The United States military struck targets within Iran on June 22, 2025, utilizing 2,268-kilogram deep penetrator bombs against hardened missile sites along the Iranian coastline near the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports. The strikes represent a significant escalation in regional tensions and occurred as part of what is being referred to as the Twelve-Day War.
President Trump announced the attacks, stating that three key nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan – were targeted. He claimed on Truth Social that the sites were “completely and totally obliterated” and that all aircraft had safely returned to base. “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” he wrote. The development underscores growing regional instability and the potential for further conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed gratitude to President Trump, confirming the strikes were carried out “in full coordination” between the U.S. And Israeli militaries. Israel had launched an assault on Iran on June 13, citing the need to prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons, which it views as an existential threat. The U.S. Shares this concern.
Initial assessments of the damage vary. U.S. Officials reported that all three sites sustained “extremely severe damage and destruction,” with the Natanz nuclear site reportedly destroyed and Fordow and Isfahan suffering “major damage.” However, a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report suggests the sites were damaged but not destroyed, and that the Iranian nuclear program was delayed by only a few months. Israeli intelligence also indicated damage without complete destruction of the program.
Iran’s initial response claimed the sites endured “significant and serious damages,” but later stated the damage was “quite superficial” with no irreversible harm. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that the sites “suffered enormous damage.” The strikes are estimated to have set back Iran’s nuclear program by approximately two years, though this assessment is contested.
The attacks involved the utilize of “bunker buster” bombs, specifically the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, against Iran’s most fortified nuclear facility at Fordow, which is buried deep inside a mountain. The U.S. Is the only nation possessing such 30,000-pound bombs.
Following the U.S. Strikes, Iranian forces launched attacks on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. No casualties were reported in either the U.S. Strikes on Iran or the subsequent Iranian retaliation. The announcement could influence future diplomatic talks and international efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
