U.s. attacks three Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says: Live updates

some of the most vocal Republican members of Congress said on social media platform X they support President Donald Trump's decision to bomb three nuclear sites in Iran.

sen. Lindsey Graham of south Carolina said, "Good. This was the right call. The regime deserves it."

sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said the attack was necessary. "The prospect of the Iranian regime acquiring nuclear weapons represents the most acute immediate threat to America and our allies," he said.

Cruz continued: "Tonight's actions have gone far in foreclosing that possibility."

sen. Tim scott of south Carolina said, “Americans and the world can thank President Trump for his courage to lead," while Texas sen. John Cornyn called Trump's actions "courageous and correct" and Florida sen. Rick scott said the president's actions show "what peace through strength looks like."

In the House, Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford of Arkansas said he regrets Iran was allowed to become a threat and welcomes Trump's action.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., appears to be first Republican opposing Trump's Iran strikes. In a post to X, in which he shared Trump's Truth social post about the attack, Massie wrote, "This is not Constitutional."

The U.s. has struck nuclear sites in central Iran, each of which sits south of Tehran.

President Donald Trump's decision to strike Iran’s fortresslike Fordo nuclear enrichment facility likely caused casualties among workers or anyone else still at the site. But it would not trigger a nuclear explosion or a widespread radiological or chemical spill, according to former nuclear officials and experts.

sitting to the south of Iran’s capital, Tehran, the Fordo plant is used to enrich uranium for the production of nuclear energy or, potentially, a bomb. But although this uranium and its chemical byproducts can be harmful to ingest or touch without protective equipment — they won’t create a wider blast or regional contamination, analysts say.

That would only be the case if Fordo housed nuclear reactors or warheads, which international watchdogs and experts say is not the case.

“If you’re down there and it gets bombed, you’re stuffed,” Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, the ex-commanding officer of the British military’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment, told NBC News on Thursday.

Read the full story here.

Truth social, President Donald Trump's social media site, appeared to be struggling with outages in the moments after he used the platform to announce three strikes on Iran.

some users attempting to view the president's post encountered a message stating that "an unexpected error occurred" and "please wait a moment and try again."

sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., praised the attacks on Iran, calling them “the right move” by Trump.

“Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world,” Fetterman wrote on X.

His post stands in contrast to early responses to the attacks by other Democrats. Rep. sara Jacobs, D-Calif., called the move “unconstitutional” and “an escalation that risks bringing the U.s. into another endless and deadly war.”

Trump will deliver an address to the nation at 10 p.m. ET regarding the attacks on Iran, the president announced on social media.

House speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-s.D., were briefed on the U.s. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, their offices tell NBC News.

President Donald Trump said U.s. air forces dropped bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran today.

"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," he said on Truth social in a statement also distributed to media via email.

Trump said the planes involved are now outside of Iranian airspace.

Trump last week said he would mull over U.s. participation in Israel's strikes against Iran and come up with a decision within two weeks, giving today's airstrikes an element of surprise

"NOW Is THE TIME FOR PEACE!" the president said.

The state Department helped to organize the first flights from Israel for U.s. citizens who want to get out amid the fighting between Israel and Iran that started a little more than a week ago.

While the department last week said family of government employees and nonemergency personnel could leave, it also said it had no information on how they could get out.

Today, the department said it had organized the first departures, two flights from Tel Aviv to Athens, for approximately 70 U.s. citizens and lawful permanent residents and their accompanying immediate family members.

Citizens and lawful permanent residents in Israel or the West Bank who want to depart and need help were urged to complete a "crisis intake form" available on the Department of state's website.

Americans who want to leave and can do so without U.s. help are urged to do so, the department said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met separately with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Badr Abdelatty today to discuss the conflict between Israel and Iran.

The ministers met in Istanbul on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

In the meeting between Araghchi and Hussein, Hussein stressed the importance of returning to diplomatic efforts and de-escalating the situation, as well as ensuring the protection of Iranian civilians, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The meeting also addressed ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Iraq and Iran, highlighting the importance of continued consultation and coordination on issues of mutual interest, within the framework of mutual understanding and respect for national sovereignty," the ministry said.

In the meeting between Araghchi and Abdelatty, Abdelatty emphasized the importance of a return to diplomacy to prevent a further escalation of the conflict and inflammation of the region, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said in remarks today that Israel killed Behnam shahriyari, a person it believes to be responsible for transferring weapons from Iran to Hezbollah.

Defrin did not clarify if shahriyari was associated with any particular group.

NBC News has not been able to independently verify this claim, and Iran has not commented on shahriyari’s whereabouts.

People sit outside pitched tents as they take shelter at a bus station in Tel Aviv amid fears of an Iranian missile attack on saturday.

A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that they could target the shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center if the war with Israel continues.

The center is an Israeli nuclear installation in the Negev desert.

NBC News has not verified this reporting independently.

The U.s. and Iran continued communicating this weekend, according to a U.s. official, though it is unclear whether the sides' engagement could be considered negotiations.

The administration is not providing additional details about its communication with Iran, nor further information about the U.s. approach to Iran in the coming days.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously told NBC News that the U.s. would instruct Israel to halt its strikes if the U.s. were serious about reopening nuclear negotiations. Asked on Friday whether the U.s. would make the request, Trump said, "I think it’s very hard to make that request right now."

Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon sa'ar accused the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of attempting to carry out an attack against Israelis in Cyprus.

"Thanks to the activity of the Cypriot security authorities, in cooperation with Israeli security services, the terror attack was thwarted," sa'ar said.

This claim has not been verified by NBC News.

Reuters reported that police in Cyprus arrested a British man on suspicion of terror-related offenses and espionage. The man is believed to have been surveilling a British RAF military base in Akrotiri and the Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos since mid-April.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told France's President Emmanuel Macron that Iran rejects any suspension of its nuclear activities, according to Iranian semiofficial news agency, Fars News.

Pezeshkian also told Macron that Iran's response to Israel's attacks "will be stronger and more decisive," according to the outlet. Macron said France did not participate in Israel's military attacks or support them.

From navigating tough weather in Australia to being questioned by police in Egypt, Ian Andersen has faced many challenges in his journeys biking across continents and documenting them on social media.

But the American creator, known as “ridewithian” to his 43,300 followers on TikTok, never had war on his list of possible hurdles — until last week. Amid his 29-day trek across Iran, Andersen found himself stuck just after Israeli forces began a “pre-emptive” strike on the country.

As Iran and Israel continue to trade attacks, visitors like Andersen have scrambled to find ways to safely exit the Middle East. He was among several people to document how he was able to depart the country, and he shared his journey with followers.

Read the full story here.

After more than three months in ICE detention, Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil returned to the New York area where his harrowing ordeal first began.

Immigration authorities arrested Khalil, 30, in March at the university housing complex where he lived in New York City. He was quickly transported thousands of miles away to a detention center in Louisiana, where he spent the last few months.

Khalil helped lead student protests over the war in Gaza, where more than 55,000 people have been killed since Israel launched its war against Hamas. The conflict has fueled rising tensions across the Middle East, including the escalating war in Iran.

Read the full story here.

Iran has arrested 22 people in Qom on suspicion of supporting Israel, according to Iranian media IsNA.

The report said the group was arrested for “suspicion of links with the intelligence services” of Israel, “disturbing public opinion, and supporting the criminal regime,” citing the Public security and Intelligence Police of Qom Province.

several B-2 bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force base overnight and are headed to Guam, according to two defense officials. 

The Israeli military said the air force struck "dozens of military targets" in southwestern Iran today, including a site where missile launchers were stored.

"IAF fighter jets also struck radar detection system sites used for detection and aerial intelligence gathering, and military infrastructure belonging to the Iranian regime," the IDF said in a statement.

The Houthis said in a statement issued today that they will attack U.s. ships in the Red sea if the U.s. attacks Iran.

In the statement, the Houthis accused Israel of seeking to eliminate Iran, "which it considers the greatest obstacle to achieving its plans," including domination over the Middle East.

"Based on this, should the Americans become involved in attacking or aggressing against Iran alongside the Israeli enemy, the Yemeni Armed Forces will target their ships and warships in the Red sea," the statement read.

The Houthis said they are closely monitoring movements in the region and pledged to stand by any Arab or Muslim country subjected to Israeli attacks.

"We will not abandon our brothers in the Gaza strip, nor will we allow this criminal entity, backed by America, to execute its plans in the region," the Houthis said.

Israel attacked Ahvaz and shiraz, Iran, in the country’s southwest this afternoon, according to Iranian government-linked news agency Nour News.

Air defense units were engaged, according to the outlet.

Earlier today, the Israeli military said it was striking military infrastructure in southwestern Iran.

Israel attacked a centrifuge manufacturing workshop in Isfahan, Iran, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

This facility is "the third such facility that has been targeted in Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear-related sites over the past week," according to the IAEA's Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

“We know this facility well," Grossi said. "There was no nuclear material at this site and therefore the attack on it will have no radiological consequences."

Grossi has warned that attacks on Iran's nuclear sites "have caused a sharp degradation in nuclear safety and security."

“Though they have not so far led to a radiological release affecting the public, there is a danger this could occur," Grossi said yesterday.

Israel says it has a killed a veteran Iranian commander, saeed Izadi, during an attack on the Iranian city of Qom.

“saeed Izadi led the Palestine Corps of the Quds Forces, who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7 massacre, was eliminated in an apartment in the heart of Qom,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said today. 

NBC News has not been able to independently verify this claim, and Iran has not commented on Izadi's whereabouts.

There are no causalities after a 5.2 magnitude quake hit central Iran yesterday night, according to Iranian media IsNA, citing a report by the Red Crescent.

The earthquake struck about 22 miles southwest of semnan, according to the U.s. Geological survey.

The earthquake was felt in Tehran, Karaj, Qom, sorkheh and Damavand.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 400 people in Iran including 54 women and children, according to state media, citing the head of Iran’s Ministry of Health Information Center.

“400 dead, 3,056 injured by Israel’s missiles and drones,” said the report. “Of the dead, 54 were women & children. 5 were health workers. The majority of the casualties were civilians.”

The latest toll marks a downward revision from the 430 deaths reported earlier by the same outlet. 

Iranian nuclear scientist Isar Tabatabai-Qamsheh has been killed by Israel, according to Iranian state media.

Nournews said saturday that Tabatabai-Qamsheh and his wife, Mansoureh Haji salem, were killed at their home. 

“He was a graduate in mechanical engineering with a focus on nuclear engineer and had dedicated year’s of his life to Iran’s nuclear industry,” Nournews said on Telegram.

since the beginning of the conflict, Israel has killed six top nuclear scientists.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told countries with influence over Israel not to listen to its "poison," as the conflict with Iran enters its ninth day.

speaking at a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul today, Erdoğan also accused Israel of deliberately sabotaging Iran's nuclear talks with the U.s.

Iran and the U.s. were set for a sixth round of nuclear talks when Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on the country's nuclear facilities two weeks ago. Iran then canceled the talks, calling them "meaningless," and accusing the U.s. of complicity in the strikes.

Erdoğan called for a solution through dialogue, and urged Muslim countries to increase their efforts to impose punitive measures against Israel.

Israeli air force fighter jets are currently striking military infrastructure in southwestern Iran, the Israeli military said in a statement.

Pakistan said on saturday it would recommend U.s. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, an accolade that he has said he craves, for his work in helping to resolve the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.

some analysts in Pakistan said the move might persuade Trump to think again about potentially joining Israel in striking Iran’s nuclear facilities. Pakistan has condemned Israel’s action as a violation of international law and a threat to regional stability.

In May, a surprise announcement by Trump of a ceasefire brought an abrupt end to a four-day conflict between nuclear-armed foes India and Pakistan. Trump has since repeatedly said that he averted a nuclear war, saved millions of lives, and grumbled that he got no credit for it.

Pakistan agrees that U.s. diplomatic intervention ended the fighting, but India says it was a bilateral agreement between the two militaries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he "repeatedly" told Israel that Iran has no intention of obtaining nuclear weapons.

speaking to sky News Arabia on saturday, he said, "Russia nor the International Atomic Energy Agency has or ever had any evidence that Iran is preparing to acquire nuclear weapons."

"We have repeatedly informed the Israeli leadership of that.”

Putin added that Russia was ready to support Iran in developing a peaceful nuclear program, saying that Iran had to the right to do so.

Israeli strikes have so far killed at least 430 people in Iran and injured 3,500, state media reported on saturday.

The death toll in Israel from Iran’s retaliatory strikes remains at 24.

Diplomatic efforts at de-escalating the conflict between Iran and Israel have so far faltered, producing more posturing and platitudes than signs of progress.

At a tense session at the United Nations security Council yesterday, Iranian and Israeli representatives traded sharp insults and vowed to keep fighting in an inconclusive meeting.

Meanwhile, European diplomats have attempted to revive diplomatic channels, with little to show for it. Iran’s Abbas Araghchi convened with his counterparts — France's Jean-Noël Barrot, Britain’s David Lammy and Germany’s Johann Wadephul — in Geneva. While the meeting provided hope that a return to talks was possible, it did not give any concrete indication that that is the case, The Associated Press reported.

President Donald Trump dismissed the European initiative, saying any diplomatic solution would require U.s. involvement. At the same time, he said yesterday that the conflict would be “very hard to stop,” when asked whether he supported a ceasefire during a potential negotiation phase.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the U.s. of being involved “from day one” in Israel’s attacks on Iran.

The U.s. sought to distance itself from Israel’s initial attack on Iran nine days ago, with secretary of state Marco Rubio saying it was “not involved” in the attack.

But speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, Araghchi said it the U.s. had been involved from the beginning. In addition, Araghchi suggested in an interview with NBC News last night that the U.s. had used the weeks of negotiations preceding Israel's strikes as "cover" for the attacks.

The Americans “deny it,” he said, but “we have many indications that they have been involved from day one.”

"At this stage, no visible casualties have been identified," Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency service, said on X, adding that teams were on the scene of the damaged two-story building checking if anyone was trapped beneath the rubble.

A picture of a blown-out building scarred with scorch marks and surrounded by mud and rubble appears to show the aftermath of the strike.

It was not immediately clear if it was an Iranian drone strike.

In a post on X today, the Israeli military said Behnam shahriyari "was eliminated in a precise IDF strike in western Iran." shahriyari served as a commander of the Iranian Quds Force, the overseas arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"shahriyari was responsible for all weapons transfers from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East," the IDF added.

NBC News has not been able to independently verify the IDF's claim, and Iran has not commented on shahriyari's whereabouts.

President Donald Trump’s two-week timeline to decide whether the U.s. will strike Iran’s nuclear sites is a familiar one — it’s one he’s repeatedly used since his first term in office.

“Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” he said in a statement issued through White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Trump has promised action on questions or decisions in “two weeks” over a dozen times in the last two months, according to an NBC News review — and he used the same timeline repeatedly during his first term in office.

Read the full story here.

President Donald Trump said the conflict between Iran and Israel is "very hard to stop," after Iran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear program while under threat.

On the tarmac yesterday in Morristown, New Jersey, Trump told reporters that he "might" support a ceasefire during a potential negotiation phase between the two countries, "depending on the circumstances."

"It's very hard to stop, I will say this, it's very hard to stop when you look at it. Israel is doing well in terms of conflict, and I think you would have to say that Iran is doing less well. It's a little bit hard to get somebody to stop."

Iran is uncertain whether it can trust the United states in diplomatic talks after Israel launched an aerial attack on the country only days before scheduled negotiations with American officials, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday in an exclusive interview with NBC News.

Asked by NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell whether a deal with the United states could be reached within the two-week time frame recently given by President Donald Trump, Araghchi said it was up to the Trump administration “to show their determination for going for a negotiated solution.”

But he suggested Washington was perhaps not genuinely interested in diplomacy and had merely used talks as a “cover” for Israel’s air attack.

Read the full story here.

some Americans in Israel have been able to leave the region after a flight arranged by Florida in partnership with a nonprofit organization brought evacuees home after Israeli airspace was closed off for most civilian flights for over a week. 

Trump broke with the intelligence community and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard over Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Asked by NBC News why he disagreed with the assessment of his own intelligence agencies, who said they had no evidence Iran was building a nuclear weapon, Trump responded, “Well, then my intelligence community is wrong.”

Trump — who was on the tarmac in Morristown, New Jersey, this afternoon, after Air Force One landed at the airport — then asked, “Who in the intelligence community said that?”

When told it was Gabbard, he said, “she’s wrong.”

EXCLUsIVE: Iran not sure it can trust America after Israeli attack, Iran’s foreign minister tells NBC News

Two weeks’ notice: Trump’s deadline on Iran is a familiar one

What could happen if Trump does decide to bomb Iran’s main nuclear site

Tehran neighborhoods empty out as Israel and Iran exchange barrages

Map: The Israel and Iran attacks