JERUSALEM/TEHRAN (BN24) — Israel’s military confirmed Monday that it carried out airstrikes targeting Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, just days after the United States launched a barrage of bunker-busting bombs on the same facility. The strikes came amid soaring tensions between Tehran, Washington, and Jerusalem, with President Donald Trump openly speculating about a possible regime change in Iran.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its latest attack was aimed at “obstructing access routes” to the heavily fortified Fordow complex, which is buried deep within a mountain in Qom province. Iranian officials, through the IRNA and Tasnim news agencies, confirmed the strike but downplayed the immediate risk, stating there was “no danger or threat to citizens.”
In a bold escalation, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that Israeli forces were “striking with unprecedented force” against Iranian government facilities in Tehran, targeting what he called “regime oppression entities.”
According to a statement posted to social media and translated from Hebrew, the strikes included:
- The Basij headquarters, the volunteer paramilitary arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
- Evin Prison, notorious for housing political prisoners and regime dissidents.
- The “Destroy Israel” clock in Palestine Square.
- Additional “regime targets,” such as internal security buildings and ideological command centers of the IRGC.
These strikes followed the Saturday night U.S. air assault that hit Iran’s three most sensitive nuclear installations—Natanz, Esfahan, and Fordow—with over 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
While U.S. officials have repeatedly denied that regime change is a goal, President Trump revived the conversation Sunday, posting to Truth Social:
“It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!”
He described the operation—codenamed “Operation Midnight Hammer”—as a “spectacular military success,” and warned Iran that further aggression would be met with even greater force.
Despite the damage inflicted by the strikes, Iran has yet to respond directly against U.S. targets, though missile sirens sounded across Israel throughout Monday morning as Iran launched further salvos aimed at Israeli cities. The IDF reported successful intercepts but noted ongoing security risks nationwide.
The strike on Fordow, already damaged by the U.S. attack two days prior, underscores Israel’s determination to dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and cripple its ability to reconstitute enrichment capabilities. Satellite imagery and intelligence assessments suggest significant structural damage, though Iran maintains that the site remains operational and vital to its energy ambitions.
The Fordow site has long been a focus of Western scrutiny due to its deep underground location and its suspected role in Iran’s high-level uranium enrichment program, capable of refining nuclear material to weapons-grade levels.
As diplomatic efforts falter and retaliatory threats mount, the latest escalation marks a dangerous phase in a conflict that now openly targets core state institutions in Tehran.
Whether Iran chooses to retaliate against U.S. forces, close the Strait of Hormuz, or escalate proxy warfare through regional allies remains unclear. However, both Israel and the United States appear prepared for a prolonged confrontation—with regime change no longer a whispered possibility but a debated policy direction.
With President Trump invoking nationalist rhetoric and Israeli strikes reaching deep into the capital, the situation inches ever closer to a broader war that could redraw the strategic landscape of the Middle East.
