and the West – offered to host talks to defuse the crisis, according to diplomatic sources, though it remained publicly neutral.
Europe reacted with strong statements but limited concrete action. Having failed to prevent the hostilities, European leaders pivoted to urging a return to diplomacy. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, summed up the EU stance: “Iran must never acquire the bomb. With tensions in the Middle East at a new peak, stability must be the priority. And respect for international law is critical. Now is the moment for Iran to engage in a credible diplomatic solution. The negotiating table is the only place to end this crisis.” reuters.com In London, Prime Minister Keir Starmer (who took office in late 2024) voiced qualified support for the U.S. action – he affirmed that “Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat… Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the U.S. has taken action to alleviate that threat” reuters.com. But Starmer also underlined that “the situation…remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.” reuters.com France’s President Emmanuel Macron, while traveling in West Africa, condemned Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons capability and expressed understanding for the U.S. move, but emphasized that “a lasting resolution…requires a negotiated solution within the framework of the NPT.” reuters.com Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz was more reserved, saying Germany was “gravely concerned” about escalation and would work with partners to urge restraint. Significantly, the strikes have politically united a usually divided Europe: even officials who opposed Trump on many issues acknowledged Iran left the West with few options. European diplomats are now scrambling to convene emergency talks – possibly through backchannels with Oman or Qatar – to restore some kind of interim agreement that freezes Iran’s nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief, hoping to capitalize on Tehran’s potential desire to avoid further strikes. However, with Iran enraged and the U.S. emboldened, European influence appears limited. An EU foreign ministers’ meeting resulted in a statement deploring the violence and calling for an urgent UN-led mediation.
At the United Nations, alarm bells rang loudly. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” at the U.S. use of force apnews.com. In a sharply worded statement, Guterres called the developments “a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.” reuters.com He warned, “There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.” reuters.com Guterres implored all parties to step back and “uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and international law.” reuters.com The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency session for the next day (June 23) at the request of Russia and China reuters.com. Diplomats expect a fierce debate: the U.S., as a permanent Council member, will defend its actions as a response to an imminent nuclear threat, while Russia and China are likely to introduce a resolution demanding a ceasefire and condemning unilateral use of force. Any such resolution might face a U.S. veto, potentially leading to stalemate at the Security Council. Separately, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, as noted, is convening its Board of Governors – an indication of just how unprecedented and perilous an attack on active nuclear facilities is, even if no radiation leaked.
Russia and China, as expected, vehemently denounced the U.S. strikes. Russian President Vladimir Putin, through a Kremlin statement, said the American attack was “an unlawful act of aggression” and warned it would destabilize the Middle East. On social media, Dmitry Medvedev – former Russian president and now Deputy Chair of Russia’s Security Council – mocked Trump’s peacemaker image: “Trump, who came in as a peacemaker president, has started a new war for the U.S.” he wrote on Telegram, adding sarcastically that “with this kind of success, Trump won’t win the Nobel Peace Prize.” reuters.com Russia called for an immediate halt to hostilities and began lobbying other countries to criticize the U.S. action at the UN. Notably, Moscow signaled it may accelerate delivery of advanced S-400 air defense systems to Iran (though whether those would be effective against stealth B-2s is debatable). China’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the strikes, stating that “the use of force is not the solution” and urging the U.S. to “exercise restraint.” Chinese officials, along with Russia, jointly pushed the UN Security Council to demand a ceasefire and the resumption of dialogue reuters.com. Beijing is balancing its opposition to U.S. military interventions with its interest in Gulf stability (China imports a lot of oil from the region). Behind the scenes, Chinese envoys have reached out to Tehran offering support – potentially including economic aid if new U.S. sanctions hit Iran – and encouraging Iran not to escalate to keep the situation manageable.
Reactions in other capitals reflected their geopolitical alignments. Turkey, a NATO member with cordial ties to Iran, criticized the strikes. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government said the U.S. attack “raises the risk of a wider conflict,” and Ankara offered to facilitate dialogue (Turkey’s President was actually meeting Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi in Istanbul as news broke) reuters.com. Pakistan – which had oddly just nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for fostering Middle East peace – slammed the U.S. bombing. “We condemn Trump’s Iran bombing,” said Pakistan’s PM, calling it an act that undermines regional peace reuters.com. India trod carefully: it has friendly ties with both the U.S. and Iran. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a call from Iran’s President Pezeshkian who briefed him on the “conflict between Iran and Israel,” and Modi later urged all sides to cease violence reuters.com. Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tokyo was “closely monitoring with grave concern” and stressed “it is crucial that there be a quick de-escalation of the conflict.” reuters.com Countries in Southeast Asia and Africa largely expressed generic calls for peace and some – like Indonesia and South Africa – implicitly criticized the U.S. for endangering international norms.
Meanwhile, voices from the global South and aligned leftist governments strongly condemned Washington. Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil blasted the “US military aggression against Iran” and demanded “an immediate cessation of hostilities.” He declared Venezuela “firmly and categorically condemns the bombing… by the United States military” reuters.com. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel likewise tweeted, “We strongly condemn the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, which constitutes a dangerous escalation… [and] seriously violates the UN Charter and international law.” reuters.com Many of these nations framed the strike as yet another example of U.S. unilateral force. Mexico took a more neutral tone, with its Foreign Ministry urging “diplomatic dialogue for peace” and calling for all sides to de-escalate in line with Mexico’s pacifist foreign policy principles reuters.com.
One notable reaction came from the Iranian diaspora and opposition. Exiled groups that oppose the Tehran regime welcomed the U.S. action, hoping it might weaken the clerical rulers. Maryam Rajavi, leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), based in Paris, said: “Now [Supreme Leader] Khamenei must go. The Iranian people welcome the end of the war and seek peace and freedom.” reuters.com Rajavi blamed Khamenei for pursuing “an unpatriotic [nuclear] project” that cost Iran dearly: “at least $2 trillion – and now, it has all gone up in smoke.” reuters.com The NCRI and other dissidents portrayed the strikes as an opportunity for regime change from within, though there is as yet no sign of an uprising inside Iran. In Tehran and other cities, hundreds of Iranians did stage spontaneous protests – not against their own government, but against the U.S. attack. Crowds gathered outside the Swiss embassy (which represents U.S. interests) chanting anti-American slogans and “Down with Israel!” in anger at the strikes, according to local reports. Iran’s security forces dispersed some of these protests, keen to maintain internal control as the leadership crafts its next steps.
A New Middle East Flashpoint: Implications and What’s Next
The U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites have ushered in one of the most perilous moments for Middle East stability in decades. By openly entering the Israel-Iran war, the United States has raised the conflict to a new level – and the repercussions are poised to cascade across geopolitics, global markets, and the international security architecture.
Regional Stability & Risk of Wider War: UN Secretary-General Guterres’ stark warning was no hyperbole – this confrontation could spiral out of control if cooler heads do not prevail reuters.com. Iran’s network of Shiite militia proxies – from Hezbollah in Lebanon to militias in Iraq and Syria – could be activated against U.S. and Israeli targets. Already, there are reports that Hezbollah forces in Lebanon have traded fire with Israel along the border in solidarity with Iran, and American bases in Iraq have moved to high alert fearing rocket or drone attacks by Iran-backed groups. The risk is that what began as an Israel-Iran showdown could metastasize into a multi-front regional war involving Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Gaza (where fighting involving an Iran-backed faction was also reported), and even Yemen. “There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences,” Guterres said reuters.com, urging all regional players to step back from the brink. One immediate concern: Iran might try to close the Strait of Hormuz or harass shipping there as retaliation. If it does, the U.S. Navy – along with possibly a coalition of allies – would almost certainly intervene to keep the waterway open, raising the prospect of direct U.S.-Iran naval clashes in the Gulf. The Iranian parliament’s vote to close Hormuz underscores this danger reuters.com. Even short of that, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy could carry out limited attacks on commercial tankers (something it has done covertly in past disputes) to send a message. Each escalatory move invites a response, in a cycle that could be hard to control once set in motion.
Energy Markets & Economic Fallout: The Middle East’s instability has already jolted global oil markets. Analysts predict a significant price spike when markets reopen after the weekend. “Oil is likely to rise by $3-5 per barrel” immediately, wrote Seher Dareen for Reuters, citing market experts reuters.com. One analyst noted: “Even in the absence of immediate retaliation, markets are likely to price in a higher geopolitical risk premium.” reuters.com If Iran opts for a measured response without hitting oil infrastructure, the price jump might level off. But any serious disruption – for instance, military action around the Strait of Hormuz or an attack on Saudi or Emirati oil facilities – could send prices soaring much further, potentially back into triple digits per barrel. The 11% rise in Brent crude since Israel’s campaign began on June 13 highlights how quickly risk gets factored in reuters.com. For consumers worldwide, higher oil prices could mean rising gasoline costs and renewed inflationary pressures, complicating economic recoveries. Beyond oil, global stock markets could see a flight to safety: investors typically rush to gold, U.S. Treasuries, and other safe-haven assets in times of war. Indeed, early indicators (such as increased gold futures and a strengthening dollar) suggest markets are bracing for prolonged volatility reuters.com. In the region, major airlines have already re-routed flights to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace. “Global carriers [are] bypassing the Middle East after attacks on Iran,” meaning longer flight times and higher costs for travelers and cargo reuters.com. The UAE and Qatar, key aviation hubs, are seeing some flight cancellations – Singapore Airlines and British Airways both scrubbed routes to Dubai and Doha as a precaution reuters.com. If the conflict endures, shipping insurance rates in the Gulf will spike, and Middle Eastern stock markets (particularly in the Gulf) may take a hit over security fears. On the other hand, major arms manufacturers’ shares could rise, as orders for missile defense systems and munitions flood in from U.S. allies bolstering their protection.
Global Diplomacy & Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime: The strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities mark unchartered territory for global non-proliferation efforts. While Israel previously conducted covert attacks (like the Stuxnet cyberattack in 2010 and alleged assassinations of nuclear scientists) and suspected sabotage at Iranian sites, this is the first overt, large-scale military destruction of known nuclear facilities in an NPT member state. It sets a precedent that a world power – the U.S. – is willing to use force to stop proliferation in defiance of a lack of explicit UN approval. Some analysts worry this could weaken the international norms around resolving nuclear disputes through diplomacy. Iran’s compliance with IAEA monitoring is now in doubt; Tehran might eject IAEA inspectors or formally quit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in protest, moves that would greatly alarm the world apnews.com. In his fiery response, Foreign Minister Araghchi explicitly noted the U.S. (a permanent UN Security Council member) had violated the UN Charter and Iran’s NPT rights reuters.com. If Iran chooses to leave the NPT, it would join North Korea as the only nation to ever do so – a profound challenge to the global non-proliferation regime.
Meanwhile, any hope of reviving the JCPOA (2015 Iran Nuclear Deal) is virtually nil for the foreseeable future. That agreement had already been hanging by a thread after the U.S. withdrawal in 2018 and Iran’s subsequent violations, but European leaders were still quietly exploring a “JCPOA 2.0” diplomatic track this year. Those talks are now “blown up” – literally and figuratively – as Iran’s trust in negotiations is shattered theguardian.com. Looking ahead, countries like Saudi Arabia might accelerate their own nascent nuclear programs (the kingdom has hinted it will seek nuclear weapons if Iran moves toward one). Turkey could also reconsider its stance. The strikes thus could inadvertently drive a regional arms race, if not in active warheads then at least in nuclear technology and long-range missiles, as nations recalculate the value of having versus not having a nuclear deterrent.
On the diplomatic chessboard, the U.S. action has also intensified great power competition. Russia and China are seizing the opportunity to paint the U.S. as a violator of international law and to deepen ties with Iran. China could offer Iran a lifeline via increased oil purchases or military cooperation, undermining U.S. economic leverage. Russia, bogged down in its own conflict in Ukraine, nonetheless might send military advisors or sell more anti-air systems to Iran. This situation could realign Middle Eastern partnerships, pushing Iran even closer to Moscow and Beijing’s orbit as a counterweight to Washington. The UN Security Council is likely to be paralyzed by vetoes, diminishing its authority. In the longer term, some experts fear a collapse of the already fraying global arms control architecture – if states see the UN unable to prevent conflicts like this, they may place more emphasis on self-help and militarization.
Domestic U.S. and Iranian Implications: In the U.S., these events will reverberate through politics. Trump’s supporters have praised the strikes as decisive leadership against a dangerous regime. “Trump had ‘made a deliberate – and correct – decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime,’” said Senator Roger Wicker, GOP chairman of the Armed Services Committee washingtonpost.com washingtonpost.com. However, critics across the spectrum are voicing concerns. Prominent anti-interventionist Republicans like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene blasted the move: “Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war…this is not our fight,” Greene wrote, noting Israel has nuclear weapons for its own deterrence washingtonpost.com washingtonpost.com. Several Democrats, including Senator Tim Kaine, condemned Trump’s “horrible judgment” and argued he needed Congressional authorization for such a strike washingtonpost.com. Kaine is leading a push to invoke the War Powers Resolution to force a Senate vote on limiting Trump’s ability to continue hostilities washingtonpost.com. The legality of the strike under U.S. law (and international law) will be hotly debated – the administration claims Article II powers and perhaps the 2001 AUMF provided authority, but many legal experts disagree given Iran was not actively attacking the U.S. at the time. How the American public reacts will depend on what comes next: if the situation escalates and U.S. soldiers or assets come under fire, public opinion could turn negative on getting entangled in “another Middle East war.” For now, polls show a majority of Americans oppose Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon and might support action to prevent it – but they also strongly prefer diplomacy if possible. Trump has essentially gambled that a short, sharp conflict will not spiral, and that victory can be declared quickly. If he’s wrong, the political fallout could be severe, affecting the 2026 midterms and beyond.
In Iran, the strikes are a blow to national pride and the regime’s credibility. The Islamic Republic’s leadership will try to use this aggression as a rallying cry to shore up domestic support. Already, state media are filled with patriotic messaging and images of spontaneous demonstrations where crowds chant “Death to America”. In the short term, even Iranians who dislike their government may bristle at a foreign attack on their soil. However, if the regime is seen as unable to respond forcefully or if the war drags on and inflicts heavy hardship, internal dissent could grow. Iran’s economy, already strained by sanctions, will suffer further from war risk – its currency was in freefall on the black market June 22, and panic-buying of essentials was reported in Tehran as citizens braced for uncertain days ahead. The regime will likely crack down on any domestic critics and portray a united front. Yet behind closed doors, Iran’s leaders are probably assessing how this happened – how their intelligence failed to detect the American strike plans, and whether any policy missteps (like boosting enrichment to 60%) provoked this outcome. Some in Iran’s leadership may argue for a hard pivot: if Iran was going to stop short of building a bomb before, they might now say the only way to deter future U.S. aggression is to actually obtain nuclear weapons. It’s a dangerous calculus that U.S. officials anticipated – CIA and Mossad have long worried that striking Iran could remove its hesitancy to cross the nuclear threshold.
Global Reactions – Looking Forward: Internationally, calls for calm and mediation are intensifying. The Pope added his voice, with Pope Leo XIV pleading for “international diplomacy to prevent an irreparable abyss” and offering Vatican assistance in any peace efforts reuters.com. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), representing Muslim-majority nations, announced it will form a contact group to seek de-escalation and possibly send envoys to Tehran and Washington reuters.com. Neutral countries like Switzerland and Oman have signaled willingness to serve as go-betweens. There’s talk of a “cooling-off period” proposal – essentially, Iran would agree not to retaliate beyond a certain point (e.g. no attacks on U.S. forces) and the U.S./Israel would halt further strikes, creating space for talks on a new interim nuclear deal. Whether trust can be rebuilt for such a deal is highly uncertain.
In the immediate term, all eyes are on Tehran’s next move. Will Iran retaliate directly against U.S. assets, such as launching missiles at Al Udeid base in Qatar or Al Dhafra in the UAE where U.S. forces are stationed? American commanders have warned Iran through backchannels that any strike on U.S. troops will be met with a devastating response – implicitly, that could include targeting Iran’s military infrastructure or even leadership. “We are fully prepared to respond,” Gen. Caine said, noting U.S. strike forces remain in theater cbsnews.com. Trump himself said on Saturday night that “if peace does not come quickly,” Iran will face “far greater” attacks in the future cbsnews.com. Those could include Iranian oil refineries, naval assets, or command centers, many of which have thus far been spared.
The coming days will test Iran’s restraint and the U.S.’s resolve. For now, Operation Midnight Hammer has achieved its narrow military goal – Iran’s known nuclear sites lie in ruins reuters.com. But it has also opened a chapter of high-stakes brinkmanship. The Middle East – already ravaged by wars in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and more – stands on the precipice of an even more destructive conflagration reuters.com. The world is holding its breath, hoping that the events of June 21–22, 2025, stunning as they are, do not trigger a cascade of escalation that would plunge the region and the world into chaos. As President Trump put it bluntly, “There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran.” washingtonpost.com The task now for diplomats and leaders worldwide is to steer all parties toward the former – and away from the unthinkable consequences of the latter.
Sources: Reuters reuters.com reuters.com reuters.com reuters.com; Washington Post washingtonpost.com washingtonpost.com; Associated Press apnews.com apnews.com; CBS News cbsnews.com cbsnews.com; Al Jazeera; The Guardian theguardian.com theguardian.com; Bloomberg; and others.
