Washington [US], June 24 : US President Donald Trump has stated that Iran will "never be able to rebuild" its nuclear facilities following recent American airstrikes carried out under "Operation Midnight Hammer" over the weekend while claiming that the sites were now "under rock", referring to Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, "IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!"
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114738128058193093
Speaking to reporters later, he reiterated, "Iran will never be able to rebuild its nuclear facilities. From there? Absolutely not. That place is under rock. That place is demolished. The B2 pilots did their job better than anybody could have imagined..."
In earlier Truth Social posts, Trump urged Israel to end the conflict and honour the ceasefire agreement, adding that Israeli jets would turn around while being airborne, doing a "friendly plane wave" to Iran.
"ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly 'Plane Wave' to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect! Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. ISRAEL," he posted.
However, Trump warned Israel not to violate the ceasefire. "DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES," the 47th US President, wrote
Earlier in the day, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out a limited strike on an Iranian radar site north of Tehran. This came shortly after Iran fired two ballistic missiles at Israel, despite the ceasefire announcement earlier that day, The Times of Israel reported.
According to the report, Israel scaled down its response after a phone call between Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. The Times of Israel report added that Trump and Netanyahu agreed that Israel would conduct a single "symbolic" retaliatory strike to register a response without escalating the conflict. Following this agreement, most Israeli fighter jets turned back, and only the radar site was hit. The full scope of Israel's original military plan remains unclear.
On Monday, Iran launched multiple missiles at US military bases in Qatar, including the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest American military installation in the region. The Iranian attack was in response to US strikes on its nuclear facilities under "Operation Midnight Hammer."
On Tuesday, Israel officially accepted Trump's ceasefire proposal, stating that it had achieved its operational goals and warning of consequences if the truce was violated.
In a statement, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said,"In light of having achieved the objectives of the operation, and in full coordination with President Trump, Israel agrees to the President's proposal for a bilateral ceasefire. Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire."
Trump had earlier announced that both Israel and Iran had agreed to a "complete and total ceasefire" aimed at ending a conflict that had escalated over the past 12 days.
In another Truth Social post, he stated, "Iran will start the ceasefire and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the ceasefire and, upon the 24th Hour, an official end to the 12-Day War."
The conflict began on June 13 when Israel launched a large-scale airstrike targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities under "Operation Rising Lion". Iran responded by launching "Operation True Promise 3", a campaign involving missile and drone attacks against Israel's infrastructure.