We are now in war with Iran’
U.S. B-2 stealth bombers struck three Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—early Sunday, inserting the U.S. directly into Israel’s ongoing war with Iran, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow reported. President Donald Trump announced the “very successful” attack on Truth Social, claiming a “full payload of BOMBS” obliterated Fordow, with all planes safely exiting Iranian airspace. The strikes, which also involved 30 Tomahawk missiles launched from U.S. Navy submarines, targeted Iran’s key uranium enrichment sites, marking the first direct U.S. military action against Iran since the 1979 revolution.
Maddow highlighted the tactical significance of the B-2 bombers, uniquely equipped to deploy the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), designed to penetrate deeply buried facilities like Fordow, located 300 feet underground near Qom. “No other military has this capacity,” Maddow noted, emphasizing the U.S.’s ability to target fortified sites that Israel’s arsenal couldn’t reach. Natanz, previously hit by Israeli strikes, and Isfahan, a critical uranium processing hub, were also targeted, with Tomahawk missiles aimed at disrupting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
The operation, coordinated with Israel, followed a week of Israeli airstrikes that crippled Iran’s air defenses and missile capabilities, killing 14 nuclear scientists and 50 IRGC commanders. Trump’s decision, however, has sparked controversy, with critics arguing it contradicts his campaign promises of isolationism and ending foreign wars. “Common wisdom calls Trump antiwar, but that’s never been exactly right,” Maddow said, citing his threats against Panama, Canada, Denmark, and repeated Yemen bombings. She noted neoconservatives, long advocating for strikes on Iran, are “thrilled,” while Trump’s MAGA base is divided, with figures like Steve Bannon questioning the move.
NBC News White House correspondent Monica Alba, joining Maddow, described the decision as “incredibly consequential,” noting Trump’s shift from touting diplomacy to authorizing strikes. Just days ago, Trump suggested a two-week window for talks, with European leaders meeting Iranian officials in Geneva. However, he dismissed intelligence from Director Tulsi Gabbard, who testified in March that Iran wasn’t building nuclear weapons, insisting Iran was close to acquiring one. “He said, ‘I don’t care what my intelligence community says,’” Alba reported, highlighting tensions within Trump’s administration.
Alba confirmed Trump monitored the operation from the Situation Room with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, after returning from Bedminster, New Jersey. The strikes were executed covertly, with no reported U.S. casualties, and coordinated closely with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who praised Trump’s “bold decision” as historic. A senior White House official told Alba no further strikes are planned “at this moment,” but the situation could change rapidly.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization condemned the strikes as a “violent act” against international law, insisting no contamination occurred and vowing to continue its nuclear program. Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned of “everlasting consequences,” reserving “all options” for retaliation, raising fears of attacks on U.S. bases or the Strait of Hormuz. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported no off-site radiation, though damage assessments are pending.
The strikes have drawn bipartisan criticism for lacking Congressional approval, with lawmakers citing Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the escalation “dangerous,” urging diplomacy to avoid a regional spiral. Iran reported 430 deaths and 3,500 injuries since Israel’s attacks began June 13, while Israel noted 24 civilian deaths from Iranian missiles.
Trump’s rationale, to be detailed in a 10 p.m. address, hinges on preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a stance he’s held since 2011. Yet, his dismissal of diplomacy—after failed talks in Istanbul—and contradiction of intelligence assessments have fueled debate. Alba noted Trump’s concern for U.S. assets and personnel, but his base’s anti-interventionist wing, including Vance, initially opposed involvement. “This could split MAGA world,” Alba said, as Trump’s supporters grapple with his shift from isolationist rhetoric.
As the U.S. awaits Iran’s response, the strikes risk a wider conflict, with global markets bracing for potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s claim that the facilities were “totally obliterated” remains unverified, but the operation underscores a pivotal moment in U.S.-Iran relations.
Sources: MSNBC, Reuters, The Washington Post, NBC News, Al Jazeera
