U.S. launches strikes on 3 Iranian nuclear facilities, Trump says

Washington — The United States launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, President Trump said Saturday evening. 

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. 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! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

The president plans to address the nation at 10 p.m. ET, and CBS News will have live coverage in the video player above.

In a follow-up post, Mr. Trump wrote: “This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISTAEL (sic), AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!” 

Iran has pledged to retaliate if the U.S. joined the Israeli assault, which began with airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites and military targets on June 13. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities.

Fordo, the site of an enrichment facility that international experts believe is key to Iran’s nuclear program, is buried almost 300 feet beneath a mountain and protected by significant air defenses. 

Experts have believed the best chance at destroying the facility lies with the U.S.-produced “bunker-buster” bomb known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP — a bomb is so heavy that it could only be dropped by an American B-2 bomber. 

A source familiar with the operation and a senior Defense Department official confirmed that the MOP was used in the strikes, with two MOPs used per target.

The U.S. reached out to Iran diplomatically Saturday to say the strikes are all the U.S. plans and that regime change efforts are not planned, the sources said. Earlier this week, multiple U.S. officials told CBS News that Mr. Trump opposed a plan to kill Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson was briefed ahead of the strikes, according to a source familiar.

Iranian state-run media acknowledged early Sunday morning that its Fordo nuclear site had been attacked, activating air defenses, according to the Associated Press. 

Earlier Saturday, multiple U.S. officials had confirmed to CBS News that B-2 bombers had departed Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri en route to Guam. Multiple U.S. aerial refueling tankers were spotted on commercial flight trackers flying flight patterns consistent with escorting aircraft from the central U.S. to the Pacific.

The U.S. strikes come after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with European officials in Geneva Friday and said he was open to further dialogue. 

“Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again,” Araghchi said, adding, “I stress that Iran’s defense capabilities are not negotiable. (But) I express our readiness to meet again in the near future.”

On Thursday, the president said he would decide whether to strike Iran “within the next two weeks.” One source told CBS News at the time that Mr. Trump “believes there’s not much choice. Finishing the job means destroying Fordo.”

Margaret Brennan,

James LaPorta and

Jennifer Jacobs

contributed to this report.