US President Donald Trump has warned Iran of further attacks, stating that “there are many targets left” after the US struck three key nuclear facilities in the country. Trump’s administration claims the strikes were “very successful,” but critics argue that the attacks were “patently illegal” and violated the US Constitution.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the US of betraying diplomacy, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s “bold decision” and said Israel and the US acted in “full coordination”. The US claims the attacks were intentionally limited, but Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the US military’s capabilities are “nearly unlimited”.
Senator Christopher Van Hollen Junior said, “Trump said he would end wars; now he has dragged America into one. His actions are a clear violation of our Constitution – ignoring the requirement that only the Congress has the authority to declare war.”
Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated, “He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres branded the US strikes on Iran as a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.”
The US strikes have sparked concerns about potential retaliation from Iran and the impact on the global economy. Vice President JD Vance claims the US attacks had successfully set back Iran’s nuclear weapons programme and that Trump hopes to pursue a diplomatic solution.
China has “strongly condemned” the US attack on Iran, noting its nuclear facilities were under the safeguards of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency. The country’s Foreign Ministry said, “The actions of the US seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East.”
The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff says an assessment of the destruction sustained at Iran’s nuclear facilities will take time to confirm. General Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon, “I think PDA [preliminary damage assessment] is still pending and it would be way too early for me to comment on what or what may not still be there.”
Iran’s Red Crescent Society reported no fatalities in the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, but the country’s Health Ministry said at least 430 civilians have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded since Israel launched its surprise attack on June 13.