For more than a week, President Donald Trump kept the world anxiously speculating whether he would ultimately join Israel in its military strikes against Iran to dismantle the nation’s nuclear program. The guessing ended decisively over the weekend when American stealth bombers, fighter jets, and a submarine launched missile strikes deep into Iranian territory.
This move represents one of the most consequential foreign policy decisions by a U.S. president in recent history, thrusting the nation back into armed hostilities in the volatile Middle East—a situation that offers no clear or definitive endgame.
Trump’s approach to military action was characteristically unconventional, with crucial announcements and deliberations unfolding primarily through social media posts. Over the span of eleven tense days, he swung repeatedly from pledges of diplomacy to stark warnings of military force, ratcheting up tension unpredictably prior to launching the U.S. strikes.
The first indications of escalating conflict emerged on Wednesday, June 11, when the families of U.S. military personnel stationed in the region started evacuating. President Trump, attending opening night at the Kennedy Center, stated that the Middle East could become “a dangerous place,” without confirming whether the moves indicated imminent military involvement or were intended as pressure tactics ahead of diplomatic talks with Tehran.
Internally, by that time, Israel had already solidified its strike plans, aiming to neutralize a nuclear threat it perceived as existential.
On June 12, Trump publicly acknowledged the likelihood of an Israeli attack. That evening, Israel’s forces struck with devastating precision—deploying hundreds of warplanes and advanced drones. Powerful explosions echoed through Tehran as Iran’s military leaders and top nuclear scientists were targeted, alongside many installations connected directly with Iran’s nuclear program.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly termed it a “targeted military operation,” emphasizing the operation had become necessary to ensure Israel’s survival despite Iran’s insistence it pursued only peaceful nuclear capabilities. Trump’s initial public reaction was to reaffirm commitment to diplomatic solutions, but the language he employed soon shifted noticeably toward a more combative tone.
Iran responded with missile counterattacks on Israel the next day, but most were intercepted by Israeli missile defense systems. Trump’s public statements on Friday, June 13, lauded Israel’s military technology and implicitly warned Iran, simultaneously urging Tehran—yet again—to seize another chance at diplomacy before the fighting worsened.
By Saturday, June 14, Trump consulted with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the crisis; meanwhile, scheduled diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran collapsed as hostilities intensified. In Washington, Trump attended a highly publicized military parade commemorating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary—and his own birthday—against the backdrop of looming military escalation with Iran.
On June 15, President Trump attempted positioning himself as a mediator, citing past successes in brokering peace elsewhere and demanding similarly that Israel and Iran secure a peaceful resolution. By then, Iranian state officials reported more than 220 casualties from continued Israeli strikes, prompting international concern regarding widening conflict. Reports later surfaced that Trump had personally rebuffed an Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, considering it dangerously destabilizing.
While briefly attending the Group of Seven summit in Canada, Trump abruptly returned back to Washington after just a day, as Israel claimed dominance over Iranian airspace and suggested extensive damage to Tehran’s nuclear operations. It became increasingly clear to American and Israeli officials, however, that only U.S. forces had the specialized weaponry—particularly deep-ground penetrating “bunker busting” bombs—required to destroy Iran’s most strategically fortified nuclear sites.
On June 17, aboard Air Force One, Trump publicly declared he demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” dismissing intelligence assessments that insisted Iran had not yet conclusively opted to build a nuclear weapon. He showed growing impatience towards reconciliation, signaling that time was quickly running out for Tehran.
The next day, Trump publicly wavered again, stating simply, “I may do it or I may not do it,” when questioned about U.S. intervention—but the administration signaled clearly that military options were actively under Pentagon consideration.
Despite the anticipated pause afforded by the federal Juneteenth holiday on Thursday, June 19, Trump’s White House announced he would decide definitively within two weeks whether America should directly participate with Israel’s military efforts—a timeline viewed skeptically due to his history of vague “two-week” commitments.
Finally, on Saturday, June 21, shortly after midnight, American B-2 stealth bombers secretly took off from Missouri, headed eastward toward Iran in a mission lasting some eighteen hours. Later that same day, once Trump returned to Washington from New Jersey, U.S military assets launched Tomahawk missiles from a submarine, fighter jets patrolled Iranian airspace, and stealth bombers delivered 30,000-pound bunker busters—marking their first use in active warfare.
Trump took to social media immediately after the strikes, praising the operation as a success and demanding peace negotiations. Addressing the nation briefly from the White House, Trump issued a stark warning against any retaliatory moves by Iran, proclaiming resolutely, “there will either be peace, or tragedy for Iran.”
