WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">bombardment</a>&nbsp;of three sites in Iran quickly sparked debate in Congress over his authority to launch the strikes, with Republicans praising Trump for decisive action even as many Democrats warned he should have sought congressional approval.

“Well done, President Trump,” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina posted on X. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt called the bombings “strong and surgical.” The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said Trump “has made a deliberate — and correct — decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime.”

The instant divisions in the U.S. Congress reflected an already swirling debate over the president’s ability to conduct such a consequential action without authorization from the House and Senate on the use of military force. While Trump is hardly the first U.S. president to go it alone, his expansive use of presidential power raised immediate questions about what comes next, and whether he is exceeding the limits of his authority.

“This was a massive gamble by President Trump, and nobody knows yet whether it will pay off,” said Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Democrats, and a few Republicans, said the strikes were unconstitutional, and demanded more information in a classified setting. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said that he received only a “perfunctory notification” without any details, according to a spokesperson.

“No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy,” Schumer said in a statement. “Confronting Iran’s ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, and regional aggression demands strength, resolve, and strategic clarity.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that Trump “misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.”

The quick GOP endorsements of stepped up U.S. involvement in Iran came after Trump publicly considered the strikes for days and many congressional Republicans had cautiously said they thought he would make the right decision. The party’s schism over Iran could complicate the GOP’s efforts to boost Pentagon spending as part of a $350 billion national security package in Trump’s “big, beautiful”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-breaks-bill-medicaid-80b5781377bcd0870a1dccb3c7b8dc05">tax breaks bill</a>, which is speeding toward votes next week.

“We now have very serious choices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies,” Wicker posted on X.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune both were briefed ahead of the strikes on Saturday, according to people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. Thune said Saturday evening that “as we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”

Johnson said in a statement that the military operations “should serve as a clear reminder to our adversaries and allies that President Trump means what he says.”

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said he had also been in touch with the White House and “I am grateful to the U.S. servicemembers who carried out these precise and successful strikes.”

Breaking from many of his Democratic colleagues, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, an outspoken supporter of Israel, also praised the attacks on Iran. “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS,” he posted. “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-democrats-trump-war-democrats-progressives-43567c8380826f1fedcf46ff335d7363">Both parties</a>&nbsp;have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-maga-tucker-carlson-charlie-kirk-409c839e4eadf2a39a1b957213379b08">seen splits</a>&nbsp;in recent days over the prospect of striking Iran, including some of Trump’s most ardent supporters who share his criticism of America’s “forever wars.” Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio posted that “while President Trump’s decision may prove just, it’s hard to conceive a rationale that’s Constitutional.”

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a longtime opponent of U.S. involvement in foreign wars, also posted on X that “This is not Constitutional.”

“This is not our fight,” said Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

Most Democrats have maintained that Congress should have a say, even as presidents in both parties have ignored the legislative branch’s constitutional authority. The Senate was scheduled to vote soon on a resolution from Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine that would require congressional approval before the U.S. declares war on Iran or takes specific military action.

Kaine said the bombings were “horrible judgment.”

“I will push for all senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war,” Kaine said.

Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also called on Congress to immediately pass a war powers resolution. He said politicians had always promised that “new wars in the Middle East would be quick and easy.”

“Then they sent other people’s children to fight and die endlessly,” Casar said. “Enough.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750598978603.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">bombardment</a>&nbsp;of three sites in Iran quickly sparked debate in Congress over his authority to launch the strikes, with Republicans praising Trump for decisive action even as many Democrats warned he should have sought congressional approval.</p><p>“Well done, President Trump,” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina posted on X. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt called the bombings “strong and surgical.” The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said Trump “has made a deliberate — and correct — decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime.”</p><p>The instant divisions in the U.S. Congress reflected an already swirling debate over the president’s ability to conduct such a consequential action without authorization from the House and Senate on the use of military force. While Trump is hardly the first U.S. president to go it alone, his expansive use of presidential power raised immediate questions about what comes next, and whether he is exceeding the limits of his authority.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Congress needs to be notified, not after the fact, but in advance. We were not,&quot; Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) says of the U.S. strikes carried out against Iran in &quot;Operation Midnight Hammer.&quot;<br><br>&quot;The United States should not be in an offensive war against Iran without a vote of Congress.… <a href="https://t.co/LRckvOKwRt">pic.twitter.com/LRckvOKwRt</a></p>&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1936827024921755912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>“This was a massive gamble by President Trump, and nobody knows yet whether it will pay off,” said Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The American public is overwhelmingly opposed to the U.S. waging war on Iran. And the Israeli Foreign Minister admitted yesterday that Israeli bombing had set the Iranian nuclear program back “at least 2 or 3 years.” So what made Trump recklessly decide to rush and bomb today?… <a href="https://t.co/uylhibTCQp">https://t.co/uylhibTCQp</a></p>&mdash; Senator Tim Kaine (@SenTimKaine) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTimKaine/status/1936591695715713127?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Democrats, and a few Republicans, said the strikes were unconstitutional, and demanded more information in a classified setting. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said that he received only a “perfunctory notification” without any details, according to a spokesperson.</p><p>“No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy,” Schumer said in a statement. “Confronting Iran’s ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, and regional aggression demands strength, resolve, and strategic clarity.”</p><p>House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that Trump “misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.”</p><p>The quick GOP endorsements of stepped up U.S. involvement in Iran came after Trump publicly considered the strikes for days and many congressional Republicans had cautiously said they thought he would make the right decision. The party’s schism over Iran could complicate the GOP’s efforts to boost Pentagon spending as part of a $350 billion national security package in Trump’s “big, beautiful”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-breaks-bill-medicaid-80b5781377bcd0870a1dccb3c7b8dc05">tax breaks bill</a>, which is speeding toward votes next week.</p><p>“We now have very serious choices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies,” Wicker posted on X.</p><p>House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune both were briefed ahead of the strikes on Saturday, according to people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. Thune said Saturday evening that “as we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”</p><p>Johnson said in a statement that the military operations “should serve as a clear reminder to our adversaries and allies that President Trump means what he says.”</p><p>House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said he had also been in touch with the White House and “I am grateful to the U.S. servicemembers who carried out these precise and successful strikes.”</p><p>Breaking from many of his Democratic colleagues, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, an outspoken supporter of Israel, also praised the attacks on Iran. “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS,” he posted. “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.”</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-democrats-trump-war-democrats-progressives-43567c8380826f1fedcf46ff335d7363">Both parties</a>&nbsp;have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-maga-tucker-carlson-charlie-kirk-409c839e4eadf2a39a1b957213379b08">seen splits</a>&nbsp;in recent days over the prospect of striking Iran, including some of Trump’s most ardent supporters who share his criticism of America’s “forever wars.” Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio posted that “while President Trump’s decision may prove just, it’s hard to conceive a rationale that’s Constitutional.”</p><p>Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a longtime opponent of U.S. involvement in foreign wars, also posted on X that “This is not Constitutional.”</p><p>“This is not our fight,” said Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.</p><p>Most Democrats have maintained that Congress should have a say, even as presidents in both parties have ignored the legislative branch’s constitutional authority. The Senate was scheduled to vote soon on a resolution from Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine that would require congressional approval before the U.S. declares war on Iran or takes specific military action.</p><p>Kaine said the bombings were “horrible judgment.”</p><p>“I will push for all senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war,” Kaine said.</p><p>Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also called on Congress to immediately pass a war powers resolution. He said politicians had always promised that “new wars in the Middle East would be quick and easy.”</p><p>“Then they sent other people’s children to fight and die endlessly,” Casar said. “Enough.”</p>

🎥Democrats, some Republicans: Attack on Iran unconstitutional

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating a violent crime and have made an arrest.

Just after 12:30a.m. Sunday the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of a woman who was run over in the 20000 block of Pauling Run Road, rural Wamego, Pottawatomie County, according to a media release.

 Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the location and were able to determine that a female suspect, identified as Dana Blume, 43, of Onaga, had intentionally run over the victim, identified as Kara Murray, 52, of Wamego with a vehicle following an argument. 

The victim sustained serious injuries and was flown by helicopter to an area hospital, where she is being treated. Blume was arrested and is currently confined at the Pottawatomie County Jail awaiting bond to be set on charges of Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree.&nbsp;

<p>POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating a violent crime and have made an arrest.</p><p>Just after 12:30a.m. Sunday the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of a woman who was run over in the 20000 block of Pauling Run Road, rural Wamego, Pottawatomie County, according to a media release.</p><p> Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the location and were able to determine that a female suspect, identified as Dana Blume, 43, of Onaga, had intentionally run over the victim, identified as Kara Murray, 52, of Wamego with a vehicle following an argument. </p><p>The victim sustained serious injuries and was flown by helicopter to an area hospital, where she is being treated. Blume was arrested and is currently confined at the Pottawatomie County Jail awaiting bond to be set on charges of Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree.&nbsp;</p>

Sheriff: Woman drove over Kan. woman during argument

KNOB NOSTER, Mo. (AP) — The B-2 stealth bombers that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-22-2025-c2baca52babe915e033ae175ce8b2687">dropped massive bunker-buster bombs</a>&nbsp;on Iranian nuclear facilities began returning to their U.S. base in Missouri on Sunday.

An Associated Press journalist watched on a clear but windy afternoon as seven of the B-2 Spirit bombers came in for landing at Whiteman Air Force Base. The base, about 73 miles (117 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City, is home to the 509th Bomb Wing, the only U.S. military unit that operates the B-2 Spirit bombers.

The first group of four of the stealth aircraft did a loop around the base before approaching a runway from the north, while a final group of three arrived within 10 minutes.

The day before, the B-2s had been part of a wide-ranging plan involving deception and decoys to deliver what American military leaders believe is a knockout blow to a nuclear program that Israel views as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-iaea-sanctions-728b811da537abe942682e13a82ff8bd">an existential threat</a>&nbsp;and has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-netanyahu-nuclear-trump-13d04138deb51e3f6315fa4ab5973cc0">pummeling for more than a week</a>.

According to U.S. officials, one group of the stealth aircraft headed west from the base in the U.S. heartland on Saturday, intended as a decoy to throw off the Iranians.

Another flight of seven quietly flew off eastward, ultimately engaging in the Iran mission. Aided by an armada of refueling tankers and fighter jets — some of which launched their own weapons — U.S. pilots dropped 14&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bunker-buster-bomb-israel-iran-fordo-fordow-b2-nuclear-8a612cbf16aa0f99bd9992334ffc93d7">30,000-pound bombs</a>&nbsp;early Sunday local time on two key underground uranium enrichment plants in Iran.

American sailors bolstered the surprise mission by firing dozens of cruise missiles from a submarine toward at least one other site.

U.S. officials said Iran neither detected the inbound fusillade, nor mustered a shot at the stealthy American jets.

Dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, the mission carried out a “precision strike” that “devastated the Iranian nuclear program,” U.S. officials said, even as they acknowledged an assessment was ongoing. For its part, Iran denied that any significant damage had been done, and the Islamic Republic pledged to retaliate.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750555987098.png" alt="File photo A B-2 Spirit from the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nick Wilson/Released)" />
                        <figcaption>File photo A B-2 Spirit from the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nick Wilson/Released)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KNOB NOSTER, Mo. (AP) — The B-2 stealth bombers that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-22-2025-c2baca52babe915e033ae175ce8b2687">dropped massive bunker-buster bombs</a>&nbsp;on Iranian nuclear facilities began returning to their U.S. base in Missouri on Sunday.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">✈️🇺🇸🦅 <a href="https://t.co/b3W9ibBAj0">pic.twitter.com/b3W9ibBAj0</a></p>&mdash; Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scavino47/status/1936910425347457108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>An Associated Press journalist watched on a clear but windy afternoon as seven of the B-2 Spirit bombers came in for landing at Whiteman Air Force Base. The base, about 73 miles (117 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City, is home to the 509th Bomb Wing, the only U.S. military unit that operates the B-2 Spirit bombers.</p><p>The first group of four of the stealth aircraft did a loop around the base before approaching a runway from the north, while a final group of three arrived within 10 minutes.</p><p>The day before, the B-2s had been part of a wide-ranging plan involving deception and decoys to deliver what American military leaders believe is a knockout blow to a nuclear program that Israel views as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-iaea-sanctions-728b811da537abe942682e13a82ff8bd">an existential threat</a>&nbsp;and has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-netanyahu-nuclear-trump-13d04138deb51e3f6315fa4ab5973cc0">pummeling for more than a week</a>.</p><p>According to U.S. officials, one group of the stealth aircraft headed west from the base in the U.S. heartland on Saturday, intended as a decoy to throw off the Iranians.</p><p>Another flight of seven quietly flew off eastward, ultimately engaging in the Iran mission. Aided by an armada of refueling tankers and fighter jets — some of which launched their own weapons — U.S. pilots dropped 14&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bunker-buster-bomb-israel-iran-fordo-fordow-b2-nuclear-8a612cbf16aa0f99bd9992334ffc93d7">30,000-pound bombs</a>&nbsp;early Sunday local time on two key underground uranium enrichment plants in Iran.</p><p>American sailors bolstered the surprise mission by firing dozens of cruise missiles from a submarine toward at least one other site.</p><p>U.S. officials said Iran neither detected the inbound fusillade, nor mustered a shot at the stealthy American jets.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750597945858.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, the mission carried out a “precision strike” that “devastated the Iranian nuclear program,” U.S. officials said, even as they acknowledged an assessment was ongoing. For its part, Iran denied that any significant damage had been done, and the Islamic Republic pledged to retaliate.</p>

🎥B-2 bombers returning to base in Missouri after attack on Iran

Newsom departs Southeastern Oklahoma State to lead enrollment-challenged PSU

<b>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a><br></b><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Board of Regents selected the president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University to take over leadership of Pittsburg State University.

Thomas Newsom, a former Texan with more than 20 years of experience in higher education, will become the 11th president of 5,700-student public university in southeast Kansas.

“Dr. Newsom brings a wealth of experience as a university and community college president,” said Blake Benson,&nbsp;a Pittsburg resident due to become chairperson of the Board of Regents in July. “He has helped multiple institutions grow enrollment and improve, all while focusing on student affordability.”

Newsom, appointed president of Southeastern Oklahoma State in 2020, was credited with helping set an all-time enrollment record of 5,800 students in 2024 on the campus in Durant, Oklahoma.

Enrollment at Southeastern Oklahoma State has grown nearly 500 students since 2020, while PSU enrollment has declined 13% in that period.

Newsom was previously vice president of student success and dean of students at Texas A&amp;M University at Commerce, Texas. He worked five years as president of Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, New Mexico.

He said in a statement Friday announcing the PSU appointment that he was appreciative of the faculty and staff at Southeastern Oklahoma State.

“I would also like to thank the Kansas Board of Regents for the opportunity to make this amazing professional and personal move,” Newsom said.

Newsom earned a doctorate in higher education administration at University of North Texas, a master’s degree in higher education from Texas A&amp;M-Commerce and an undergraduate degree in business at Austin College.

He was selected to replace Dan Shipp, who resigned as PSU president in May to become president of Maryville University in St. Louis.

The Board of Regents’ objective was to hire a “growth-oriented, proven leader” capable of building on PSU’s foundation of “good fiscal management, unique program delivery and exceptional relationships” with the city of Pittsburg.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750605272479.png" alt="Kansas Board of Regents appoints Thomas Newsom, far right, president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, to become president of Pittsburg State University. He replaces Dan Shipp, who resigned to become president of Maryville University in St. Louis. (Southeastern Oklahoma State University)" />
                        <figcaption>Kansas Board of Regents appoints Thomas Newsom, far right, president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, to become president of Pittsburg State University. He replaces Dan Shipp, who resigned to become president of Maryville University in St. Louis. (Southeastern Oklahoma State University)</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>Newsom departs Southeastern Oklahoma State to lead enrollment-challenged PSU</h2><p><b>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a><br></b><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a></p><p>TOPEKA — The Kansas Board of Regents selected the president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University to take over leadership of Pittsburg State University.</p><p>Thomas Newsom, a former Texan with more than 20 years of experience in higher education, will become the 11th president of 5,700-student public university in southeast Kansas.</p><p>“Dr. Newsom brings a wealth of experience as a university and community college president,” said Blake Benson,&nbsp;a Pittsburg resident due to become chairperson of the Board of Regents in July. “He has helped multiple institutions grow enrollment and improve, all while focusing on student affordability.”</p><p>Newsom, appointed president of Southeastern Oklahoma State in 2020, was credited with helping set an all-time enrollment record of 5,800 students in 2024 on the campus in Durant, Oklahoma.</p><p>Enrollment at Southeastern Oklahoma State has grown nearly 500 students since 2020, while PSU enrollment has declined 13% in that period.</p><p>Newsom was previously vice president of student success and dean of students at Texas A&amp;M University at Commerce, Texas. He worked five years as president of Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, New Mexico.</p><p>He said in a statement Friday announcing the PSU appointment that he was appreciative of the faculty and staff at Southeastern Oklahoma State.</p><p>“I would also like to thank the Kansas Board of Regents for the opportunity to make this amazing professional and personal move,” Newsom said.</p><p>Newsom earned a doctorate in higher education administration at University of North Texas, a master’s degree in higher education from Texas A&amp;M-Commerce and an undergraduate degree in business at Austin College.</p><p>He was selected to replace Dan Shipp, who resigned as PSU president in May to become president of Maryville University in St. Louis.</p><p>The Board of Regents’ objective was to hire a “growth-oriented, proven leader” capable of building on PSU’s foundation of “good fiscal management, unique program delivery and exceptional relationships” with the city of Pittsburg.</p>

Kansas ed board hires Oklahoman to serve as president of Pittsburg State University

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/joseph-krauss">JOSEPH KRAUSS</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jon-gambrell">JON GAMBRELL</a><br>Associated Press

Iran has spent decades building multi-tiered military capabilities at home and across the region that were at least partly aimed at deterring the United States from attacking it.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/israel-iran-war-updates">By entering Israel’s war</a>, the U.S. may have removed the last rationale for holding them in reserve.

Thet could mean a wave of attacks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-middle-east-iran-israel-a4287f29c84b6eee954011ecd8a670d3">on U.S. forces in the Middle East</a>, an attempt to close a key bottleneck for global oil supplies or a dash to develop a nuclear weapon with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-sites-explained-israel-attack-4535b4ecb4aefb2f3de9e3ad62fe363f">what remains of Iran’s disputed program</a>&nbsp;after American strikes on three key sites.

A decision to retaliate against the U.S. and its regional allies would give Iran a far larger target bank and one that is much closer than Israel, allowing it to potentially use its missiles and drones to greater effect. The U.S. and Israel have far superior capabilities, but those haven’t always proven decisive in America’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-conflict-us-history-military-intervention-397eec21eadeddf578bd1c7f7ddb334a">recent history of military interventions</a>&nbsp;in the region.

Ever since Israel started the war with a suprise bombardment of Iran’s military and nuclear sites on June 13, Iranian officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-tehran-trump-06-18-2025-c6c90028dc340e2716724412fcec2cf0">from the supreme leader on down</a>&nbsp;have warned the U.S. to stay out, saying it would have dire consequences for the entire region.

It should soon be clear whether those were empty threats or a grim forecast.

Here’s a look at what Iran’s next move might be.

<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-53f9a1d3cd334031acfc33026cfaa5d7">The Strait of Hormuz</a>&nbsp;is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which some 20% of all oil traded globally passes, and at its narrowest point it is just 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide. Any disruption there could send oil prices soaring worldwide and hit American pocketbooks.

Iran boasts a fleet of fast-attack boats and thousands of naval mines that could potentially make the strait impassable, at least for a time. It could also fire missiles from its long Persian Gulf shore, as its allies, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, have done in the Red Sea.

The U.S., with its 5th Fleet stationed in nearby Bahrain, has long pledged to uphold freedom of navigation in the strait and would respond with far superior forces. But even a relatively brief firefight could paralyze shipping traffic and spook investors, causing oil prices to spike and generating international pressure for a ceasefire.

Attacking US bases and allies in the region

The U.S. has tens of thousands of troops stationed in the region, including at permanent bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Arab Gulf countries just across the Persian Gulf from Iran — and much closer than Israel.

Those bases boast the same kinds of sophisticated air defenses as Israel, but would have much less warning time before waves of missiles or swarms of armed drones. And even Israel, which is several hundred kilometers (miles) further away, has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-gaza-news-06-20-2025-8adbedb3427a76be7dbde4a18a05f75f">unable to stop all of the incoming fire</a>.

Iran could also choose to attack key oil and gas facilities in those countries with the goal of exacting a higher price for U.S. involvement in the war. A drone attack on two major oil sites in Saudi Arabia in 2019 — claimed by the Houthis but widely blamed on Iran —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c92741f2c8f9414a9dbccc5f7a8e2470">briefly cut the kingdom’s oil production in half</a>.

Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance — a network of militant groups across the Middle East,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-hezbollah-iraq-militias-houthis-israel-a257b8e55a96a536710fce91fe022915">is a shadow of what it was</a>&nbsp;before the war ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel out of the Gaza Strip — but it still has some formidable capabilities.

Israel’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">20-month war in Gaza</a>&nbsp;has severely diminished the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups, and Israel mauled Lebanon’s Hezbollah last fall, killing most of its top leadership and devastating much of southern Lebanon, making its involvement unlikely.

But Iran could still call on the Houthis, who had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/yemens-houthi-rebels-threaten-to-resume-attacks-on-us-vessels-if-it-joins-israels-campaign-on-iran-a6ca4f48f4894624a43e179655602e96">threatened to resume their attacks in the Red Sea</a>&nbsp;if the U.S. entered the war, and allied militias in Iraq. Both have drone and missile capabilities that would allow them to target the United States and its allies.

Iran could also seek to respond through militant attacks further afield, as it is widely accused of doing in the 1990s with an attack on a Jewish community center in Argentina&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/argentina-1994-jewish-center-bombing-iran-investigation-36b4f9cbe20900d39d8f28477589a444">that was blamed on Iran and Hezbollah</a>.

It could be days or weeks before the full impact of the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites is known.

But experts have long warned that even joint U.S. and Israeli strikes would only delay Iran’s ability to develop a weapon, not eliminate it. That’s because Iran has dispersed its program across the country to several sites, including hardened, underground facilities.

Iran would likely struggle to repair or reconstitute its nuclear program while Israeli and U.S. warplanes are circling overhead. But it could still decide to fully end its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and abandon the the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

North Korea announced its withdrawal from the treaty in 2003 and tested a nuclear weapon three years later, but it had the freedom to develop its program without punishing airstrikes.

Iran insists its program is peaceful, though it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA assess Iran hasn’t had an organized military nuclear program since 2003.

Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East but does not acknowledge having such weapons.

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730601000960.png" alt="File photo Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)" />
                        <figcaption>File photo Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/joseph-krauss">JOSEPH KRAUSS</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jon-gambrell">JON GAMBRELL</a><br>Associated Press</p><p>Iran has spent decades building multi-tiered military capabilities at home and across the region that were at least partly aimed at deterring the United States from attacking it.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/israel-iran-war-updates">By entering Israel’s war</a>, the U.S. may have removed the last rationale for holding them in reserve.</p><p>Thet could mean a wave of attacks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-middle-east-iran-israel-a4287f29c84b6eee954011ecd8a670d3">on U.S. forces in the Middle East</a>, an attempt to close a key bottleneck for global oil supplies or a dash to develop a nuclear weapon with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-sites-explained-israel-attack-4535b4ecb4aefb2f3de9e3ad62fe363f">what remains of Iran’s disputed program</a>&nbsp;after American strikes on three key sites.</p><p>A decision to retaliate against the U.S. and its regional allies would give Iran a far larger target bank and one that is much closer than Israel, allowing it to potentially use its missiles and drones to greater effect. The U.S. and Israel have far superior capabilities, but those haven’t always proven decisive in America’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-conflict-us-history-military-intervention-397eec21eadeddf578bd1c7f7ddb334a">recent history of military interventions</a>&nbsp;in the region.</p><p>Ever since Israel started the war with a suprise bombardment of Iran’s military and nuclear sites on June 13, Iranian officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-tehran-trump-06-18-2025-c6c90028dc340e2716724412fcec2cf0">from the supreme leader on down</a>&nbsp;have warned the U.S. to stay out, saying it would have dire consequences for the entire region.</p><p>It should soon be clear whether those were empty threats or a grim forecast.</p><p>Here’s a look at what Iran’s next move might be.</p><h2>Targeting the Strait of Hormuz</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-53f9a1d3cd334031acfc33026cfaa5d7">The Strait of Hormuz</a>&nbsp;is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which some 20% of all oil traded globally passes, and at its narrowest point it is just 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide. Any disruption there could send oil prices soaring worldwide and hit American pocketbooks.</p><p>Iran boasts a fleet of fast-attack boats and thousands of naval mines that could potentially make the strait impassable, at least for a time. It could also fire missiles from its long Persian Gulf shore, as its allies, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, have done in the Red Sea.</p><p>The U.S., with its 5th Fleet stationed in nearby Bahrain, has long pledged to uphold freedom of navigation in the strait and would respond with far superior forces. But even a relatively brief firefight could paralyze shipping traffic and spook investors, causing oil prices to spike and generating international pressure for a ceasefire.</p><h2>Attacking US bases and allies in the region</h2><p>The U.S. has tens of thousands of troops stationed in the region, including at permanent bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Arab Gulf countries just across the Persian Gulf from Iran — and much closer than Israel.</p><p>Those bases boast the same kinds of sophisticated air defenses as Israel, but would have much less warning time before waves of missiles or swarms of armed drones. And even Israel, which is several hundred kilometers (miles) further away, has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-gaza-news-06-20-2025-8adbedb3427a76be7dbde4a18a05f75f">unable to stop all of the incoming fire</a>.</p><p>Iran could also choose to attack key oil and gas facilities in those countries with the goal of exacting a higher price for U.S. involvement in the war. A drone attack on two major oil sites in Saudi Arabia in 2019 — claimed by the Houthis but widely blamed on Iran —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c92741f2c8f9414a9dbccc5f7a8e2470">briefly cut the kingdom’s oil production in half</a>.</p><h2>Activating regional allies</h2><p>Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance — a network of militant groups across the Middle East,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-hezbollah-iraq-militias-houthis-israel-a257b8e55a96a536710fce91fe022915">is a shadow of what it was</a>&nbsp;before the war ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel out of the Gaza Strip — but it still has some formidable capabilities.</p><p>Israel’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">20-month war in Gaza</a>&nbsp;has severely diminished the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups, and Israel mauled Lebanon’s Hezbollah last fall, killing most of its top leadership and devastating much of southern Lebanon, making its involvement unlikely.</p><p>But Iran could still call on the Houthis, who had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/yemens-houthi-rebels-threaten-to-resume-attacks-on-us-vessels-if-it-joins-israels-campaign-on-iran-a6ca4f48f4894624a43e179655602e96">threatened to resume their attacks in the Red Sea</a>&nbsp;if the U.S. entered the war, and allied militias in Iraq. Both have drone and missile capabilities that would allow them to target the United States and its allies.</p><p>Iran could also seek to respond through militant attacks further afield, as it is widely accused of doing in the 1990s with an attack on a Jewish community center in Argentina&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/argentina-1994-jewish-center-bombing-iran-investigation-36b4f9cbe20900d39d8f28477589a444">that was blamed on Iran and Hezbollah</a>.</p><h2>A sprint toward nuclear arms</h2><p>It could be days or weeks before the full impact of the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites is known.</p><p>But experts have long warned that even joint U.S. and Israeli strikes would only delay Iran’s ability to develop a weapon, not eliminate it. That’s because Iran has dispersed its program across the country to several sites, including hardened, underground facilities.</p><p>Iran would likely struggle to repair or reconstitute its nuclear program while Israeli and U.S. warplanes are circling overhead. But it could still decide to fully end its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and abandon the the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.</p><p>North Korea announced its withdrawal from the treaty in 2003 and tested a nuclear weapon three years later, but it had the freedom to develop its program without punishing airstrikes.</p><p>Iran insists its program is peaceful, though it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA assess Iran hasn’t had an organized military nuclear program since 2003.</p><p>Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East but does not acknowledge having such weapons.</p><p>___</p><p>Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.</p>

Here's how Iran could retaliate after US strikes on its nuclear program

KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating a rescue at a creek on Saturday in Kansas City.

Just after 1:30p.m., KC Fire Department companies were dispatched to Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd and Prospect Avenue for reports of a person on a mower rolling into Brush Creek, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

As companies arrived on scene, they observed someone being pulled out of the water by bystanders and placed on the bank of Brush Creek. It was determined the rescue boats were not needed and were cancelled.&nbsp;KCFD personnel immediately took over medical care of the patient and transported them to the hospital.&nbsp; Nolan released no additional details.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750542669503.png" alt="Brush Creek photo KC Parks and Rec" />
                        <figcaption>Brush Creek photo KC Parks and Rec</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating a rescue at a creek on Saturday in Kansas City.</p><p>Just after 1:30p.m., KC Fire Department companies were dispatched to Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd and Prospect Avenue for reports of a person on a mower rolling into Brush Creek, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.</p><p>As companies arrived on scene, they observed someone being pulled out of the water by bystanders and placed on the bank of Brush Creek. It was determined the rescue boats were not needed and were cancelled.&nbsp;KCFD personnel immediately took over medical care of the patient and transported them to the hospital.&nbsp; Nolan released no additional details.</p>

Man rescued after mower rolled into Kansas City area creek

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-tehran-trump-06-17-2025-3f08988b5e8fd375645967b6e22916f3">Israel’s effort to decapitating Iran's nuclear program</a>&nbsp;in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict. (click the videos below to watch)

The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.

But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-pound (13,600-kilogram) bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;announced the strikes. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that attacks targeted the country’s Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. The agency did not elaborate. Iran's foreign minister said Iran reserves the right to retaliate.

A Pentagon-provided map shows the path of B-2 bombers

A Pentagon-provided map of the flight path taken by B-2 stealth bombers indicates that their approach to Iran took them over the Mediterranean and then over Israel, Jordan and Iraq.

It is not immediately clear when those three countries were made aware of the flights. Israel has said the U.S. strikes were carried out in coordination with its military. The U.S. said the strikes did not involve Israeli jets.

The Pentagon released the map to journalists as it gave details of the mission, which it described as causing “extremely severe damage and destruction” to three Iranian nuclear sites.

US and Iranian officials say both countries are exchanging messages

Hours after Iran’s top diplomat disclosed that the line of communication between Washington and Tehran remains open, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed his remarks in a press conference.

“I can only confirm that there are both public and private messages being directly delivered to the Iranians in multiple channels, giving them every opportunity to come to the table,” Hegseth said.

US military increases protective measures for US troops in the Middle East

As the U.S. and the region await Iran’s response to the overnight strikes, Hegseth said that military generals have elevated force protection measures across the region, especially in Iraq, Syria, and the Persian Gulf.

“Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, which would be an incredibly poor choice,” Hegseth told reporters.

A maritime center warns of risks to US-linked ships

A Mideast-based maritime center overseen by the U.S. military warned Sunday that there’s a “high” risk to U.S.-associated ships after the American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

“The threat to U.S.-associated commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is currently assessed as HIGH,” the Joint Maritime Information Center, which is overseen by the U.S. Navy, wrote in an advisory to shippers.

“This categorization follows U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and Houthi rhetoric directly targeting the U.S.-associated maritime assets,” it said. Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Saturday said they would attack U.S.-associated ships if America attacked Iran.

Pentagon stresses that ‘regime change’ was not goal of Iranian strike

The Trump administration said that its attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities was not about toppling the country’s government.

“This mission was not and has not been about regime change,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a Sunday news briefing.

Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressed that the goal of “Operation Midnight Hammer” had destroyed the nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

“Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” Caine said.

Hegseth says US military used decoys and deception in Iran attack

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Sunday that despite a surprise attack overnight on Iranian nuclear sites, America “does not seek war.”

Hegseth said it was important to note that U.S. strikes did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people, a veiled effort to indicate to Iran that they don’t want retaliation on American targets in the region.

Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians.

He added that the U.S. used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs on two of Iran’s most powerful nuclear sites. He said that all of these tactics helped the U.S. drop the bombs without tipping off Iran’s fighter jets or its air missile systems.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday condemned the U.S. attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites.

“This aggression showed that the United States is the primary instigator of the Zionist regime’s hostile actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Pezeshkian said Sunday. “Although they initially tried to deny their role, after our armed forces’ decisive and deterrent response and the Zionist regime’s clear incapacity, they were inevitably forced to enter the field themselves.”

Pezeshkian urged the public to come together in the face of the attacks from Israel and the U.S.

Explosions heard in Bushehr, home to Iran's only nuclear plant

Explosions boomed Sunday afternoon in the Iranian port city of Bushehr, three semiofficial Iranian media outlets reported. It was not immediately clear what caused the blasts.

Bushehr is home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant, which is run with Russian assistance. Iranian authorities have not reported any problem at the plant.

Meanwhile, explosions also struck the city of Yazd in central Iran, with some suggesting it came from Israeli airstrikes targeting a power plant and a military garrison.

Iran's top diplomat says he'll meet Putin in Moscow on Sunday

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, responding to a question from a Russian outlet, said he’ll travel to Moscow later on Sunday to meet with President Vladimir Putin, after the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites.

“We enjoy a strategic partnership and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions,” he said, referring to Russia.

Iran's foreign minister says diplomacy not an option after US strikes

“The warmongering and a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a news briefing at a conference in Turkey.

Araghchi said while the “door to diplomacy” should always be open, “this is not the case right now.

Araghchi said that there is “no red line” that the U.S. has not crossed in its recent actions against the Islamic Republic.

“And the last one and the most dangerous one was what happened only last night when they crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities only,” he said.

Head of the Red Cross says ‘the world cannot absorb limitless war’

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that the escalation in the Middle East risks “engulfing the region — and the world — in a war with irreversible consequences.”

“The world cannot absorb limitless war. Upholding international humanitarian law is not a choice — it is an obligation,” Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-tehran-trump-06-17-2025-3f08988b5e8fd375645967b6e22916f3">Israel’s effort to decapitating Iran's nuclear program</a>&nbsp;in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict. (click the videos below to watch)</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine (<a href="https://twitter.com/thejointstaff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thejointstaff</a>) on Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER: &quot;This was the largest B-2 operation strike in U.S. history.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/VeyUjP84JT">pic.twitter.com/VeyUjP84JT</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1936763649411973190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a>): &quot;We devastated the Iran nuclear program...Iran&#39;s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/39zW06zFtm">pic.twitter.com/39zW06zFtm</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1936761039011414133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.</p><p>But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-pound (13,600-kilogram) bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;announced the strikes. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that attacks targeted the country’s Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. The agency did not elaborate. Iran's foreign minister said Iran reserves the right to retaliate.</p><p>Here is the latest:</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750597945858.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>A Pentagon-provided map shows the path of B-2 bombers</h2><p>A Pentagon-provided map of the flight path taken by B-2 stealth bombers indicates that their approach to Iran took them over the Mediterranean and then over Israel, Jordan and Iraq.</p><p>It is not immediately clear when those three countries were made aware of the flights. Israel has said the U.S. strikes were carried out in coordination with its military. The U.S. said the strikes did not involve Israeli jets.</p><p>The Pentagon released the map to journalists as it gave details of the mission, which it described as causing “extremely severe damage and destruction” to three Iranian nuclear sites.</p><h2>US and Iranian officials say both countries are exchanging messages</h2><p>Hours after Iran’s top diplomat disclosed that the line of communication between Washington and Tehran remains open, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed his remarks in a press conference.</p><p>“I can only confirm that there are both public and private messages being directly delivered to the Iranians in multiple channels, giving them every opportunity to come to the table,” Hegseth said.</p><h2>US military increases protective measures for US troops in the Middle East</h2><p>As the U.S. and the region await Iran’s response to the overnight strikes, Hegseth said that military generals have elevated force protection measures across the region, especially in Iraq, Syria, and the Persian Gulf.</p><p>“Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, which would be an incredibly poor choice,” Hegseth told reporters.</p><h2>A maritime center warns of risks to US-linked ships</h2><p>A Mideast-based maritime center overseen by the U.S. military warned Sunday that there’s a “high” risk to U.S.-associated ships after the American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.</p><p>“The threat to U.S.-associated commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is currently assessed as HIGH,” the Joint Maritime Information Center, which is overseen by the U.S. Navy, wrote in an advisory to shippers.</p><p>“This categorization follows U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and Houthi rhetoric directly targeting the U.S.-associated maritime assets,” it said. Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Saturday said they would attack U.S.-associated ships if America attacked Iran.</p><h2>Pentagon stresses that ‘regime change’ was not goal of Iranian strike</h2><p>The Trump administration said that its attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities was not about toppling the country’s government.</p><p>“This mission was not and has not been about regime change,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a Sunday news briefing.</p><p>Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressed that the goal of “Operation Midnight Hammer” had destroyed the nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.</p><p>“Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” Caine said.</p><h2>Hegseth says US military used decoys and deception in Iran attack</h2><p>U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Sunday that despite a surprise attack overnight on Iranian nuclear sites, America “does not seek war.”</p><p>Hegseth said it was important to note that U.S. strikes did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people, a veiled effort to indicate to Iran that they don’t want retaliation on American targets in the region.</p><p>Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians.</p><p>He added that the U.S. used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs on two of Iran’s most powerful nuclear sites. He said that all of these tactics helped the U.S. drop the bombs without tipping off Iran’s fighter jets or its air missile systems.</p><h2>Iranian president condemns US strikes</h2><p>Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday condemned the U.S. attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites.</p><p>“This aggression showed that the United States is the primary instigator of the Zionist regime’s hostile actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Pezeshkian said Sunday. “Although they initially tried to deny their role, after our armed forces’ decisive and deterrent response and the Zionist regime’s clear incapacity, they were inevitably forced to enter the field themselves.”</p><p>Pezeshkian urged the public to come together in the face of the attacks from Israel and the U.S.</p><h2>Explosions heard in Bushehr, home to Iran's only nuclear plant</h2><p>Explosions boomed Sunday afternoon in the Iranian port city of Bushehr, three semiofficial Iranian media outlets reported. It was not immediately clear what caused the blasts.</p><p>Bushehr is home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant, which is run with Russian assistance. Iranian authorities have not reported any problem at the plant.</p><p>Meanwhile, explosions also struck the city of Yazd in central Iran, with some suggesting it came from Israeli airstrikes targeting a power plant and a military garrison.</p><h2>Iran's top diplomat says he'll meet Putin in Moscow on Sunday</h2><p>Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, responding to a question from a Russian outlet, said he’ll travel to Moscow later on Sunday to meet with President Vladimir Putin, after the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites.</p><p>“We enjoy a strategic partnership and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions,” he said, referring to Russia.</p><h2>Iran's foreign minister says diplomacy not an option after US strikes</h2><p>“The warmongering and a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a news briefing at a conference in Turkey.</p><p>Araghchi said while the “door to diplomacy” should always be open, “this is not the case right now.</p><p>Araghchi said that there is “no red line” that the U.S. has not crossed in its recent actions against the Islamic Republic.</p><p>“And the last one and the most dangerous one was what happened only last night when they crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities only,” he said.</p><h2>Head of the Red Cross says ‘the world cannot absorb limitless war’</h2><p>The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that the escalation in the Middle East risks “engulfing the region — and the world — in a war with irreversible consequences.”</p><p>“The world cannot absorb limitless war. Upholding international humanitarian law is not a choice — it is an obligation,” Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement.</p>

🎥Pentagon: Dramatic details of Iran bombing 'Operation Midnight Hammer'

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal Kansas officer involved shooting.

Just after 3a.m. Sunday, police responded to report of a person armed with a gun at an apartment complex&nbsp; in the 12400 block of W. 97th Terrace in Lenexa, according to a media release. 

Shots were fired by at least one Lenexa officer, and one person is deceased. No officers were injured. The Johnson County Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team has been activated and is in charge of this investigation.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750595634129.png" alt="Photo Lenexa Police" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Lenexa Police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal Kansas officer involved shooting.</p><p>Just after 3a.m. Sunday, police responded to report of a person armed with a gun at an apartment complex&nbsp; in the 12400 block of W. 97th Terrace in Lenexa, according to a media release. </p><p>Shots were fired by at least one Lenexa officer, and one person is deceased. No officers were injured. The Johnson County Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team has been activated and is in charge of this investigation.</p>

One dead in Kansas officer involved shooting

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers from Kansas are among most lawmakers from both parties with comments on President Trump's decision to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.&nbsp;

As of early Sunday, Kansas 3rd District Congresswoman Sharice Davids had not issued a statement.

The Associated press also reported U. S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican who was briefed by the White House ahead of the strike, said in a statement, “President Trump has been consistent and clear that a nuclear-armed Iran will not be tolerated ... That posture has now been enforced with strength, precision, and clarity.”

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the Iranian regime’s “misguided pursuit of nuclear weapons must be stopped.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime Iran hawk and Republican from South Carolina, wrote online: “This was the right call. The regime deserves it.”

Meanwhile, elected Democrats and some far-right Republicans questioned the move, particularly without authorization from the U.S. Congress.

“Horrible judgment,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. “I will push for all Senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war.”

Said conservative Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, “While President Trump’s decision may prove just, it’s hard to conceive a rationale that’s Constitutional.”

One House Republican criticized Trump’s decision. “This is not Constitutional,” posted Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a longtime opponent of U.S. involvement in foreign wars.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750556562229.png" alt="File photo U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Curtis Campbell, 131st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load crew member, helps lift and guide a GBU-38 bomb into position to be moved to the bomb bay of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew S. Domingos)" />
                        <figcaption>File photo U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Curtis Campbell, 131st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load crew member, helps lift and guide a GBU-38 bomb into position to be moved to the bomb bay of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew S. Domingos)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON — Lawmakers from Kansas are among most lawmakers from both parties with comments on President Trump's decision to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Iran is an adversary of the U.S. and should not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. Tonight our military executed its mission professionally and courageously. I pray for the safety of all our troops in the region, and we must be vigilant in protecting against any Iranian…</p>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1936606358041751563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you to our brave American Air Force and their successful mission as no Americans were harmed.<br><br>We stand tall with President Trump who is protecting the world from a nuclear capable Iran. <a href="https://t.co/MLWc1FbPF9">https://t.co/MLWc1FbPF9</a></p>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1936591179078086896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Audrey and I join the nation in praying for the safety of our troops and civilians in the Middle East. <br><br>We pray for wisdom for President Trump and his team as they promote American peace through strength. God bless our troops. <a href="https://t.co/ap4Q9NxVYZ">https://t.co/ap4Q9NxVYZ</a></p>&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1936597001627447343?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tonight&#39;s decisive action reflects the United States&#39; commitment to preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power. Iran – a regime that espouses &#39;death to America&#39; and supports terrorism - chose to continue to pursue the development of nuclear weapons. To do nothing would pose a…</p>&mdash; Rep. Ron Estes (@RepRonEstes) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRonEstes/status/1936625126314820052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Statement from Congressman Schmidt:<br><br>“Years ago, President Reagan&#39;s resolve freed American hostages from the Iranian regime. I am hopeful tonight <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>’ resolve has freed America from that same regime&#39;s ongoing threat of nuclear terrorism. God bless our Armed Forces who executed…</p>&mdash; Rep. Derek Schmidt Press (@RepDerekSchmidt) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDerekSchmidt/status/1936611053401760052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>As of early Sunday, Kansas 3rd District Congresswoman Sharice Davids had not issued a statement.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As the Congressman for Whiteman AFB, I’ve been saying for weeks that our airmen in the 509th bomber wing are ready, capable, and lethal.<br><br>Tonight, they showed the world what they can do to protect American interests and keep our citizens safe.<br><br>MO-04 strong! <a href="https://t.co/osuwoTvzhl">pic.twitter.com/osuwoTvzhl</a></p>&mdash; Rep. Mark Alford (@RepMarkAlford) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMarkAlford/status/1936585247002689914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The Associated press also reported U. S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican who was briefed by the White House ahead of the strike, said in a statement, “President Trump has been consistent and clear that a nuclear-armed Iran will not be tolerated ... That posture has now been enforced with strength, precision, and clarity.”</p><p>U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the Iranian regime’s “misguided pursuit of nuclear weapons must be stopped.”</p><p>Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime Iran hawk and Republican from South Carolina, wrote online: “This was the right call. The regime deserves it.”</p><p>“This is not our fight,” said Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.</p><p>Meanwhile, elected Democrats and some far-right Republicans questioned the move, particularly without authorization from the U.S. Congress.</p><p>House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that Trump “misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.”</p><p>Breaking from many of his Democratic colleagues, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, an outspoken supporter of Israel, also praised the attacks on Iran. “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS,” he posted. “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.”</p><p>“Horrible judgment,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. “I will push for all Senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war.”</p><p>Said conservative Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, “While President Trump’s decision may prove just, it’s hard to conceive a rationale that’s Constitutional.”</p><p>One House Republican criticized Trump’s decision. “This is not Constitutional,” posted Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a longtime opponent of U.S. involvement in foreign wars.</p>

Kan. lawmakers comment on US bombing of Iran

NEOSHO COUNTY — The search continues for the body of one of two boys who died after struck by a train on a river bridge Wednesday in Neosho County.

Another combined effort Saturday was unsuccessful in finding the body of a 12-year-old&nbsp; Kollin Showwalter of Erie, according to Sheriff Greg Taylor.

 Over the last few days, first responders have utilized drones, planes, helicopters, boats, sonar systems, divers, law enforcement K9’s, cadaver dogs, and shoreline search crews.

This has been a disheartening experience for all involved, according to Sheriff Taylor. Saturday, the water began to rise and the current increased in the late afternoon. Searchers are suspending the search until the water can drop to a normal level.

The sheriff thanked all of the first responders and dog handlers, some of which traveled across the state to get to assist. The sheriff also thanked the property owner who was kind enough to allow us to stage and deploy from his boat ramp and property.

"We had an overwhelming amount of support and donations from the community of food and water for the responders. Our thoughts and prayers are with both families of this tragedy. We are still hopeful that the child will be found once the river drops to a favorable level. "

Just after 12:30p.m. Wednesday the Neosho County 911 Center received a report from the Union Pacific Railroad that two individuals had been struck on the Railroad Bridge south of Erie near 115th Road, according to Neosho County Sheriff Greg Taylor.

First responders found 16-year-old Arthur Pollries of Walnut, Kansas, deceased, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

&nbsp;Kansas Deparatment of Wildlife and Parks responded with personnel, a drone and boat. KHP sent numerous personnel, helicopter, and search dogs in an attempt to find the body of the 12-year-old.

After reviewing the Engine Camera footage and physical evidence, the two children were on the bridge and unable to outrun the train. Unfortunately after reviewing the footage and physical evidence at the scene, the search went from hopeful rescue effort to a recovery effort.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750415791745.png" alt="Photo Anderson County Sheriff" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Anderson County Sheriff</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>NEOSHO COUNTY — The search continues for the body of one of two boys who died after struck by a train on a river bridge Wednesday in Neosho County.</p><p>Another combined effort Saturday was unsuccessful in finding the body of a 12-year-old&nbsp; Kollin Showwalter of Erie, according to Sheriff Greg Taylor.</p><p> Over the last few days, first responders have utilized drones, planes, helicopters, boats, sonar systems, divers, law enforcement K9’s, cadaver dogs, and shoreline search crews.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750415806128.png" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>This has been a disheartening experience for all involved, according to Sheriff Taylor. Saturday, the water began to rise and the current increased in the late afternoon. Searchers are suspending the search until the water can drop to a normal level.</p><p>The sheriff thanked all of the first responders and dog handlers, some of which traveled across the state to get to assist. The sheriff also thanked the property owner who was kind enough to allow us to stage and deploy from his boat ramp and property.</p><p>"We had an overwhelming amount of support and donations from the community of food and water for the responders. Our thoughts and prayers are with both families of this tragedy. We are still hopeful that the child will be found once the river drops to a favorable level. "</p><p>Just after 12:30p.m. Wednesday the Neosho County 911 Center received a report from the Union Pacific Railroad that two individuals had been struck on the Railroad Bridge south of Erie near 115th Road, according to Neosho County Sheriff Greg Taylor.</p><p>First responders found 16-year-old Arthur Pollries of Walnut, Kansas, deceased, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.</p><p>&nbsp;Kansas Deparatment of Wildlife and Parks responded with personnel, a drone and boat. KHP sent numerous personnel, helicopter, and search dogs in an attempt to find the body of the 12-year-old.</p><p>After reviewing the Engine Camera footage and physical evidence, the two children were on the bridge and unable to outrun the train. Unfortunately after reviewing the footage and physical evidence at the scene, the search went from hopeful rescue effort to a recovery effort.</p>

Recovery effort suspended after 2 Kan. boys killed on river bridge

WASHINGTON (AP) —Satellite images taken Sunday analyzed by The Associated Press show damage on the mountainside at Iran’s underground nuclear site at Fordo after U.S. airstrikes targeted the facility.

The images by Planet Labs PBC show the once-brown mountain had parts turned gray and its contours appeared slightly different than in previous images, suggesting a blast threw up debris around the site. That suggests the use of specialized American bunker buster bombs on the facility. Light gray smoke also hung in the air.

Iran has yet to offer a damage assessment of the site.

Other satellite images suggest Iran before the strike sealed up its tunnel entrances at Fordo.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750556333746.png" alt="File photo A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber . (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robert E. Hicks)" />
                        <figcaption>File photo A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber . (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robert E. Hicks)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) —Satellite images taken Sunday analyzed by The Associated Press show damage on the mountainside at Iran’s underground nuclear site at Fordo after U.S. airstrikes targeted the facility.</p><p>The images by Planet Labs PBC show the once-brown mountain had parts turned gray and its contours appeared slightly different than in previous images, suggesting a blast threw up debris around the site. That suggests the use of specialized American bunker buster bombs on the facility. Light gray smoke also hung in the air.</p><p>Iran has yet to offer a damage assessment of the site.</p><p>Other satellite images suggest Iran before the strike sealed up its tunnel entrances at Fordo.</p>

Images show damage at Iran’s underground nuclear site

OSAGE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 8:30p.m. Saturday in Osage County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Chevy Silverado driven by Louis R. Madden, 27, Waverly, was northbound on S Jordan Road&nbsp; just north of the W 317th Street junction. The pickup traveled off the road to the right and the driver overcorrected. The pickup then rolled onto its roof in the west ditch. 

Madden was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Forensic Medical. EMS transported a 5-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl to Stormont Vail Health for treatment of minor injuries. The driver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

<p>OSAGE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 8:30p.m. Saturday in Osage County.</p><p>The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Chevy Silverado driven by Louis R. Madden, 27, Waverly, was northbound on S Jordan Road&nbsp; just north of the W 317th Street junction. The pickup traveled off the road to the right and the driver overcorrected. The pickup then rolled onto its roof in the west ditch. </p><p>Madden was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Forensic Medical. EMS transported a 5-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl to Stormont Vail Health for treatment of minor injuries. The driver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.</p>

Kan. man dead, two 5-year-olds injured in rollover crash

Trump says he worked ‘as a team’ with Israel’s prime minister to strike Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump said he worked “as a team” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the collaboration was “perhaps” like “no team has worked before.”

But Trump also noted that no military in the world except for that of the U.S. could have pulled off the attack.

Trump says Iran will face more military strikes unless it makes peace

President Donald Trump called Iran “the bully of the Middle East” and warned of additional attacks if it didn’t make peace.

“If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier,” Trump said at the White House after the bombings of Iran’s nuclear facilities were announced earlier.

Trump portrayed the strike as a response to a long-festering problem, even if the objective was to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

“For 40 years Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel,” Trump said. “They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs.”

Iranian Atomic Energy Organization confirms strikes

Iran’s nuclear agency on Sunday confirmed attacks took place on its Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz atomic sites, but is insisting its work will not be stopped.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran issued the statement after President Donald Trump announced the American attack on the facilities.

“The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran assures the great Iranian nation that despite the evil conspiracies of its enemies, with the efforts of thousands of its revolutionary and motivated scientists and experts, it will not allow the development of this national industry, which is the result of the blood of nuclear martyrs, to be stopped,” it said in its statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s decision to attack in a video message directed to the American president.

“Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,” he said.

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Donald J. Trump Delivers Address to the Nation, June 21, 2025 <a href="https://t.co/yutRDvtWv0">https://t.co/yutRDvtWv0</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1936602999553433965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1413048323230463%2F&show_text=true&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="429" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0eDnzuBAGJkTkYPzYhbNGHiGVMjbEJr79xgwPEwbCPQDaoDyvNppzHEyJQ8KSMtbfl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="645" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><h2>Trump says he worked ‘as a team’ with Israel’s prime minister to strike Iran</h2><p>U.S. President Donald Trump said he worked “as a team” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the collaboration was “perhaps” like “no team has worked before.”</p><p>But Trump also noted that no military in the world except for that of the U.S. could have pulled off the attack.</p><h2>Trump says Iran will face more military strikes unless it makes peace</h2><p>President Donald Trump called Iran “the bully of the Middle East” and warned of additional attacks if it didn’t make peace.</p><p>“If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier,” Trump said at the White House after the bombings of Iran’s nuclear facilities were announced earlier.</p><p>Trump portrayed the strike as a response to a long-festering problem, even if the objective was to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.</p><p>“For 40 years Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel,” Trump said. “They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs.”</p><h2>Iranian Atomic Energy Organization confirms strikes</h2><p>Iran’s nuclear agency on Sunday confirmed attacks took place on its Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz atomic sites, but is insisting its work will not be stopped.</p><p>The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran issued the statement after President Donald Trump announced the American attack on the facilities.</p><p>“The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran assures the great Iranian nation that despite the evil conspiracies of its enemies, with the efforts of thousands of its revolutionary and motivated scientists and experts, it will not allow the development of this national industry, which is the result of the blood of nuclear martyrs, to be stopped,” it said in its statement.</p><h2>Netanyahu welcomes US strikes</h2><p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s decision to attack in a video message directed to the American president.</p><p>“Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,” he said.</p>

🎥 President Trump address to the nation after attack on Iran

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Saturday that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-tehran-trump-06-17-2025-3f08988b5e8fd375645967b6e22916f3">Israel</a>&nbsp;’s effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.

There was no immediate acknowledgment from Iran of any strikes being carried out.

The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,500-kilogram) bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump said in a post on social media. "All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”

Trump added in a later post that he would address the national at 10:00 p.m. eastern time, writing “This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!”

Trump said B-2 stealth bombers were used but did not specify which types of bombs were dropped. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation.

The strikes are a perilous decision for the U.S. as Iran has pledged to retaliate if it joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally, having won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism.

Trump told reporters on Friday that he was not interested in sending ground forces into Iran, saying it’s “the last thing you want to do.” He had previously indicated that he would make a final choice over the course of two weeks, a timeline that seemed drawn out as the situation was evolving quickly.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday the United States that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them.” And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared “any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region."

Trump has vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country’s leaders to give up its nuclear program peacefully.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israel</a>&nbsp;’s military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran’s foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750540951558.png" alt="FILE PHOTO -- The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions.&nbsp; (U.S. Air Force photo by Bobbie Garcia)" />
                        <figcaption>FILE PHOTO -- The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions.&nbsp; (U.S. Air Force photo by Bobbie Garcia)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Saturday that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-tehran-trump-06-17-2025-3f08988b5e8fd375645967b6e22916f3">Israel</a>&nbsp;’s effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/wu9mMkxtUg">pic.twitter.com/wu9mMkxtUg</a></p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1936573183634645387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750552826391.png" alt="President Trump arriving back at the White House Saturday afternoon" />
                        <figcaption>President Trump arriving back at the White House Saturday afternoon</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>There was no immediate acknowledgment from Iran of any strikes being carried out.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/C5vWu396WF">pic.twitter.com/C5vWu396WF</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1936587221483577642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,500-kilogram) bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.</p><p>“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump said in a post on social media. "All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”</p><p>Trump added in a later post that he would address the national at 10:00 p.m. eastern time, writing “This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!”</p><p>Trump said B-2 stealth bombers were used but did not specify which types of bombs were dropped. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation.</p><p>The strikes are a perilous decision for the U.S. as Iran has pledged to retaliate if it joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally, having won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism.</p><p>Trump told reporters on Friday that he was not interested in sending ground forces into Iran, saying it’s “the last thing you want to do.” He had previously indicated that he would make a final choice over the course of two weeks, a timeline that seemed drawn out as the situation was evolving quickly.</p><p>Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday the United States that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them.” And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared “any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region."</p><p>Trump has vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country’s leaders to give up its nuclear program peacefully.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israel</a>&nbsp;’s military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran’s foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.”</p><p>The prospect of a wider war threatened, too.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Iranian-backed Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;in Yemen said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joins Israel’s military campaign. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-houthis-end-of-bombing-yemen-israel-e2f08ac04024ef3d6409b4ce97092489">deal with the U.S.</a></p><p>The U.S. ambassador to Israel announced the U.S. had begun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-evacuation-americans-0415a2510ae58257042f0e05d2dedc93">“assisted departure flights,”</a>&nbsp;the first from Israel since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Gaza</a>.</p><p>White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at Thursday’s press briefing that Trump had said: “I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.” Instead, the U.S. president struck just two days later.</p><p>Trump appears to have made the calculation — at the prodding of Israeli officials and many Republican lawmakers — that Israel’s operation had softened the ground and presented a perhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran’s nuclear program, perhaps permanently.</p><p>The Israelis say their offensive has already crippled Iran’s air defenses, allowing them to already significantly degrade multiple Iranian nuclear sites.</p><p>But to destroy the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8758704e349e4a899554d732799c1b31">Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant</a>, Israel appealed to Trump for U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bunker-buster-bomb-israel-iran-fordo-fordow-b2-nuclear-8a612cbf16aa0f99bd9992334ffc93d7">bunker-busting bomb</a>, which uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets and then explode. The penetrator is currently only delivered by the B-2 stealth bomber, which is only found in the American arsenal.</p><p>The bomb carries a conventional warhead, and is believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast.</p><p>The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility.</p><p>Previous Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has said.</p><p>Trump’s decision for direct U.S. military intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push — including with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians — aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear program.</p><p>For months, Trump said he was dedicated to a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. And he twice —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-nuclear-talks-0613bd70b6a47ed2f583177e54473a21">in April</a>&nbsp;and again in late May — persuaded Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;to hold off on military action against Iran and give diplomacy more time.</p><p>The U.S. in recent days has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-middle-east-iran-israel-a4287f29c84b6eee954011ecd8a670d3">shifting military aircraft and warships</a>&nbsp;into and around the Middle East to protect Israel and U.S. bases from Iranian attacks.</p><p>All the while, Trump has gone from publicly expressing hope that the moment could be a “second chance” for Iran to make a deal to delivering explicit threats on Khamenei and making calls for Tehran’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-nuclear-israel-g7-132d92f3b5f4014cced1c5029d839ae9">unconditional surrender.</a></p><p>“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump said in a social media posting. “He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”</p><p>The military showdown with Iran comes seven years after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the “worst deal ever.”</p><p>The 2015 deal, signed by Iran, U.S. and other world powers, created a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.</p><p>Trump decried the Obama-era deal for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-e4d7c8ab28ee45dc9895aeaf07291387">giving Iran too much</a>&nbsp;in return for too little, because the agreement did not cover Iran’s non-nuclear malign behavior.</p><p>Trump has bristled at criticism from some of his MAGA faithful, including conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, who have suggested that further U.S. involvement would be a betrayal to supporters who were drawn to his promise to end U.S. involvement in expensive and endless wars.</p><p>___</p><p>Rising reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Mehmet Guzel in Istanbul; Josef Federman in Jerusalem; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Matthew Lee and Josh Boak in Washington, D.C.; and Farnoush Amiri and Jon Gambrell in Dubai contributed to this report.</p>