‘Iran, the bully of Middle East’: Donald Trump's salvo at Tehran after US attacks Iranian nuclear sites

US President dubbed Iran as "the bully of the Middle East" and warned that the Islamic country "must now make peace." His statement came after the US attacked three Iranian nuclear sites — Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow — further escalating the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

"Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace," said Trump in a late night address to the nation on Saturday.

"If they do not, future attacks will be far greater, and a lot easier," added Trump, who was flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his address on Saturday evening for US audiences.

Speaking from the White House, the US President said, “For 40 years, Iran has been saying death to Israel, death to the US. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs... So many were killed by their general, Qasem Soleimani. I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue.”

Following the US' strikes in Iran, now all eyes are on how the Islamic country would respond to the attack.

“Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight. Thank you!" Trump wrote on TRUTH social.

US attacks Iran

The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its ninth day on Saturday, with the US now joining in support of Israel.

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US military carried out a "very successful attack" on three Iranian nuclear sites, including the underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow.

Calling Saturday's attack on Iran the “most difficult” and “most lethal” one in the last week, the US President said, “…if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.”

The underground site at Fordow and the larger Natanz plant were Iran's two primary uranium enrichment facilities, out of which Natanz had already been hit by Israel with smaller weapons earlier in the week, the New York Times reported. The third site, located near the historic city of Isfahan, is believed to store Iran's stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium.

The conflict began after Israel launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites on June 13.

In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a large-scale drone and missile operation, 'Operation True Promise 3', targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres.