US-Iran latest: Trump says Iranian nuclear facilities were ‘completely and totally obliterated’ in bombing as he speaks after strikes

Gideon Saar, the foreign minister of Israel, praised what he described as the US president’s ‘courageous’ strikes on Iran.

“US president Donald Trump wrote his name in gold in the history books tonight. In his courageous decision to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, he proved in practice that he is worthy of the title of leader of the free world. He will forever be remembered as a true friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” he wrote in a statement on X, according to a translation.

He added that Benjamin Netanyahu “led this bold, historic move and demonstrated extraordinary leadership”.

“He has skillfully navigated both the discussions on operational aspects and the diplomatic activity with the US over the past few months. He has shown determination and wisdom.”

Many years after he left the presidency, Lyndon Johnson lamented how Vietnam consumed his entire term.

“That bitch of a war killed the lady I really loved — the Great Society,” he reportedly said.

It did not matter that he had helped the country grieve the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and signed landmark civil rights and voting rights laws. People forgot that he created Medicare and Medicaid.

His decision to escalate the war meant that chants of “Hey! Hey! LBJ! How many kids did you kill today” echoed for generations. Martin Luther King Jr. broke with Johnson despite his civil rights accomplishments.

Venezuela foreign minister Yvan Gil condemned the US strikes on Iran and demanded “an immediate cessation of hostilities,” as did Cuba’s president Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.

“Venezuela Condemns US Military Aggression Against Iran and Demands an Immediate Cessation of Hostilities. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela firmly and categorically condemns the bombing carried out by the United States military, at the request of the State of Israel, against nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan complexes,” he wrote on Telegram, reported Reuters.

“We strongly condemn the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, which constitutes a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. Aggression seriously violates the UN Charter and international law and plunges humanity into a crisis with irreversible consequences,” Bermúdez wrote on X.

Mexico’s foreign ministry called for diplomatic dialogue in a statement on X.

“The ministry urgently calls for diplomatic dialogue for peace between the parties involved in the Middle East conflict. In keeping with our constitutional principles of foreign policy and our country’s pacifist conviction, we reiterate our call to de-escalate tensions in the region. The restoration of peaceful coexistence among the states of the region is the highest priority,” they wrote in a statement.

Donald Trump has said Iran will be met with a strong response if they decide to retaliate.

“Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Thank you! Donald J. Trump, President of the United States.”

Palestinian-American congresswoman Rashida Tlaib denounced the US strikes on Iran and called them a “blatant violation” of the US Constitution.

“The American people do not want another forever war. We have seen where decades of endless war in the Middle East gets us – all based on the lie of ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ We are not falling for it again,” she said in a statement.

“Instead of listening to the American people, Trump is listening to War Criminal Netanyahu, who lied about Iraq and is lying once again about Iran. Congress must act immediately to exert its war powers and stop this unconstitutional act of war.”

New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for US president Donald Trump’s impeachment.

On X, she wrote: “The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers. He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”

UN secretary-general António Guterres has said that he is “gravely alarmed” by the US military strikes on Iran.

In a statement on X, he wrote: “This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security. There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.”

He urged UN member states to “de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law”.

“At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos.”

President Donald Trump said that Pentagon leaders would hold a news conference on Sunday morning to discuss the U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, will hold the press conference at 8 a.m. ET.

“This cannot continue. There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all, but far, and perhaps the most lethal.”

President Donald Trump on Saturday said the “mass precision strikes” carried out by American bombers on a trio of Iranian nuclear facilities had been successful and warned that more of the same could be on the table if Tehran does not return to negotiations.

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