Daily Brief Special Report: U.S. strikes Iran (June 21, 2025)
U.S. President Donald Trump announced tonight that U.S. forces have carried out bombing attacks on at least three Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran's nuclear enrichment sites at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan were struck with specialized bunker-busting bombs designed to penetrate deep underground, dropped by B-2 bombers. [more]
Updates (original reporting below):
- 11:23pm ET: Reports cite U.S. defense officials as saying 12 "bunker buster" bombs were dropped on the Iranian nuclear site at Fordo by B-2 bombers and that 30 submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles were used to hit the nuclear sites at Natanz and Isfahan.
- 10:18pm ET: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres characterized the U.S. action as a “dangerous escalation," saying "there is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control — with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world."
Original details:
- Iran's state-run IRNA news agency has confirmed attacks on the three nuclear sites.
- In a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister praised the U.S. strikes, saying that President Trump acted decisively to "deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons."
- According to reports, the U.S. has informed Iran through backchannels that there are no further immediate plans for additional strikes.
- In a television address following the strikes President Trump warned of potential further targeting of Iranian targets if there is not peace in the region.
Additional details will be posted on the Daily Brief website as, and if, necessary, and will continue to be covered in Monday morning's regular edition.