Topline
The U.S. attacks on three Iranian nuclear facilities “obliterated” the country’s “nuclear ambitions,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday morning, with initial assessments suggesting extensive damage to the sites.
The U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear facilities last night, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth … More
Timeline
Speaking to “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning, Vice President JD Vance insisted that the U.S. was “not at war with Iran, we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program,” adding the U.S. has “no interest in boots on the ground.”
“I feel very confident that we have substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon, and that was the goal of this attack,” Vance told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker, adding he thought it would be “many, many years” before the nation could develop a nuclear weapon in the future.
“This mission was not, and has not been about regime change,” Hegseth said, calling the strike a “precision operation.”
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine announced the mission’s codename was “Operation Midnight Hammer,” which involved strikes with massive ordnance penetrator bombs, Tomahawk missiles and a decoy operation.
Caine said the military was unaware of any shots fired at the U.S. bombers on the way into Iran or on the way out after dropping their payloads.
President Donald Trump addressed the nation, claiming “the strikes were a spectacular military success.”
Trump in a Truth Social post announced the U.S. struck the “Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan” nuclear sites in Iran, noting “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow.”
Crucial Quote
“American deterrence is back,” Hegseth said. “We will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners or our interests are threatened.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2025/06/22/us-strikes-iran-live-updates-hegseth-says-us-not-focused-on-regime-change/