Parade salvo: how the situation will develop after the US strikes on Iran
On the night of June 22, the United States launched a massive strike on Iran, and Tehran is now preparing its response to these attacks. The leadership of the Islamic Republic is considering several options for further actions, among them the bombing of American facilities in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Izvestia investigated the situation.
What happened
The United States attacked Iran on the night of June 22. The Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities were attacked: the uranium enrichment plant in Fordo, as well as the centers in Natanz and Isfahan. It is known that the strike was carried out by B-2 stealth bombers, which used bunker bombs weighing 13 tons each.
A satellite image shows the destroyed buildings of the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center after it was hit by US airstrikes in Isfahan, Iran, on June 22, 2025.
Later, the Pentagon told the details of the operation. They reported that the planes took off from Whiteman Air Base, located on the US mainland. They made an 18-hour flight, during which they refueled several times in the air. A total of 125 aircraft were involved in the operation. In addition, US Navy warships fired Tomahawk missiles at Iran.
After the incident, Donald Trump issued a statement calling the attack an "impressive military success." According to him, the strikes were massive and precise, and key targets were "completely and completely destroyed." He also threatened new strikes if Tehran refuses to conclude a deal.
In turn, Iran reported that the damage and losses were less than they could have been. According to a number of statements, Tehran was preparing for such a development, and therefore evacuated in advance. At the same time, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran would take all possible measures to protect its interests. On June 22, Araghchi arrived in Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin.
What was the reaction
The incident caused a strong reaction in the world. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the American attack. The ministry was particularly concerned that the strikes were carried out by a country that is a member of the UN Security Council. It is emphasized that the IAEA should respond to the bombing "without streamlined phrases and attempts to hide behind political equidistance."
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, noted that the United States is now embroiled in a new conflict with the prospect of a ground operation. "The critical infrastructure of the nuclear cycle does not appear to be affected or has suffered little damage. The enrichment of nuclear materials, and now we can say directly that the future production of nuclear weapons will continue," he said.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also condemned Washington's actions, calling them a violation of international law. Beijing called on the parties to the conflict to cease fire and resume negotiations. In turn, the Turkish Foreign Ministry noted that they fear the consequences of the current escalation. "Current events can turn a regional conflict into a global one," the statement said.
The head of the European Diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, called on the parties to return to negotiations. Representatives of a number of European countries stressed that they had not participated in the attacks on Iran, and statements were made in Paris and Berlin, among others. At the same time, France decided to hold a meeting of the country's Security Council.
There were not many countries among those who unequivocally supported the actions of the United States. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Iran's nuclear program a "serious threat to international security." According to him, Washington has taken actions to mitigate this danger. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump for his "courageous decision."
What's next
Option 1: an attack on American bases in the region
The main question is how the situation will develop further. One of the possible scenarios is Iran's retaliatory strikes on American military bases. In this sense, we can recall the events of January 2020. Then the Americans launched an airstrike on Baghdad, which killed the Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani. In response, Tehran fired missiles at two US facilities in Iraq.
Iran's Sevom Khordad medium-range mobile anti-aircraft missile System
Now, after the American bombing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has stated that the US military in the region is extremely vulnerable. The New York Times writes that about 40,000 soldiers are now under threat. According to various sources, the United States has from 19 to 50 military installations, 10 of which are large.
It is known that all US bases in the Middle East have been placed on maximum alert. Emergency measures are being taken in Bahrain, where the US Fifth Fleet is based. Most of the kingdom's civil servants have been sent to remote work, and all residents have been advised not to use major highways.
Option 2: closure of the Strait of Hormuz
The second option is Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the world ocean, and up to 20% of the world's oil and petroleum products, as well as 30% of liquefied natural gas, pass through it. According to experts, in the event of a prolonged lockdown, global oil prices will soar at least twice, reaching $ 130-150 per barrel, which will deal a severe blow to many industries, including the American economy.
Observers are already noting some difficulties. They are related to the blocking of GPS navigation, which caused a major accident on June 17 involving the ships Adalynn and Front Eagle.
Saudi Arabia will be the least affected by the potential closure of the strait. The Kingdom may redirect a significant portion of exports through the East-West oil pipeline, which runs from the fields of the Persian Gulf to the ports of the Red Sea. The pipeline's capacity is 5 million b/d, but it is already partially loaded. The worst will be Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar, which have no alternatives to the current routes. On the consumption side, India, China and the EU will suffer the most.
Iranian officials emphasize that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is indeed being considered. Commander of the IRGC Navy Alireza Tangsiri stated that the strait would be closed if aggression against the country continued.
On the afternoon of June 22, the Iranian parliament supported the closure of the waterway, although the final decision on this issue lies with the republic's Security Council. The final decision should be made by the Supreme National Security Council of the Republic, which includes the Supreme Leader (rahbar). Iran's Ali Khamenei, President Masoud Peseshkian, a number of ministers and experts.
Option 3: return to negotiations
Finally, the third option is for the parties to gradually return to negotiations. On the one hand, experts point to a high probability of a response from Iran, on the other hand, they note that a counterattack will follow not against American troops, but against their allies in Israel.
In addition, according to a number of American media reports, the White House hastened to inform Tehran that the strikes on nuclear facilities were a one-time action and were not aimed at regime change.
Subsequently, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed this information, saying that Washington does not plan to launch new strikes and does not seek to change power in the Islamic Republic. According to him, the Trump administration demands that the Iranians not enrich uranium and not develop "weapons-grade capacities." "We are ready to talk to them tomorrow and start working on it," he said.
At the same time, reports have repeatedly appeared about Tehran's readiness for negotiations. According to the Israeli Ynet portal, this initiative has now been launched in West Jerusalem.
At the official level, Iran is still skeptical about this, although, nevertheless, they do not completely reject diplomacy. The country's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, noted that the United States had crossed all possible red lines, so it was inappropriate to talk about any kind of dialogue. "But in principle, the door to diplomacy should remain open," he explained.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
Iranian President Masoud Peseshkian said in a conversation with Emmanuel Macron that the United States should receive a response to its strikes. "At meetings with the United States, we talked about trust, but in practice, the United States acted differently and attacked our nuclear facilities. America attacked us. What would you do if you were in this situation? Naturally, they must receive a response to their aggression," his press service quoted the Iranian president as saying.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
