U.S. Joins Israel in Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites, Trump Announces, Risking Wider War

President Donald Trump announced Saturday evening that the United States military carried out airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, joining Israel’s bombing campaign in an effort to cripple Tehran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon. The operation marks the most direct American military intervention inside Iran in decades and has reignited fears of a rapidly widening conflict that could draw in proxy forces, endanger U.S. troops, and disrupt global energy markets. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the mission “very successful” and noted that all U.S. aircraft had exited Iranian airspace. “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” Trump wrote, referring to the heavily fortified nuclear enrichment site built into a mountain outside the city of Qom. The U.S. also targeted the larger enrichment plant at Natanz and a facility near Isfahan believed to house highly enriched uranium. “All planes are safely on their way home,” Trump said. “Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!” The move represents a dramatic shift from Trump’s earlier resistance to deeper U.S. entanglement in foreign wars. He had campaigned on a pledge to end foreign wars and not start new ones, but his decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities underscores the growing pressure he faced from Israel and Republican allies in Congress who viewed this moment as an opportunity to permanently degrade Iran’s nuclear capabilities.  Intelligence officials have long said that only U.S. aircraft and munitions could successfully destroy Iran’s deeply buried nuclear infrastructure, particularly at Fordow. Trump is expected to address the nation with televised remarks at 10 p.m. E.T. The U.S. strikes came after Israeli forces had already damaged surface-level infrastructure at Natanz and eroded key elements of Iran’s air defenses.  It was not immediately clear how much damage was inflicted or whether nuclear material may have been released. The International Atomic Energy Agency has previously warned that bombing active enrichment sites, particularly Fordow, could pose environmental and health risks. Iran has previously vowed retaliation should the U.S. enter the fray, and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have threatened to resume attacks on U.S. forces in the Red Sea if the U.S. joined Israel’s military operation. Trump’s decision also sparked backlash on Capitol Hill, including from some members of his own party. “This is not Constitutional,” Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, wrote on X, suggesting that Congress had not authorized the use of force. Other lawmakers warned that the operation risked triggering a prolonged conflict. “We now have very serious choices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies and stability for the middle-east,” Sen. Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican and chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote on X.