After previously saying he might take as long as two weeks to make a decision, Donald Trump ordered a surprise weekend air strike on three nuclear sites in Iran. Just after 8 p.m. Eastern, the president announced the “successful” strikes on Truth Social. The response has been a mixed bag, both at home and abroad. Unsurprisingly, many of Trump’s supporters are behind the move, while his detractors act outraged.
Meanwhile, the backlash from Iran and two of its terrorist proxies, Hamas and the Houthis, was as consistent as it was expected. America has acted. Will Iran retaliate? That remains to be seen, but it has people wondering what happens next.
So Much for Waiting Two Weeks
Initially, it may have looked like indecision. Will the US get involved in Israel’s campaign against Iran? President Trump didn’t initially give an answer – but earlier in the week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the president was weighing the question and could take up to two weeks to make a decision. Well, so much for waiting; the answer has come.
So, why was American involvement on the table to begin with? Israel’s campaign to eliminate Iran’s nuclear sites is beginning its second week now, but only the United States has bombs capable of taking out certain facilities, leaving Israel unable to finish what it started.
All the details have yet to be revealed, but the US military reportedly used six B-2 stealth bombers to drop a dozen “bunker buster” bombs on the Fordow nuclear site in Iran. Navy submarines fired 30 cruise missiles at the two other sites, Natanz (which also took two bunker busters from another B2) and Isfahan. By the time Trump announced the strike on social media just before 8 p.m. Eastern, the planes were, in his words, “safely on their way home” and “outside of Iran air space.”
(Photo by Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The “bunker buster” – or the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), as it’s officially known – is a 30,000-pound bomb containing 6,000 pounds of explosives. It was designed for “reaching and destroying our adversaries’ weapons of mass destruction located in well-protected facilities,” according to a US Air Force fact sheet.
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran,” the president announced via social media. While this was how the news broke for most of the world, the president alerted some members of Congress beforehand. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), reportedly one of the forewarned lawmakers, praised the action. Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also commended Trump for “taking decisive action” and announced in a statement that he had been told before it happened and would continue to track the situation.
The president later held a brief presser at the White House around 10 p.m. Saturday night. Flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump confirmed the air strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and laid the blame squarely on Iran. It was short and to the point. The commander-in-chief called Iran the “bully of the Middle East” and the number one state sponsor of terror in the world. He went on to say the nation and its terrorist proxies have been chanting “death to America” and “death to Israel” – and actually killing “our people” – for the last forty years. “I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue,” he declared. Iran must now make peace, he explained, or “future attacks will be far greater – and a lot easier.”
“There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than what we have witnessed over the last eight days,” Trump warned. “Remember, there are many targets left.”
Sunday at 8 a.m., Secretary Hegseth and Air Force General Dan “Razin” Caine will hold a press conference at the Pentagon.
The Backlash
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he’s “gravely alarmed” by America’s involvement in the conflict. “This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security,” he said. “There is no military solution. The only path forward is discussion.”
At home, congressional Democrats were outraged that Trump ordered the strike without first consulting Congress – even though he did, in fact, alert some members of both chambers before the attack. “I strongly urge the Trump Administration to immediately pursue restraint, diplomacy, and international engagement to prevent further bloodshed,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. “Congress needs to be briefed in a classified setting. And I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure the American people get the facts and answers they deserve. It’s easier to start wars than end them. Even though the U.S. maintains military dominance, we are in a dangerous stage that could lead to significant instability in the region and beyond. We must be prepared for contingencies going forward.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said that “the United States must not rush into war with Iran.” She noted that President Trump “has not continued the bipartisan tradition of regularly briefing Congress on major national security events that impact Americans around the world.”
She added, “President Trump must now de-escalate tensions with Iran and immediately brief Congress.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), on the other hand, demanded answers from Trump and action from his fellow legislators. “We must enforce the War Powers Act and I’m urging Leader Thune to put it on the Senate floor immediately,” Schumer said. “I am voting for it and implore all Senators on both sides of the aisle to vote for it.”
What Happens Next? It Depends on Iran
During his White House address, President Trump clearly stated that if Iran doesn’t make peace, those “many targets” can be taken out easily and likely within minutes. That said, he did reportedly convey through back-channel discussions that no further strikes were planned. Israel, as well, says it will hold off on any additional action until Iran responds.
Iran has not officially done so, but there certainly has been some grumbling. The nation’s atomic agency condemned the strikes and promised to “never allow the progress of this national industry … to be halted.” The “savage assault,” as the agency put it, was a “blatant violation of international law.”
Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen said on social media that “Trump must bear the consequences,” and reports indicate they’re preparing to target US Navy warships in the Red Sea. Hamas got in on the game, as well, condemning the strike as a “dangerous escalation” and a “flagrant violation of international law.” For Iran – which willfully targeted residential neighborhoods in Israel for missile strikes – the Houthis, who regularly attack civilian shipping in the region, and Hamas, who raided Israel to take civilian hostages, complaining about war crimes seems to be hypocrisy of the highest order. Still, retaliation very well may come.
“Following America’s attack on the Fordow nuclear installation, it is now our turn,” warned Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor-in-chief of the hardline Kayhan newspaper, a well-known conservative voice in Iran. His advice was for the supreme leader to launch missiles at US Navy Ships in the area and close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for oil. “Without hesitation or delay, as a first step we must launch missile strikes on the American naval fleet based in Bahrain and simultaneously close the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French shipping,” Shariatmadari said in a Telegram message to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He concluded his message with a quote from the Quran: “Kill them whenever you shall overtake them.”
The president did, however, issue a warning. “ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT. THANK YOU! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,” he posted in all caps on Truth Social.
President Trump has asked for peace talks in the wake of the US air strike – and he seems confident the attack will persuade Iranian leaders to get a bit more talkative. Iran does have many missiles capable of striking US assets in the region, but the commander-in-chief of America’s military made what may be the most critical point in the conversation during his White House address. “There’s no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight, not even close,” he pointed out. “There’s never been a military that could do what took place just a little while ago.” Regardless of what one makes of the morality or legality of the Saturday-night air strike, the capabilities of the US military are facts the leaders of Iran must weigh before making a decision.
