The U.S. military attacked Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated.
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan,” Trump wrote. “All planes are now outside of Iran air space.”
“A full payload of bombs was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” he added. “All planes are safely on their way home.”
Fordow was widely regarded as Iran’s best-defended nuclear site, as it was buried hundreds of feet under a mountain. Those protections raised questions about whether Israel was capable of eliminating the site in the absence of a U.S. attack using large bunker buster munitions delivered from American bombers.
Trump also shared a post stating that “Fordow is gone.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that “President Trump and I often say: ‘Peace through strength.’ First comes strength, then comes peace.”
“Tonight, President Trump and the United States acted with a lot of strength,” Netanyahu stated.
“Today, President Trump proved that ‘Never Again’ is not just a slogan,” stated Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. “It’s a policy.”
‘Historic decision’
“This is a decision that will change Iran, the region and have major implications for America’s position in the world,” stated Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran. “It sends a message to China and Russia, reinforces American credibility and bolsters U.S. deterrence.”
“This is a historic decision by President Trump,” Brosky added. “Every president since Bill Clinton has said Iran can’t get a nuclear weapon. President Trump is the only one to have authorized military strikes to prevent one.”
Ali Khamenei, the Iranian regime’s supreme leader, “has always known the United States has the capability to destroy his nuclear program,” Brodsky stated. “But he has long doubted the American will to do so after a series of underwhelming and non-responses to Iranian provocations since 1979. The U.S. strikes tonight reset the deterrence equation for America in the Middle East in a big way.”
“Wow. The United States has bombed Iran’s nuclear sites,” stated John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, which is part of the U.S. Military Academy, in New York.
“The program is now set back,” Spencer stated. “Now is the chance for Iran to end the conflict with an agreement to end their nuclear pursuits. President Trump has done what was needed to end the violence.”
Many U.S. politicians welcomed the attack.
“As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by the president,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) wrote. “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.”
“Good. This was the right call,” stated Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). “The regime deserves it. Well done, President Trump. To my fellow citizens: We have the best air force in the world. It makes me so proud. Fly, Fight, Win.”
Others urged the president to halt strikes on Iran.
“Trump’s strikes against Iran are not only unconstitutional but an escalation that risks bringing the U.S. into another endless and deadly war,” wrote Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.).
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a libertarian who typically opposes all foreign policy legislation, called the attack unconstitutional.
The leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations stated that “this decisive action represents a critical and justified step to confront the existential threat posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
“These defensive strikes, executed with precision and purpose, reflect the seriousness of the threat and the necessity of preventing Iran from reaching a nuclear threshold,” the umbrella group’s chair and CEO said. “We commend the United States for its leadership at this historic moment. We commend President Trump in particular for his clear-eyed recognition of the danger and for taking bold, preventative steps that may reshape the strategic landscape for generations.”
The leader also said that they are “deeply concerned about the potential for Iranian-inspired retaliation, both in the region against U.S. forces and allies, and globally against Jewish communities and institutions.”
“We urge heightened vigilance, coordination with security authorities and proactive measures to protect Jewish life and property around the world,” they said.
The Jewish Federations of North America applauded “the decisive and historic action taken to dismantle Iran’s key nuclear facilities, including the critical site at Fordow.”
“We thank President Trump and the brave women and men of the United States Armed Forces for this historic action,” the Federation said. “We could not be prouder to have the United States join together with the State of Israel in defense of the free world.”
“We are actively coordinating with partners across government and civil society to ensure our communities remain vigilant, prepared and protected at this critical time,” the Federation said.
The Republican Jewish Coalition applauded what its CEO Matt Brooks said was Trump’s “taking historic, decisive action to prevent the terrorist regime in Iran from having a nuclear weapon.”
“Today’s successful, targeted military action proves once again that nobody has been tougher on Tehran, or a better friend to Israel, than President Trump,” Brooks said. “Tonight will go down in the history books as one of the most consequential orders ever given by a U.S. president. God speed to our heroic war fighters.”
“The world is a far safer place thanks to President Trump,” Brooks added.
