Trump’s Operation Midnight Hammer obliterating three Iranian nuclear sites was ‘bold and brilliant,’ Hegseth says

Top US officials have urged Iran to surrender after strikes on the nation’s nuclear sites ‘severely damaged’ its nuclear capabilities overnight.

President Trump broke his two-week deadline on Saturday night as he launched ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’, sending a fleet of B-2 bombers to key nuclear sites.

The US strikes included 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft, which targeted three critical sites.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a Sunday morning press conference that the strikes were ‘bold’ and ‘brilliant’, and warned Iran that there would be dire consequences if it does not come to the negotiating table.

Officials admitted that it is ‘way too early’ to say whether Iran still retains some nuclear capabilities, with sources saying the deep underground Fordow site was not entirely destroyed in the operation.

World leaders condemned Trump’s decision to wade into the conflict, with Chinese President Xi Jinping saying Trump ‘violated’ international peace, and the UK’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged for a de-escalation of tensions.

Iran’s foreign minister branded Trump a ‘lawless bully’ who ‘betrayed’ diplomacy after the US blew up three nuclear bases – as he warned the world has been thrown into an ‘unprecedented level of danger’.

Early Sunday morning, Iran retaliated by targeting Israel in a devastating set of attacks – with emergency services reporting at least 16 people injured.

Live updates below:

US Defence Secretary Pete Hesgeth gives briefing on the US strikes on Iran

By Cameron Roy

Pete Hegseth, the US Defense Secretary, called the US strikes against Iran ‘bold and brilliant’ in a Sunday morning press conference.

Despite telling the world that he was going to make a decision within two weeks, Donald Trump announced on Saturday night that he had joined Israel’s war with Iran.

The operation – named Midnight Hammer – ‘severely damaged’ three key nuclear sites around 2.10am Iranian time, Hegseth said.

He said the mission was to ‘destroy or severely degrade Iran’s nuclear programme’ and called it ‘an incredible and overwhelming success’.

‘We devastated the Iranian nuclear programme. It’s worth noting the operation did not target the Iranian troops or the Iranian people,’ he continued.

‘Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated. Many presidents have dreamed of delivering the final blow to Iran’s nuclear programme. And none could – until President Trump.’

He declared: ‘American deterrence is back.’