In a flash of white over the Persian Gulf, President Trump announced “Operation Glass Hammer,” a series of precision rocket strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities near Natanz. Within hours, F-18s launched from the USS Bataan, and cruise missiles hit hardened underground sites. Trump, addressing the nation from Mar-a-Lago, declared, “Iran will never have the bomb. We hit them hard, we hit them fast, and we’re not done if they retaliate.”

The strikes obliterated two centrifuge assembly plants and a suspected weaponization site. Iranian air defenses—largely Russian-made systems—failed to intercept half of the incoming rockets. Trump’s executive order explicitly avoided targeting cultural or civilian hubs, but early reports suggested a nearby power plant was damaged, causing blackouts in Isfahan province.

Within an hour, Tehran’s supreme leader vowed “a revenge that reshapes the region.” Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria fired short-range rockets at U.S. bases, injuring three soldiers. Global oil prices spiked 12%, and the UN Security Council called an emergency session. Trump tweeted simply: “They attacked first. We finished it. Don’t test us.”

As night fell over the Gulf, U.S. warships moved into defensive positions. Trump’s gamble—aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear program before the election—had drawn fierce criticism from allies but cheers from his base. The question remained whether Tehran would launch a full-scale war or absorb the blow, awaiting a darker response.