2025 United States strikes on Iranian nuclear sites

Iran nuclear program and American relations with Iran Four years after the U.S. and other Western nations helped engineer the 1953 Iranian coup d'état against Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the Eisenhower administration agreed to help develop the Iranian nuclear program, part of the U.S. effort to promote the peaceful pursuit of nuclear science through the "Atoms for Peace" program. In 1968, Iran signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). With profits made from the 1973 oil crisis, Pahlavi decided to increase Iran's civil nuclear program and dispatched Iranian students to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to learn nuclear engineering. With U.S. endorsement, Pahlavi began a plan to build 23 nuclear power plants, which would enable Iran to supply electricity to neighboring countries, become a leader in the region, and become a modern state. In 2015, Iran, the United States (under Barack Obama), and other countries negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to manage Iran's nuclear program to function at a limited level for 15 years, in return for removal of economic international sanctions against Iran. In 2018, Trump—who has maintained since at least 2011 that Iran should not be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons—unilaterally broke the agreement by withdrawing the United States from the JCPOA, costing Iran the negotiated sanction relief, while implementing even more sanctions that effectively cut off (JCPOA-facilitated) European trade with Iran. On May31, 2025, the IAEA reported that Iran had sharply increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity, just below weapons-grade, reaching over , a nearly 50% rise since February. The agency warned that this amount is enough for multiple nuclear weapons if further enriched. Iran said that it increased its uranium enrichment to levels beyond what is required for civilian use as a response to the 2018 American withdrawal from JCPOA. One of the major Iranian nuclear sites is the Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant, estimated to be 80 to 90 meters underground. Because of its deep location, the United States military officials had proposed the use of GBU-57A/B MOP "bunker buster" bombs, which can only be carried by a B-2 bomber, to destroy Fordow (the United States is the only nation to possess either of these capabilities). There was extended debate about whether the bunker buster bombs would actually be able to destroy Fordow. Multiple advisors to Trump, including Steve Bannon and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, warned against war with Iran and have claimed the intelligence community does not consider Iran to be building a nuclear weapon. After Trump called Gabbard "wrong" and said he "did not care what she said," Gabbard changed her position and said Iran could have a nuclear weapon "within months". Trump also said in response to these comments that, "my intelligence community is wrong." Israeli involvement and American relations with Israel Israel states that it supports nuclear nonproliferation but believes the NPT has little relevance to the Middle East and has not joined the NPT. Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, has consistently viewed the potential for regional powers to acquire nuclear weapons as an existential threat and has previously attacked nuclear facilities in Iraq and Syria to prevent those countries from acquiring nuclear weapons. It has repeatedly undertaken both covert and overt actions to prevent such developments and has assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists. The conflict between Iran and Israel has been intensifying since the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, as Hamas is partially funded by Iran. Historically, the U.S. has supported Israel in the Middle East, and particularly has financed Israel's military through United States Foreign Military Financing as well as supporting Israel's military actions. For more than 30 years preceding the American strikes, the United States has been the foremost defender of Israel on the international stage, as well as the main provider of military aid to Israel with few pauses. Once Israel started the Twelve-Day War, it immediately encouraged the United States to enter the war, reported Reuters. While the American strikes (and other Israeli strikes during the Twelve-Day War) have attacked Iran's nuclear program, and while Israel has continually accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, Israel itself is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, possibly since the early 1960s. Israel has maintained an ambiguous position since the late 1960s, Opinion polling Many right-wing politicians and commentators in the United States, including Rand Paul and Tucker Carlson, have criticized Trump's support for Israeli strikes against Iran, and the possible involvement of the United States in the war. A poll (prior to June 18, 2025) of Trump voters found 53% said the U.S. should not get involved in the Iran–Israel conflict. A separate poll (prior to June 18, 2025) by The Washington Post found 45% of respondents opposed the U.S. military launching airstrikes against Iran, and a further 30% were unsure; 25% supported a military response. == Prelude ==

In the weeks leading up to June22, the U.S. evacuated its citizens, issued travel warnings, and withdrew non-essential personnel from embassies in the region. On June 16, Iranian facilities interfered with ship position reporting, causing a nuisance to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. On June 16 and 17, Trump made several posts hinting at something "much bigger" than a peace deal coming. On June17, Trump called on Iran to unconditionally surrender. U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio told U.S. allies over recent days that Washington would prefer to see a diplomatic solution, and Trump had sent U.S. officials to Tehran in support of a nuclear deal. In the days before the attack, Iran increased its oil exports, fearing a U.S. attack on its oil facilities. Iran claimed that nuclear material had already been evacuated from Fordow and Natanz, and moved elsewhere. The Iranians attempted to cover the ventilation shafts at Fordow with concrete caps days ahead of the strike. and in response, the U.S. warned of a devastating retaliation should American interests be threatened. Axios reported that the top Democrats on the Senate and House Intelligence panels were not given advance notice of the attack while the top Republicans were, though that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was given a "perfunctory notice shortly before". Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on June 18 that Moscow had cautioned Washington against offering direct military assistance to Israel, saying it "would be a step drastically destabilizing the situation as a whole." U.S. military preparation MOP (pictured). had studied the Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant for 15 years. The Fordow nuclear facility is fortified and located about underground, inside of a mountain, The GBU-57 had never been used in combat before and, due to its heavy weight, the munition can only be delivered by B-2 stealth bombers, which only the United States possesses. ABC News reported that the U.S. and Israeli militaries had conducted a practice run of this attack during a training exercise in mid-2024 during the Biden administration. In March 2025, the Israeli and U.S. air forces ran a joint exercise which The Times of Israel reported was "seen as a warning message to Tehran" amidst speculation of a possible strike. According to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine, two unidentified officers from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) had studied the Fordow nuclear site for around 15 years and their work contributed to the development of a bunker-buster bomb that was made specifically to penetrate fortifications such as Fordow; computer modeling, simulation and hundreds of tests were conducted during development of the weapon. According to General Caine, the two DTRA officers "literally dreamed about this target as they slept" and heavily monitored "the vent shaft, the exhaust shaft, the electrical systems, the environmental control systems, every nook, every crater, every piece of equipment going in and every piece of equipment going out" of Fordow since 2009. "You do not build a multilayered, underground bunker complex with centrifuges and other equipment in a mountain for any peaceful purpose," Caine observed. On June19, Trump issued a statement via White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, saying, "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks." According to The Jerusalem Post, it took Netanyahu and Ron Dermer a week to convince Trump to bomb Iran, with Trump and Netanyahu speaking almost daily. According to the sources, Trump and senior U.S. officials had been impressed by Israel's achievements. Trump had only planned to bomb Fordow, but Netanyahu and Dermer convinced him to attack the other sites as well. Final mission preparation was reportedly underway by June 20; according to the Associated Press, Trump's prior announcement of a two-week time frame was in actuality deception to obfuscate the impending attack. On June 21, the day before the attack, the United States deployed six B-2 stealth bombers westward over the Pacific Ocean towards Guam on a decoy mission, reportedly due to fears that Trump's social media posts from June 16 and 17 may have tipped off Iranian defenders. A crew member told General Caine that preparation for the operation "felt like the Super Bowl, the thousands of scientists, airmen, and maintainers all coming together". == Strikes ==

bombers departing and returning to Whiteman Air Force Base during Operation Midnight Hammer In an operation called "Midnight Hammer", on June22 the United States Air Force and Navy attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Seven B-2 bombers of the 509th Bomb Wing departed from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and flew eastwards towards the Middle East continuously for 18 hours with minimal communication and refueling mid-air three times. The B-2s were preceded into Iranian airspace by fourth- and fifth-generation American fighter aircraft to draw any surface-to-air defensive fire; according to President Trump they were F-35 and F-22 stealth fighter jets. No Iranian defensive fire was detected, which was attributed to previous Israeli attacks against Iranian air defenses since June 13. At Fordow, the 12 bunker buster bombs were dropped sequentially on two ventilation shafts to penetrate deeply into the mountain. According to Caine, four of the five bombs went down each of the two ventilation shafts after the first removed a defensive concrete cap: "The cap was forcibly removed by the first weapon and the main shaft was uncovered. Weapons two, three, four, five were tasked to enter the main shaft, move down into the complex at greater than 1,000 feet per second and explode in the mission space." A submarine also fired 30 Tomahawk missiles at the Natanz and Isfahan sites. U.S. officials did not name the submarine, but the had been in the region since September 2024. The entire bombing lasted almost 30 minutes, with the Tomahawk strikes being the final attack. Caine stated that the Iranian nuclear sites had sustained "severe damage" from the strikes, Israeli officials speaking to The New York Times said the Israeli military assessed Fordow to be seriously damaged but not destroyed; an American official said Fordow was not destroyed, but seriously damaged and "off the table." Although a leaked early report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reported that the strikes set back Iran's nuclear program by months, and that the sites targeted were significantly damaged but not destroyed, the Pentagon has since stated that it set back Iran by one to two years, with military figures believing that it was closer to two years. The initial assessment was rejected by Trump administration officials; Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA director John Ratcliffe both said "new intelligence" revealed that the Natanz, Fordow and Esfahan sites were severely damaged and would require years to rebuild. On June 25, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that Iranian nuclear facilities "have been badly damaged". On June 26 and July 1, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the nuclear facilities have sustained "significant and serious damages." On September 26, Grossi confirmed that "almost all sensitive equipment" at Fordow had been destroyed. However, he added that if Iran chose to further enrich their existing stockpile of uranium to 90 percent, it would only take them a few weeks to complete the process. == Aftermath ==

Trump administration statements and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine conduct a press briefing at the Pentagon, June 22, 2025 Following the strikes, Trump wrote on Truth Social: Trump gave a short televised address at 10p.m. EDT on June21, in which he said, "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated". he further called the strikes a "spectacular military success", confirmed the earlier reporting, and warned of more attacks if Iran did not seek peace. He concluded by saying "God bless the Middle East, God bless Israel, and God bless America." On June 22, Hegseth and Caine gave more details of the operation at a morning press conference at the Pentagon. The operation was "the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history, and the second longest B-2 mission ever flown, exceeded only by those in the days following 9/11," according to Caine. Hegseth also hailed the mission as a success and said that regime change was not a goal of the operation. In interviews the next day, Vance and Rubio also said that regime change was not a goal of the operation. A few hours later, Trump suggested that he would be open to seeing regime change in Iran. The Trump administration maintained that, regardless of the strikes, it continued to pursue diplomacy with Iran via special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump also criticized Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's comments that were made a day prior on June 26, calling them "a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust". Trump insisted that he knew Khamenei's sheltered location during the war and spared his life by preventing the Israelis and U.S. forces from assassinating him. He also said that he was planning to provide sanctions relief to Iran but changed his mind following Khamenei's defiant remarks. David Albright, of the Institute for Science and International Security, noted that the report preceded newer information that "more enriched uranium stocks are in the rubble than believed" previously, and described the report as "a worst case assessment". CNN quoted Jeffrey Lewis, an expert in nuclear nonproliferation, as saying that publicly available information indicated that the strikes had not destroyed the facilities. which was "a top secret intelligence analysis that very few people in the United States government had access to see", according to White House press secretary Leavitt. In response to the leak, the White House reportedly planned to limit the amount of classified information it shares with Congress in the future. On August 22, the Trump administration fired DIA director Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse. Congressional briefing Trump formally notified Congress of the strikes on June 23, stating the operation was necessary "to advance vital United States national interests, and in collective self-defense of our ally, Israel, by eliminating Iran's nuclear program". Iranian response (pictured in 2004), where Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on June 23 Iran's state media agency, IRNA, quoting an Iranian official, reported that there was no radioactive material at the three sites which were targeted. Morteza Heidari, spokesperson for the Emergency Committee of the City of Qom, said that enemy forces had bombed "parts of the Fordo nuclear facility". According to Iranian officials, nuclear material had already been evacuated and moved elsewhere before the strikes. On June 22, 2025, the Iranian parliament approved a motion calling for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime corridor through which nearly 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas is transported. The vote, described by Iranian media as politically significant, does not constitute an immediate closure; the measure must still be ratified by the Supreme National Security Council, which holds final authority over national security decisions. On June 23, Iran attacked a U.S. base in Qatar in retaliation to the U.S. strikes. Qatar had closed its airspace before the missiles arrived, and claimed to have intercepted all of them. After the attack, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq also closed their airspaces. The attack was met with condemnation throughout the Arab world. The next day Trump announced a ceasefire which Iran and Israel subsequently confirmed, ending the conflict. Oil and gas prices On June 23, 2025, global oil prices were not strongly affected; the Strait of Hormuz, remained open as a result of diplomacy efforts and the cease fire agreement. Brent Oil (and Murban Oil) prices were below $70 again. Brent Oil prices further decreased to $67 per barrel by June 25, with the national average price of gasoline in the United States reaching a four-year low of around $3.20 on June 26. == Reactions ==

United States The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia and the New York Police Department increased security around religious institutions following the strikes. By June 26, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had arrested 130 and detained 670 Iranian nationals throughout the country amid heightened security concerns over Iranian sleeper cell activity and potential retaliatory terror attacks in response to the strikes. The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) of the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued an urgent advisory warning that the threat to US-associated commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden was "high," citing escalating regional tensions. US-associated vessels were defined as those flagged, owned, operated, chartered, or carrying American-linked cargo. The advisory urged such vessels to exercise extreme caution, consider rerouting, and adhere to maritime security best practices, while noting that non-American and non-Israeli vessels faced a lower but still present threat level. Domestic reactions to the strikes were generally mixed. Senator Lindsey Graham praised the strikes, stating that it was "the right call" and "the regime deserves it". House speaker Mike Johnson released a statement, saying: "President Trump has been consistent and clear that a nuclear-armed Iran will not be tolerated [...] That posture has now been enforced with strength, precision and clarity." Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee Tom Cotton of Arkansas tweeted, "President Trump made the right call and the ayatollahs should recall his warning not to target Americans." Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said the strikes were a "prudent response to the warmongers in Tehran". Senate Majority Leader John Thune argued that the action was needed after previous failed diplomatic efforts: "The regime in Iran, which has committed itself to bringing 'death to America' and wiping Israel off the map, has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace." Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Rick Crawford praised Trump and stated: "I have been in touch with the White House before this action and will continue to track developments closely with them in the coming days." Texas congressman Tony Gonzales (R-Texas 23rd) proposed a new Iranian Campaign Service Medal for Operation Midnight Hammer for the pilots and support personnel of the aircraft involved. In June 2025 he filed H.R. 4254 Iranian Campaign Medal Act that expanded eligibility to the entire Twelve-Day War. Democratic senator from Pennsylvania John Fetterman was the first Democratic senator to praise the strikes, saying: "As I've long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS. Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I'm grateful for and salute the finest military in the world." Fetterman previously stated that he hopes "the president finally does bomb and destroy the Iranians." In contrast, Democratic Representative Diana DeGette said Trump's "reckless actions are going to put the lives of American service members and American citizens at risk". Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene stated, "this is not our fight", and criticized the rationale for the strikes, noting, "There would not be bombs falling on the people of Israel if Netanyahu had not dropped bombs on the people of Iran first." Former U.S. ambassador to the UN and National Security Advisor under the Trump's first term John Bolton praised the strikes. The Council on American-Islamic Relations National Executive Director Nihad Awad said, "We condemn President Trump's illegal and unjustified act of war against Iran. This attack, carried out under pressure from the out-of-control Israeli government, took place despite the longstanding conclusion by our nation's intelligence community that Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons." He drew comparison with President George W. Bush's "disastrous" 2003 war in Iraq. Fareed Zakaria believed the strikes undermined the rules-based international order and that US attacks will not prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons in the long term. He argues that the only way to ensure that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons is through diplomacy. Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist and activist, opined on X that the Fordow nuclear site "was never about peaceful energy. It was built under a mountain to hide a nuclear program from the world, while the regime told its own people they couldn't even afford clean water or shelter." Legality concerns The strikes reignited a debate over the constitutionality and limits of presidential war powers, particularly the president's ability to order military operations against Iran without prior consultation with Congress. Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said, "President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East". Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) said that Trump's actions were "clearly grounds for impeachment". Iran Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the strikes as a "reckless violation of the UN Charter and international law" and stated "Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people." Iranian advisor Mehdi Mohammadi claimed that Iran was not surprised by the attack and had been expecting it for some time, and that Fordow was evacuated and no irreversible damage was sustained. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has called the U.S. attacks "a barbaric act that violated international law, especially the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty", and that it planned to both seek justice in international court and continue its nuclear program. Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian diplomat who participated in nuclear negotiations in the early 2000s, believes that this is a narrative and rhetorical game used as a cover to justify military action and regime change: "They were never looking for weapons. This is really a fake and fabricated narrative, like the one they created for the invasion of Iraq." On June 26, Khamenei resurfaced to warn the United States against future attacks. On July 2, Iran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Israel Israel closed its airspace in response to the strikes. International • : The Foreign Ministry expressed its deep concerns over the escalation "which worsens the situation in the region and exposes it to unprecedented risks with unpredictable consequences". • : Prime Minister Edi Rama expressed full support for Trump's efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He denounced Iran's government: "This is not just another nuclear state. Nor merely a dictatorship with nuclear ambitions. This is a theocracy — armed with apocalyptic rhetoric, steeped in endless years of branding free nations as "Satanic", and openly calling for their annihilation". • : President Javier Milei celebrated the attacks, stating that "today is a great day for Western civilization". • : Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed support for America's strikes. The Liberal–National Coalition fully backed the strikes." • : Chancellor Christian Stocker stated that the "Iranian nuclear program is a cause for great concern". • : Foreign minister Maxime Prévot said, "the theocratic regime of the mullahs of Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security". • : President Luis Arce condemned the attacks, stating that "bombing targets of this nature not only endangers regional and global peace, but also violates fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter." • : Itamaraty released a note affirming that Brazil condemned the attacks "with vehemence", classifying it as a violation of Iran's sovereignty. The note further says that Brazil is against the proliferation of nuclear technology except for pacific means, and defended a diplomatic solution. • : Prime Minister Mark Carney said, "...Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon...the situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile. Canada calls on parties to return immediately to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis." • : President Gabriel Boric condemned the attack on X, stating, "We demand and need peace," • : President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the attacks as "a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East". • : Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said, "everything must be done to avoid further escalation," and, "restraint must prevail." • : Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated, "Iran's nuclear program seriously threatens international security, and Saturday's US strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities is thus an understandable effort to prevent the development of nuclear weapons," and hoped "U.S. military action...will compel Iran to engage in talks." • : Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said, "Iran must never develop nuclear weapons," and "the U.S. acted to prevent this." Rasmussen urged parties to negotiate. • : Egypt called for a diplomatic solution and not a military solution. • : Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said it is important "Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon and no new nuclear-weapon state emerges in the world." President Alexander Stubb stated, "the spiral of vengeance in the Middle East must come to an end. A sustainable solution requires diplomacy, dialogue and respect for the international law." • : Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said France was "convinced that a lasting solution to this issue requires a negotiated solution within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty". • : Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Iran to immediately enter negotiations with the US and Israel to find a diplomatic solution. • : Pope Leo XIV called the situation in the Middle East "alarming" and called for diplomacy: "every member of the international community has a moral responsibility: stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss". • : Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said, "Hungary supports all efforts to bring peace to the Middle East as soon as possible," and "our interest is to prevent the emergence of any new nuclear weapon arsenals in the world." • : Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir said, "Iran's nuclear program is of great concern and that we urge the leadership to negotiate in earnest to put an end to it" and "diplomacy and dialogue are the only way forward." • : The government warned that the attack "constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability." • : Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani commented that after the US attacks, which "brought enormous damage to the production of nuclear weapons, which represented a danger for the entire area, we can truly arrive at a de-escalation", and called for Iran to negotiate. • : Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said the government was "monitoring the situation there with grave concern". He refrained from explicitly endorsing the attack, saying that it is "difficult for Japan to make a definitive legal evaluation at this point" and said the response "showed a determination to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons while seeking to bring the situation under control quickly". • : Prime Minister Evika Siliņa said, "Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon" and that the "US addressed this serious threat to international security." Siliņa called for de-escalation and a return to talks. • : President Joseph Aoun said the bombing "raises the level of fear of an escalation of tensions that would threaten security and stability." Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Lebanon's best interest is to avoid "being dragged in any form into the ongoing regional confrontation", helping ease concerns about Hezbollah reacting to the strike. • : Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel said that while "nobody wants Iran to develop a nuclear bomb," he has "doubts that a military escalation to stop that is really a solution". • : The Secretariat of Foreign Affairs called for urgent diplomatic dialogue between the involved parties and the de-escalation of tensions. President Claudia Sheinbaum called war "humanity's greatest failure," and called for the UN to lead peacebuilding efforts. • : Prime Minister Dick Schoof called the latest developments in the Middle East "worrying", reiterated the Dutch position: "Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon," and stated, "negotiations are ultimately the only way out towards a sustainable solution." • : Foreign Minister Winston Peters released a statement describing ongoing military action in the Middle East as "extremely worrying", calling on all parties to return to talks and pursue a diplomatic solution. • : Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre outlined "deep concern about the escalation of the war in the Middle East...the international community has long sought to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons," and Norway "supports efforts for diplomacy and negotiations. This conflict has no military solution. International law must be respected by all parties...Last night's attack does not eliminate the need for a lasting agreement in the long run..." • : Oman expressed "deep concern, denunciation and condemnation of the escalation resulting from the direct air strikes launched by the United States". • : The Foreign Ministry expressed their support of the attacks, stating that "affirms its support for the people of Israel and the right to protect their existence." • : The Department of Foreign Affairs expressed its concerns with the tensions between the US and Iran, stating that both parties should pursue diplomatic solutions and deescalate tensions "that could threaten regional and international peace and security." • : Prime Minister Luís Montenegro expressed his preoccupation with "the risk of severe escalation in the Middle East" and called for "maximum restraint on all sides", also adding "Iran's nuclear program is a serious threat to world security". • : The Foreign Ministry warned, "dangerous tensions will lead to disastrous repercussions at the regional and international levels." • : The foreign ministry strongly condemned the strikes as "irresponsible" and said they constituted a "gross violation of international law, the UN charter, and resolutions of the UN security council". Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev has claimed, "countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads", and Iranian enrichment of nuclear material will continue in spite of the strikes. Medvedev's threats were criticized by US President Trump. • : Saudi Arabia condemned "the violation of Iran's sovereignty and stresses the need for restraint." • : Prime Minister Robert Golob called on "all parties to cease the hostilities and return to the negotiating table...Violence and military conflicts only lead to greater suffering of the innocent population of the Middle East." • : Vice industry minister Moon Shin-hak expressed concern over the potential impact on the country's trade due to the U.S. strike. Officials reportedly held an emergency security meeting to assess the potential economic impact. • : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying "the situation must be resolved through diplomatic means," and "it is urgent...negotiations resume." • : Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said "What is now happening in an unstable region, risks making things considerably worse." • : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised the strikes, citing Iran's assistance to Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. • : The government called for "immediate de-escalation" and a "comprehensive solution". A government minister confirmed the UK had not taken part in the attack as there had been speculation the U.S. would ask for the use of the joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, though by June 17, 2025, no B-2 bombers were seen to be stationed there. Foreign Secretary David Lammy refused to say whether the American strikes on Iran were legal. Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel released a video statement calling the strikes "absolutely necessary." • : The Foreign Ministry stated that "expresses its deep concern at the dangerous escalation of violence." • : Foreign Minister Yván Gil condemned the "military aggression against Iran" and demanded an "immediate cessation of hostilities". The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on the airstrikes at the request of Iran. In a private Signal message to Trump, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte praised and thanked Trump for his "decisive action" in Iran, calling it "truly extraordinary and something no one else dared to do." On June 23, 2025, Grossi, the head of the IAEA, convened an emergency meeting and warned that the attack "risks collapsing the global nuclear nonproliferation regime" and of unimaginable destruction if the countries do not negotiate a peace. He asked Iran to allow IAEA inspectors to assess the damage, radiation levels, and release of toxins. On June 23, 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that "Iran must never acquire the bomb." Hezbollah condemned the strikes as a "barbaric and treacherous American aggression against peaceful nuclear facilities" and affirmed its "complete solidarity" with Iran and "its leadership". The Houthis condemned the strikes as "a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to regional and international security and peace" and said, "Trump must bear the consequences." A senior Houthi official told Al Jazeera that its response to the US strikes was "only a matter of time." The group further threatened to end its prior ceasefire with the U.S. and resume attacking American ships in the Red Sea. However, there had been no resumption of hostilities until July 7, 2025, when they attacked a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea. The attack killed three mariners and wounded two others. == Analysis ==

Ray Takeyh, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, called the strikes "a new phase, and a potentially problematic one," and said that Iran "would have to essentially restore pride in some way," potentially by launching attacks on American military sites or proxies. Amin Saikal, distinguished visiting fellow at Singapore's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and who is also an emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian studies at the Australia National University, said Iran could block the Strait of Hormuz as a last resort as "Iran is capable of doing that by sinking a number of ships in the strait and that will be enough to deter many ships from going through." Jonathan Panikoff, the director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, warned that Iran might respond disproportionally to restore deterrence, stating, "you're looking at a significant escalatory spiral that could get out of hand quickly." Burcu Ozcelik, a senior research fellow with the Royal United Services Institute, said the attack was "yet another demonstration, from the hard-line Iranian point of view, that America can't be trusted". A CNN analyst noted that the United States may still attack further targets given that there "is a real concern that now the Iranians will retaliate", and suggested that Iran could attack U.S. bases in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, and potentially close the Strait of Hormuz. According to James Risen, Trump is now more willing to listen to Israel than his predecessors and is also highly suspicious of the intelligence community, which "continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon." Setareh Sadeghi, a professor at the Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran, rejects Israel's long-standing claim that Iran is "one month away" from achieving nuclear capability, saying: "While I totally disagree with nuclear weapons, I think if Israel, Pakistan, India, the U.S., France, and other countries have the right to have nuclear weapons, then any other country should also have it, and Iran does not have one." Similarly, retired general and former CIA director David Petraeus agreed with the CIA's assessment that the strike inflicted "severe damage" to Iran's nuclear program and noted that the DIA report was "low confidence", though said the "bigger question is, was there any highly enriched uranium that was stored elsewhere... and are there centrifuges that are elsewhere as well." == See also ==