Iran will “most probably” in the coming hours launch an attack on US military installations in retaliation for the American bombing of nuclear sites in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, Amwaj.media has learned. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a high-ranking political source in Tehran said the decision to strike US interests in the region has been made, but that senior officials and commanders are still holding consultations on the precise targets. The source declined to reveal which particular American installations are being considered for possible attacks.
This comes as US President Donald Trump has warned of further escalation if Iran responds to the bombing of its nuclear sites in the early hours of June 22. “They should make peace immediately. They should stop immediately. Otherwise they’ll get hit again,” Trump
said in a brief phone interview ahead of a statement late on June 21 EDT, later warning, “There are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all, by far…but if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.”
As Amwaj.media exclusively reported on June 22, Iran received prior notice of the US bombings along with a private communication from the Trump administration that it does not seek a broader conflict. That dynamic suggested that Trump seeks a repeat of the events of Jan. 2020, when Iran fired ballistic missiles at evacuated American bases in Iraq in retaliation for the US assassination of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani.
At the time, Trump opted to absorb the largely symbolic Iranian strike, acknowledging that Tehran needed to save face. However, under current conditions, with the Islamic Republic perceived to be on the backfoot in the face of setbacks in the region—while under an ongoing Israeli attack which has left top military commanders and nuclear scientists dead—the US president’s tolerance for an Iranian response may be lower.
Israeli media on June 22 suggested that Tel Aviv may be ready for a ceasefire if Tehran stops firing missiles, but that Israel and the US could jointly attack economic and energy infrastructure in Iran with the aim of collapsing the Iranian state if the Islamic Republic does not take the offer.
Prior to the June 22 US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, Iranian officials had said they are open to resuming talks with the Trump administration, but only if Israel ceases its attacks. Of note, Iran and the US were slated to hold a sixth round of talks in Oman on June 15, but the diplomatic engagement came to an abrupt halt with Israel’s June 13 surprise attack on Iran. Following the US attack on Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, top Iranian officials indicated that the door to diplomacy had been shut altogether. However, that may change if Iran is allowed to save face through an attack on largely evacuated US military installations.
Notably, the US bombings of Iran do not appear to have been conducted from any military base in the region. Multiple B-2 bombers flying from the US dropped a dozen 13.6 ton (30,000 lbs) Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs on Fordow, a deeply buried uranium enrichment, reportedly causing significant damage but failing to completely destroy the site. Meanwhile, a submarine is reported to have been used to fire missiles at the underground enrichment facility in Natanz and the nuclear complex in Isfahan. Of note, Israel on June 23 bombed the access road to Fordow in an apparent bid to prevent access to the site.
It was not immediately clear which sites Iran may hit. Although the US seems to have been careful not to use American facilities in the region to bomb Iran, the Iranian military is unable to target the mainland United States. As such, American regional interests will likely come under fire, with US facilities in Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar and in the tri-border area between Iraq, Jordan, and Syria among possible targets. Having said that, American bases have largely been evacuated, meaning that any Iranian strike will mainly carry symbolic value—putting the ball in the court of Trump on next steps.
