[VT – WASHINGTON, D.C.] June 22, 2025 — President Donald J. Trump addressed the nation from the White House at 10:00 p.m. ET on June 21, announcing that the United States military had carried out a large-scale, high-precision strike on three major nuclear facilities in Iran: Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. The President described the operation as a “spectacular military success” and declared that Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities had been “totally obliterated.”
“A full payload of bombs was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” Trump wrote in a prior post, adding that “all planes are now outside of Iran air space.”
In his live address, President Trump emphasized that the mission aimed to end the nuclear threat posed by the “world’s number one state sponsor of terror.” He issued a stark ultimatum to Tehran: “Iran must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater.”
Unprecedented U.S.-Israel Military Cooperation
Trump extended special thanks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu and the Israeli military for their coordination during the strike. “We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before,” Trump said, underscoring the strength of U.S.-Israel cooperation.
The President noted that the target sites—well-known to the global intelligence community for years—were carefully chosen for their strategic role in Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Tribute to U.S. Forces and Leadership
Praising the U.S. armed forces, Trump saluted the pilots and military personnel involved in the mission:
“There’s no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight—not even close.”
He also recognized General Dan Raisen Kaine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Pete Hgsth for their leadership and strategic vision.
“Tonight’s strike was the most difficult of all, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, other targets will be taken out in minutes.”
Forward Warning and Call for Peace
Trump’s tone oscillated between triumph and forewarning. He recounted four decades of Iranian aggression, including the deaths of American service members, and pointed to the 2020 killing of General Qassem Soleimani as a turning point in U.S. policy toward Tehran.
“This cannot continue. There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran—far greater than we’ve witnessed over the last eight days.”
Press Briefing Scheduled at Pentagon
The Pentagon will hold a press briefing at 8:00 a.m. ET on June 22, where General Kaine and Secretary Hgsth are expected to share operational details and field questions from the media.
