Published on •Updated
“War starts right now”, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Tehran’s main army branch, said overnight on Sunday after the US forces struck three nuclear sites in Iran, according to US President Donald Trump.
Trump posted on his Truth Social account that a “full payload of bombs was dropped” on the Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan nuclear sites.
“Congratulations to our great American warriors,” Trump said, adding that it is now “time for peace”.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded by saying this has kicked off what has been an exchange of missile and drone attacks by Iran and Israel since last Friday, which now has the potential to escalate beyond conflict to a full-blown war in the Middle East.
Trump’s decision to directly involve the US comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country’s air defences and offensive military capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.
On Saturday, multiple US B-2 bombers appeared to be airborne and heading west from the US. B-2 bombers are the only aircraft that carry the larger bunker buster bombs.
Aside from an on-the-ground raid or even a nuclear strike, Iran’s underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered out of reach to all but American bunker-buster bombs.
Both US and Israeli officials said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000lb bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear programme buried deep underground.
The bunker buster bombs are believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 metres) below the surface before exploding. They can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast.
Trump said B-2 stealth bombers were used, but did not specify which types of bombs were dropped. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation.
Iran had previously pledged to retaliate if the US joined the Israeli assault. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday the US that strikes targeting his nation would “result in irreparable damage for them.”
This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates.