In a major escalation of the Middle East crisis, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that American forces have conducted targeted airstrikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, marking the first direct U.S. military action in the ongoing conflict. The move intensifies Washington’s alignment with Israel’s campaign to dismantle Tehran’s nuclear capabilities and significantly raises the threat of a broader regional war.

The airstrikes reportedly hit the Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear facilities. These sites are known to house key components of Iran’s uranium enrichment and weapons development infrastructure. According to both U.S. and Israeli officials, only the U.S. military possesses the advanced stealth and bunker-busting technology required to reach Iran’s heavily fortified underground installations.

“We have successfully completed our strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All aircraft are out of Iranian airspace. A full payload of bombs was dropped on Fordow, the main target. All crews are returning safely,” Trump said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), confirming the strike’s completion.

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The president also noted the use of B-2 stealth bombers but withheld details about the specific munitions deployed. The Pentagon and the White House have not yet issued official statements or provided further clarification.

The strikes come after more than a week of Israeli operations that targeted Iranian missile infrastructure, air defense systems, and early-stage nuclear development sites. Iran had repeatedly warned that any U.S. intervention would trigger a forceful response.

Trump’s move is politically sensitive, given his long-standing rhetoric against U.S. entanglements in foreign conflicts. With Iran likely to retaliate, analysts fear the strikes could ignite a much wider war involving regional actors and global powers.