Israel faced a serious dilemma regarding Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility. According to The Economist, Israel was unable to destroy the site without deploying ground forces, provided they could first neutralize the facility’s protective garrison. Fordow was considered Iran’s strongest fallback option for advancing its nuclear weapons program if other facilities were damaged. It had long been seen as a critical hedge.
Two years ago, UN inspectors found traces of uranium enriched up to 83.7% at Fordow, a level dangerously close to weapons-grade material. Experts estimated that disabling the facility’s 3,000 centrifuges would take several days of sustained effort.
Initially, former U.S. President Donald Trump hesitated to fully endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ambitions to “erase Iran from the map,” and it appeared that the confrontation might stop at Fordow’s gates. However, Trump eventually made the decision to directly target the facility.
Trump later declared on his Truth Social platform that “Fordow is gone,” shortly after confirming that the U.S. military had struck three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump stated that U.S. forces had attacked three key Iranian sites, effectively joining Israel’s efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program. In a follow-up post, he said:
“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 air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”
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Jeffrey Lewis, a non-proliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, told The Times of Israel:
“If you leave infrastructure like Fordo in place, there’s just really no point.”
Previously, The Financial Times had reported that if Fordow could not be destroyed with heavy bunker-buster bombs, Mossad operatives still on the ground in Iran could attempt a direct assault. There had been public clashes between Mossad agents and Iranian police, suggesting that storming the facility was not impossible, though it would have carried considerable risk.
The Fordow facility is located in the city of Qom, one of Iran’s holiest cities with a population of around seven million, including approximately half a million individuals capable of bearing arms, many of whom would likely have been ready to defend the site.
The direct U.S. military intervention came after more than a week of Israeli strikes aimed at systematically dismantling Iran’s air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while also damaging its uranium enrichment infrastructure.
“A Decision That Will Change History”
In his first response to the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu praised Trump and the United States for acting “with a lot of strength.”
In a video statement released in the early hours of Sunday morning, Netanyahu said:
“ Congratulations President Trump. Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history.”
Netanyahu said that in Operation Rising Lion, Israel achieved truly remarkable results, but in last night’s operation against Iran’s nuclear sites, the United States was truly exceptional. The US “has done what no other country on earth could do,” he added.
He continued: “This brave step serves the security and safety of the entire free world. I hope it will lead to a better future for the Middle East.”
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U.S. Signals to Iran: No Regime Change
Diplomatic sources, cited by several media outlets, reported that Washington informed Tehran it did not intend to pursue regime change in Iran.
According to CBS News, the U.S. government directly contacted Iranian officials on Sunday to clarify that the military strike was the full extent of its planned response. The message emphasized that no additional strikes were scheduled and that the U.S. was not seeking to topple the Iranian government. This was seen as a clear attempt to contain the escalation and prevent a broader regional war.
The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witcoff was authorized to open direct communication channels with Iran. President Trump reportedly wanted to preserve a narrow diplomatic pathway to prevent further escalation and potentially reach an understanding that could stabilize the region.
A U.S. official told the paper that the Trump administration had conveyed to Iran that the attack was a “one-off operation” and not the start of a broader campaign for regime change.
“Lasting Consequences”
Iran’s first official response came from Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who condemned the U.S. strikes as a serious violation and warned of long-term repercussions.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Araghchi said the United States had committed “a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty” by attacking peaceful Iranian nuclear sites.
He warned: “The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.”
Araghchi stressed that under the UN Charter’s provisions allowing for legitimate self-defense, “Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty” following the U.S. strikes.
