In a bold Pentagon briefing, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that overnight strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, had "destroyed" Iran's nuclear program. Ordered by President Donald Trump and executed by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the attacks targeted key uranium enrichment facilities, marking a dramatic escalation in the U.S.-Israel campaign against Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
"Last night’s operation was a tremendous success," Hegseth said, emphasizing that no civilian infrastructure or lives were harmed. He credited Trump’s "focused, powerful, and clear" leadership for delivering a blow that he claimed obliterated Iran’s ability to pursue nuclear weapons. While independent verification of the damage remains limited, Hegseth’s remarks echo Trump’s assertion that the sites were "completely and totally obliterated."
Hegseth said, "Last night, under President Trump's orders, we struck three nuclear facilities in Iran in the middle of the night: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, to destroy or severely damage the nuclear program. It was an extraordinary success.We destroyed Iran's nuclear program ... As Trump said, the U.S. does not want war, but we will respond with strikes if our people, partners, or interests are threatened – Iran needs to listen to this ... Any retaliatory action by Iran against the U.S. will be met with far greater force than what you saw tonight ...
As the President directed, this is not an open-ended war. If attacked, we will defend ourselves, but the mission was clear: destroy Iran's nuclear program. That mission was executed smoothly. The regime must understand: the President wants peace ... Iran must come to the negotiating table. We do not want them to have nuclear weapons. I can confirm that messages were sent to Iran through multiple channels urging them to enter talks."
Vice President J.D. Vance added, "We are not seeking regime change in Iran ... focus remains solely on stopping the nuclear threat."
