Iran said on Monday that the United States’ attack on its nuclear sites expanded the range of legitimate targets for its armed forces after US President Donald Trump hinted at a regime change in Tehran.
Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters, said the US should expect heavy consequences for its actions.
“Mr Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it,” said Zolfaqari at the end of a recorded video statement.
Iran and Israel traded air and missile strikes as the world braced for Tehran’s response to the US attack on its nuclear sites over the weekend, which Trump suggested could lead to the overthrow of the Iranian government.
Commercial satellite imagery indicated Saturday’s attack on Iran’s Fordow nuclear plant far underground had severely damaged or destroyed the site and the uranium-enriching centrifuges it housed, but its status remained unconfirmed, experts said.
In his latest social media comments on the US strikes, Trump said: “Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran.”
“The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Earlier, he wrote, “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!!!”
His comments contradicted assurances from members of his administration with US Vice President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth both publicly stating that Washington is not pursuing the overthrow of the Iranian government.
‘Operation Midnight’
Entering the war early Sunday, the US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan — using the US Air Force’s B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.
The US launched 75 precision-guided munitions including bunker-buster bombs and more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles against three Iranian nuclear sites, the chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, told reporters.
Iran condemned the attack and responded with a barrage of missiles aimed at Israeli targets, injuring civilians and causing significant destruction in Tel Aviv.
