In a televised address from the White House, President Donald Trump said that the United States had “completely and totally obliterated” the Iranian nuclear facilities. He added: “Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace.” The American president warned: “If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.”
Based on the anonymous report of a U.S. official, The New York Times wrote that B-2 bombers dropped at least six 30,000-pound bunker busters (GBU-57/B) on Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment facility in Fordo and submarines fired 30 TLAM cruise missiles at the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites.
Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility is situated in Fordo aka Fordow. In Natanz is Iran’s largest uranium enrichment center. In Isfahan Iran’s nuclear fuel enriched to 60%, therefore near bomb-grade, is thought to be stored.
Uranium enriched to 60% is not needed for the civilian use of nuclear energy. From 60%, the enrichment can quickly reach 90%, the purity needed for a nuclear weapon. Iran clearly wants to get a nuclear weapon. Nevertheless, the country would still have to build and miniaturize a nuclear bomb to be placed on a special warhead. According to specialists, that could take a year or two.
During his first term in office and until now, President Trump has been reluctant to use military force. He had campaigned on a promise to keep the United States out of foreign wars. He presented the present strikes as limited actions.
The Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was quick to praise President Trump for the attacks on the Iranian nuclear facilities. There is a risk of escalation. Before the strikes ordered by Trump, Iranian officials had warned that Iran would attack U.S. bases in the Middle East if the United States joined Israel’s war. Will Iran dare to escalate the war?
There is also talk about Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic, narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, a critical waterway for global energy security. However, by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, Iran would be shooting itself in the foot. The country exports virtually all its oil to China, at a discount, using clandestine tanker fleets to evade U.S. sanctions.
Without regime change, there will be no lasting peace with Iran and no end to the regime’s nuclear ambitions. However, both Israel and the United States have no plan. As we have seen in the case of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, military victories are worthless without a credible, long-term peace plan for the time after the war.
The Iranian opposition is deeply divided, unorganized, without a leader. A majority does not want an end to the regime through military intervention from outside. Although an estimated 75% of Iranians are said to be opposed to the pseudo-religious regime in place, there are doubts whether regime change would lead to a stable, democratic Iran. Fears of another Iraq or even Libya are great. Each country is different, unique. It seems unlikely that the current regime can survive a military defeat. Will chaos be next or can the Iranians get their act together?
A moment ago, the Iran foreign minister claimed that President Trump betrayed his own voters. He forgot to add that the current Iranian regime has betrayed its people since the 1979 revolution.
Update added at 14:14 German time: Code name of the operation revealed by the Pentagon: “Operation Midnight Hammer”.
Update added at 14:45 German time: United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted on June 22, 2025 that the strikes on Iran were about the country’s nuclear capacity and not about regime change. This statement must be contradicted: Long-term peace and an end to military nuclear ambitions can only be achieved through regime change.
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On top of this page: Official portrait of President Donald J. Trump, October 6, 2017. Official White House photograph by Shealah Craighead.
Article added on June 22, 2025 added at 11:33 German time. Photo credit added at 11:35.
