In the days leading up to President Donald Trump’s decision to order air strikes, Iran had reportedly made its intentions clear regarding a potential U.S. attack.
On Saturday, President Trump authorized U.S. forces to conduct air strikes on Iran, targeting three of the country’s nuclear sites. A total of 125 aircraft were dispatched, covering over 7,000 miles to execute Trump’s orders.
During a national address following the strikes, Trump stated: “The US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear assemblies in the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.”
The President also warned Iran against retaliation, asserting that any response would be met with force significantly greater than that of the weekend’s strikes.
In the days prior to the strikes, Iran had communicated its potential response to U.S. military action, according to sources. NBC News reported that Iran warned of activating sleeper-cell terror within the United States if attacked. This message was reportedly conveyed to Trump through an intermediary at the G7 summit in Canada the previous week.
Sleeper cells refer to spies or terrorists present within the U.S. who remain inactive until receiving orders to attack. These individuals often maintain low profiles and have ordinary jobs, as noted by The Independent.
Amidst this unsettling threat, authorities in New York are said to be on heightened alert. Mayor Eric Adams commented: “There are no notable threats directly to the city, but you always want to be conscious of lone wolves.”
New York Police are focusing their efforts on areas associated with Jewish and Persian communities, according to NBC, as well as popular tourist destinations like Times Square.
Adams emphasized: “We want to make sure no lone wolf attacks happen at those locations.” He assured New Yorkers that they are taking appropriate measures.
Several global leaders have expressed their views on the unfolding conflict, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging Iran to reengage in negotiations.
The Prime Minister spoke with Trump on Sunday night following the attack on Iran. Downing Street disclosed that both leaders agreed Tehran should not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and advocated for renewed negotiations.
“The leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and reiterated the grave risk posed by Iran’s nuclear programme to international security,” stated Downing Street. “They discussed the actions taken by the United States last night to reduce the threat and agreed that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. They discussed the need for Iran to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible and to make progress on a lasting settlement. They agreed to stay in close contact in the coming days.”
The longstanding tensions between Israel and Iran escalated further on June 13 when Israel conducted a large-scale attack on Iranian military and nuclear sites, resulting in the deaths of nuclear scientists and high-ranking military officials. Israel justified the attack by claiming Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon.
In retaliation, Iran launched a missile assault on Israel, with some missiles breaching Tel Aviv’s Iron Dome air defense system.
This exchange of hostilities between the two nations has led to significant casualties, claiming at least 950 lives in Iran, including 380 civilians, according to Human Rights Activists. Meanwhile, Iranian attacks have resulted in 24 deaths in Israel.
On Saturday night, Trump ordered bombing attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz, declaring the operation a major ‘success’.
This action followed Trump’s warning to Iran about the potential consequences of any aggression towards the U.S., promising an overwhelming military response ‘at levels never seen before’.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, condemned the U.S. attack, stating it was a “grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations.” He added, “The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.”
While Iranian officials confirmed that the three sites were targeted, they denied significant damage. Conversely, Trump claimed these facilities had been ‘obliterated’.