In times of difficulty, the world takes recourse in humour. Proving this point without a doubt is the sheer number of World War III memes that have cropped up on social media ever since the US military struck three nuclear sites in Iran early Sunday. World War III memes flood social media after USA’s strikes on Iran.

U President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States has “completed a successful attack” at three Iranian locations – Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. He warned Iran against carrying out retaliatory attacks, saying the US could hit more targets “with precision, speed and skill.”

The strikes signal the United States directly joining Israel ’s war aimed at decapitating the country’s nuclear programme, reported AP.

World War III memes flood social media

The strikes have also led to fears of World War 3 in the offing. On the social media platform X, ‘World War III’ has begun trending in the United States. Many of the posts on this topic are memes that lay bare the anxieties of the general public about a possible war.

Trump’s old posts were dug out

Concerns were also raised about how a war would affect the economy

Iran confirms strikes

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed that attacks took place on its Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz sites, but it insisted that its work will not be stopped.

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 defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But US and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,500-kilogram) bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.

(With inputs from AP)

Iran Israel war news live updates: President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington after US struck Iran

Iran Israel war news LIVE updates: As the Israel-Iran conflict rages on, the United States has now joined in on strikes against Iran and targted three nuclear sites. This move comes after the US moved several B-2 stealth bomber jets to Guam. US president Donald Trump confirmed the strikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites …Read More

Meanwhile, Israel has stated that it is prepared for the “long campaign” against Iran as it continues to launch attacks on Iranian nuclear and military sites.

The death toll from the conflict has now crossed 400 in Iran, with the Iranian health ministry reporting 430 deaths. Health officials have further stated that over 3,500 people have been injured due to Israeli strikes and attacks in the region. In Israel, authorities have reported at least 24 deaths since the escalation of the conflict last week.

The conflict between Israel and Iran escalated after Israel’s military strikes under ‘Operation Rising Lion’, which targeted Iranian nuclear and military sites. In response, Iran has launched several drone attacks against Israel and continues to do so as the conflict enters its second week.

Iran Israel conflict | Latest developments here –

More on Diesel Prices

Currently, diesel is retailing at Rs 87.62 a litre in Delhi . In Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata diesel costs Rs 92.15 , Rs 92.43 and Rs 90.76 respectively.

India imports about 80% of its oil needs and so domestic pump rates are dependent on international prices, as denominated by Indian basket of crude oil. The other factors on which domestic petrol and diesel prices depend on include central excise duty, VAT or value added tax levied by state governments, dealer and refining margins and transportation cost. As of now, petrol and diesel don’t come under the purview of GST.

The value of the rupee also has a bearing on domestic fuel prices. A weak rupee increases the landed cost of dollar-denominated crude oil.

Petrol and diesel prices in India are reviewed daily in line with the benchmark international rate of the preceding 15 days. So state-owned fuel retailers Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) are supposed to review petrol and diesel prices daily in line with the cost.

Diesel is one of the primary sources of energy for transportation of goods in India. Any change in diesel prices has a direct impact on inflation.

The United States used its most powerful conventional weapon—the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), or bunker buster bomb—in a high-impact military operation targeting Iran’s underground nuclear facility at Fordow on Saturday. FILE – In this photo released by the U.S. Air Force on May 2, 2023, airmen look at a GBU-57, or the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri.(File Photo/AP)

US President Donald Trump, who in a social media post suggested, “Fordow is gone,” said that the attack targeted nuclear sites in Natanz and Isfahan too.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow.” Trump said, confirming that all planes are now outside of Iran air space. Follow Israel Iran war live updates.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump further revealed operational details, saying that six MOP bunnker buster bombs—each weighing 30,000 pounds—were deployed on Fordow. Meanwhile, 30 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) were fired by US Navy submarines to target Natanz and Esfahan, which he claimed “destroyed all three nuclear facilities completely.”

Also Read | ‘Either peace or tragedy’: What Donald Trump said in speech after US strikes on Iran | Top quotes

The Fordow facility, long suspected of housing uranium enrichment infrastructure deep within the mountains near Qom, is widely considered one of Iran’s most fortified nuclear sites. Analysts believed it can only be effectively penetrated by the MOP, a weapon exclusively in the US arsenal.

What is the MOP and why is it so powerful?

The GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US inventory. Built by Boeing and guided by GPS, it is engineered specifically to target deeply buried and hardened bunkers.

According to a US air force fact sheet cited by CBS News, the MOP measures 20.5 feet in length and 31.5 inches in diameter, and weighs just under 30,000 pounds—including 5,300 pounds of high-explosive material.

The bomb can burrow more than 200 feet through reinforced concrete before detonating. Its casing, made from high-performance steel alloy, helps it withstand the immense impact forces upon penetration. The Air Force notes the MOP’s explosive yield is more than 10 times greater than that of its predecessor, the BLU-109.

Because of its size and weight, 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 Fordow. Each B-2 can carry up to two MOPs in its internal weapons bay.

An unconfirmed report by The New York Times claimed that the B-2 bombers which struck Iran’s nuclear sites flew non-stop for 37 hours straight from their base in Missouri, refuelling multiple times mid-air during the long-range mission.

‘Only the US could have done this’

Defense analysts have long argued that Fordow’s deeply buried infrastructure—shielded by 60 to 90 meters of rock—would require a weapon like the MOP to neutralize.

“Each bunker buster can be independently targeted and released, making it possible to deliver a MOP right on top of another MOP,” Bloomberg quoted Rebecca Grant of the Lexington Institute. She added that US drone surveillance likely played a role in refining the final strike coordinates.

Grant also emphasised that Fordow and other Iranian nuclear installations have been under US observation for years, helping planners build a precise targeting profile.

The MOP was developed by Boeing under a Pentagon contract, with at least 20 units built by 2015.

Israel’s Airport Authority announced Sunday it was closing the country’s airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. Earlier Israeli airstrikes on nuclear sites have caused no recorded release of radioactive material.(AFP)

The agency said it was shutting down air traffic “due to recent developments” and did not say for how long.

The US struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel’s war aimed at destroying the country’s nuclear programme in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe despite fears of a wider regional conflict.

Meanwhile, Iran said there were “no signs of contamination” at its nuclear sites at Isfahan, Fordo or Natanz after US airstrikes targeted the facilities.

Iranian state media quoted the country’s National Nuclear Safety System Centre, which published a statement saying its radiation detectors had recorded no radioactive release after the strikes.

“There is no danger to the residents living around the aforementioned sites,” the statement added.

Earlier Israeli airstrikes on nuclear sites similarly have caused no recorded release of radioactive material into the environment around the facilities, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said. (AP) NSA NSA