US President Donald Trump addresses the nation, alongside US Vice President JD Vance (L), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2nd R) and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R), from the White House in Washington, DC on June 21, 2025, following the announcement that the US bombed nuclear sites in Iran. © Carlos Barria

President Donald Trump said US air strikes on Sunday “totally obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites, as Washington joined Israel’s war with Tehran in a flashpoint moment for the Middle East.

In a televised address to the nation from the White House, Trump warned that the United States would go after more targets if Iran did not make peace quickly.

The intervention by a US president who had vowed to avoid another “forever war” in the region threatens to dramatically widen the conflict, with Iran having said it would retaliate if Washington got involved.

“Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success,” said Trump, adding that they targeted the crucial underground nuclear enrichment plant of Fordo along with facilities at Natanz and Isfahan.

“Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran the bully of the Middle East must now make peace,” said Trump.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on the strikes, saying that “with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history.”

But the Republican’s decision to strike Iran came far sooner.

Flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump said that future attacks would be “far greater” unless Iran reached a diplomatic solution.

“Remember, there are many targets left,” he said.

Trump however made no mention of regime change, despite having warned last week that Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was an “easy target.”

The raid on the Iran nuclear sites was carried out by B-2 stealth bombers that dropped so-called “bunker buster bombs,” along with submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, US media reported.

Trump said earlier on his Truth Social site that a “full payload of BOMBS” was dropped on Fordo and said that “all planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors.”