Until Saturday night, the world waited to see whether President Donald Trump would join Israel’s campaign against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Now we have the answer.

In a televised address from the White House, President Trump called the strikes a ‘spectacular military success’ and a ‘historic moment for the United States, Israel, and the world.’ He confirmed that Fordow—Iran’s deeply buried nuclear enrichment site near Qom—was among the targets, and warned, ‘There are many targets left.’ His message was clear: Iran must ‘make peace or face tragedy far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.’

The U.S. has struck decisively. Whether the strike succeeds in halting Iran’s nuclear program—as the president boldly claims—remains to be seen. What is clear is that the geopolitical fuse is lit, and the consequences are just beginning.

So far, the administration has not provided public evidence that Iran was mere ‘weeks away’ from building a nuclear bomb, as the White House press secretary alleged. That claim may have helped justify the strike, but it rests more on assumption than on firm intelligence.

Yes, Iran has enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels—but that alone does not make a bomb. Tehran still needs to master warhead design, detonator synchronization, reentry shielding, and delivery systems. There is no verified proof it has done so.

As I wrote for Fox News last week, bombs can destroy facilities—but they cannot erase knowledge. Many of Iran’s scientists are still alive, and their motivation may now be stronger than ever.

Tehran now faces a choice: capitulate or retaliate. Based on history, ideology, and culture, the odds overwhelmingly favor retaliation.

Surrender is antithetical to Iran’s revolutionary mindset. The Islamic Republic has endured war, sanctions, and sabotage. Its leadership interprets resistance as divine duty. This strike may have weakened Iran’s enrichment infrastructure, but it will likely strengthen the regime’s resolve.

Iran retains extensive capabilities: ballistic missiles, global proxy networks, cyber weapons, and elite paramilitary forces. This is not the end—it is the beginning of a new phase.

1. Regional attacks on U.S. assets: Iran will likely target American military bases and diplomatic posts in Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf states through proxy militias like Kataib Hezbollah or the Houthis. Any U.S. casualties could force a wider war.
2. Disruption of oil routes: Iran could attempt to block or threaten the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for nearly 20% of the world’s oil. Even a short disruption could send global energy prices soaring.
3. Strikes on U.S. allies: Expect missile attacks or proxy assaults on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and especially Israel. Iran’s allies in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza are likely already preparing.
4. Asymmetric attacks abroad: Iran’s global network of operatives includes sleeper cells in Latin America, Europe, and possibly the U.S. If Tehran believes it has little to lose, civilian targets and cyber infrastructure may be in its crosshairs.

If President Trump acted without solid intelligence, the risk is real: that we have provoked a long war on shaky grounds. Unlike the Iraq invasion in 2003, Iran’s enrichment program is genuine—but neutralizing it with airstrikes alone will not work. This war, if it escalates, will not be fought on our terms.

What is more, the strike could backfire politically inside Iran. Rather than destabilizing the regime, it may unify it. Public humiliation of key sites like Fordow plays directly into the regime’s ‘Great Satan’ narrative, fueling nationalism and quelling dissent.

The U.S. and its allies must now pivot quickly to containment, deterrence, and resilience. Air defenses must be reinforced. Cyber infrastructure must be secured. Intelligence agencies must track Iranian networks abroad. And most importantly, diplomatic channels must remain open—to allies and, when possible, to adversaries.

This is not the time for complacency. It is a time for clear strategy, disciplined leadership, and vigilance.

The deed is done. Iran’s nuclear sites lie in ruins—but its will to retaliate is not. President Trump’s triumphant tone— ‘Fordow is gone,’ he declared—may play well politically, but it also risks underestimating a hardened adversary.

Iran has absorbed assassinations, sanctions, and cyberattacks. It has endured war and isolation. What it has not done—what it is unlikely to do now—is give up.

The American people must be prepared—not just for victory narratives, but for volatility. The battlefield ahead is asymmetric, unpredictable, and global. It will test not only our military but our wisdom.

The question now is no longer whether we acted. The question is: Was it worth the cost?

Exuberant Republicans, and at least one prominent Democrat, lauded President Donald Trump’s leadership on Saturday after the U.S. completed an attack on three Iranian nuclear sites. 

‘Good. This was the right call. The regime deserves it. Well done, President @realDonaldTrump,’ Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote on X. 

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., also said Trump made the right call. 

‘As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS,’ he said on X. ‘Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.’ 

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, wrote: ‘’Peace through strength’ means ensuring our existential enemies don’t acquire the most lethal and catastrophic weapons known to man.’ 

And former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz called Trump a ‘peacemaker.’

‘President Trump basically wants this to be like the Solimani strike – one and done. No regime change war. Trump the Peacemaker!’ he wrote on X. 

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that the president ‘made the correct decision to strike Iran’s nuclear sites. Iran made the choice to continue its pursuit of a nuclear weapon and would only be stopped by force. It would be a grave mistake to retaliate against our forces.’ 

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said on X, ‘Iran has waged a war of terror against the United States for 46 years. We could never allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. God bless our brave troops. President Trump made the right call and the ayatollahs should recall his warning not to target Americans.’ 

Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, said Trump’s decision was the ‘right one. The greatest threat to the safety of the United States and the world is Iran with a nuclear weapon. God Bless our troops.’ 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote on X that the U.S. ‘military operations in Iran should serve as a clear reminder to our adversaries and allies that President Trump means what he says.’

Johnson said that the president gave Iran ‘every opportunity to make a deal, but Iran refused to commit to a nuclear disarmament agreement. President Trump has been consistent and clear that a nuclear-armed Iran will not be tolerated. That posture has now been enforced with strength, precision, and clarity.’

He added that Trump’s ‘decisive action prevents the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, which chants ‘Death to America,’ from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet.’ 

However, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who authored a war powers resolution to prevent the U.S. from getting involved in Iran said the attacks were ‘not constitutional.’ 

Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, echoed Massie’s sentiments. 

‘Trump struck Iran without any authorization of Congress. We need to immediately return to DC and vote on @RepThomasMassie and my War Powers Resolution to prevent America from being dragged into another endless Middle East war,’ he wrote on X. 

Co-sponsors of the War Powers Resolution, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif, and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., were quick to criticize President Donald Trump for greenlighting attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran Saturday night. 

‘This is not constitutional,’ Massie said, responding to Trump’s Truth Social post announcing the strikes on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan in Iran. 

The bipartisan War Powers Resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives this week as strikes between Israel and Iran raged on, and the world stood by to see if Trump would strike. 

Sources familiar told Fox News Digital that both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., were briefed on the strikes ahead of time. 

‘Trump struck Iran without any authorization of Congress. We need to immediately return to DC and vote on @RepThomasMassie and my War Powers Resolution to prevent America from being dragged into another endless Middle East war,’ Khanna said. 

This week, lawmakers sounded off on the unconstitutionality of Trump striking Iran without congressional approval. Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article I of the Constitution. 

The War Powers Resolution seeks to ‘remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic State of Iran’ and directs Trump to ‘terminate’ the deployment of American troops against Iran without an ‘authorized declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military forces against Iran.’

As Trump announced his strikes against Iran – without congressional approval – Khanna said representatives should return to Capitol Hill to prevent further escalation.

And in the upper chamber, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced his own war powers resolution ahead of the bipartisan duo in the House. While the resolution had been gaining steam with his colleagues, momentum could be stalled due to the strikes. His resolution is privileged, meaning that lawmakers will have to consider it. The earliest it could be voted on is Friday.

Kaine argued in a statement that ‘the American public is overwhelmingly opposed to the U.S. waging war on Iran.’

‘And the Israeli Foreign Minister admitted yesterday that Israeli bombing had set the Iranian nuclear program back ‘at least 2 or 3 years,” he said. ‘So, what made Trump recklessly decide to rush and bomb today? Horrible judgment. I will push for all senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war.’

This week on Capitol Hill, Massie, the conservative fiscal hawk who refused to sign onto Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ built an unlikely bipartisan coalition of lawmakers resisting the U.S.’ involvement in the Middle East conflict. 

‘This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution,’ Massie said. 

Massie, whom Trump threatened to primary during the House GOP megabill negotiations, invited ‘all members of Congress to cosponsor this resolution.’ By Tuesday night, the bipartisan bill had picked up 27 cosponsors, including progressive ‘Squad’ members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.

Across the political aisle, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., signaled her support, writing that Americans want an affordable cost of living, safe communities and quality education ‘not going into another foreign war.’

‘This is not our fight,’ Greene doubled down on Saturday night, before Trump’s Truth Social announcement. 

The bill’s original co-sponsors also include progressive Democrat Reps.Pramila Jayapal, Summer Lee, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, who called it unconstitutional for ‘Trump to go to war without a vote in Congress.’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump would make his decision about whether to bomb Iran within two weeks. 

‘We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,’ Trump said Saturday night. 

Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leaders last week, which the Islamic Republic considered a ‘declaration of war.’ Strikes between Israel and Iran have raged on since, as Trump said he was considering whether to sign off on U.S. strikes against Iran. 

The Jewish State targeted Iran’s nuclear capabilities after months of failed negotiations in the region and heightened concern over Iran developing nuclear weapons. 

But Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to Geneva, said Iran ‘will continue to produce the enriched uranium as far as we need for peaceful purposes,’ as Israel, and now the U.S., have issued strikes against Iran’s nuclear capabilities. 

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, slammed Iran’s UN representative as ‘a wolf disguised as a diplomat,’ during a fiery session of the Security Council on Saturday, hours before the US struck three nuclear sites in Iran. 

Following the US strike on nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, which President Donald Trump said had been ‘totally obliterated,’ Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani demanded another ’emergency meeting’ of the Security Council calling for condemnation ‘in the strongest possible terms’ of the US actions and for it not to go ‘unpunished.’

‘The Islamic Republic of Iran urgently requests the Security Council to convene an emergency meeting without delay to address this blatant and unlawful act of aggression,’ Iravani wrote in a letter to UN Secretary General António Guterres.

Iravani called the US strikes ‘premeditated, and unprovoked,’ and said it was a ‘flagrant violation of international law.’

Earlier, Danon, in response to similar allegations against Israel, highlighted the council’s hypcoricy, callilng the Iranian representative a ‘wolf disguised as a diplomat.’ 

‘How dare a representative of a regime that finances, arms and orchestrates terrorism all over the world, ask for compassion from this Council?’ Danon said during a council session on Saturday. ‘You are not a victim. You are not a diplomat. You are a wolf disguised as a diplomat, and we are done pretending otherwise.’ 

Following the US strike on Iran, which included five to six bunker buster bombs dropped on Fordow nuclear site and some 30 Tomahawk missiles fired against sites in Natanz and Isfahan, Danon told Fox News Digital that ‘after decades of ignoring the International community, Iran is trying to play victim and ask for sympathy from the Security Council.’ 

‘Sec Gen Guterres should be thanking President Trump for taking action and making the world a safer place — instead of condemning the U.S. for promoting peace through strength,’ Danon told Fox News Digital.

‘After years of the UN’s incompetence that allowed Iran to accelerate its dangerous nuclear weapons program, the U.S. has acted forcefully to prevent a destructive nuclear Iran from threatening Israel, the U.S. and the free world,’ he said. 

‘I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security,’ Guterres said in a statement.

‘There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,’ he added, calling on UN member states to ‘de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law.’

An Iranian missile attack on Israel on Sunday, hours after the US struck nuclear facilities in Iran, scored direct hits in the cities of Tel Aviv, Haifa and Nes Ziona, causing widespread destruction but no immediate fatalities, Israeli authorities said.

Images shared by Israel’s first responders showed multistorey buildings with their sides blown away and windows shattered and single-family homes in ruins, as rescue crews searched the debris for survivors.

Israel’s first aid agency, Magen David Adom, said there were no initial reports of fatalities but dozens were injured and evacuated to hospital.

In a press briefing, Tel Aviv’s Mayor Ron Huldai said the damage in his city was ‘very extensive but in terms of human life, we are okay.’

‘Houses here were hit very, very badly,’ he said, adding that ‘fortunately, one of them was slated for demolition and reconstruction, so there were no residents inside. Those who were in the shelter are all safe and well.’

In Nes Ziona, a town just south of Tel Aviv, a house was directly hit by a missile and the surrounding buildings destroyed, but, according to Israeli media reports, the families were in their shelter.

Israel’s home front command on Sunday put the country back onto emergency footing, days after some of the restrictions on commercial centers and larger gatherings had been eased.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was delivering remarks at a ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ rally in Tusla, Okla., on Saturday night when President Donald Trump announced the United States had successfully attacked three nuclear sites in Iran. 

An aide interrupted Sanders’ remarks to deliver the message Trump had just blasted off on Truth Social. 

‘We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,’ Trump said in the post. 

Sanders read the piece of paper with Trump’s Truth Social post to his supporters, shaking his head as the socialist senator processed what the president had just announced. ‘No more wars!’ the crowd chanted. 

Trump added in the post: ‘All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.’

Sanders nodded along as the crowd continued to chant, ‘No more wars!’ before responding to the news in real time. 

He said the news was not only ‘alarming,’ but ‘so grossly unconstitutional.’

‘All of you know that the only entity that can take this country to war is the U.S. Congress. The president does not have the right,’ Sanders shouted. 

Sanders joins the bipartisan coalition in Congress who have called out the ‘unconstitutionality’ of Trump striking Iran without congressional approval. 

A bipartisan War Powers Resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives this week as strikes between Israel and Iran raged on, and the world stood by to see if Trump would strike. Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article I of the Constitution. 

The War Powers Resolution seeks to ‘remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic State of Iran’ and directs Trump to ‘terminate’ the deployment of American troops against Iran without an ‘authorized declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military forces against Iran.’

‘The American people do not want more war, more death!’ Sanders said. ‘It might be a good idea if we concentrated on the problems that exist in Oklahoma and Vermont rather than getting involved in another war that the American people do not want.’

But Sanders told the crowd not to give up on their vision for America’s future. 

‘In this moment in American history, what we have got to do in Vermont and Oklahoma, in Texas, all over this country, is stand up and fight back, and tell them this is our country!’ Sanders said. 

Sanders has been a vocal opponent of the United States joining Israel in its war against Iran as Trump weighed striking its nuclear facilities. 

‘Netanyahu is not the President of the United States,’ Sanders said on social media earlier this week. 

‘He should not be determining U.S. foreign and military policy. If the people of Israel support his decision to start a war with Iran, that is their business and their war. The United States must not be a part of it,’ he added. 

The democratic socialist has been a vocal opponent of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war against Gaza since Israel retaliated following Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. 

After Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities last week, Sanders said it was ‘just his latest violation of international law,’ likening Netanyahu to a ‘war criminal.’

The Vermont senator was speaking at his second rally of the day, part of his southern swing of the ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ tour that Sanders started in response to Trump’s sweeping second-term agenda. 

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Tx., and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Tx., are slated to join the Vermont senator at his rallies in Texas on Sunday. 

And Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., joined Sanders on his Western swing of the tour earlier this year. 

The tour targets deep red districts currently held by Republicans, a strategy picked up by Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., who hosted town halls in Republican congressional districts, and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) through their ‘People’s Town Halls’ across the United States. 

Sanders also held a rally in House Speaker Mike Johnson’s hometown of Shreveport, La., on Saturday. 

A top expert on the Iran nuclear program believes the regime’s atomic program has been obliterated by Saturday night’s strikes by the United States.

‘The nuclear program is no longer,’ Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a ‘national security and foreign policy’ think tank, told Fox News Digital.

‘Sources in Israel report with high confidence that this chapter is over. Responsible parties must still remove nuclear materials from the facility in Isfahan. But that appears to be the final page to turn,’ he continued. 

President Donald Trump said during his address on Saturday night that ‘Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.’ 

Fox News reported earlier on that Isfahan was ‘the hardest target,’ according to a senior U.S. official.

‘Everyone was talking about and focused on Fordow, but Isfahan was actually the hardest target,’ the official said on background. The U.S. used B-2 bombers to carry out the mission.

A senior U.S. official also told Fox News that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu communicated after the strikes and that Israel had been informed ahead of time.

Lisa Daftari, Iran expert and Editor-in-Chief of The Foreign Desk, told Fox News Digital, ‘Both Israeli and U.S. officials understand that anything less than total destruction of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure will only result in a temporary pause, not a permanent end. But to truly end Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the U.S. and its allies must commit to a campaign—beyond these targeted strikes—backed by sustained pressure, intelligence, and the credible threat of further action if Iran attempts to rebuild.

‘To ensure the eradication of the regime’s nuclear weapons capability, the U.S. must maintain persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to detect any attempts by Iran’s regime to disperse, hide or rebuild its nuclear infrastructure. This would be coupled with continued diplomatic isolation and strict multilateral sanctions blocking the regime’s access to nuclear technology, materials and financing,’ she said.

Trump announced that the U.S. had struck nuclear sites in Iran – a major development amid rising tensions in the region, as Israel and Iran continued to launch airstrikes against each other.

‘We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,’ Trump posted to Truth Social on Saturday night.

‘All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,’ he continued.

Fox News’ Sean Hannity said on Saturday night that President Donald Trump had given him details on the U.S. strikes in Iran. According to the ‘Hannity’ host, the U.S. used six bunker-buster bombs — each of which weighs 15 tons — in its strikes on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility. The bombs were dropped from American B-2 stealth bombers.

During a press conference on Sunday morning, the number of bunker busters used was updated to 14 by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Caine.

‘President Trump took decisive leadership and action to eliminate the last vestiges of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, after Israel’s sustained strikes, which seriously damaged the atomic weapons supply chain from uranium conversion to enrichment, and all the way to weaponization,’ Andrea Stricker, FDD’s Director of Nonproliferation and Biological Weapons told Fox News Digital. 

‘While Tehran’s program is likely set back by years, the United States and Israel need to ensure the regime’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles and all secret advanced centrifuges are fully recovered and destroyed — which means more work ahead,’ she added.

Fordow had two entrances and one ventilation shaft, which likely served as the entrance points for the Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs).

Additionally, 30 Tomahawk missiles launched from U.S. submarines were used in the attacks on the Nanatz and Isfahan facilities. There is speculation that the missiles were shot from an Ohio Class Submarine, but there has been no confirmation.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa, backed President Donald Trump’s decision to have the United States attack three of Iran’s most fortified underground nuclear sites amid rapidly escalating tensions in the Middle East and intensifying Israeli and U.S. military operations against Iranian targets. 

Fetterman called the move ‘correct’ in a post on X just minutes after Trump shared the news on Truth Social. 

‘As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS,’ Fetterman said. ‘Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.’ 

Trump declared the operation a ‘very successful attack’ targeting Iran’s key nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

‘We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, incluidng Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,’ Trump wrote in the announcement. ‘All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this.’

He concluded his statement with a call for de-escalation: ‘NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.’

The overnight strike against Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility involved six bunker buster bombs, Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Saturday night. Additionally, 30 Tomahawk missiles were launched from U.S. submarines in the attacks on Natanz and Isfahan facilities. 

The strike, marking a major escalation in an already volatile landscape, comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel to eradicate Iran’s offensive missile capabilities. 

The extent of the damage caused to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure so far remains unclear. 

Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.