Trump says strikes on Iran inflicted 'monumental damage' to nuclear program

US President Donald Trump said the US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites caused "monumental damage" to Tehran's nuclear program.

“Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Obliteration is an accurate term! The white structure shown is deeply imbedded into the rock, with even its roof well below ground level, and completely shielded from flame. The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!”

The Associated Press reported that US defense officials were assessing the damages.

President Trump announced last Thursday that he would decide "within the next two weeks" whether to strike Iran.

Just over 48 hours later the United States launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities amid the ongoing Iranian-Israeli conflict.

"The U.S. military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear assemblies in the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan," President Trump said in a national address from the White House on Saturday night. "Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror."

Defense Department officials confirmed that American B-2 Spirit bombers were used to strike Fordo early Sunday local time, with each of those B-2s armed with U.S.-produced "bunker-buster" bombs known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs — bombs so heavy that they could only be dropped by a B-2, CBS reported.

Iran's Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeed Iravani says that Tehran reserves its legitimate right to defend itself and respond to the “blatant US and Israeli aggression,” the Iranian Mehr news agency reported.

Iran requested a U.N. Security Council meeting, calling on the body "to address this blatant and unlawful act of aggression" by the United States on Iran nuclear sites.

Iravani added, "Now, Iran, based on international law, reserves its legitimate and full right to defend itself against this blatant aggression by the United States and its proxy, the Israeli regime. The timing, type, and dimensions of Iran's proportionate and reciprocal response will be determined by our armed forces."

Israel launched what it calls Operation Rising Lion against Iran in the early hours of June 13, calling it a preemptive strike designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to develop such weapons. Tehran retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel.