Inside the U.S. Strike on Iran’s Nuclear Facilities - 7 Key Takeaways

Saturday night's strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities left craters, controversy, and questions about what comes next.

via The White House on X

In a dramatic escalation, U.S. stealth bombers and missiles struck Iran's underground Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites on Saturday. The strikes, backed by Israel, marked the first use of America's largest bunker-busting bombs in warfare and were aimed at crippling Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities.

President Trump called the operation "decisive" and declared: "NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!" while Iran has vowed retaliation. (WSJ)

7. A Stealth Strike 18 Hours in the Making

The operation began just after midnight Saturday, with seven B-2 stealth bombers flying 18 hours from Missouri to Iran, refueling midair. They dropped fourteen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.

Simultaneously, a U.S. submarine launched over two dozen Tomahawk missiles at Iran's Isfahan facility. U.S. fighter jets targeted Iranian air defenses in advance, allowing bombers to strike undetected. (WSJ)

6. The Targets Were Iran’s Core Nuclear Sites

Fordow and Natanz, Iran's best-protected enrichment facilities, were the primary targets due to their role in producing highly enriched uranium.

Satellite images after the strike showed significant above-ground and sub-surface damage, with large craters and smoke plumes. Iranian officials insist that sensitive equipment had been relocated in anticipation of a possible strike, but U.S. intelligence suggests the damage may have set back Iran's capabilities by several years.

Officials say the aim was to disrupt Iran’s breakout timeline without triggering full-scale war, though the long-term effectiveness remains unclear. (WSJ)

5. Intel Warned Iran Was Nearing Nuclear Breakout

Despite some intelligence assessments that Iran hadn’t resumed its nuclear weapons program, Trump and Israeli leaders argued Iran was nearing breakout capacity.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited Israeli intelligence indicating that Iran was moving toward weaponization, with a growing stockpile of 60% enriched uranium - just a short step from weapons-grade 90%, which experts say could be achieved within one to two weeks. (WSJ)

Vice President JD Vance said the strikes "shut down Tehran’s only known option" to build a bomb. Critics argue the intelligence was murky and the attack premature. (WSJ)

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Inside the Fallout: What Comes After the Strike on Iran?

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