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The United States is reported to have deployed B-2 stealth bombers in its recent attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. But what exactly are these aircraft and what capabilities do they have? The B-2 Spirit is a long-range, heavy bomber known for its stealth technology, allowing it to evade advanced air defense systems. It can carry massive payloads—including nuclear weapons—and each aircraft costs over $2 billion. Notably, the B-2 is designed to deliver the U.S. military’s most powerful bunker-buster bomb: the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which weighs 30,000 pounds (13,600 kg). This makes the bomber especially suited for hitting deeply buried targets like Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, reportedly one of the main targets in the recent assault. According to The New York Times, the B-2 bombers involved in the operation flew non-stop for approximately 37 hours from their base in Missouri, with multiple in-air refueling sessions. Source: with inputs from Al Jazeera  

In the aftermath of US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, political reactions on Capitol Hill have starkly diverged along party lines. While many Americans remain unaware of the overnight military action, Democratic lawmakers have swiftly condemned the strikes, arguing they violate the 1973 War Powers Act. Some Democrats have gone as far as calling for President Trump’s impeachment in response to what they view as an unlawful use of military force. Republicans, on the other hand, have largely backed the strikes, expressing support for the administration’s actions. dissent exists within GOP ranks as well. Notably, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and Representative Thomas Massie have publicly criticized the attacks. ‘Says one thing, does another’: What’s Trump’s endgame in Iran? Massie is pushing for a resolution aimed at blocking the Trump administration from carrying out further military operations against Iran. But with both chambers of Congress under Republican control, the resolution has yet to reach the floor for a vote.

Iranian state television has declared that all American civilians and military personnel in the region are now considered "legitimate targets" in the wake of US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The warning came after US President Donald Trump confirmed that American forces had joined Israel in launching coordinated strikes on Iran. “We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social. Iran says US strikes did not cause nuclear contamination Earlier, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had cautioned the United States against direct involvement in its ongoing conflict with Israel. “The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily,” he said on Wednesday. In response to the strikes, the Israeli military raised its alert level, suspended educational activities, banned public gatherings, and halted non-essential work. Source: With inputs from agency 

Iran announced early Sunday that its nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Fordo, and Natanz showed “no signs of contamination” following U.S. military strikes on the sites. According to Iranian state media, the country’s National Nuclear Safety System Center released a statement confirming that radiation detectors had found no evidence of a radioactive leak. 
“There is no danger to the residents living around the aforementioned sites,” the statement said. The International Atomic Energy Agency also noted that previous Israeli strikes on similar facilities had not resulted in any detected radiation release in surrounding areas. Speaking from the White House shortly after the operation, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the military had targeted the Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan sites, which are considered key components of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. US strikes 3 Iranian nuclear sites, enters Israeli-led conlflict "Everyone heard those names for years as they built this horrible destructive enterprise," the president said. "Tonight I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success." Trump continued: "Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," and warned that if Iran did not pursue peace, “future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.”

Iran relocated materials from three of its nuclear sites before they came under attack by the United States, according to the country’s state broadcaster, IRNA, citing the political deputy of its broadcasting authority. IRNA reported that an aerial assault targeted parts of the Fordow nuclear facility, quoting a statement from the governor’s office in Qom province. Additionally, attacks were confirmed near the nuclear installations in Isfahan and Natanz, the deputy governor for security and law enforcement in Isfahan told IRNA. Iran says US strikes did not cause nuclear contamination In response to the developments, Israel elevated its alert level, suspended educational activities, prohibited public gatherings, and halted non-essential services. US President Donald Trump announced that American forces had participated in the coordinated strikes with Israel. “We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump stated on Truth Social. Soure: With inputs from Anadolu 

In a dramatic escalation of the Middle East conflict, the United States has struck Iran’s most heavily guarded nuclear facilities with a barrage of bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles, President Donald Trump revealed on Saturday. The strikes targeted the underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility—considered the heart of Iran’s nuclear defences—with six 15-tonne bunker-buster bombs dropped from B-2 stealth bombers. In addition, 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles were reportedly launched from US submarines, hitting sites in Natanz and Isfahan, Fox News reported. Trump confirmed the operation during an interview with TV host Sean Hannity, describing it as a “precision mission” aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear capabilities. “All planes are safely on their way home,” he wrote on social media, praising US forces and adding, “Now is the time for peace.” US strikes 3 Iranian nuclear sites, enters Israeli-led conlflict The airstrikes follow weeks of rising tensions after Israeli attacks on Iranian territory triggered a wave of retaliatory missile fire. Tehran had earlier warned Washington that any direct involvement in the conflict would trigger “irreparable consequences.” Iran’s Health Ministry said at least 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 injured in Israeli strikes since 13 June. Israeli officials, meanwhile, report 25 deaths and hundreds injured from Iranian missile attacks. The US assault on Fordo marks one of the most significant direct military actions against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in years and risks igniting a broader regional confrontation.  

US President Donald Trump has said Iran "must now make peace" following a series of American airstrikes targeting key nuclear facilities in the country. Speaking from White House shortly after the strikes, Trump confirmed that the US military had hit sites at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan – all believed to be central to Iran’s nuclear programme. "Everyone heard those names for years as they built this horrible destructive enterprise," the president said. "Tonight I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success." Trump added: "Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated." He warned that if Tehran did not seek peace, “future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier”. Regional reaction In Yemen, the Houthi movement, which is aligned with Iran, issued a blunt warning to the United States. Hezam al-Asad, a senior figure in the group’s political bureau, wrote on social media: “Washington must bear the consequences.” The strikes have raised fears of a wider regional conflict and drawn condemnation from several international figures. UN chief warns of escalation UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the developments, describing the US attacks as a “dangerous escalation”. “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,” he said in a statement. US strikes 3 Iranian nuclear sites, enters Israeli-led conlflict “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 warned. “I call on Member States to de-escalate and 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.” There has been no immediate response from Iranian officials. Sources: with inputs from BBC, Al Jazeera 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has voiced deep concern over the U.S. military strikes on Iran, calling the development a “dangerous escalation” that threatens to push the already volatile Middle East region further toward instability. “I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today,” Guterres said in a statement shared on social media. “This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.” He cautioned that the situation risks spiraling out of control, with devastating consequences. “There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” the UN chief warned. Guterres urged UN Member States to step back from confrontation and to uphold their responsibilities under international law. US strikes 3 Iranian nuclear sites, enters Israeli-led conlflict “I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law,” he said. “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.” Source: Al Jazeera 

The United States has launched strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, escalating its involvement in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. President Donald Trump confirmed that U.S. forces had carried out a “very successful” operation targeting the Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan sites — with the Fordo facility being the primary objective. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization later confirmed that all three locations were hit in early Sunday attacks. The strikes came after Israel conducted a surprise attack on multiple Iranian sites on June 13, claiming the move was necessary to prevent what it described as an imminent Iranian attempt to develop nuclear weapons. In response, Iran has launched waves of drone and missile strikes against Israeli targets, while Israeli forces have continued operations inside Iran. Until this point, Washington had only assisted by intercepting Iranian attacks on Israel. However, the U.S. had also been involved in diplomatic efforts that included discussions to potentially ease economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for limiting or halting its uranium enrichment program. Here is a closer look at the significance of the targeted sites: Natanz Enrichment Facility Located around 220 kilometers southeast of Tehran, Natanz is Iran’s primary uranium enrichment center. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), uranium at Natanz had been enriched up to 60% purity — a level below weapons-grade but still of serious concern — before the aboveground part of the site was destroyed by Israeli strikes. Bombing Iran’s nuclear sites won’t cause Chernobyl-like disaster: Experts The facility includes both aboveground and underground components, the latter built into Iran’s Central Plateau to resist airstrikes. It houses cascades of centrifuges that work together to accelerate uranium enrichment. The IAEA believes most of these centrifuges were destroyed when a strike cut off power to the site. While radioactive contamination was contained within the site, it did not spread to the surrounding environment, according to the agency. Iran has also been digging into the nearby Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā (Pickax Mountain) for further fortification. The site has previously been hit by cyberattacks — such as the Stuxnet virus, believed to be developed by the U.S. and Israel — and two additional attacks attributed to Israel. Fordo Enrichment FacilitySituated roughly 100 kilometers southwest of Tehran, the Fordo facility is smaller than Natanz but strategically important. Construction is believed to have started by 2007, although Iran only disclosed the site to the IAEA in 2009 after Western intelligence agencies had already discovered it. Built deep under a mountain and shielded by air defenses, Fordo is hardened against conventional airstrikes. Military analysts have said that only “bunker buster” bombs, like the U.S. GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, would be capable of reaching its depths. This 30,000-pound precision-guided bomb is designed to destroy reinforced underground facilities. Only the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber — manufactured by Northrop Grumman — is equipped to deploy this type of bomb, meaning Washington’s direct involvement would be necessary for such a strike. Isfahan Nuclear Technology CenterLocated about 350 kilometers southeast of Tehran, the Isfahan facility hosts thousands of nuclear scientists and houses three Chinese-designed research reactors, as well as several nuclear-related laboratories. Israeli forces previously targeted various buildings at this site, including a uranium conversion facility. The IAEA has stated that there was no evidence of radiation leakage following the strike. Other Iranian Nuclear FacilitiesAlthough not targeted in the latest U.S. strikes, Iran operates several other important nuclear sites. Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant: Located on the Persian Gulf about 750 kilometers south of Tehran, this is Iran’s only commercial reactor. It runs on Russian-supplied fuel and is under IAEA monitoring. Two additional reactors are currently under construction at the site. Trump considers joining Israel on Iran strikes as IDF targets nuclear sites Arak Heavy Water Reactor: Found 250 kilometers southwest of Tehran, this facility uses heavy water for cooling, which can produce weapons-grade plutonium as a byproduct. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran agreed to redesign the reactor to ease proliferation concerns. Tehran Research Reactor: Based at the headquarters of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, this reactor initially used highly enriched uranium but was later converted to run on low-enriched fuel due to non-proliferation efforts.

The U.S. military carried out airstrikes on three locations in Iran early Sunday, marking a direct intervention in Israel’s ongoing offensive aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The move, intended to weaken a longstanding adversary, risks escalating regional tensions as Iran has warned of potential retaliation. President Donald Trump was the first to announce the strikes. The Iranian government did not immediately respond, though Iran’s state-run IRNA reported that the targets were the Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear facilities, without offering further details. The U.S. decision to join the campaign followed over a week of Israeli operations targeting Iran’s air defenses, missile systems, and nuclear sites. American and Israeli officials indicated that the U.S.’s stealth bombers and the GBU-57 “bunker buster” bomb, capable of penetrating deep underground, were necessary to strike Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear infrastructure. “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump stated on social media. "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.” Later, Trump said he would address the nation at 10 p.m. Eastern Time, declaring it “an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!” While the White House and Pentagon withheld further comment initially, Fox News host Sean Hannity claimed after speaking with Trump that six bunker busters had struck Fordo, while 30 Tomahawk missiles from U.S. submarines 400 miles away had hit Natanz and Isfahan. The action marks a high-stakes choice for Trump, who has long promised to avoid entangling the U.S. in foreign wars. He had recently stated that sending ground troops to Iran would be “the last thing you want to do” and had previously planned to decide on military involvement over a two-week window. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned just days earlier that any attack on Iran would bring “irreparable damage” to the U.S. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called potential American military involvement “a recipe for an all-out war in the region.” Israel prepares for potential prolonged conflict with Iran Trump had insisted that Iran would never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, initially favoring diplomatic pressure to convince Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. On Saturday, Israel said it was bracing for a prolonged conflict, while Iran’s foreign minister warned that U.S. involvement would make matters “very, very dangerous for everyone.” Tensions heightened further as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels threatened to resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the U.S. joined Israel’s campaign. The Houthis had paused such operations in May following a deal with Washington. In a related move, the U.S. began arranging "assisted departure flights" from Israel, the first since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war in Gaza. Though White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had said Thursday that a decision on U.S. strikes would be made within two weeks, Trump authorized the strikes just two days later. This shift reportedly came under pressure from Israeli leaders and Republican lawmakers who believed Israel’s strikes had sufficiently degraded Iran’s defenses to create a rare opportunity to seriously damage its nuclear capabilities. Israeli officials claim their assault has already dismantled key air defenses and damaged several nuclear sites. However, they requested U.S. assistance to target the deeply buried Fordo facility using the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator — a U.S.-only weapon that is deployed by B-2 stealth bombers. This could mark the first time the GBU-57 has been used in combat. It carries a conventional warhead and can penetrate approximately 200 feet underground before detonating, with successive drops capable of reaching even deeper. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran has been enriching uranium at Fordo, raising concerns that bombing the facility could release radioactive material. However, past Israeli strikes, such as one on the Natanz centrifuge facility, led to contamination only at the site itself, according to the IAEA. Trump’s decision followed a failed two-month diplomatic push, which included high-level direct talks with Iran. In April and again in late May, Trump persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay military action to allow diplomacy more time. As tensions escalated, the U.S. had moved warships and aircraft into the region to support Israel and defend American assets. Trump’s tone has shifted sharply over time — from offering Iran a “second chance” to make a deal, to issuing direct threats, including warning Ayatollah Khamenei that the U.S. knows his location. “He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump wrote on social media. Nato summit overshadowed by Trump as leaders focus on defence spending This military confrontation with Iran comes seven years after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear deal, which had been negotiated by the Obama administration and other global powers. That agreement restricted Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for relief from economic sanctions — a deal Trump has long criticized as overly lenient. Trump’s decision has drawn criticism from parts of his own political base. Some conservative voices, such as Tucker Carlson, have warned that deeper involvement in the conflict would betray Trump’s promise to avoid costly, prolonged wars. Source: With inputs from agency