What we know about US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities

1 hour ago Share Save Thomas Mackintosh & Nadine Yousif BBC News Share Save

Reuters A satellite image of Fordo taken on 14 June, one of three Iranian nuclear sites hit by Trump

President Donald Trump says the US has carried out a “successful” bombing attack on three nuclear sites in Iran and said they have been “obliterated”. Israel says they were in “full co-ordination” with the US in planning the strikes. Iranian officials have confirmed the facilities were struck but denied it had suffered a major blow. The strikes mark a significant escalation in the ongoing war between Iran and Israel. Here’s what we know.

What has the US bombed, and what weapons did it use?

One of the targets was Fordo, a uranium enrichment plant hidden in a remote mountainside that is vital to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. We do not yet know the full scale of the damage at the facility. The US says it also hit two other nuclear sites – at Natanz and Isfahan.

Hidden away in a mountainside south of Tehran, Fordo is believed to be deeper underground than the Channel Tunnel connecting the UK and France. Due to Fordo’s depth below ground only the US has the kind of “bunker buster” bomb big enough to destroy the site. That US bomb is called the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). It weighs 13,000kg (30,000lb) and is able to penetrate about 18m (60ft) of concrete or 61m (200ft) of earth before exploding, according to experts. Due to the depths of Fordo’s tunnels, the MOP is not guaranteed to be successful, but it is the only bomb that could come close. US media reports say MOPs were used in the strikes. Follow live: US attacks Iran nuclear sites

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Iran’s secretive nuclear site that only a US bomb could hit

What is known about the impact of the attacks?

It is unclear yet what damage the US attack has had on the nuclear facilities, or whether there are any injuries or casualties. The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization said the bombing of the three nuclear sites was a “barbaric violation” of international law. Both Saudi Arabia and the UN’s nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) say there has been no increase in radiation levels after the attack. IAEA chief Rafaelle Grossi has called an emergency meeting of the organisation’s board of governors on Monday. The deputy political director of Iran’s state broadcaster, Hassan Abedini, said Iran had evacuated these three nuclear sites a “while ago”. Appearing on state-run TV, he said Iran “didn’t suffer a major blow because the materials had already been taken out”. In his televised address, Trump said the “nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated”. But speaking on the BBC News Channel, former US assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs Mark Kimmitt was more circumspect. “There’s no way to suggest that it has been destroyed for all time,” he said. Iran’s foreign minister has warned the US that its attack on Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz will have “everlasting consequences.” Abbas Araghchi said Iran was reserving “all options” to defend its sovereignty.

How might Iran retaliate?

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says Iran must now choose between three strategic courses of action in response to the US attack overnight: Do nothing. This could spare it from further US attacks. It could even choose the diplomatic route and re-join negotiations with the US. But doing nothing makes the Iranian regime look weak, especially after all its warnings of dire repercussions if the US did attack. It may decide the risk of weakening its grip on its population outweighs the cost of further US attacks

Retaliate hard and fast. Iran still has a substantial arsenal of ballistic missiles after manufacturing and hiding these away for years. It has a target list of around 20 US bases to choose from in the broader Middle East. It could also launch “swarm attacks” on US Navy warships using drones and fast torpedo boats

Retaliate later at a time of its own choosing. This would mean waiting until the current tension has subsided and launching a surprise attack when US bases were no longer on maximum alert

Iran could also target the assets of nearby countries it perceives to be aiding the US, which risks the war spilling over to the entire region. Within the hours of the US bombing, Iran launched a fresh wave of missiles towards Israel. Several parts of Tel Aviv as well as the northern city of Haifa were hit – Israeli officials say at least 16 people have been injured.

What did Donald Trump say and how have US politicians reacted?

Flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump said in his address that future attacks would be “far greater” unless Iran reached a diplomatic solution. “Remember, there are many targets left,” he said.

Trump says Iran must make peace or face future attacks after US strikes

Several members of Trump’s Republican Party have posted statements in support of the move. Texas Senator Ted Cruz “commended” the president, his administration and the US military involved in the strikes. However, not every Republican is happy. “This is not our fight,” wrote congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Leading US Democrat Hakeem Jeffries said Trump risked US “entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East”, while others have accused him of bypassing Congress to launch a new war. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders described the US strikes as “grossly unconstitutional” as the president does not have the sole power to formally declare war on another country. Only Congress – lawmakers elected in the House of Representatives and the Senate – can. But the law also states that the president is the commander in chief of the armed forces. That means he can deploy US troops and conduct military operations without a formal declaration of war.

How have world leaders reacted?

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the US took action to “alleviate” what he called the “grave threat” posed by Iran’s nuclear programme. In a statement, he called on Tehran to agree to talks and reach a diplomatic solution. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said the US air strikes were a dangerous escalation; while European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged all sides to step back and return to the negotiating table. Saudi Arabia has voiced “great concern” while Oman – which has hosted US-Iran talks in recent weeks – condemned the strikes and called for de-escalation.

How did this start?