Iran has issued a stern warning to the United States, threatening to target American military bases across the Middle East in retaliation for devastating air strikes that reportedly damaged key components of its nuclear infrastructure.
Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared on Sunday that any nation hosting U.S. forces involved in the recent attacks would be deemed a legitimate military target. His remarks, carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, came just hours after the U.S. claimed to have “obliterated” Iran’s primary nuclear sites in coordinated air raids.
“America has attacked the heart of the Islamic world and must prepare for consequences it cannot undo,” Velayati warned.
Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Facilities
According to satellite imagery released by Maxar Technologies, the strikes inflicted substantial damage on Iran’s enrichment facilities in Isfahan, Natanz, and the heavily fortified underground site at Fordow. The attack marks a significant escalation in the broader conflict in the Middle East, following Israel’s air campaign against Iranian targets earlier in the month.
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Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who ordered the strikes, described the operation as a “spectacular military success,” asserting that it had stripped Iran of its nuclear capability. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that while the strikes aimed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, no Iranian troops or civilians were directly targeted.
Top U.S. General Dan Caine added, “Initial damage assessments show extensive destruction at all three nuclear sites, although it’s too early to determine the full extent underground.”
Iranian Response and Regional Fallout
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the strikes and vowed retaliation. Protesters flooded central Tehran on Sunday, waving national flags and denouncing U.S. and Israeli aggression. Iranian officials confirmed that at least nine Revolutionary Guard members were killed in subsequent Israeli airstrikes on central Iran.
Iran's parliament has responded by voting to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route, and its Houthi allies in Yemen reiterated threats to resume attacks on U.S. ships in the Red Sea if hostilities escalate.
Meanwhile, the international community voiced alarm. The UAE, Qatar, and Oman — key mediators in previous nuclear talks — criticized the U.S. action and called for urgent de-escalation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of an uncontrollable “cycle of retaliation.”
Nuclear Oversight and Uncertainty
At an emergency UN Security Council meeting, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed that massive craters were observed at the Fordow site, though damage assessments were still underway. He added that, so far, no radiation leaks had been detected.
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Vice President J.D. Vance said on Sunday that while Iran may still possess a stockpile of highly enriched uranium, its ability to weaponize that material had been severely compromised. “The nuclear infrastructure is gone,” he stated. “Now, we must ensure the fuel can no longer be turned into a weapon.”
However, Ali Shamkhani, another senior advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei, downplayed the impact. “Even if nuclear sites are destroyed, the game isn’t over. Our enriched material, scientific knowledge, and national will endure,” he posted on X.
Broader Implications
The strategic and geopolitical ramifications of the strikes are unfolding in real time. The U.S. operation was led by seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that flew 18 hours from the mainland to Iran, deploying over a dozen “bunker buster” bombs.
In retaliation, Iran launched missile strikes at Israeli targets, including Ben Gurion International Airport, injuring at least 23 people. Cumulative casualties from the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict are climbing, with over 400 Iranians and 24 Israelis reportedly killed.
As tensions escalate and the region braces for further conflict, analysts warn that the Middle East may be entering its most volatile phase in decades — one where diplomacy is quickly being overshadowed by military brinkmanship.
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