Summary

Media caption,

Watch: How successful have the US strikes on Iran been?

  1. Multiple blasts over Jerusalem heardpublished at 05:53 British Summer Time 22 June

    Hugo Bachega
    Middle East correspondent, reporting from Jerusalem

    We've just heard multiple blasts over Jerusalem from the air defences activated.

    This comes shortly after the Israel Defense Forces' warning of incoming Iranian missiles.

  2. Iran fires missiles at Israel - IDFpublished at 05:48 British Summer Time 22 June

    Jo Floto
    Middle East bureau chief in Jerusalem

    A short while ago, the Israel Defense Forces identified missiles launched from Iran toward the Israeli territory, the IDF says in a statement. Warning alerts have gone off on phones in Israel.

    Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat, it adds.

    The IDF asks the public to enter a protected space and remain there until further notice.

  3. Democrats condemn intervention 'without consent from Congress'published at 05:32 British Summer Time 22 June

    Alexandria Ocasio-CortezImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the intervention 'grounds for impeachment'

    In the US, some Democrat lawmakers are condemning the strikes - and that they were carried out without consent from Congress.

    Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says this is a "grave violation" of the constitution and Congressional War Powers, and "absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment".

    "He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations," she says on X.

    Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib likewise condemns what she calls the "blatant violation" of the US constitution and calls on Congress to intervene immediately.

    "We have seen where decades of endless war in the Middle East gets us - all based on the lie of "weapons of mass destruction". We are not falling for it again."

    Congressman Jim McGovern meanwhile calls the situation "insane".

    "Trump just bombed Iran without Congressional approval, illegally dragging us into war in the Middle East. Have we not learned our lesson?"

  4. The beginning of the end to this conflict - or the start of a more deadly phase?published at 05:24 British Summer Time 22 June

    Alice Cuddy
    Reporting from Jerusalem

    As we reported earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised US President Donald Trump and the US for "acting with a lot of strength" in its strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.

    In the full video address, posted on social media,, external Netanyahu congratulates the US president for his "bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States", saying the action will "change history".

    Netanyahu says Israel had done "truly amazing things" in its own operations against Iran, but that "in tonight’s action against Iran’s nuclear facilities, America has been truly unsurpassed".

    "It has done what no other country on Earth could do. History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world’s most dangerous regime, the world’s most dangerous weapons. His leadership today has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace," he said.

    As our Middle East bureau chief wrote earlier, as people across the Middle East wake this morning they will be waiting to see if this action marks the beginning of the end of this conflict, or the beginning of an even more deadly phase to the war.

  5. Analysis

    Trump's Iran gamble fraught with risk - at home and abroadpublished at 05:12 British Summer Time 22 June

    Anthony Zurcher
    North America correspondent

    Donald Trump, the president who returned to the White House in January promising to be a "peacemaker", has taken a dramatic step to insert the US into the fraught conflict between Iran and Israel.

    Far from bringing peace to the Middle East since taking office, Trump is now presiding over a region on the precipice of even greater warfare - a fight in which America is an active participant.

    Now Trump risks a political blowback. That risk includes domestic political concerns, along with questions of international security.

    The prospect of a US attack on Iran had already prompted sharp criticisms not only from Democrats but also from within Trump's own "America First" movement.

    Read my analysis in full here.

    Donald Trump speaks during his televised addressImage source, EPA
  6. 'Decisive moment between terror and hope', says Israeli presidentpublished at 05:05 British Summer Time 22 June

    More reaction now from Israeli officials - and President Isaac Herzog thanks Trump for his "brave step [which] serves the security and safety of the entire free world".

    He says on X: "In the pages of human history, this is a moment when the principles of liberty, responsibility, and security have triumphed. A decisive moment between the axis of terror and evil and the axis of hope,” he writes.

    Israel's defence minister likewise praises Trump and Netanyahu for the "historic" strikes overnight.

    Israel Katz congratulates the US president for taking action "in order to continue the Israeli operation" and ensure Iran does not have a nuclear weapon.

    He says the US and Israel's alliance is stronger than ever.

    A map the three nuclear sites the US struck: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan
  7. Iran's state media downplays Trump's strikespublished at 04:49 British Summer Time 22 June

    Ghoncheh Habibiazad
    BBC Persian, World Service reporter

    Bluff. It is a word repeated a lot since I started watching Iran’s state TV a few hours ago to see their reaction to the US attacks on its nuclear sites.

    A presenter on state TV said Donald Trump is “bluffing” about destroying Fordo nuclear site, adding that “only two tunnels at the entrance and exit of Fordo have been damaged”.

    Iranian official media began downplaying the attacks early on, calling them “unverified reports”.

    Morteza Heydari, spokesperson for Qom province crisis management, who had confirmed the attack on “a part” of Fordo, was quick to say afterwards that the whole province was “entirely calm”.

    Iranian outlets also tried to downplay by saying the explosions were “not that loud”.

    At the same time, Iran has limited access to the internet, citing “enemy cyberattacks” as the reason. This has led to a drop in videos and photos sent to the BBC and shared on social media, meaning we have to rely more on videos by Iranian outlets and state media and their narratives.

  8. More mixed reaction from US lawmakerspublished at 04:46 British Summer Time 22 June

    US Senator Mitch McConnell in Washington DC on 11 June 2025.Image source, Reuters

    More reaction has come in from across the US political spectrum on Trump's decision to strike Iran.

    Republican Senator Mitch McConnell is commending Trump for taking "decisive action" to deny Iran a nuclear weapon.

    "Seizing this opportunity is not an escalation toward war - it is a prudent response to the warmongers in Tehran. Iran would be foolish to misunderstand American resolve."

    In contrast, Mark Warner, Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says Trump's decision risks dragging the US into another "open-ended" war that could "cost American lives and resources for years to come".

    The Democrat also urges Trump to go before Congress and explain his objectives and plans to ensure the US is not drawn into an "unnecessary and avoidable conflict".

  9. Hamas condemns 'blatant aggression' of USpublished at 04:21 British Summer Time 22 June

    Hamas describes the US strikes in Iran as "blatant aggression".

    In a statement, Hamas says the attack is a "flagrant violation of international law and a direct threat to international peace and stability".

    Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, 2023, killing about 1,200 people. Israel's military offensive in Gaza in response has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

    Hamas, a Palestinian armed group and political movement, is designated a terrorist group by many countries including the US, UK and Israel.

  10. Trump's name written in gold in history books, says Israeli foreign ministerpublished at 04:12 British Summer Time 22 June

    More reaction is coming out of Israel, where we're hearing from the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar.

    He says Trump has written his name in gold in the history books thanks to his "courageous decision" to carry out the strikes, according to a translation of his post on X.

    He adds that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu led the "historic move".

  11. White House releases photos of Trump in Situation Roompublished at 03:58 British Summer Time 22 June

    We're now getting some images from the White House showing Donald Trump and other US officials in the Situation Room during the strikes on Iran.

    Donald Trump and US officials in the Situation Room during US strikes on Iran on 21 June 2025Image source, The White House
    Donald Trump and US officials in the Situation Room during US strikes on Iran on 21 June 2025Image source, The White House
    Donald Trump and US officials in the Situation Room during US strikes on Iran on 21 June 2025Image source, The White House
    Donald Trump and US officials in the Situation Room during US strikes on Iran on 21 June 2025Image source, The White House
    U.S. President Donald Trump looks ahead as he holds a meeting in the Situation Room at the White HouseImage source, Reuters
  12. Iran retaliation will be met with 'force far greater', says Trumppublished at 03:54 British Summer Time 22 June

    US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his warnings to Iran against any retaliation.

    In a post on Truth Social, posted after his address in the White House, Trump wrote:

    "ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT."

  13. 'Greater chance than not' Fordo out of action, former US official sayspublished at 03:53 British Summer Time 22 June

    Mark Kimmitt, the US former deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East, has just been speaking with the BBC News channel.

    Kimmitt said that while it was clear the US had launched "a substantial hit" on Iran's nuclear facilities, formal assessments would still be needed to confirm the extent of the damage.

    He added that if multiple so-called "bunker-buster" bombs were used on the Fordo nuclear facility, there was a "greater chance than not that the facility is out of action".

    Map of Fordo
  14. Analysis

    Would Trump go as far as regime change in Iran?published at 03:44 British Summer Time 22 June

    Gary O'Donoghue
    Chief North America correspondent

    When Israel hit Iran last Thursday week, Donald Trump’s Secretary of State and National Security Adviser, Marco Rubio, immediately distanced the US from the action, calling it “unilateral” on Israel’s part.

    Fast forward to now, and America is a combatant.

    The president hopes this is a ‘one and done’ action, as Americans like to put it, but the one thing that is out of his hands is how Iran responds.

    He is urging Iran to make peace – warning that future attacks would be “far worse and a lot easier”.

    Does that mean he’s prepared to go as far as regime change? That would certainly be counter to his promise to avoid taking the US into foreign wars and could cause a significant domestic backlash among many of his supporters.

    US presidents often come into office vowing to focus on their agenda at home – and many have ended up getting drawn into international hotspots and wars. Is the same happening to the most isolationist president in living memory?

  15. Possible lesson for America's adversariespublished at 03:37 British Summer Time 22 June

    Jake Kwon
    North America Correspondent

    U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose at a military demarcation line at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, June 30, 2019Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Panmunjom, South Korea in 2019

    North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is likely patting himself on the back today.

    President Trump in his first term mulled bombing North Korea's nuclear sites after the country tested missiles that can reach the continental US. Ultimately Washington chose diplomacy over military strikes.

    It was understood that the US couldn't risk attacking a country who had already demonstrated it had working nuclear bombs.

    Iran gave up its enriched uranium after the 2015 deal with the US and Europe. Trump's spy chief Tulsi Gabbard said in March that Iran was not building nuclear weapons.

    After today's strike, future adversaries of the US may believe that North Korea calculated correctly.

  16. US strikes a dangerous escalation, says UN secretary generalpublished at 03:36 British Summer Time 22 June

    The UN has also issued its response to the strikes.

    Calling it a "dangerous escalation", the UN Secretary General António Guterres says there is now a "growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world".

    He adds in the post on X: "At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace."

    UN Secretary-General Antonio GuterresImage source, Reuters
  17. Iran Atomic Energy Organisation condemns US attackspublished at 03:30 British Summer Time 22 June

    Ghoncheh Habibiazad
    BBC Persian, World Service reporter

    We're just getting some more reaction from Iran following the US strikes.

    The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) condemns America's “savage assault” on three Iranian nuclear sites.

    The organisation also criticises the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for being “indifferent and even complicit”.

    The AEOI called on the global community to “condemn the attacks and support Iran’s rightful position”.

    The organisation says that “despite the malicious plans of the enemies”, scientists and experts will “keep the country’s nuclear industry moving forward”.

    The organisation will be taking “necessary" steps which will include “legal actions” following the attacks, the statement said.

  18. Analysis

    Trump's message to Iran - negotiate or expect more strikespublished at 03:23 British Summer Time 22 June

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    Reporting from Washington DC

    Trump's message to the Iranian regime was short, simple and direct: come to the negotiating table, or more strikes will come.

    "If they do not, future attacks will be far greater," he said. "And a lot easier."

    In the lead-up to the attacks, Trump had repeatedly - at least publicly - left room for negotiations to continue.

    Now, he continues to leave the path open, but with the threat of further American strikes looming over Iran's leadership.

    "There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days," he said.

    Notably, Trump did not explicitly mention the possibility of regime change in Tehran. Instead, he made it clear the US considers the operation largely over. But if - and only if - Iran comes to the table.

    The US has moved considerable military assets to the region, which suggests, as Trump noted, that the US is ready to move extremely quickly if the president so chooses.

    Trump walks with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth before his address to the nationImage source, Reuters
  19. Israel and US worked as 'a team'published at 03:12 British Summer Time 22 June

    Trump says thousands were killed by Iran's former military commander Qasem Soleimani.

    "I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen, it will not continue."

    He also congratulates Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they worked as a "team" to erase this "horrible threat to Israel".

    Trump remarks lasted for about four minutes.

  20. Trump warns of more strikes if peace 'doesn't come quickly'published at 03:10 British Summer Time 22 June

    Trump delivers an address to the nation at the White HouseImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Trump is flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.

    "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater that we have witnessed over the last eight days," Trump warns.

    "Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal.

    "But if peace doesn't come quickly we will go to those other targets with precision, speed and skill," the US president says.