The U.S. has officially entered the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, and the world is bracing for what could come next.
In a dramatic overnight move, President Donald Trump authorized military strikes on Iran, targeting three of its most critical nuclear facilities.
The strikes – which hit Fordow, Natanz, and Esfaha – took place in the dead of night Saturday, just after 3:30AM local time in Iran, The Guardian reports.
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump declared on Truth Social shortly before 8:00PM ET.
The operation marked a sharp escalation in what had already become a volatile two-week military campaign, triggered by Israeli airstrikes on June 13 that reportedly killed 20 senior Iranian military officials.
Hossein Shariatmadari – described by the New York Post as editor-in-chief of Iran’s hardline Kayhan newspaper and a “top adviser to Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei” – has now issued a very clear five-word warning to the US in response to the attacks: “It is now our turn.”
Shariatmadari added, per CNN: “Following America’s attack on the Fordow nuclear installation, it is now our turn.”
“Without hesitation or delay, as a first step we must launch missile strikes on the American naval fleet based in Bahrain and simultaneously close the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French shipping,” Shariatmadari continued.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important global oil shipping routes, and any disruption there could have an effect on the global economy.
Trump, for his part, made it clear that any retaliation would not be taken lightly. “Any attack by Iran on the United States will be MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT,” he warned, per MSNBC.
The international community is already responding. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced on Sunday that the organization will hold an emergency meeting to assess the situation.
“In light of the urgent situation in Iran, I am convening an emergency meeting of the @IAEAorg Board of Governors for tomorrow,” Grossi posted on X.
The strikes came just days after Iranian officials warned the U.S. that any direct involvement in the conflict would cross a red line.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Arghchi, has since revealed that he is traveling to Russia on Sunday to meet President Vladimir Putin.
He said, per The Sun: “I’m going to Moscow this afternoon, and I have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow morning.”
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that Trump was “fully committed to the peace process” and “gave Iran every single opportunity, and unfortunately, was met by stonewalling”.
“There was certainly a moment in time where he realized that it had to be a certain action taken in order to minimize the threat to us and our troops,” Hegseth added.
While Israel has been carrying out strikes for more than a week, Saturday’s U.S. operation marks a major shift, placing America directly in the heart of the conflict.
