ISTANBUL/WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM. The world is on edge following the United States’ massive airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities, with global leaders and observers awaiting Tehran’s response amid fears of a wider regional conflict.
The U.S. dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility on Saturday, joining Israel in the most extensive Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution. In response, Iran vowed to retaliate, declaring that diplomacy would not resume until it had responded to the attack.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, speaking in Istanbul, said the U.S. had shown “no respect for international law” and promised that Iran would explore “all possible responses.” He warned there would be no return to negotiations until after a retaliatory strike.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated the attack as a “spectacular military success,” claiming Iran’s key nuclear enrichment site was “completely and totally obliterated.” In a Truth Social post, Trump also floated the idea of regime change, writing, “If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!”
Commercial satellite imagery suggested significant damage to the Fordow nuclear site, although the International Atomic Energy Agency reported no rise in off-site radiation levels. Its Director General, Rafael Grossi, told CNN that the extent of underground destruction remains unclear.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters that most of the highly enriched uranium at Fordow had been relocated before the strike, though this claim remains unverified. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed heavy traffic near the facility in the days prior to the bombing.
Missile exchanges between Iran and Israel intensified. Israeli warplanes reportedly struck military targets in western Iran, while Iran launched missiles that injured dozens and flattened buildings in Tel Aviv. Over 400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Iran since the Israeli attacks began on June 13, according to Iranian authorities. Iran’s missile strikes on Israel have claimed at least 24 lives in the past nine days.
Air raid sirens echoed across Israel on Sunday, with millions seeking shelter. In Tel Aviv, resident Aviad Chernovsky returned from a bomb shelter to find his home destroyed. “It’s not easy to live in Israel right now, but we are very strong,” he said. “We know that we will win.”
In the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security warned of a “heightened threat environment,” pointing to potential cyber attacks or targeted violence. Law enforcement increased patrols at religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across major cities, while anti-war protests erupted in New York, Washington, and other urban centers.
The U.S. State Department issued a global security alert, warning of demonstrations and travel disruptions due to closed airspace across the Middle East.
Iran’s parliament has approved a move to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments. The decision awaits approval by the Supreme National Security Council. Any attempt to block the strait, which handles nearly 25% of global oil traffic, could spark a global energy crisis and trigger confrontation with the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
Oil prices surged following the attack. Brent crude rose by $3.20 to $80.28 per barrel, while U.S. crude increased by $2.89 to $76.73.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said no further strikes were planned “unless they mess around.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that the mission was not aimed at regime change, calling it “a precision operation” targeting Iran’s nuclear program.
The U.N. Security Council convened Sunday to discuss the crisis. Russia, China and Pakistan pushed for a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the strikes marked a dangerous escalation and urged a return to nuclear negotiations.
As residents fled Tehran for rural areas to escape Israeli airstrikes, anxiety and uncertainty gripped the Iranian public. “Our future is dark. We have nowhere to go, it’s like living in a horror movie,” said Bita, a 36-year-old teacher from Kashan, before her call disconnected.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel was close to achieving its goals of dismantling Iran’s missile and nuclear capabilities, U.S. officials remained cautious. Many, recalling the fallout from the 2003 Iraq invasion, reiterated that this mission was not about toppling Iran’s government.
With diplomacy suspended, military movements intensifying, and oil markets reacting sharply, the world watches anxiously for Iran’s next move in a crisis that threatens to reshape the Middle East.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
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