U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of regime change in Iran and defended his statement that U.S. airstrikes over the weekend “totally obliterated” Iranian nuclear enrichment sites — a claim he insists is accurate, even as damage assessments continue.
In a social media post late Sunday night, June 22, Trump stated the sites — hit with GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles on Saturday night — suffered “monumental damage,” adding: “The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!”
Trump further stated that if Iranian leaders failed to “make Iran great again,” regime change could be on the table. This contrasts with more measured remarks from senior U.S. officials.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that the mission was “not and has not been about regime change,” calling it a “precision operation” focused on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Vice President JD Vance stated the U.S. was “not at war with Iran, we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear programme,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that “we’re not looking for war in Iran.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington of being directly involved in Israel’s military actions against the Islamic Republic and vowed retaliation.
U.S. military officials are still assessing the full extent of the destruction from “Operation Midnight Hammer.” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine acknowledged uncertainty over Iran’s remaining nuclear capabilities, stopping short of echoing Trump’s “obliteration” claim.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Rafael Grossi said, “At this time, no one, including the IAEA, is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordow.”
As tensions escalate, the impact is being felt across the Middle East and beyond. Airlines scrambled to assist thousands of stranded travelers, and multiple countries began repatriation efforts for their citizens. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a terrorism bulletin warning of possible cyberattacks and hate crimes domestically, although it noted there were “no specific credible threats” at this time.
Oil prices briefly spiked on Monday amid fears that Iran could retaliate by attempting to shut down the Strait of Hormuz — a vital passage for over 20% of global oil supply. Iran’s parliament has reportedly approved such a move, though the final decision rests with its Supreme National Security Council.
Secretary Rubio urged diplomatic pressure on Tehran, telling Fox News: “I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them [Iran] about that because they heavily depend on the Strait of Hormuz for their oil.”
Meanwhile, Iran may turn to Russia for strategic coordination. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Moscow on Monday for talks with President Vladimir Putin. Araqchi said there would be no return to diplomacy until Iran had responded to the strikes: “The U.S. showed they have no respect for international law. They only understand the language of threat and force.”
The ripple effects continue. France announced plans to deploy military aircraft to Israel to evacuate citizens to Cyprus, as its foreign ministry reported over 4,500 inquiries in the past week. France has around 250,000 nationals in Israel.
The Philippines will begin repatriating citizens on Monday, primarily from Israel, where over 30,000 Filipinos live and work. At least 223 in Israel and 8 in Iran have requested evacuation.
Australia reported that 3,800 citizens had sought help to leave the Middle East — 2,600 in Iran and 1,200 in Israel. The government has sent two defense aircraft to support evacuation efforts.
Airlines continue to reroute or cancel flights due to the unrest. Air France-KLM canceled all flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh on Sunday and Monday. British Airways canceled flights to Dubai and Doha and said it was reviewing the situation for upcoming schedules.
