By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Trump declared Iran’s enrichment sites “finished,” yet global monitors report no signs of radiological impact.

Early Sunday morning, US President Donald Trump claimed that American forces had carried out a “highly successful” series of airstrikes on Iran’s three main nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. 

In a televised statement from the White House, Trump described the attack as a “historic moment” for the United States, Israel, and the world. He claimed that the Fordow facility was “finished,” that all three sites were “completely destroyed,” and that “there is no other army in the world other than the US army that can do this.” 

Trump concluded with a call for Iran to surrender and “make peace now,” warning that any retaliation would be met with a force “far greater than we saw tonight.”

However, multiple sources—including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Gulf nuclear regulatory authorities, and Iranian state media—reported that there was no increase in radiation levels following the strikes. 

Trump calls Iran the “bully of the Middle East…”

Israel has bombed 5 countries and invaded 3 in the past two years alone.

But IRAN is the bully…

This man is a pathetic fraud. pic.twitter.com/7ES2wQOeV7

— ADAM (@AdameMedia) June 22, 2025

Iranian official news agency IRNA confirmed the attacks but stated that the bombed facilities contained no radioactive materials. 

Officials in Isfahan and Natanz also reported no radioactive contamination and no disruption to nearby civilian areas. In Fordow, residents said they did not feel any major explosions, and Iranian commentators suggested the facilities had been evacuated long ago.

The IAEA said it had not received any data indicating radiological anomalies and would continue to assess the situation. Similarly, the Saudi Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority issued a statement confirming that no radiation was detected in Saudi Arabia or the Gulf region. The Kuwaiti National Guard also confirmed that air and water radiation levels remained normal. 

These findings raise questions about the scope and effectiveness of the US strikes, especially in light of Trump’s sweeping claims that the enrichment capabilities of Iran had been eliminated.

TRUMP IS A TERRORIST! pic.twitter.com/bu4W7BRat1

— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) June 21, 2025

Details of the Operation

Details of the operation suggest it was among the most complex US air campaigns in recent years. According to US officials cited by the New York Times, several B-2 bombers flew non-stop for 37 hours from Missouri, dropping 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on the Fordow facility. 

Fox News reported that six such bombs were used, including two that targeted the entrances to the underground complex. 

A US Navy submarine also launched Tomahawk missiles at Iranian targets. ABC News quoted an Israeli source confirming that the US and Israel had rehearsed this operation in a joint military exercise a year earlier.

Despite the scale of the operation, a senior adviser to Iran’s parliament speaker said the facilities had been evacuated long ago. The Iranian government emphasized that there were no dangerous materials at the sites, and repeated that no major explosions were felt in the areas surrounding Fordow. 

Meanwhile, Iranian state television warned that every American soldier and citizen in the region is now considered a legitimate target.

An act of theater.

Trump’s big mouth had boxed him into a corner.

Iran wouldn’t play his game.

So he had to bomb Iran to save face.

He bombed two empty facilities that had been previously struck by Israel.

And he bounced six bombs off an indestructible facility (Firdos),…

— Scott Ritter (@RealScottRitter) June 22, 2025

While Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the strikes caused significant damage and claimed that the Isfahan facility had been one of the hardest targets, Iranian sources have dismissed such claims as exaggeration. 

Axios reported that the Trump administration informed Israeli officials in advance of the operation, and NBC confirmed that the heads of both houses of Congress were briefed. 

However, CNN noted that senior Democrats on the intelligence committees were not informed ahead of time. The White House later stated that the purpose of the attack was to eliminate Iran’s ability to enrich uranium and to force Tehran back to the negotiating table. 

CBS News reported that the United States communicated to Iran through diplomatic channels that the operation was not intended to overthrow the regime.

(PC, AJA)