Monday, June 23, 2025 - 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.
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