LIVE Iran-Israel War: US did not attack Iranian nation, only its nuclear prog., says Vance

US President Donald Trump posted on social media site Truth Social late Saturday evening in the US (early Sunday morning in India) announcing US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency confirmed attacks on the country's Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites.

President Trump said the US military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel’s effort to decapitate Iran's nuclear programme. “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump said in his post. “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.”

Trump added in a later post that he would address the nation at 10.00 pm Eastern time (meant to be 7.30 am IST but the address was slightly delayed), writing, “This is a historic moment for the United States of America, Israel and the World. Iran must now agree to end this war. Thank you”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian and urged immediate de-escalation. Observers were quick to point out that the Indian PM is yet to speak to his ‘friends’, US President Donald Trump or Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

India has also maintained a studied silence on unconfirmed reports that Indian airspace was used by the US to attack Iran. Nor has it condemned the unprovoked attacks on Iran by Israel and the US. Right wing commentators like Sadanand Dhume, however, felt that a ‘defanged’ Iran was in India’s interest.

In a brief statement on Sunday night, the Chinese foreign ministry said the bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities, which were under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, seriously violated the United Nations Charter and its principles. It called on all parties, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible, ensure the safety of civilians and start dialogue. “China is willing to work with the international community to uphold justice and restore peace and stability in the Middle East,” the ministry said.

Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council is being held in New York on Sunday afternoon (approximately 1.30 am on Monday IST) to discuss the situation in the Middle East following the US strikes. The meeting has been convened at the request of Russia, China and Pakistan. Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin has also begun in Moscow.

“If the Iranians attack us, they are going to be met with overwhelming force…We did not attack the nation of Iran. We did not attack any civilian targets. We did not even attack military targets outside of the three nuclear weapons facilities.

“We do not want a regime change...we want to end their nuclear programme and then we want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement...This is a reset, this is an opportunity for the Iranians to take the smart path."

Thus spake US vice-president J.D. Vance to a TV interviewer on Sunday morning in Washington DC (evening in India). Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox TV: “This is not a war against Iran…that was an Iranian choice, we didn’t make that choice, they did…look, if they retaliate, it'll be the worst mistake they've ever made. We can fly in and out of Iran at will."

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is flying to Moscow to brief Russia on ongoing developments. Before leaving, he made the following statement:

• Everyone should know that we pursued diplomacy, but the US and the Zionist regime launched aggressive attacks on Iran and its people, and we will use all our capabilities to defend ourselves.

• It’s illogical to demand from Iran a return to diplomacy.

• I don't know how much room remains for diplomacy after our nuclear facilities were bombed by the US & Israel.

• The US is not diplomatic and only understands the language of force and threats. They have shown that they do not respect the international charter and international law and do not adhere to any of them.

• NPT has failed to protect us.

• I will head to Moscow to meet with President Putin. Russia is a friend of Iran and we have a strategic partnership with it

Following US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, says efforts to develop Iran's civilian nuclear sector will continue, according to an update by Al Jazeera.

“This is not the first time our facilities were attacked,” Kamalvandi told Iran’s YJC news agency. “Considering our capabilities, the nuclear industry must continue.”

Iran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only, and US intelligence agencies have also assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a nuclear bomb.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump conveyed his readiness to travel to Turkey and meet Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hours after the US bombed the three nuclear facilities in Iran, Trump seemed to indicate he was content for now and was looking forward to negotiations on a nuclear deal and ruled out any ‘regime change’ for the time being.

This does not square with Israel’s goal. It launched the unprovoked attack on Iran on 13 June precisely to prevent Iran and the US reaching a deal. It has openly called for the assassination of Khamenei to ‘end’ the war, which ironically it started.

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India on Sunday evacuated more than 300 Indian nationals from Iran. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said 311 Indians landed in Delhi on a special flight from the Iranian city of Mashhad. With the fresh batch of evacuees, the total number of those brought back from Iran now stands at 1,428.

India launched Operation Sindhu last week to bring back Indians from Iran and Israel in view of increasing hostilities between the two nations. The tensions escalated significantly following the US bombing of three major Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday morning.

India has evacuated its nationals on chartered flights operated from Mashhad, the Armenian capital of Yerevan and the Turkmenistan capital of Ashgabat since Wednesday.

Iran lifted airspace restrictions on Friday to facilitate three chartered flights from Mashhad.

The first flight landed in New Delhi late on Friday with 290 Indians, and the second landed on Saturday afternoon with 310. Another flight arrived from Yerevan on Thursday. A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat landed in New Delhi early on Saturday morning.

Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian President and deputy chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, has asked this question on X and provided 10 pointers:

What have the Americans accomplished with their nighttime strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran?

1. Critical infrastructure of the nuclear fuel cycle appears to have been unaffected or sustained only minor damage

2. The enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue

3. A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads

4. Israel is under attack, explosions are rocking the country, and people are panicking

 5. The US is now entangled in a new conflict, with prospects of a ground operation looming on the horizon

6. Iran’s political regime has survived — and in all likelihood, has come out even stronger

7. The people are rallying around the country’s spiritual leadership, including those who were previously indifferent or opposed to it

8. Donald Trump, once hailed as a ‘president of peace,’ has now pushed the US into another war

9. The vast majority of countries around the world oppose the actions of Israel and the United States

10. At this rate, Trump can forget about the Nobel Peace Prize — not even with how rigged it has become. What a way to kick things off, Mr. President. Congratulations!

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has said the recent strikes on Iran were “intentionally limited” in scope, and urged Tehran to return to the negotiating table.

Speaking to reporters, Hegseth said Iran had been given “every opportunity” through public and private channels to engage diplomatically. “They know precisely what steps they can take to meet US demands,” he added.

The US and Iran had been engaged in nuclear talks before Israel’s surprise strike on Iran earlier this month, which Washington publicly supported.

While describing the operation as restrained, Hegseth warned that the US military’s capabilities remain “nearly unlimited”.

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites had “devastated” the country’s nuclear programme and warned Tehran to choose diplomacy over further confrontation.

Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said the overnight operation, ordered by President Donald Trump, had deliberately avoided targeting Iranian troops or civilians. “We devastated the Iranian nuclear programme,” he said.

“President Trump seeks peace, and Iran should take that path,” Hegseth added, according to AFP.

Top US Democrats have demanded that President Donald Trump provide “clear answers” to Congress and the public following the airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the strikes on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan risk dragging the US into a broader conflict and called for the enforcement of the War Powers Act to limit presidential authority on military action.

“No president should unilaterally march the nation into war without strategy or authorisation,” Schumer said. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi echoed the concerns, accusing Trump of bypassing Congress and endangering American lives.

French President Emmanuel Macron has convened an emergency defence cabinet meeting following US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the Élysée Palace said on Sunday. Macron, who has already spoken with several leaders including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is expected to continue consultations with European and regional counterparts. France is also expediting efforts to assist its citizens wishing to leave Iran and Israel, the presidency added, Reuters reported.

Russia and Spain have sharply criticised the United States for its recent missile and drone strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, warning that the escalation risks further destabilising the Middle East.

In a strongly worded statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the attacks represented a “flagrant violation” of international law, the UN Charter, and Security Council resolutions. “We call for an end to the aggression and urge all parties to return to the path of diplomacy,” the ministry said. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected in Moscow on Monday to meet with President Vladimir Putin, according to AP News.

Spain also expressed deep concern. Speaking to broadcaster RTVE, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares warned that military action would not bring peace. “Only diplomacy can restore stability in the region. We call on all sides to return to the negotiating table,” he said as quoted by Cadena SER.

Meanwhile, experts say Iran may now re-evaluate its participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Political scientist Hassan Ahmadian told Al Jazeera that Iran could either withdraw from the treaty or adopt a position of “nuclear ambiguity,” arguing the agreement has failed to prevent attacks on its peaceful nuclear programme.

Foreign minister Araghchi echoed this frustration during an event in Istanbul, saying Iran remained committed to the NPT but questioned its effectiveness. “Why should countries like Iran rely on a treaty that cannot guarantee protection for peaceful nuclear activity?” he asked.

China's official media on Sunday criticised US bomb attacks on Iranian nuclear sites as a further step toward the abyss, while experts in Beijing said the American bunker-buster bombs used in strikes may not be enough to destroy Iran's nuclear plants hidden deep underground.

While China, which on Saturday called for a ceasefire between Iran and Israel to pause the war, is yet to officially react to the American airstrikes, a flash editorial in the state-run China Daily said the US unilateral military strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities constitute a reckless escalation and a flagrant violation of international law.

Such unilateralism undermines the rules-based international order and sets a dangerous "might-makes-right" precedent, it said. The strikes have only served to push the situation further toward the abyss, it said.

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The French foreign minister said on Sunday that his country did not take part in the US strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities. Jean-Noel Barrot said in a message on social media that France “has learned with concern” of the US military action against three nuclear sites.

“It was neither involved in these strikes nor in their planning,” Barrot said, adding that France “urges the parties to show restraint in order to avoid any escalation that could lead to an extension of the conflict.”

Barrot also reiterated France's opposition to Iran gaining access to nuclear weapons. “France is convinced that a lasting solution to this issue requires a negotiated solution within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” he said. “It remains ready to contribute to this in conjunction with its partners.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday conveyed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian India's "deep concern" over Iran's conflict with Israel and called for immediate de-escalation of the situation through "dialogue and diplomacy".

The phone conversation between Modi and Pezeshkian came hours after the US bombed three major nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan — in Iran, inserting itself into the Israel-Iran conflict.

In a social media post, Modi said he expressed "deep concern" at the recent escalations and that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward for early restoration of regional peace. "We discussed in detail about the current situation. Expressed deep concern at the recent escalations," Modi said.

"Reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability," the prime minister added.

Any blocking or disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea — will have significant global and regional impact, including for India's energy security, strategic affairs experts said on Sunday.

Following the US bombing of three major Iranian nuclear sites, Tehran has indicated that closing the Strait of Hormuz for shipping is one of the options on the table to pressure its adversaries.

Nearly 30 per cent of global oil and a third of the world's LNG (liquefied natural gas) passes through the strait daily and its closure would immediately reduce global supplies triggering a spike in prices, they said.

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The US strike on Iran fuelled fears that Israel's war with Tehran could escalate to a wider regional conflict, and other countries began reacting on Sunday, 22 June, with calls for diplomacy and words of caution.

US President Donald Trump had said on Thursday that he would decide within two weeks whether to get involved. In the end, it took just days, and Washington inserted itself into Israel's campaign with its early Sunday attack.

A flash commentary from China's government-run media asked whether the US is "repeating its Iraq mistake in Iran”.

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The Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), officially designated as GBU-57A/B, is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US military arsenal, specifically engineered to destroy deeply buried and hardened underground targets such as bunkers, nuclear facilities, and reinforced command centers. In short, a 'bunker buster'.

Only the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is capable of carrying and deploying the MOP. The B-2’s stealth capability allows it to evade radar and air defenses, making it the ideal platform for strikes on heavily protected sites like Iran's enrichment plant at Fordow. Each B-2 can carry up to two MOPs in its internal weapons bay.

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Iran is calling for an investigation into Sunday morning's US strikes on its nuclear facilities, according to a letter from the country’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi, Al Jazeera has reported citing Iran’s SNN news network.

Eslami has urged Grossi to condemn the US action and take steps, criticising Grossi for his “inaction and complicity”, and adding that Iran will pursue “appropriate legal measures”.

“This letter expresses its protest against the gross violation of international laws and regulations, especially the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT],” it said.

Earlier, Grossi had said he was calling an emergency meeting of the IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors following the US air strikes.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that no abnormal radiation levels have been recorded following the recent airstrikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities by the US.

In a post on X, the IAEA stated: "Following attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran — including Fordow — the IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time. IAEA will provide further assessments on situation in Iran as more information becomes available."

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“Well done, President Trump,” Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina posted on social media. Alabama Senator Katie Britt called the bombings “strong and surgical”. The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said Trump “has made a deliberate — and correct — decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime”, reported South China Morning Post on Sunday.

“This was a massive gamble by President Trump, and nobody knows yet whether it will pay off,” said Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York in a statement said, “No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy.”

Republican Representative Warren Davidson of Ohio posted that “while President Trump’s decision may prove just, it’s hard to conceive a rationale that’s constitutional”. Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, a long-time opponent of US involvement in foreign wars, also posted on social media that “this is not constitutional”.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, an outspoken supporter of Israel, however praised the attacks on Iran. “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS,” he posted. “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.”

Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said the bombings were “horrible judgment”. “I will push for all senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war,” Kaine said.

Democratic Representative Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also called on Congress to immediately pass a war powers resolution. He said politicians had always promised that “new wars in the Middle East would be quick and easy…then they sent other people’s children to fight and die endlessly,” Casar said, adding, “Enough.”

“Of the 14 Prime Ministers India has had so far, 13 of them — from Nehru to Shastri, Indira Gandhi.... Vajpayee and Dr Singh — would have unhesitatingly condemned Donald Trump's unprovoked attack on Iran. Will the 14th PM do so?’ asked peace activist and author Sudheendra Kulkarni in a post on X.  

As of 12.30 pm on Sunday, 22 June, there was no official reaction from India to the unprovoked and unilateral attack on Iran. Nor has India condemned Israel for its unilateral and unprovoked attack on Iran on 13 June. The official handles of @PMOIndia and @NarendraModi were silent, having last posted on Saturday on the International Day of Yoga event which PM Modi led in Visakhapatnam.

Sunday saw widespread destruction of property in large parts of Israel. In Haifa, an inquiry was launched to find out why air-raid alarms were not sounded.

Israeli media were instructed to blur images after Iranian missile strikes so as to prevent identification of targets. Still, several images seem to have evaded military censors and been shared by Iran’s state media and independent media handles sympathetic to Iran.

It is difficult to immediately ascertain the authenticity of the images, though Israel has acknowledged the missile strikes on Sunday morning, after the US bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran.

Sunday morning saw waves of Iranian missiles descending on Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. Iran appears to be avoiding striking at US assets in the region for the time being, and focusing attention instead on hitting Israel even harder. More shrill rhetoric and defiant messages have come out of Tehran during the last few hours, from Iranian defence forces and the nation's Revolutionary Guards.

One such statement reads, “The enemy is under the delusion that it has damaged our nuclear installations — but we had already uncovered its conspiracies back in March! We had moved all strategic materials to secure locations. Uranium is still fully under our control; the enemy is striking at mere smoke! This war is not a surprise for us — it was anticipated! We were ready, we are ready — and we will deliver a response that history will remember! ...we had already sharpened our swords (prepared for war) — now the time has come to draw them from their sheaths!”

Iranian media are reporting that ‘in a bold diplomatic shift, North Korea expresses readiness to supply nuclear weapons to Iran, claiming this step is crucial to achieving regional stability and lasting peace’.  

Former US combat veteran and analyst Douglas Macgregor too had claimed that Pakistan, the only Islamic country to possess nuclear weapons, may supply those weapons to another Muslim country, especially Iran, to be fitted to Iranian missiles.

“For many many years they have made it clear they would provide the Turks nuclear warheads. What no one expects is that a Sunni Muslim country of Pakistan, that has a certain amount of friction with Iran because it is a Shia Muslim state would also do the same thing for Iran, but I suspect they will,” he posted on Saturday, 21 June.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the "dangerous escalation" of the Iran conflict through US bombing of nuclear sites in that country can catastrophically get out of control.

In a statement minutes before US President Donald Trump's address to the nation on Saturday night, 21 June, Guterres said the attack was "a direct threat to international peace and security."

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Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 865 people and wounded 3,396 others, a human rights group said on Sunday.

The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists offered the figures, which covers the entirety of Iran. It said of those dead, it identified 363 civilians and 215 security force personnel being killed.

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Unless the US and Iran reach an agreement, the possibility that Iran will sit quiet after the US strikes seems remote, reports Al Jazeera, which cites reports from Israeli media talking about continuing Israeli strikes.

Simultaneously, Israel is bracing for an Iranian response, with restrictions on movement increased to the maximum. Air alerts have been activated across Israel and explosions have reportedly already been heard over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, Jordan's public security directorate has said air raid sirens have been activated in all of the country’s governorates, reports Al Jazeera

A spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, the unified combatant command headquarters of the Iranian armed forces, has said: "The delivery of any military or radar equipment by any country to assist the Zionist regime will be considered a legitimate target by the armed forces. The aggressor Zionist regime has lost a significant portion of its radar and defense capabilities and is facing a shortage of ammunition and equipment.

"We warn that any shipment of military or radar equipment, whether by ship or aircraft, from any country to assist the Zionist regime will be considered participation in aggression against Iran and will be deemed a legitimate target for the armed forces."

Iranian TV says no nuclear radiation is expected from the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, and all enriched uranium has been removed from the facilities in advance. The representative of Qom Province said, "The underground facilities of Fordow nuclear site has not been damaged, the damage is above ground."

Media network CBS says the US reached out to Iran “diplomatically” shortly before the attacks to say its action would be limited to the strikes on the nuclear facilities and that “regime change efforts are not planned”.

"Trump’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites were predictable, given the advance warning signalled by the B-2 bomber deployment and his earlier threats,” said Jesse Marks, CEO of Rihla Research & Adviser, a Washington-based geopolitical consultancy. “The true inflection point, however, will be the scale of destruction — this will likely determine whether Iran chooses to retaliate against US positions across the broader Middle East,” he said.

“For now, Trump appears to have opted for a limited strike, deliberately avoiding the deployment of US ground forces. This suggests a calibrated message: a clear intent to degrade Iran’s nuclear capabilities while still leaving space for future negotiations,” Marks said

In his first public remarks following the US airstrikes, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Washington of breaching international law.

“The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations,” Araghchi said in a social media post.

“The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.”

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a previously fervent Trump supporter who broke with the president over Iran in recent days, said the Iran-Israel conflict “is not our fight”.

“Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war,” she said on social media. “There would not be bombs falling on the people of Israel if Netanyahu had not dropped bombs on the people of Iran first. Israel is a nuclear armed nation. This is not our fight. Peace is the answer.”

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned the US attacks and demanded that Trump “immediately” brief Congress. “President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorisation for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East,” Jeffries said. “First, the Trump administration bears the heavy burden of explaining to the American people why this military action was undertaken. Second, Congress must be fully and immediately briefed in a classified setting.”

Jennifer Kavanagh, senior fellow and director of military analysis at Washington-based Defence Priorities, warned of the risk that Trump’s action “started a protracted bombing campaign”, depending on how Tehran responds.

“Iran will have to retaliate in some way, if only for its domestic audiences. The question is how strongly it retaliates and what targets it chooses,” she said. “It could try to strike US service members in the region, but knows this could pull the United States in more deeply, which it may want to avoid. It could instead hit oil facilities in US partner countries or try to block traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. This might not elicit as strong a US response but still would risk regional spillover. Iran will have to weigh its desire to retaliate with the costs it could face if the United States started a protracted bombing campaign.”

Iran indicated on Sunday its intention to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 per cent of the world's oil travels. This will be the easiest and the fastest retaliatory move by Iran and its allies to the US bombing.

“The Strait of Hormuz will be closed within a few hours”, Brigadier General Tangsiri, commander of the IRGC Navy, has been quoted as saying. Fuel ships will not pass to Europe through the Strait of Hormuz, says another Iranian official. There are close to 50 large oil tankers scrambling to leave the Strait of Hormuz right now. Looks like the oil industry is expecting the strait to be blockaded in the coming hours.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites are "a dangerous escalation" and "a direct threat to international peace and security", Xinhua news agency has reported.

"I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge -- and a direct threat to international peace and security," said Guterres in a statement.

There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control — with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region and the world, he said. Guterres called on UN member states to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law.

"At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace," he said. 

US President Donald Trump's address to the nation on Saturday evening local time (Sunday morning IST) has made it clear that Iran will face more military strikes if peace does not come quickly, according to Xinhua news agency.

Trump also said Iran's key nuclear facilities had been "completely and totally obliterated," and that future attacks will be "far greater and a lot easier".

"If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," he said.

"Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear capacity," he said, calling the US strikes a "spectacular" success. Trump said he decided a long time ago not to let Iran gain a nuclear weapon and that without peace, there will be "tragedy" for Iran that will far exceed what's taken place.

A prominent adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for missile strikes on US Navy ships and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route, according to CNN.

“Following America’s attack on the Fordow nuclear installation, it is now our turn,” warned Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of the hardline Kayhan newspaper, a well-known conservative voice who has previously identified himself as Khamenei’s 'representative'.

A Telegram message from Kayhan quoted Shariatmadari as saying: “Without hesitation or delay, as a first step we must launch missile strikes on the American naval fleet based in Bahrain and simultaneously close the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French shipping.”

There has been no official response yet from Khamenei to the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

No radioactive traces have been detected in the environment of the kingdom or the Arab Gulf states as a result of US strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, Saudi Arabia’s nuclear regulator said in a social media post on Sunday, as reported by Reuters.

Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation has issued a statement saying:

“At dawn today the country’s nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan were attacked in a brutal act that violates international law, especially the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). This action, which is against international law, unfortunately took place under the indifference — or even complicity — of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The American enemy, through social media posts by the President of that country, has claimed responsibility for the attack on the mentioned sites, which are under the continuous supervision of the IAEA according to the Safeguards Agreement and the NPT.

"It is expected that the international community, while condemning this lawlessness rooted in the rules of the jungle, will stand by Iran in reclaiming its legitimate rights. The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran assures the great nation of Iran that, despite the malicious conspiracies of its enemies, with the efforts of thousands of its revolutionary and motivated scientists and specialists, it will not allow the development of this national industry — founded on the blood of nuclear martyrs — to be halted. This organisation has placed on its agenda all necessary actions, including legal follow-ups, to defend the rights of the noble Iranian people.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s decision to attack in a video message directed at the American president. “Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,” he said. Netanyahu said the U.S. “has done what no other country on earth could do,” he said in a televised address.

The decision to directly involve the US in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country’s air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But US and Israeli officials have said American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,500-kg) bunker buster bombs offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear programme buried deep underground.

The Associated Press reported that Trump had told reporters on Friday that he was not interested in sending ground forces into Iran, saying it’s “the last thing you want to do”. He had previously indicated that he would make a final choice over the course of two weeks. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation.

Fox News host Sean Hannity said shortly after 9.00 pm Eastern time that he had spoken with Trump and that six bunker buster bombs were used on the Fordow facility. Hannity said 30 Tomahawk missiles fired by US submarines 400 miles away struck the Iranian nuclear sites of Natanz and Isfahan.