US Strikes Inflict Significant Damage on Iran's Nuclear Facilities
Overview of the US Attack on Iran
President Donald Trump announced via his social media platform, Truth Social, that the recent US military action has caused "substantial damage" to Iran's nuclear sites, with assessments of the impact currently underway.
He stated, "There has been a lot of damage."
Defense officials in the US are working to determine the extent of the destruction, while Iran has not disclosed the level of damage it has sustained. Furthermore, Iran has not provided details regarding the attacks carried out by Israel amid ongoing hostilities.
It is believed that Iran may have filled tunnels near its nuclear facilities prior to the US strikes.
Analysis of satellite imagery by a US non-proliferation organization indicates that Iran likely filled these tunnels at its Isfahan nuclear site before the American attacks on Sunday morning.
The Institute for Science and International Security published satellite images taken by Airbus, showing trucks filling the tunnels with soil at the nuclear facility on Friday.
The organization noted that the US strikes likely targeted the entrances of these tunnels, with at least three of the four entrances reportedly collapsed, while the status of the fourth remains unclear.
It is suspected that Iran filled the tunnels at its underground Fordow enrichment site to protect it from potential attacks.
Meanwhile, the Institute for Science and International Security stated that the US cruise missile strikes on the Isfahan site may have destroyed its uranium conversion facility.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed her government's support for the US actions, stating, "We support actions to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons."
In comments aired on Channel Nine News, Wong emphasized the desire for reduced tensions and a return to diplomacy.
However, she did not clarify whether Australian satellite communications or signal intelligence were utilized by the US during the strikes. Both nations are part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance.
Wong reiterated that the US has made it clear that "this was a unilateral attack."