Overview

• The US carried out airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, hitting Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan.
• Vice President JD Vance defended the operation as a targeted effort against Iran’s nuclear program, asserting that previous presidents lacked the clarity to secure US interests.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hailed the raids as an “overwhelming success” that devastated Tehran’s enrichment infrastructure.
• Iran has threatened retaliation through oil chokepoint closures or strikes on American military positions, stoking fears of wider escalation.
• President Trump suggested on social media that the United States may pursue regime change if Iran’s leadership fails to reform the country.