By: Phakeme Mnguni
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Iran will face even more devastating strikes if it does not accede to peace, declaring there are numerous other Iranian targets within the US military’s sights.
This declaration followed a coordinated US airstrike on three Iranian nuclear sites including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, carried out just yesterday, June 21, 2025.
President Trump described the operation as a “spectacular military success” and said the enrichment facilities were “completely and totally obliterated”
The strikes came after days of careful deliberation, well ahead of Trump’s own two‑week diplomatic deadline. He had earlier offered Iran a brief pause to negotiate, stating he preferred a deal “on paper” over bombs but when diplomacy failed to produce results, he authorised the strikes .
The president characterised Iran as the “bully of the Middle East” and insisted the US would launch further, “easier” attacks unless Tehran pursues peace.
This marks a sharp escalation in the Middle East conflict, signalling direct US military involvement and aligning the US alongside Israel in dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded the move as “history‑changing” and an example of “peace through strength”.
However, the action has provoked urgent warnings from Iran. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called any attack on its nuclear sites “one of the biggest historical mistakes” that could spark “all‑out war in the region”. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has vowed swift reprisal, with threats being taken seriously by global security analysts .
Set against the backdrop of earlier Israeli strikes targeting Iranian missile infrastructure between 13–15 June, this latest US move may unleash a broader regional conflagration with Syria, Iraq, Houthis in Yemen, and other theatre actors potentially drawn in.
