U.S. completes strikes on Iran nuclear websites, Trump says : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3520x2344+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbe%2Faa%2Fe551c3b14f4482c8f08660c35642%2Fgettyimages-2220605099-1.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3520x2344+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbe%2Faa%2Fe551c3b14f4482c8f08660c35642%2Fgettyimages-2220605099-1.jpg" class="img" alt="President Trump pumps his fist after stepping off Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Saturday." fetchpriority="high"/> President Trump pumps his fist after stepping off Air Drive One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Saturday. Mandel Ngan/AFP through Getty Pictures disguise caption

toggle caption

Mandel Ngan/AFP through Getty Pictures The U.S. army has joined with Israel to launch army strikes in opposition to Iran, a dramatic escalation within the years-long effort by each nations to stop Tehran from buying a nuclear weapon.

"We now have accomplished our very profitable assault on the three Nuclear websites in Iran, together with Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," President Trump wrote on Fact Social on Saturday.

"All planes at the moment are exterior of Iran air area. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the first website, Fordow. All planes are safely on their approach residence. Congratulations to our nice American Warriors. There's not one other army within the World that would have finished this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thanks on your consideration to this matter."

Trump mentioned in a subsequent put up that he would handle the nation at 10 p.m. ET.

Saturday's assault marks the primary act of direct army involvement by the U.S. within the quickly escalating battle between Iran and Israel.

It included a strike on the heavily-fortified Fordo nuclear website, in keeping with Trump, which is positioned roughly 300 ft below a mountain about 100 miles south of Tehran. It is a transfer that Israel has been lobbying the U.S. to hold out, on condition that solely the U.S. has the type of highly effective "bunker buster" bomb able to reaching the location. Often known as the GBU-57 MOP (Large Ordnance Penetrator), the bomb can solely be transported by one particular U.S. warplane, the B-2 stealth bomber, attributable to its immense 30,000 pound weight.

A U.S. official who was not licensed to talk publicly informed NPR that senior Democratic management was notified of the strike proper earlier than Trump's put up. The Military Ops Middle notified senior Military leaders across the similar time. It's unclear when senior Republican management was knowledgeable.

A turning level The U.S. carried out the strike regardless of years of guarantees by Trump to maintain the nation from entangling itself in one other Center East battle. But Trump has additionally mentioned it's paramount that Iran by no means be allowed to accumulate a nuclear weapon.

Trump initially sought to barter a brand new nuclear take care of Iran — one to exchange the Obama-era settlement that he deserted, regardless of Iran's obvious compliance, in 2018. However within the days after Israel's preliminary strike, he grew more and more vocal in his opposition to Iran and the likelihood it may assault U.S. property within the area.

Trump has known as for Iran's "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" and boasted on social media that the U.S. has "full and whole management of the skies over Iran." In a separate put up, he threatened Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying the Iranian chief's location had been recognized.

"He's a simple goal, however is protected there — We aren't going to take him out (kill!), at the very least not for now," Trump wrote. "However we do not need missiles shot at civilians or American troopers. Our persistence is carrying skinny."

Khamenei has decried a possible U.S. strike, saying in a put up on X earlier this month that the U.S. could be coming into the battle "100% to its personal detriment."

"The hurt the US will undergo will certainly be irreparable in the event that they enter this battle militarily," he wrote.

A brand new part of uncertainty Trump has beforehand dominated out the prospect of American floor forces in Iran. Nonetheless, the U.S. assault introduces a brand new part of uncertainty into battle that started earlier this month with dozens of Israeli air strikes in opposition to Iran.

Israel considers Iran an existential menace and says the assaults are essential to preserve Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The assaults have strictly focused army and nuclear services, in keeping with Israel, however the Iranian authorities says they're already chargeable for the deaths of greater than 200 civilians.

Iran has responded with a barrage of missile and drone strikes geared toward Israel. The Israeli army says it has intercepted a lot of these projectiles, however not all. The workplace of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says dozens have been killed, and lots of extra wounded.

Iran has lengthy defended its nuclear program as peaceable, however Netanyahu has argued it poses a danger not only for his nation, however for the U.S. as nicely.

For its half, the U.S. intelligence group has mentioned it believes Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003, following the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard relayed that steering as lately as March throughout an look earlier than the Senate Intelligence Committee.

However earlier this month, Trump contradicted Gabbard, telling reporters on his approach again from the G7 summit in Canada, "I do not care what she mentioned. I feel they [the Iranians] had been very near having it."