Iran’s Nuclear Program Crippled in U.S. Strikes as Western Leaders Urge De-escalation
Tehran — As the Middle East edges closer to a regional inferno, the United States has launched a series of precision airstrikes targeting Iran’s fortified nuclear sites, dealing a devastating blow to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The high-stakes mission—dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer—has shattered key enrichment facilities, including the heavily protected Fordow complex, while sparking urgent international calls for diplomacy and restraint.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed in a Pentagon briefing that Iran’s nuclear program had been “obliterated,” crediting President Donald Trump’s “peace through strength” doctrine. “We devastated the Iranian nuclear program, but avoided Iranian troops or civilians. This was a strike on capability, not on people,” he said.
Despite the damage inflicted, a senior U.S. official told The New York Times that while Fordow was not completely destroyed, it had been severely compromised by multiple GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs. Satellite imagery released by Planet Labs confirmed visible structural damage to entrances of the underground facility.
The Iranian response was swift and defiant. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, speaking from Istanbul, warned that Tehran “reserves all options to defend itself” and accused Washington of violating international law. “The U.S. only understands the language of threat and force,” he said, ruling out any return to negotiations under current conditions.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that the U.S. had now placed itself “on the front line of aggression,” vowing consequences. Military analysts note that while half of Iran’s missile launchers may have been destroyed, Tehran still possesses the capacity for asymmetric retaliation.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed they had coordinated closely with the U.S. on the strikes but were not directly involved in the initial wave. Israel resumed its own strikes on Iranian targets shortly thereafter, citing the need to degrade Iran’s response capability. Iranian missile barrages targeting Israeli cities—including Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem—have left dozens injured and entire apartment blocks destroyed.
The European Union’s naval task force Aspides has raised its threat assessment to “severe” for U.S. and Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas warned, “This is a critical moment. We must step back from the brink. There is no military solution—only diplomacy can restore peace.”
Western capitals echoed the call. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canada’s Mark Carney, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot all urged restraint and a return to the negotiating table. Yet Tehran’s posture remains uncompromising.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a dire warning from New York, calling the strikes a “dangerous escalation” that risks spiraling out of control. “There is no path forward except diplomacy,” he stressed. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also convened an emergency session of its Board of Governors, with Iran demanding that Director General Rafael Grossi condemn the U.S. action.
In response to U.S. strikes, Iran launched a large-scale missile barrage on Israeli territory, claiming hits on key sites including Ben-Gurion Airport and military command centers. Over 30 rockets rained down in two waves, triggering widespread sirens across northern and central Israel. Israeli emergency services confirmed over 20 injuries, including children.
The United States reportedly expanded its bombing after an earlier Israeli operation failed to destroy Iran’s deeply buried centrifuge halls in Natanz and Isfahan. The updated joint CENTCOM-IDF strategy involved the deployment of 12 GBU-57 bunker-busters against Fordow—more than half of America’s known stockpile of such weapons.
In an effort to prepare for further fallout, Kuwait announced the activation of emergency shelters for government employees in case of regional escalation. Elsewhere, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned Hezbollah to stay out of the conflict, emphasizing Lebanon’s precarious position.
Russia condemned the strikes as a violation of international law and dispatched diplomats to meet Iranian officials. Moscow continues to maintain strong ties with Tehran, with Iranian foreign minister Araqchi expected to meet President Vladimir Putin in the coming days.
Despite the high drama, U.S. and Israeli officials have expressed confidence that Iran’s nuclear program has been decisively set back—possibly by years. Yet with Iran threatening to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the broader implications of these strikes remain uncertain.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters that most of the highly enriched uranium at Fordow was moved before the strike, but significant damage to facilities and equipment could halt the program’s momentum indefinitely.
As war clouds gather over the region, global leaders now face a stark choice: escalate and risk a wider war, or step back from the brink and revive diplomacy.
