Just hours after announcing that American bombers had struck three Iranian nuclear facilities, President Donald Trump spoke from the White House late Saturday night, saying Iran needed to choose between “peace” or “tragedy” in the days and weeks to come.
The 10 p.m. speech came after a shock announcement Saturday evening on Truth Social in which the president announced the U.S. had “completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space.”
“Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this,” Trump added.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2025
It’s unclear from both the post or the speech what weapon was used, although it’s been speculated since Israel began strikes on Iran last Friday that the so-called “bunker buster” bomb would be the only weapon capable of penetrating the Iranian nuclear site at Fordow; that site is specifically built underground and under a mountain to deter attacks from countries, which do not have weapons capable of reaching significant depths when dropped from the air.
The bombs can only be dropped from B-2 aircraft, which the United States had begun to deploy closer to the Iranian theater before the strike.
“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,” Trump said during his address from the White House.
“Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”
“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,” the president continued.
“If they do not, future attacks will be far greater — and a lot easier.”
Trump went on to note that “for 40 years, Iran has been saying ‘Death to America’ … They have been killing our people.”
“I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue,” he added.
However, Trump warned the world not to expect this to be a long exercise in nation-building or delicate negotiations. Iran, he implied, had two choices: capitulation or annihilation.
“This cannot continue,” Trump said. “There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than what we have witnessed over the last eight days.”
President Donald J. Trump’s full remarks on the precision strikes against Iran’s three key nuclear facilities pic.twitter.com/8rUB7BYOsS
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 22, 2025
Trump also shared his hopes that the airmen who flew the mission wouldn’t have to do so again — although he thanked them for their bravery.
“I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight, and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades,” he said.
“Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that’s so.”
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