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U.S. President, Donald Trump, announced on Saturday that American forces had successfully carried out strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, claiming that key enrichment facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan were “totally and completely obliterated.”
In response, Iranian officials sought to reassure the public, stating that there was no danger to civilians near the targeted locations.
According to Iranian state media, the Crisis Management Headquarters in Qom province—where the Fordow facility is located—reported that “there is no danger to the people of Qom and the surrounding area.”
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Al Jazeera quoted another official as saying the Fordow site had “long been evacuated and has not suffered any irreversible damage.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority stated that no radioactive effects had been detected in Gulf states.
In a report by the Guardian, President Trump urged Iran to pursue peace, warning that “if they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.”
He accused the Iranian regime of promoting hostility for decades, stating, “For 40 years, Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel.”
He also noted that there were “many targets left” in Iran and warned that any retaliation would be met with “force far greater than what was witnessed tonight.”
Trump praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the two leaders had “worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before,” and declared that the operation had gone a long way in “erasing this horrible threat to Israel.”
Netanyahu hailed the strike, describing it as a historic show of “awesome and righteous might” by the United States. In a video address, he said America “has done what no other country on Earth could do.”
However, the international response was mixed.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the strikes as a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge—and a direct threat to international peace and security.”
He warned of the growing risk that the conflict could spiral out of control, with “catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.”
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation described the strikes as “a barbaric act that violated international law, especially the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.”
The direct U.S. intervention follows more than a week of Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran’s air defenses, missile systems, and nuclear infrastructure.
Iran has responded with strikes against Israeli territory.
While Israel has said its objective is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned of a “more devastating” retaliation if Israeli airstrikes continued, stating that the Islamic Republic would not halt its nuclear activities “under any circumstances.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also warned last week that U.S. strikes would bring “irreparable damage” to Washington.
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