Hegseth: strikes on Iran were ‘incredible and overwhelming success that devastated Iran’s nuclear program’
US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth has said the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were an “incredible and overwhelming” success that “devastated” the country’s nuclear program.
At a press conference at The Pentagon, Hegseth said the “precision strikes” were “focused, powerful and clear”.
He said the operation solely targeted Iranian nuclear sites, rather than Iranian troops or civilians.
He said: “Last night on President Trump’s orders, US central command conducted a precision strike in the middle of the night against three nuclear facilities in Iran … in order to destroy or severely degrade Iran’s nuclear program.
“It was an incredible and overwhelming success. The order we received from our commander in chief was focused, it was powerful, and it was clear. We devastated the Iranian nuclear program.”
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US military chief warns Iranian retaliation would be an ‘incredibly poor choice’
The US most senior military official has warned strongly against any retaliation from Iran, as he gave details of the strikes against Iran in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Speaking at a press conference at the Pentagon alongside secretary of defence Pete Hegseth after Operation Midnight Hammer, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen Dan Caine said: “Our forces remain on high alert, and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks which would be an incredibly poor choice. We will defend ourselves. The safety of our service members and civilians remains our highest priority.”
Caine said the attack was the largest B2 strike in history, and was met by no Iranian resistance, either from surface to air missiles or from fighter jets. He told reporters some planes were still in the air as he spoke on Sunday morning from the east coast of the US.
He said the US used deception manoeuvres into the Pacific at the early stages of the operation, and later with jets flying ahead of the main attack group, to allow jets to get to the three nuclear sites in Iran.
He said 14 30,000lb Mops (massive ordinance penetrator) bombs were used on two nuclear sites, the first time they have been deployed.
Seven B2 spirit bombers were deployed on the main operation to Iran, flying eastwards from continental US, he told reporters.
As well as the bombs being dropped by the US air force, a US submarine launched more than 24 Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles on targets at Isfahan Gen Caine confirmed.
The entire operation involved more than 125 US aircraft, he added.
“This was a complex and high risk mission carried out with exceptional skill and discipline by our joint force,” he said.
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Updated at 13.39 BST
Hegseth: ‘When Trump speaks the world should listen’
US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth praised President Trump’s leadership, and said he had overseen the “obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Hegseth said: “Many presidents have dreamed of delivering the final blow to Iran’s nuclear program, and none could until President Trump.
“The operation President Trump planned was bold and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back. When this President speaks, the world should listen, and [with] the US military, we can back it up.”
He said the B2 bomber mission was the longest distance since 2001, and it was the first deployment of the MOP (massive ordinance penetrator) bomb.
Hegseth added: “As President Trump has stated, the United States does not seek war, but let me be clear, we will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners or our interests are threatened. Iran should listen to the president of the United States and know that he means it, every word.”
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Updated at 13.24 BST
Hegseth: strikes on Iran were ‘incredible and overwhelming success that devastated Iran’s nuclear program’
US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth has said the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were an “incredible and overwhelming” success that “devastated” the country’s nuclear program.
At a press conference at The Pentagon, Hegseth said the “precision strikes” were “focused, powerful and clear”.
He said the operation solely targeted Iranian nuclear sites, rather than Iranian troops or civilians.
He said: “Last night on President Trump’s orders, US central command conducted a precision strike in the middle of the night against three nuclear facilities in Iran … in order to destroy or severely degrade Iran’s nuclear program.
“It was an incredible and overwhelming success. The order we received from our commander in chief was focused, it was powerful, and it was clear. We devastated the Iranian nuclear program.”
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the US of being the “main cause” behind Israel’s attacks on Iran, according to comments reported by Al Jazeera.
Pezeshkian accused the US of being the responsible for Israel’s actions towards Iran.
“Although they initially tried to conceal their role, after the decisive and deterrent response of our country’s armed forces and the observation of the Zionist regime’s [Israel’s] obvious inability, they inevitably came to the fore,” he said, referring to the US.
He said despite the losses suffered by the country, it was now time to set aside differences and “activate the great capacities of the people”.
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Pope Leo has said the international community must work to avoid opening an “irreparable abyss”.
During his weekly prayer with pilgrims, the pope told worshippers: “Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility: to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss.”
“No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, the stolen future. Let diplomacy silence the weapons, let nations chart their future with peace efforts, not with violence and bloody conflicts,” he added.
“In this dramatic scenario, which includes Israel and Palestine, the daily suffering of the population, especially in Gaza and other territories, risks being forgotten, where the need for adequate humanitarian support is becoming increasingly urgent.”
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China ‘strongly condemns’ US bombing of Iran
China has accused the US of breaking international law with its airstrike, and increasing tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement posted on X, the foreign affairs ministry called for a ceasefire.
China strongly condemns the US attacks on Iran and bombing of nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the IAEA.
The actions of the U.S. seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East.
China calls on the parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible, ensure the safety of civilians, and start dialogue and negotiation.
China stands ready to work with the international community to pool efforts together and uphold justice, and work for restoring peace and stability in the Middle East.
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Starmer warns of ‘risk beyond the region’ from conflict after airstrikes
Jessica Elgot
Sir Keir Starmer has called for restraint in the response to US strikes on Iran, warning of the possibility of escalation beyond the Middle East.
The prime minister said on Sunday there was a “risk of escalation” after the US strikes against Iran, including “beyond the region.”
“It is important that we now de-escalate the situation, stabilise the region, and get the parties back around the table to negotiate,” he told broadcasters on Sunday morning.
“I’m very clear in my own mind that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon that is the greatest threat to stability in the region.”
“There is a risk of escalation. There’s a risk to the region. It’s a risk beyond the region, and that’s why all our focus has been on de-escalating, getting people back around to negotiate what is a very real threat in relation to the nuclear program.
“We were not involved in the attack. We were given due notice as we would expect as close allies to the US. And we have been moving assets to the region to make sure that we’re in a position to protect our own interests, our personnel and our assets and of course those of our allies.”
Starmer said it was “clearly a fast-moving situation” and much had changed since the G7 summit when he had said he did not think the US would strike Iran.
The prime minister will convene a COBRA meeting of ministers and senior officials later on Sunday. The prime minister said on Sunday there was a “risk of escalation” after the US strikes against Iran, including “beyond the region.”
Starmer spoked to both the king of Jordan and the Sultan of Oman on Sunday morning, stressing in read-outs of the call that “wider regional stability in the Middle East must be a priority.”
In the call with Oman, Number 10 said the leaders agreed “escalation of the conflict is in no one’s interests and the focus must be on de-escalation.”
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France will hold an emergency defence cabinet meeting on Sunday to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, the French presidency said on Sunday.
President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke to several leaders, including the Saudi Crown Prince on the issue, will hold further talks with European and regional leaders during the day, Reuters reports.
It added that everything would now be done to speed up the departure of French citizens who wished to leave Iran and Israel.
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Russia: US airstrikes on Iran ‘irresponsible’
Russia has strongly condemned the US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, calling it “irresponsible”.
In a statement from the foreign ministry, it said: “The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the UN security council.”
In comments reported by Reuters, it said it “significantly” increased the risk of conflict in the Middle East.
Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi is due to travel to Moscow on Sunday.
The statement continued: “We call for an end to aggression and for increased efforts to create conditions for returning the situation to a political and diplomatic track.”
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Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said he spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday to express “deep concern at the recent escalations” after US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Penelope MacRae in Delhi reports.
“Spoke with President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian,” Modi posted on X. “We discussed in detail about the current situation … reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability.”
New Delhi has become increasingly worried about the risks from a widening Middle East conflict – from oil market turmoil to broader instability in the Gulf, home to a large Indian diaspora and important Indian economic interests.
India and Iran share a long relationship, shaped by what both sides call “civilisational links”, cold war alignment, and economic ties.
Iran was one of India’s largest crude oil suppliers until US sanctions forced a halt. New Delhi has also invested heavily in Iran’s port of Chabahar, which offers India a direct route to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
India’s diplomatic balancing act has become more delicate in recent years, as it pursues closer US and Israeli ties while seeking to preserve links with Tehran.
India has consistently abstained on UN Gaza ceasefire resolutions while calling for a two-state solution.
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Starmer to chair Cobra meeting on the US Iran strikes
Jessica Elgot
Sir Keir Starmer will chair a Cobra meeting of ministers and senior officials this afternoon on the US strikes on Iran.
It comes after Starmer urged Iran to return to the negotiating table and said that stability in the region remained a priority, in the aftermath of the attacks.
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Iranian foreign minister refuses to rule out restricting global trade or pulling out of nuclear treaty
Ruth Michaelson
Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declined to say whether Tehran would seek to restrict global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, or pull out of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Speaking in Istanbul, he said: “There are a variety of options available to us- and that’s it … of course the way for diplomacy should always remain open, but we are not in a situation right now to decide how to engage in diplomacy once again and with whom, so let’s wait for our response.
“First and when aggression is ended, we decide how to engage in diplomacy once again.”
Araghchi missed no opportunity to lash out at Washington and the Trump administration in particular, closing by describing how he will fly to Moscow this afternoon and meet Russian president Vladimir Putin tomorrow morning.
“While president Trump elected on a platform of putting an end to America’s costly involvement in forever wars in our part of the world, he has betrayed not only Iran by abusing our commitment to diplomacy, but also deceived his own voters who are submitting to the wishes of a wanted war criminal,” Araghchi said, in reference to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Iran’s foreign minister warns US attack to have ‘far-reaching implications’
Ruth Michaelson
Here’s more information from our correspondent in Turkey, Ruth Michaelson, on Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi’s press conference in Istanbul on Sunday morning.
Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said the American airstrikes last night were a violation “of every red line”, as he warned of “far-reaching implications” of its attack on Sunday.
Araghchi was in Istanbul for talks with regional counterparts on the conflict between Iran and Israel. Speaking on the sidelines of meetings as part of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, Araghchi said: “We were suddenly faced with aggression by American forces towards our nuclear facilities: The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest terms the US brutal military aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities,” he said.
“This is an outrageous, grave and unprecedented violation of the principles of the UN charter and international law, and the war-mongering and lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of this act of aggression.”
The Iranian foreign minister gave few details about the impact of the strikes on three nuclear facilities. He brushed specific details aside and instead focused on the impact on international diplomacy as well as shared agreements regulating nuclear weapons.
Araghchi said that he had spoken to officials in Tehran since the strikes, and “I don’t have exact information about the level of damage. But I don’t think it matters how much damage was made. Attacking a nuclear facility by itself is an unforgivable violation of international law and should be condemned.”
He framed the US attack as potentially perilous to negotiations intended to curb Iran’s nuclear programme, calling for intervention by the UN, the UN security council and other bodies like the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“It cannot be emphasised enough how much of a devastating blow that the US, a permanent member of the UN security council, has dealt to the global nonproliferation regime,” he said.
“Silence in the face of such blatant aggression would plunge the world into an unprecedented level of danger and chaos …humanity has come too far to allow a lawless bully to take us back to the law of the jungle.”
“The door for diplomacy should always be kept open, but this is not the case right now. My country has been under attack, and we have to respond based on our legitimate right to self-defence. We will do that for as long as needed and necessary. I think it is irrelevant to ask Iran to return to diplomacy – because we were in the middle of diplomacy and talks with the US when the Israelis blew it up. We were in the middle of talks with the Europeans, only two days ago in Geneva, when this time the Americans decided to blow it up.”
Despite emphasising that the option for further diplomacy remains open, Araghchi strongly implied that Tehran will respond militarily to the US attacks before any potential return to the negotiating table.
“Iran reserves all options to defend its security, its interests and its people,” he said.
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Updated at 11.48 BST
Turkey has warned the US attack on Iran could turn a regional conflict into a global one, as the foreign ministry said Ankara was deeply concerned about possible repercussions after the attacks.
In a statement, the ministry said that a spread of the conflict into a wider global war must not be allowed, calling on all parties to act with responsibility and end attacks immediately.
It repeated the sentiment from others that only negotiations could resolve the nuclear dispute between Tehran and Washington
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