Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.
There was no immediate acknowledgment from the Iranian government of any strikes being carried out. The country's state-run IRNA news agency early Sunday reported an attack on the country's Fordo nuclear site that activated air defenses. The agency did not elaborate.
The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.
Republican response:
"Tonight, the United States dealt a decisive blow to Iran's nuclear program. The U.S. military alone had the capability to destroy these facilities deep underground, and I commend President Trump for standing with our Israeli allies in their efforts to end the threat of a nuclear," Senator Ted Budd said in a post on X.
Senator Thom Tillis said the president's decision was the right decision.
"This was the right decision by @POTUS: we cannot allow Iran to build nuclear weapons. God Bless our brave servicemembers who supported and executed this mission."
Democrat response:
Congressman Don Davis
"Iran is the world's foremost state sponsor of terrorism and must be prevented from developing nuclear weapons. A nuclear-armed Iran poses a dire threat not only to the United States but also to our strongest ally in the Middle East, Israel, and the entire international community."
North Carolina expert reactions
Saturday's news immediately drew the attention of those who study diplomacy in the Triangle.
Professor Navin Bapat is the curriculum chair at UNC Chapel Hill of Peace, War, and Defense, who has studied the Middle East and the War on Terror. He said right now we are heading into uncharted territory, and says the big question is whether it stops there.
"So what I would be concerned about... I think the thing that I'm sort of looking at is... what is the end game?" he said. "The Trump administration, in particular, was against open-ended conflicts, but it's not clear what the objectives of this were. If they were just to attack those three facilities. Then is that done? The Trump administration could potentially say we're done with this, but it's not clear what happens after that. And certainly it's not necessarily considering what Iran does."
Bapat said what is true is Iran will see the attack as an escalation and a step away from previous efforts to try and work through diplomacy.
"Since Trump had been trying to push Iran back to the negotiating table, my guess is for now, Iran will just be, not interested in that. And they had suggested that if Israel were to stop bombing them and if the United States were to compel Israel to do that, they might be willing to talk. But I think now that the United States has joined, that probably sets that back at least a little bit," he said.
US Lawmakers
Congressional leaders expressed surprise Saturday night about President Donald Trump's announcement he had ordered a U.S. attacked on three Iranian nuclear sites, with some Republicans praising the move and some Democrats questioning the president's authority.
South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, an Iran hawk, said in an X post moments after Trump announced the attack that it was "the right call."
"The regime deserves it. Well done, President @realDonaldTrump," he said. "To my fellow citizens: We have the best Air Force in the world. It makes me so proud."
But the top Democrat in the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, said Trump had "misled the country."
"Donald Trump promised to bring peace to the Middle East. He has failed to deliver on that promise. The risk of war has now dramatically increased, and I pray for the safety of our troops in the region who have been put in harm's way," he said in a statement.
ABC News contributed to this report