Iran says US attacks will get 'response', as Trump claims 'we took bomb out of their hands'

Escalation in Middle East: Iran Vows "Response" as Trump Claims "We Took Bomb Out of Their Hands" After US Strikes Nuclear Sites

Tehran, Iran – June 22, 2025 – Tensions in the Middle East have reached a critical new phase following decisive overnight strikes by the United States on three key Iranian nuclear facilities.¹ Iran has swiftly condemned the attacks as a "grave violation of international law" and warned of a forthcoming "response," while US President Donald Trump declared a "spectacular military success," claiming the US "took the bomb out of their hands."²

The coordinated US strikes, reportedly involving bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles, targeted Iran's Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites.³ Satellite imagery circulated today appears to show significant damage, particularly at Fordow, an underground enrichment facility.⁴ US officials indicate "extremely severe damage and destruction" at all three locations, though Israeli assessments suggest Fordow was damaged but not completely destroyed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in his first public remarks since the attacks, accused the US of crossing "a very big red line."⁶ He asserted that Iran "reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people" and will hold the US "solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences." Araghchi is expected to travel to Moscow for "serious consultations" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, signaling a potential deepening of alliances.Meanwhile, President Trump lauded the strikes, stating on Truth Social that the US had "taken the 'bomb' right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!)." He further warned Iran that its future held "either peace or greater tragedy," and that any retaliation against the US would be met with "force far greater than what was witnessed tonight."The US intervention comes after more than a week of intensified conflict between Israel and Iran, which saw Israel launch a military campaign against Iranian nuclear and military targets, met with retaliatory missile attacks by Iran on Israeli cities. Both sides have reported casualties.

The international community has reacted with widespread alarm. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed "grave alarm" at the US use of force, calling it a "dangerous escalation" and a "direct threat to international peace and security."¹¹ He urged de-escalation and a return to diplomacy, stressing that "there is no military solution." Russia, a close ally of Iran, strongly condemned the US attacks, calling them an "irresponsible violation of international law."¹² Many nations, including European powers, have called for a return to the negotiating table, while some have acknowledged the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program.^.

The ramifications of these strikes are still unfolding. Iran's Parliament has approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil corridor, a move that could have severe global economic repercussions. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed "regrettable responses" and indicated that the "number, dispersion, and size of U.S. military bases in the region are not a strength, but have doubled their vulnerability."

As the world watches anxiously, the immediate future of the Middle East hangs in the balance, with the prospect of further escalation and unpredictable consequences looming large.