President
Donald Trump
touted the “success” of the United States bombing three
Iranian
nuclear sites late Saturday evening during his brief remarks to the nation.
“Tonight I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump said from the White House, flanked by Vice President
JD Vance
, Secretary of State
Marco Rubio
, and Defense Secretary
Pete Hegseth
.
“Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,” Trump added.
During the roughly 3-minute, 46-second address, Trump said the goal of the bombing was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity, which he said was accomplished.
US HAS ‘COMPLETED’ BOMBING OF IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITES, TRUMP SAYS
Trump also signaled an unwillingness to drag the nation through another yearslong entanglement in the Middle East, although he warned more attacks could happen if Iran doesn’t make peace.
“With all of that being said, this cannot continue,” Trump said. “There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.”
Trump telegraphed days ago that he was weighing joining Israel’s war on Iran, leaving the G7 summit in Canada early to meet with his national security team at the White House and telling Iranian civilians to “immediately evacuate Tehran.”
Still, the timing of the bombings was a surprise, as the White House said Thursday the president would decide
within “two weeks
” on whether to strike. Earlier at the White House, Trump’s team called a “lid” around 6:45 p.m., a signal to the White House press corps to go home because no more news is coming.
Veteran defense reporters noted the
level of secrecy
about the unprecedented military operation, with no leaks coming out of the Defense Department. The first time the public heard of the attacks was when
Trump posted
the announcement on Truth Social.
HOW THE US BUNKER-BUSTER BOMB WORKS
Trump has been in close contact with Israel since the Jewish state launched the initial strikes on Iran on June 13, which killed top military officials and damaged nuclear infrastructure. Iran has struck back against Israel.
The U.S. gave Israel notice before the strikes, and Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the attack.
But congressional lawmakers were divided over the constitutionality of the president’s bombing of Iran.
“I support Israel but there better be a damned good Art II authority for bombing a sovereign nation,” a House Republican told the Washington Examiner.
Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the bombings were not “the start of a forever war. There will not be American boots on the ground in Iran.”
“President Trump took decisive action today to assist the Israelis in their efforts to stop the Iranian nuclear program,” he said. “Only American weapons could do what has been done. This has made America safer, in addition to the Israelis, and the world more broadly.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) pressed Trump to hold a briefing over the attacks “immediately.”
“First, the Trump administration bears the heavy burden of explaining to the American people why this military action was undertaken,” Jeffries said. “Second, Congress must be fully and immediately briefed in a classified setting. Third, Donald Trump shoulders complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences that flow from his unilateral military action.”
Other Democrats began calling for Trump’s impeachment.
“The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) wrote on X. “He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”
Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) wrote, “This is not about the merits of Iran’s nuclear program. No president has the authority to bomb another country that does not pose an imminent threat to the US without the approval of Congress. This is an unambiguous impeachable offense.”
Rachel Schilke and Christian Datoc contributed to this report.
