U.S. Strikes Iranian Nuclear Sites in Surprise Attack, Trump Declares "Mission Accomplished"

In what President Donald Trump referred to as a "spectacular military success," the United States launched a surprise military strike on Iran late Saturday, targeting three of the country's strategic nuclear installations.

U.S. aircraft attacked sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, Iran. "All planes are now outside of Iran air space… a full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow," Trump said in an announcement of the operation posted on his social media channel, Truth Social.

"There will be either peace or tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days," Trump said in a televised speech, declaring Iran's enrichment capabilities "obliterated."

Although rumors suggest the deployment of 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles and B-2 bombers, the Pentagon has not formally verified the weaponry systems employed. According to officials quoted in the New York Times, Fordow was hit by 12 GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs.

Despite earlier this year's U.S. intelligence assessments that Iran was not developing a nuclear bomb, the attacks follow days of escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran. Trump did not justify the attack legally or point to an impending threat.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, issued a warning, saying that American intervention would harm the United States "far greater" than Iran. Iranian official media downplayed the fallout, stating that there was no discharge of radioactive material.

"Remember, there are many targets left" was Trump's subliminal threat as he concluded his remarks.

The United States maintains a significant presence in the region, with over 40,000 troops in the CENTCOM area and several naval units en route. According to reports, B-2 bombers launched from Diego Garcia, and the USS Carl Vinson and USS Nimitz carrier groups are in operation.