US B-2 Bombers strike Iranian nuclear enrichment sites

Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that the US had struck three of Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities in the early morning. Jay Davies reports.

The world waited patiently, hesitantly, for a US response to the Israel-Iran war.

The two regional neighbours have been trading blows since Friday, the 13th of June, after an unprecedented attack upon Iran's nuclear enrichment centres just after midnight. Under the operation name Rising Lion, Israel declared war on Iran, warning the pariah state was close to developing nuclear weapons.

Consequently, the two nations have traded blows, causing a combined 430 deaths and over 5000 injuries. Pundits and global leaders watched on in fear of US involvement, plunging the Middle East further into war and instability, harkening some experts back to 2003.

And then, the news came, albeit somewhat unconventionally. Potentially bypassing Congress and shunting his own promise of "two weeks for negotiations", Donald Trump announced on Truth Social, the Twitter copy that Trump partially owns, that B-2 stealth bombers had struck Iranian targets.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran's airspace," the post read.

Seemingly, Trump had given the green light for a full-on attack within the last 72 hours, and with little warning save some evacuation orders to nearby residents in Tehran.

“A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors," Trump continued online.

According to US military officials, the armaments used by the US's B-2 bombers included GBU-57 Massive Ordinance Penetrator, also known as bunker busters, although much larger than those used in Gaza by Israel. The explosives weigh 3.5 tons, and it is the first time the US has deployed them, despite maintaining only a small number of MOPS.

Sources claim that American B-2 bomber jets and a 30,000 pound “bunker buster” bomb were used during the attack; this marks the first time said bomb has been used by US military forces in the field. 

It has been stated that the majority of equipment and materials had been cleared out of the Fordow and Isfahan bases before the attack. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran’s spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi clarified this shortly after the attack. 

Israel's attacks on Iran have targeted nuclear scientists suspected to be working on the enrichment program, and lead military targets. Trump reportedly denied Israel permission to assassinate Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter," Trump continued in his 'truth', the name for a Truth Social post.

The shock attack left even those within the MAGA bloc uncomfortable with the President's willingness to engage in a foreign war, something Trump has prided himself on as avoiding in his first term.

Netanyahu, in a press conference held hours after the initial Truth Social post, congratulated Trump’s “bold decision making” in bombing Iran with the “awesome and righteous might of the United States”. 

Iran has yet to respond in an official capacity to the United States’ attacks on how they intend to retaliate.