U.S. Strikes Major Iranian Nuclear Sites as Regional Tensions Surge

The United States has launched a significant military operation against Iran, targeting three major nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Utilizing B-2 bombers and 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' munitions, the strikes were characterized by President Trump as a move to 'obliterate' the sites and compel Tehran toward peace negotiations. Simultaneously, the Pentagon has confirmed that 'Operation Epic Fury' is expanding deeper into Iranian territory to neutralize underground coastal defense systems. Despite the military escalation, a strategic rift has emerged between Washington and Jerusalem. President Trump has ordered a halt to Israeli strikes on the South Pars natural gas field—the world's largest gas field shared by Iran and Qatar—citing risks of a total Gulf war and the lack of prior notification regarding Israeli targeting. Meanwhile, global energy markets have reacted sharply to the hostilities, with oil prices climbing to $110 per barrel following Iranian retaliatory strikes on energy infrastructure in the UAE and near the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has also seen high-level casualties and diplomatic breakdowns. Iran confirmed the death of Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib in an Israeli strike, while Qatari authorities have expelled Iranian military attachés. In the UAE, an Australian airbase sustained damage from Iranian projectiles, and U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia remain on high alert as the region braces for further kinetic exchanges.