Iran says US has started ‘dangerous war against Iran’

Phil Stewart and Steve Holland | June 22, 2025

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has accused the US of betraying diplomacy and ‘launching a dangerous war against Iran’ after the US attacked three nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic, in alliance with Israel’s mission.

The ministry made the remarks in a long statement posted Sunday morning.

“The world must not forget that it was the United States — during an ongoing diplomatic process — that betrayed diplomacy by supporting the aggressive actions of the genocidal and lawless Israeli regime,” the ministry said. 

“Now, by completing the chain of violations and crimes committed by the Zionist regime, the US has itself launched a dangerous war against Iran.”

US President Donald Trump has described the strikes on the nuclear sites as a ‘spectacular success’ and warned Tehran of more devastating attacks if it does not agree to peace.

After days of deliberation and long before his self-imposed two-week deadline, Trump’s decision to join Israel’s military campaign against its major rival Iran represents a major escalation of the conflict and risks opening a new era of instability in the Middle East.

“Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.” Trump said in a televised address.

In a speech that lasted just over three minutes, Trump said Iran’s future held “either peace or tragedy” and there were many other targets the US military could hit.

“If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill,” he said.

The US reached out to Iran diplomatically on Saturday to say the strikes were all the US planned and it did not aim for regime change, CBS News reported.

Trump said US forces struck Iran’s three principal nuclear sites: Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. 

He told Fox News six bunker buster bombs were dropped on Fordow, while 30 Tomahawk missiles were fired against other nuclear sites.

No radiation has been released outside the nuclear facilities, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in an initial assessment on Sunday.

“Following attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran – including Fordow – the IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time,” the international watchdog announced early in the morning on the platform X.

The agency stated that further assessments of the situation in Iran would be provided as soon as more information becomes available.

Hassan Abedini, deputy political head of Iran’s state broadcaster, said Iran had evacuated the three sites some time ago.

“The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centres and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots,” he told the channel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his “bold decision”.

“History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world’s most dangerous regime, the world’s most dangerous weapons,” Netanyahu said.

The strikes came as Israel and Iran have been engaged in more than a week of aerial combat that has resulted in deaths and injuries in both countries.

Israel launched the attacks on Iran, saying it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. 

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Diplomatic efforts by Western nations to stop the hostilities have been unsuccessful.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Saturday’s strikes a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security”.

Both sides’ attacks on energy infrastructure, including by Israel on Iran’s South Pars gas field and the risk of a complete shutdown of the OPEC member’s oil production, as well as Iran targeting shipping in the Straits of Hormuz, have fuelled fears of a spike in oil prices and impacts on economies worldwide.

In recent days, Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans have argued that Trump must receive permission from the US Congress before committing the US military to any combat against Iran.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch, a Republican, said “this war is Israel’s war, not our war”.

Republican representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky simply said “this is not constitutional”.

Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it was “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment”.

At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks, Iranian state-run Nour News said.

In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed by Iranian missile attacks and 1272 injured, according to local authorities.