U.S. Strikes Iranian Nuclear Sites, Breaking Years of Restraint

The U.S. military has conducted precision airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities—including enrichment sites at Natanz and Fordow—for the first time in years. The campaign, running through early June 2026, signals a fundamental shift in American strategy. Iranian planners long assumed Washington would prosecute proxy conflicts through regional militias but avoid direct kinetic action on Iranian soil. These strikes demolish that assumption, setting back nuclear timelines and forcing Tehran to recalculate its position as Secretary of State Rubio pursues negotiations.