Early Sunday morning, President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social account: “The U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight. If we are attacked in any way, shape, or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before. However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!”
Trump responded to a Saturday stark warning Iran had issued to the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, declaring that their military bases and naval vessels would be targeted if they intervened to block Iran’s missile and drone retaliation against Israel. The threat raised the stakes in an already escalating conflict, heightening fears of a broader regional war fueled by tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.
On Saturday, The Economist noted that American forces are already playing a role in defending Israel from missile attacks. The pressing question now is whether President Trump would be pulled further into the conflict. On June 13, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) stated that if diplomatic efforts collapse, he “strongly” believes it is in the United States national security interest to “go all-in to help Israel finish the job.”
According to The Economist, the United States is already rushing destroyers to the Middle East, and the USS Nimitz, an aircraft carrier stationed in the Pacific, recently canceled a planned visit to Vietnam—an indication it may be heading west toward the region.
In addition to its military presence, the U.S. can provide Israel with enhanced real-time intelligence and aerial refueling, allowing Israeli jets extended “dwell time” over Iran.
FORDOW
Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) is an Iranian underground uranium enrichment facility located 20 miles northeast of the Iranian city of Qom, near Fordow village, at a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base. The site is under the control of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI). It is the second Iranian uranium enrichment facility, the other one being that of Natanz.
On Friday, Israel launched an attack on the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. Iranian forces claimed they had shot down an Israeli drone during the operation. The full extent of the damage remained unclear, as Fordow—like the Natanz facility—is located deep underground, making it difficult to assess the impact of conventional airstrikes.
Satellite imagery and initial reports indicated that some above-ground structures at both Fordow and Natanz sustained damage, but the fortified subterranean sections housing centrifuges and enriched uranium appeared to remain intact. On Saturday, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization confirmed that the site had suffered only limited damage from the attacks.
Israel lacks the capability to destroy deeply buried nuclear sites like Fordow through conventional airstrikes. While it might be able to seal tunnel entrances or ventilation shafts, fully neutralizing the facility would likely require the involvement of American heavy bombers equipped with 30,000-pound bunker-busting ordnance. Israeli leadership may be betting that the U.S. can be persuaded to join the mission, rather than risk leaving the operation incomplete.
OBAMA’S ‘MISTAKE’
In October 2022, former President Barack Obama acknowledged that his administration mishandled its response to the Iranian uprising in 2009. Speaking on the “Pod Save America” podcast, Obama reflected on internal White House debates at the time: “When I think back to 2009, 2010, you guys will recall there was a big debate inside the White House about whether I should publicly affirm what was going on with the Green Movement… there was some thought that we were somehow gonna be undermining their street cred in Iran if I supported what they were doing. And in retrospect, I think that was a mistake.”
Obama’s “mistake” referred to his administration’s decision not to support the Green Movement, which emerged after Iran’s disputed June 12, 2009 presidential election and demanded the removal of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The movement, backed by reformist parties, NGOs, and a wide grassroots base, drew tens of thousands to the streets in mass protest. While Obama eventually issued a statement condemning the regime’s crackdown — citing universal values such as free speech and peaceful dissent — the administration refrained from taking a stronger stance.
Many critics argue that a bolder U.S. response could have empowered the movement and possibly led to the collapse of the regime. But at a crucial moment, Obama either chose caution over confrontation or lacked the will to stand behind Iranians seeking freedom.
Will TRUMP DO IT?
On April 12, President Trump delivered a clear ultimatum to Iran’s Supreme Leader: agree to a nuclear deal within 60 days or face serious consequences. He also urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay any military action until his ultimatum has expired, hoping to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.
Yet behind the scenes, Israel was already signaling a different course. While members of the Trump team publicly emphasized their commitment to a negotiated solution, Israeli officials privately informed Washington that a strike on Iran was imminent.
In a late May meeting in Jerusalem with a small group of U.S. House lawmakers, Netanyahu reportedly made Israel’s intentions unmistakable. According to CNN, citing one attendee and another person briefed on the conversation, the prime minister stated unequivocally that Israel was going to strike—and was not asking for American approval to do so.
Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear sites and eliminated its top nuclear scientists, as well as the entire leadership of its military and Revolutionary Guards, on June 13, day 61 of Trump’s ultimatum.
THE CONSPIRACY
According to The Wall Street Journal, when Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Thursday, the PM reminded Trump that it was the final day of the 60-day deadline. Netanyahu told Trump that Israel could wait no longer—Iran had not budged, and the time for action had come. “Israel has to defend itself,” Netanyahu said, adding that he intended to enforce the timeline.
Trump responded that the United States would not stand in Israel’s way, though he made clear that the U.S. military would not participate in any offensive operations. At a press conference later at the White House, Trump avoided describing an Israeli attack as imminent, but acknowledged, “It is something that could very well happen.” He also noted that while U.S.-Iran negotiations were close to yielding a deal, Israeli airstrikes might “blow it.”
Trump, who started the week wary of launching an assault on Iran, quickly shifted his stance as the Israeli strikes unfolded, embracing the operation as a potential asset to his diplomatic strategy.
“Iran must make a deal before there is nothing left,” he posted on Truth Social Friday, “and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.”
According to Axios, an Israeli official claimed that the United States might ultimately join the military operation and that President Trump had even indicated as much in a recent conversation with Netanyahu. The official said Trump suggested he would be willing to intervene if necessary, signaling a potential shift from earlier U.S. reluctance to participate directly in offensive actions.
B2
???? BREAKING:
Israel has officially requested U.S. military support in its ongoing operation against Iran — specifically to strike underground nuclear sites like the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP).
???????? The Israeli Air Force lacks the capability to hit deeply buried targets… pic.twitter.com/7X6XXlUPjW
— Defence Index (@Defence_Index) June 15, 2025
On April 2, the Pentagon deployed at least six B-2 stealth bombers—representing nearly 30% of the U.S. Air Force’s fleet—to the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, as a clear signal to Iran amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
The deployment coincided with warnings from President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about potential action against Iran and its regional proxies. Meanwhile, U.S. warplanes continued airstrikes targeting Tehran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.
Satellite imagery captured at the time by Planet Labs revealed the presence of the six bombers on the tarmac, along with shelters that could be concealing additional aircraft. A mix of tankers and cargo planes were also visible at the remote joint U.S.-British base, located roughly 2,400 miles from Iran’s southern coastline.
On May 12, the U.S. military confirmed to Reuters that it had rotated its B-2 stealth bombers out of the Indo-Pacific base, replacing them with a different type of bomber. The shift came as the American air campaign against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels concluded following the announcement of a ceasefire.
The only conventional weapon capable of directly penetrating Iran’s deeply buried Fordow nuclear facility is the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). At 30,000 pounds, the MOP is designed for use by B-2 bombers and is too massive for deployment by any Israeli Air Force plane.
Proponents of giving Israel MOPs also call for Washington to lend the IDF B-2s as well. But the United States has made clear it would never share with anyone this strategic and stealth aircraft, especially since the United States only has nineteen B-2s.
But Israel could be provided with long-since-decommissioned B-52H bombers built more than sixty years ago, the only other MOP-compatible aircraft.
To bring a quick and decisive end to the Israel-Iran war and possibly strike the first chord in the Iranian people’s effort to free themselves of the Islamic dictatorship, Trump must correct Obama’s failure and either bomb Fordow off the face of the earth or give Israel the means to do it.
