US Strikes Three Iranian Nuclear Sites, Claims ‘Obliteration’ — Tehran Says Key Assets Were Pre-Emptively Secured

TEHRAN / WASHINGTON — The United States military launched a major strike operation against three of Iran’s most critical nuclear facilities — Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan — in what Washington described as a decisive blow to Tehran’s atomic program.
The operation, codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer, involved fourteen GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) “bunker buster” bombs dropped by B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, along with Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a submarine. 
President Donald Trump claimed the strikes had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities  (Wikipedia) , while a Pentagon assessment later concluded that Iran’s nuclear program had likely been set back by approximately two years. 
However, Iranian officials pushed back against Washington’s characterization of the damage. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that nuclear sites sustained severe damage , but Iranian authorities maintained that the attack had been anticipated and that critical equipment and materials had been relocated to secure locations ahead of the strikes. The Iranians had attempted to cover ventilation shafts at the Fordow facility with concrete caps in the days before the attack.  (Wikipedia)
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi warned after the strikes that Iran could resume uranium enrichment “in a matter of months,”  casting doubt on US claims of total destruction.
The strikes opened a stunning new chapter in US intervention in Iran, marking another instance of the Trump administration attacking the country during ongoing nuclear talks.  (PBS) The international community reacted with deep concern, with debates over legality, regional stability, and the long-term effectiveness of military force against Iran’s nuclear ambitions intensifying across world capitals.