The US conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, namely Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, US President Donald Trump confirmed on Truth Social on Saturday night.
"All planes are now outside of Iran's airspace. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home," Trump wrote.
"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this," he added.
"NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!" he concluded.
Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke after the strikes, a White House official confirmed.
US Air Force B-2 stealth bombers were involved in the strikes, a US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Trump then retweeted a social media post by an open-source intelligence analyst claiming that "Fordow is gone."
Trump also added that he will give a public address at the White House "regarding our very successful military operation in Iran" at 10 p.m. adding that "This is a historic moment for the United States, Israel and the world."
"Iran must now agree to end this war," Trump's post on Truth Social concluded.
Trump expressed hope that the strikes would push the Iranian regime into negotiation, and "doesn’t currently plan additional US actions inside," sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
Additionally, the US reached out to Iran to say that it would not plan regime change efforts, CBS reported.
Iran confirms strike hit Fordow
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied the strikes occurred, stating that "no evidence has been released so far to confirm Trump’s claim," adding "it is possible that his statement is merely a media show."
The three nuclear facilities have been evacuated, Iranian national television confirmed.
Iran had been expecting attacks on Fordow for several nights, the facility had been evacuated before the airstrikes occurred, and did not suffer irreversible damage, according to an advisor to Iran's Parliament Speaker.
"Two things are certain: 1. Knowledge cannot be bombed. 2. This time, the gambler will definitely lose," the advisor added.
Three senior Iranian officials anonymously told The New York Times that they believed the strikes were conducted at around 2.30 a.m. in Iran.
An Iranian official cited by Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency confirmed that part of Fordow nuclear site was attacked by "enemy airstrikes."
A commentator on Iranian state television later stated that every American civilian or military personnel in the region has become a legitimate target.
Six bunker-buster bombs were used during the strike on Fordow, with 30 tomahawk missiles being used on the additional nuclear sites, according to Fox News. CNN later reported that 12 bunker-buster bombs were used, not six.
Israel was "in full coordination" with the US on the attack, Israeli officials confirmed to Israel's public broadcaster, KAN News.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump for the US Air Force's airstrikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on Sunday morning, calling the actions "truly unsurpassed" in having "done what no other country on Earth could do."
"We had a great success tonight," Trump told Israeli journalist Barak Ravid during a phone call. "Your Israel is much safer now."
In a phone call to Reuters, Trump added, "They should make peace immediately. They should stop immediately. Otherwise, they'll get hit again."
American B-2 stealth bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri toward a strategic base in Guam in the western Pacific, two US officials confirmed to Reuters on earlier on Saturday. They did not say how many B-2 bombers were being moved.
Officials have not yet confirmed whether these were the same B-2 bombers which struck Iran's nuclear facilities. However, a source told The New York Times that the B-2 bombers involved in the strikes flew non-stop for approximately 37 hours from their Missouri base, undergoing multiple aerial refuelings along the way.
The Mother of All Bombs
B-2 stealth bombers are the only aircraft capable of carrying and deploying the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, commonly nicknamed The Mother of All Bombs.
The GBU-57A/B is a 30,000-pound, precision-guided, bunker-busting bomb designed specifically to destroy hardened and deeply buried targets.
It is believed that these bombs are required to fully destroy Iran's nuclear facilities deep underground, particularly in Fordow.
Amichai Stein and Reuters contributed to this report.