Photo: AFP / Satellite Image Maxar Technologies

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says the US “must receive a response for their aggression”, following yesterday’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites.

The US President Donald Trump claimed the strikes were a “spectacular military success” and warned Iran could face more attacks if it didn’t “make peace”.

So where do things stand now? Kathryn speaks with the BBC’s MidEast correspondent Seb Usher.

David Smith is The Guardian’s Washington DC correspondent and joins Kathryn to talk about the US President’s decision to carry out the strikes and American domestic reaction to it.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows a close up view of holes and craters on a ridge at Fordo enrichment facility in Iran after US strikes on June 22. Maxar Technologies/AP

The US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facility in Fordow left it with “very significant damage,” according to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but he cautioned the extent of the damage was still to be determined.

“We will examine the situation,” Netanyahu said, “and in any case, we will ensure that there is no threat from these nuclear facilities.”

Multiple massive “bunker-buster” bombs were launched at Fordow, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said at a previous news conference. The nuclear facility, located near the Iranian city of Qom, is built inside a mountain and heavily guarded.

Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded news conference with several local and international journalists there were no conditions placed on the US bombing operation, and that Israel did not have to commit to end the war in Gaza in exchange for American bombers targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“President (Donald) Trump didn’t put any conditions. This is not the nature of our relationship, I have to say,” said Netanyahu. “We speak openly. We speak as friends, genuine friends. And he’s a great leader. He makes the decisions for America.”

He added he was notified of the attack in advance. “That’s natural. Just as he knew in advance when we would act, we knew in advance when he would act,” Netanyahu said.

Asked by CNN where Iran’s stockpile of 400 kilograms of enriched uranium was, Netanyahu said Israel had what he called “interesting intel” about where it may be.

“We’ve been following that very closely,” Netanyahu said. “I can tell you that it’s an important component of a nuclear program. It’s not the sole component. It’s not a sufficient component. But it’s an important component. But we have interesting intel on that with … you’ll excuse me if I don’t share with you.”

War in Gaza: Netanyahu also said the efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza continue, stressing that Israel accepts the proposal put forward by US envoy Steve Witkoff.

“The contacts are continuing as we speak, all the time. We’re obviously focused on Iran, but we never forget Gaza, we never forget our hostages,” he said.

“The operation in Iran is helping to achieve the goal in Gaza,” Netanyahu asserted. He said Iran can no longer support Hamas, which could hasten the militant group’s demise, comparing it to the collapse of Hezbollah.

Alarm grows after the US inserts itself into Israel’s war against Iran with strikes on nuclear sites

For the entirety of his time in office, President Trump has consistently stated for over 10 years. That Iran must not get *** nuclear weapon, full stop. Thanks to President Trump’s bold and visionary leadership and his commitment to peace through strength, Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated. Many presidents have dreamed of delivering the final blow to Iran’s nuclear program. And none could. Until President Trump. The operation President Trump planned was bold, and it was brilliant. Showing the world that American deterrence is back when this president speaks, the world should listen and the US military. We can back it up. The most powerful military the world has ever known. No other country on planet Earth could have conducted the operation that the chairman is gonna outline this morning, not even close. Um, just like Soleimani found out in the first term, Iran found out when POTUS says 60 days that he seeks peace and negotiation, he means 60 days of peace and negotiation, otherwise. That nuclear program, that nuclear capability will not exist. He meant it. This is not the previous administration. The President Trump said no nukes. He seeks peace And Iran should take that path. Uh, he sent out *** truth last night saying this. Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight. Signed the President of the United States Donald J. Trump. Iran would be smart to heed those words. He’s said it before and he means it. I want to give recognition to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Uh, the joint staff, General Eric Krilla at CENTCOM, who did *** phenomenal job, he and his staff, all of CENTCOM policy across the board. This was *** joint effort and across the Pentagon effort. I want to recognize the pilots. Who flew those bombers. Who flew those fighters. Who flew those refuelers. Warriors. I want to recognize the sailors on those destroyers in those subs on those carriers, warriors, all of them. I want to recognize our soldiers doing air defense, base defense QRF warriors, all of them every American involved in this operation performed flawlessly. And I wanna give recognition to our allies in Israel as well. This is *** plan that took months and weeks of positioning and preparation so that we could be ready when the President of the United States called. It took *** great deal of precision. It involved misdirection. And the highest of operational security. Our B-2s went in and out of downtown Tehran, not Tehran, excuse me, of these nuclear sites in and out and back without the world knowing at all. In that way, it was historic. *** strike that included the longest B-2 spirit bomber mission since 2001 and the first operational employment of the MOP. *** massive ordinance penetrator. The mission demonstrated to the world, the level of joint and allied integration that speak to the strength of our alliance and our joint forces. As President Trump has stated, the United States does not seek war, but let me be clear. We will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners, or our interests are threatened. Iran should listen to the president of the United States and know that he means it, every word. I want to give congratulations to our commander in chief. It was an honor to watch him lead last night and throughout and to our great American warriors on this successful operation. God bless our troops. God bless America, and we give glory to God for His providence and continue to ask for his protection.

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The world grappled Sunday with the enormous implications after the United States inserted itself into Israel’s war against Iran with an attack that raised urgent questions about what remained of Tehran’s nuclear program and how its weakened military might respond.Some observers warned that the future of worldwide efforts to contain the spread of nuclear weapons would be at stake in the days ahead.Video above: Pentagon officials speak on Operation Midnight HammerIran lashed out at the U.S. for crossing “a very big red line” with its risky decision to strike three Iranian nuclear sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.“The U.S. has attacked us; what would you do in such a situation? Naturally, they must receive a response to their aggression,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a call with France’s leader, according to the president’s website.Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, told an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council that the U.S. “decided to destroy diplomacy,” and that the Iranian military will decide the “timing, nature and scale” of the country’s “proportionate response.”Fears of a wider regional conflict loomed large. Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said any country used by the U.S. to strike Iran ”will be a legitimate target for our armed forces,” the state-run IRNA news agency reported.Video below: Iranian foreign minister says it would be ‘very dangerous’ if United States is involved in war with IsraelThe Trump administration sent a clear message that it wanted to restart diplomatic talks with Iran. “Let’s meet directly,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with CBS. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. “does not seek war.”But Tehran said the time for diplomacy had passed and that it has the right to defend itself. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was flying to Moscow to coordinate with close ally Russia.President Donald Trump, who acted without congressional authorization, earlier warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces. Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East.The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed attacks on the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities, as well as the Isfahan nuclear site. Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination around them.Trump claimed the U.S. “completely and fully obliterated” the sites, but the Pentagon reported “sustained, extremely severe damage and destruction.” Israeli army spokesman Effie Defrin said “the damage is deep,” but an assessment with the U.S. continued.“We are very close to achieving our goals” in removing Iran’s nuclear and missile threats, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Sunday.The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, told the U.N. Security Council that no one was in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordo, which is dug deep into a mountain, but visible craters tracked with the U.S. announcements. He said IAEA inspectors should be allowed to look at the sites. The U.N. nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors planned to hold an emergency meeting Monday.Grossi stressed that a path for diplomacy remained, but if that fails, “violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels,” and global efforts at nuclear nonproliferation “could crumble.”With the attack that was carried out without detection, the United States inserted itself into a war it spent decades trying to avoid. Success could mean ending Iran’s nuclear ambitions and eliminating the last significant state threat to the security of Israel, its close ally. Failure — or overreach — could plunge the U.S. into another long and unpredictable conflict.Video below: How it happened: Pentagon officials give details on Iran strikesFor Iran’s supreme leader, it could mark the end of a campaign to transform the Islamic Republic into a greater regional power that holds enriched nuclear material a step away from weapons-grade. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last spoke publicly on Wednesday, warning the U.S. that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them.”Iran, battered by Israel’s largest-ever assault on it that began on June 13, has limited options for retaliation, as key allies have mostly stayed out of the conflict. It could attack U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East with the missiles and rockets that Israel hasn’t destroyed. It could attempt to close a key bottleneck for global oil supplies, the Strait of Hormuz, between it and the United Arab Emirates.Or it could hurry to develop a nuclear weapon with what remains of its program. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said its program will not be stopped.New questions about Iran’s nuclear stockpileIran has long maintained that its nuclear program was peaceful, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb. However, Trump and Israeli leaders have argued that Iran could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon.Israel has significantly degraded Iran’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities and damaged its nuclear enrichment facilities. But only the U.S. military has the bunker-buster bombs that officials believe offered the best chance of destroying sites deep underground.A total of 14 of the bombs were used on Natanz and Fordo, according to the Pentagon. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 75 precision-guided weapons were used, including missiles fired from a submarine.Video below: Full Remarks: President Donald Trump speaks on U.S. striking IranThe strike on Fordo, which is dug deep into a mountain, raised an urgent question: What has happened to Iran’s stockpile of uranium and centrifuges?Satellite images taken by Planet Labs PBC after the U.S. strikes, analyzed by The Associated Press, show damage to the facility.The images suggest Iran packed the entrance tunnels to Fordo with dirt and had trucks at the facility ahead of the strikes. Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites.Before the Israeli military campaign began, Iran said it had declared a third, unknown site as a new enrichment facility.“Questions remain as to where Iran may be storing its already enriched stocks … as these will have almost certainly been moved to hardened and undisclosed locations, out of the way of potential Israeli or U.S. strikes,” said Darya Dolzikova, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute focused on nonproliferation issues.“It is also unclear what secret facilities may exist inside Iran that Tehran could use” for weapons-related activities.Global leaders responded with shock and calls for restraint. Egypt warned of “grave repercussions” for the region. Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Middle East-based Fifth Fleet, called on Iran and the U.S. to “quickly resume talks.”Trump’s decision and the risksThe decision to attack was a risky one for Trump, who won the White House partly on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts.But Trump also vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. He initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country’s leaders to give up its nuclear program.For Netanyahu, the strikes were the culmination of a decades-long campaign to get the U.S. to strike Israel’s chief regional rival and its disputed nuclear program. Netanyahu praised Trump, saying his decision “will change history.”Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with nuclear weapons, but the country has never acknowledged it.Iran and Israel trade more attacksIsrael’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Amir, called the U.S. attack a key “turning point” but added: “We still have targets to strike and objectives to complete.”Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it launched a barrage of 40 missiles at Israel, including its Khorramshahr-4, which can carry multiple warheads. Israeli authorities reported that more than 80 people suffered mostly minor injuries.Late Sunday, the Israeli military said it again struck military infrastructure sites in Tehran and western Iran.Explosions boomed in the afternoon in the port city of Bushehr, home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant, three semiofficial media outlets reported. Israel’s military said it struck missile launchers in Bushehr, Isfahan and Ahvaz, as well as a missile command center in the Yazd area where it said Khorramshahr missiles were stored.Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 865 people and wounded 3,396 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group said of those dead, it identified 363 civilians and 215 security force personnel.At Turkey’s border with Iran, one departing Iranian defended his country’s nuclear program.“We were minding our own business,” Behnam Puran said.At least 24 people in Israel have been killed and over 1,000 wounded.

From 5h ago 19.15 BST Rob Davies Iran’s parliament has voted to shut down the vital Hormuz shipping channel in retaliation against Donald Trump’s attack on the country, prompting fears of a sharp spike in oil prices that could cause a global recession. A barrel of Brent crude was selling for about $77 on Friday, having risen by more than 10% since mid-June when Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear sites prompted missile strikes from Tehran against Tel Aviv. But Trump’s decision to follow Israel by launching a US attack on Iran has set off a chain of events that analysts warned could drive prices up much further when markets open at 11pm UK time on Sunday. A fifth of the world’s oil consumption flows through the strait of Hormuz, which is a gateway out of the Persian Gulf. The vote, reported by Reuters, is not binding because the final decision rests with Iran’s supreme national security council. But analysts were already predicting an spike of up to $5 before the result of the vote was known. For the full story, click here: Price of oil could spike after Iran’s parliament votes to close key shipping route Read more Share

4m ago 23.51 BST Eva Corlett New Zealand is sending a C-130J Hercules aircraft to the Middle East as part of efforts to evacuate New Zealand citizens, once airspace reopens. Foreign affairs minister Winston Peters said on Sunday he was “seriously concerned” about the risks to New Zealanders in Iran and Israel. He said: Airspace has been closed since the beginning of the current conflict, and it is highly uncertain when it will reopen. That is why we continue to recommend that New Zealanders do everything they can to leave now if they can find a safe route. Peters said it will not be safe for everyone to leave Iran and Israel and many people will not have access to transport or fuel. He added: If you are in this situation you should shelter in place, follow appropriate advice from local authorities and stay in touch with family and friends where possible. Defence minister Judith Collins said the Hercules aircraft will be on stand-by to assist, and the government is also in discussion with commercial airlines to assess how they can help. She said: Airspace in Israel and Iran remains heavily restricted, which means getting people out by aircraft is not yet possible. But by positioning an aircraft and defence and foreign affairs personnel in the region, we may be able to do more when airspace reopens. The ministers called for diplomacy and dialogue in the region and said it was critical further escalation was avoided. Share

18m ago 23.37 BST UN chief António Guterres warned on Sunday against yet “another cycle of destruction” and retaliation after the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which he said marked a “perilous turn” in the region, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The secretary-general told an emergency meeting of the UN security council: I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East. The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation. Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), also called for restraint as he voiced fears over “potential widening” of the conflict. He said: We have a window of opportunity to return to dialogue and diplomacy. If that window closes, violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels and the global non-proliferation regime as we know it could crumble and fall. Share

29m ago 23.26 BST France is to send military A400M aircraft to Israel to fly any of its citizens who wish to leave out to Cyprus, the foreign and defence ministries announced on Sunday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The flights will be carried out subject to Israel’s clearance and will supplement the chartered civilian flights already operating, the ministries added. France has approximately 250,000 of its citizens in Israel, of whom 100,00 are registered on consular lists. A crisis team at the foreign ministry has received more than 4,500 phone calls over the last week. Earlier on Sunday, 160 French nationals, most of them vulnerable or in urgent situations, were flown back to Paris from Jordan accompanied by a ministry doctor. The ministry said more flights will follow. Share

44m ago 23.11 BST Israeli airline El Al on Sunday said it had received applications to leave the country from approximately 25,000 people in about a day, Reuters reports. Israel’s Airports Authority said rescue flights to the country would expand starting on Monday, with 24 a day from various destinations, although each flight would be limited to 50 passengers. El Al said it would start servicing eight international destinations on Monday after getting the big wave of requests to leave the country. Air France KLM said it has cancelled flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh on Sunday and Monday. Singapore Airlines said it cancelled flights from Singapore to Dubai after a security assessment and British Airways cancelled flights to and from Dubai and Doha. Those cancellations were only for Sunday, but Singapore Airlines said other flights between Singapore and Dubai may be affected as the situation remains “fluid”. Share

1h ago 22.59 BST The Israeli army said on Sunday that it attacked a surface-to-air missile launcher in Tehran in its latest wave of attacks in west Iran and the country’s capital. The army said in a post on X: About 20 IAF fighters recently attacked military targets in Iran under the precise guidance of the Intelligence Directorate, using more than 30 weapons. In addition, a surface-to-air missile launcher was attacked in the heart of Tehran. Share

1h ago 22.49 BST Iran’s ambassador to the UN on Sunday criticised the United States for its strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. Amir Saeid Iravani told the UN security council: The United States, a permanent member of this Council … has now once again resorted to illegal force, waged a war against my country, under a fabricated and absurd pretext: preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. View image in fullscreen Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, attends a meeting of the UN security council at the UN headquarters in New York City, US, on 22 June 2025. Photograph: Eduardo Muñoz/Reuters Share Updated at 22.53 BST

1h ago 22.40 BST Israeli strikes attacked several parts of north-west Iran on Sunday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The strikes targeted “two locations in the south-western part of Tabriz” city, capital of the East Azerbaijan province, ISNA news agency reported, quoting Majid Farshi, the province’s crisis management authority chief. It was not immediately clear what locations were targeted but Farshi said the air-defence systems had been activated to counter the attack. Share

1h ago 22.33 BST Reuters reports that the office of UK prime minister Keir Starmer said that he had spoken to US president Donald Trump this evening. A Downing Street spokesperson said Starmer and Trump discussed the situation in the Middle East, and the need for Iran to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible. Share

1h ago 22.25 BST Trump suggests regime change to ‘make Iran great again’ US president Donald Trump on Sunday questioned the possibility of regime change in Iran following US military strikes against key Iran military sites over the weekend. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: It’s not politically correct to use the term, “Regime Change,” but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!! The president said in another post that the damage to the nuclear sites in Iran was said to be “monumental”. He described the hits as “hard and accurate” while thanking the US military for the “great skill” it had shown. Trump added that the B-2 pilots that had conducted the strikes had recently landed safely in Missouri. View image in fullscreen A B-2 bomber arrives at Whiteman air force base in Missouri, US, on 22 June 2025. Photograph: David Smith/AP Share Updated at 23.22 BST

2h ago 22.08 BST At least three people were killed on Sunday after an ambulance was hit in an Israeli strike in central Iran, local media reported, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The ISNA news agency reported, quoting Hamidreza Mohammadi Fesharaki, the governor of Najafabad county in the central Isfahan province: The ambulance … was en route to transfer a patient when it was severely damaged by a drone strike. All occupants of the ambulance – including the driver, the patient, and the patient’s companion – were martyred. The impact of the drone caused the ambulance to veer off course and collide with a passing vehicle. Share Updated at 22.11 BST

2h ago 22.01 BST Summary Here’s a look at where things stand: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is very close to meeting its goals in Iran of removing the threats of ballistic missiles and the nuclear programme. Speaking to Israeli reporters, he said: “We won’t pursue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve them, but we also won’t finish too soon. When the objectives are achieved, then the operation is complete and the fighting will stop.”

The UK, France and Germany have released a joint statement following American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying that they call upon Iran to engage in negotiations leading to agreement that addresses all concerns associated with its nuclear program. The three countries also urged Iran “not to take any further action that could destabilize the region”, adding: “We have consistently been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and can no longer pose a threat to regional security.”

Iran’s health ministry said that the US strikes on its nuclear facilities had wounded an unspecified number of people but that none “showed any signs of radioactive contamination”. “For years, the ministry of health has set up nuclear emergency units in the nearest medical facilities to nuclear sites,” ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour said on X.

Israel said that its fighter jets had struck “dozens” of targets across Iran on Sunday, including a long-range missile site in Yazd in the centre of the country for the first time, Agence France Presse reports. A military statement said that “approximately 30 IAF (air force) fighter jets struck dozens of military targets throughout Iran” – including “the ‘Imam Hussein’ Strategic Missile Command Center in the Yazd area, where long-range Khorramshahr missiles were stored”.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that “there are no planned military operations right now against Iran.” In a new interview with CBS, Rubio added that “no one will know for days” whether Iran had moved some of its nuclear materials prior to the strikes.

Iran’s parliament has reportedly approved the closing of the key strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Reuters reported Iran’s supreme national security council will make the final decision on the move, which could hamstring global trade by shutting the narrow passage between Iran and Oman.

Pete Hegseth , the US secretary of defence, said the impact of the air strikes was still being assessed, but that the bombing had hit the areas that had been identified in the planning of the operation. Hegseth said: “The battle damage assessment is ongoing, but our initial assessment as the chairman said is that all of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike, and had the desired effect.”

Pete Hegseth praised Donald Trump’s leadership, and said he had overseen the “obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Hegseth said: “Many presidents have dreamed of delivering the final blow to Iran’s nuclear program, and none could until President Trump.” Share Updated at 22.04 BST

3h ago 20.52 BST Entrances to tunnels at Iran’s sprawling Isfahan nuclear complex were hit in US military strikes overnight, the UN nuclear watchdog said in a statement on Sunday. “We have established that entrances to underground tunnels at the site were impacted,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said, Reuters reports. Share

3h ago 20.27 BST Netanyahu: Israel ‘very, very close’ to removing Iran’s threats of ballistic missiles and nuclear programme Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is very close to meeting its goals in Iran of removing the threats of ballistic missiles and the nuclear programme. Speaking to Israeli reporters, he said: “We won’t pursue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve them, but we also won’t finish too soon. When the objectives are achieved, then the operation is complete and the fighting will stop. “I have no doubt that this is a regime that wants to wipe us out, and that’s why we embarked on this operation to eliminate the two concrete threats to our existence: the nuclear threat, the ballistic missile threat. We are moving step by step towards achieving these goals. We are very, very close to completing them,” Netanyahu added. Share Updated at 20.35 BST

4h ago 19.59 BST Asal* had been expecting the US to bomb Iran, just not so soon. The 22-year-old Tehran University student had believed Donald Trump when his administration said on Thursday that it would wait up to two weeks before deciding whether to attack Iran, apparently to give diplomacy a chance. The Guardian’s William Christou, Shah Meer Baloch and Deepa Parent report: And so at 4am when the newscaster announced the bombing on TV, Asal was in disbelief. She rushed to wake her father and the rest of the family, who huddled together in front of the set as the sounds of the news blended with those of bombings elsewhere in the city. “We weren’t expecting it yet. But we knew one way or another the US would take part in it,” Asal told the Guardian from Tehran. “We are dead worried. You know, sleep doesn’t come so easy these past few days.” Iranians woke to the news on Sunday morning that the unthinkable had finally happened: the US had attacked Iran. In the early hours of the morning, American warplanes dropped so-called bunker busters weighing 13,500kg (30,000lb) on the nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. The news was met with panic in Iran. It prompted a renewed wave of displacement in Tehran as people feared a more intensified assault on the city now that the US was involved. For the full story, click here: ‘We weren’t expecting it yet’: US attack met with panic in Iran Read more Share

4h ago 19.36 BST The UK foreign minister David Lammy said that he has spoken to his Iranian and Israeli counterparts on Sunday and said that he “urged a diplomatic, negotiated solution to end this crisis”. “Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. The US has now taken action to alleviate that threat,” Lammy added. Share Updated at 19.39 BST

5h ago 19.15 BST Rob Davies Iran’s parliament has voted to shut down the vital Hormuz shipping channel in retaliation against Donald Trump’s attack on the country, prompting fears of a sharp spike in oil prices that could cause a global recession. A barrel of Brent crude was selling for about $77 on Friday, having risen by more than 10% since mid-June when Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear sites prompted missile strikes from Tehran against Tel Aviv. But Trump’s decision to follow Israel by launching a US attack on Iran has set off a chain of events that analysts warned could drive prices up much further when markets open at 11pm UK time on Sunday. A fifth of the world’s oil consumption flows through the strait of Hormuz, which is a gateway out of the Persian Gulf. The vote, reported by Reuters, is not binding because the final decision rests with Iran’s supreme national security council. But analysts were already predicting an spike of up to $5 before the result of the vote was known. For the full story, click here: Price of oil could spike after Iran’s parliament votes to close key shipping route Read more Share

US President Donald Trump has threatened to topple the Iranian government in a late night Truth Social post.

“It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!” Trump wrote.

It comes as Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations says the US has “destroyed diplomacy” in the wake of its surprise attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities yesterday .

READ MORE: Missiles hit Israel after Iran launches retaliatory strikes 

Protesters chant slogans as one of them holds up a poster of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a protest following the US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran. (AP)

Iran lashed out at the US for crossing “a very big red line” with its risky decision to strike three Iranian nuclear sites with missiles and 13-ton bunker-buster bombs.

“The US has attacked us; what would you do in such a situation? Naturally, they must receive a response to their aggression,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a call with France’s leader, according to the president’s website.

Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, told an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council that the US “decided to destroy diplomacy,” and that the Iranian military would decide the “timing, nature and scale” of the country’s “proportionate response.”

Fears of a wider regional conflict loomed large. Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said any country used by the US to strike Iran “will be a legitimate target for our armed forces,” the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

A regime change or negotiating tactic?

Trump’s talk of a “regime change” and Iran’s response come after US officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that America “does not seek war”.

Hegseth spoke at a Pentagon briefing on Sunday morning (about 10pm AEST) alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, who revealed fresh details about the mission codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer .

The mission involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance, Hegseth and Caine said.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says that America “does not seek war” with Iran. (AP)

“This mission was not and has not been about regime change,” Hegseth added.

Iran’s nuclear ambitions “have been obliterated”, he said.

“The order we received from our commander in chief was focused, it was powerful, and it was clear,” Hegseth said from the Pentagon podium.

“We devastated the Iranian nuclear program, but it’s worth noting the operation did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people. … Thanks to President Trump’s bold and visionary leadership and his commitment to peace through strength, Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated.”

Final battle damage being assessed

Caine said the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved.

“Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” Caine said.

Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier on Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians.

He added that the US used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s most powerful nuclear site.

Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine speaks at the Pentagon in Washington. (AP)

He said that all of these tactics helped the US drop the bombs without tipping off Iran’s fighter jets or its air missile systems.

US ‘wants to negotiate with Iran’

US Vice President JD Vance said the strikes had given Tehran a renewed chance of negotiating with Washington.

He told NBC’s Meet the Press that while he would not discuss “sensitive intelligence about what we’ve seen on the ground”, he felt “very confident that we’ve substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon”.

Pressed further, he said that “I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time. I think that it’s going to be many many years before the Iranians are able to develop a nuclear weapon”.

The vice president said the US had “negotiated aggressively” with Iran to try to find a peaceful settlement and that Trump made his decision after assessing the Iranians were not acting “in good faith”.

US Vice President JD Vance, on the left, said the strikes had given Tehran a renewed chance of negotiating with Washington. (AP)

“I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbors, not to a threat to the United States and if they’re willing to do that, the United States is all ears,” Vance said.

He said it would make sense for Iran to come to the negotiating table and give up their nuclear weapons program over the long term. “If they’re willing to do that, they’re going to find a willing partner in the United States of America,” he said, describing a possible chance of a “reset” for Tehran. 

Hegseth said the US was making multiple efforts to communicate with Iranian officials following the strikes as President Donald Trump and his top lieutenants called on the country to negotiate a diplomatic path forward.

“I can only confirm that there are both public and private messages being directly delivered to the Iranians in multiple channels, giving them every opportunity to come to the table,” Hegseth said.

He continued, “They understand precisely what the American position is, precisely what steps they can take to allow for peace, and we hope they do so.”

Iran says US ‘crossed a very big red line’

Iran has criticised the US strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and international law.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on Sunday that Washington was “fully responsible” for whatever actions Tehran may take in response.

“They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,” he said at a news conference in Turkey.

“I don’t know how much room is left for diplomacy.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (AP)

Both Russia and China condemned the US attack. Araghchi said he would travel to Moscow later on Sunday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading beyond the Middle East to “a global level”.

Operation Midnight Hammer timeline

Midnight ET (2pm on Sunday AEST): The operation began overnight Friday into Saturday morning, Caine said at a Pentagon news conference. As B-2 bombers launched from the US, some headed west as a decoy while the rest “proceeded quietly to the east with minimal communications throughout the 18-hour flight”.

About 5pm ET (7am on Sunday AEST): Caine said a US submarine “launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles against key surface infrastructure targets” at the Isfahan nuclear site in Iran.

As the B-2s entered Iranian airspace, the US “employed several deception tactics, including decoys, as the fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface-to-air missile threats,” Caine said.

He added that upon approach of the Natanz and Fordow facilities, the US employed “high-speed suppression weapons” with fighter aircraft to “ensure safe passage” of the B-2 bombers.

About 6.40pm ET (8.40am on Sunday AEST): The lead B-2 bomber launched two massive bunker-buster bombs at Fordow nuclear site, Caine said, and the “remaining bombers then hit their targets”.

Those additional targets were struck, Caine said, “between 6.40pm ET and 7.05pm ET” (8.40am and 9.05am on Sunday AEST).

That places the timing of these attacks about 2.10am local time in Iran on Sunday.

In total, Caine said, 16 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators were dropped — two from the lead B-2 on Fordow, and 14 more from the remaining bombers against the two other sites.

Flight back to US: The US military then “began its return home”, Caine said, noting that no shots were fired by Iran at the US on the way in or out.