Trump says Iran’s nuclear sites ‘massively damaged

President Donald Trump said in a series of social media posts that the US strikes massively damaged Iran’s nuclear sites, even outlining a scenario in which the government in Tehran could collapse.

“Monumental damage was done to all nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term!” he said in a post on the Truth Social platform.

This came despite comments by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Keane, who said on Sunday that the facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan suffered severe damage.

However, he stopped short of confirming that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been fully destroyed, noting that it will take time to assess the full extent of the damage.

In another post, Trump said: “It’s not politically correct to use the term, “Regime Change,” but if the current Iranian regime is unable to make IRAN great again, why wouldn’t there be a regime change?”

However, this remark stands in contrast to a statement by his vice president JD Vance.

“Our position has been very clear from the beginning, we do not seek regime change, we do not want to prolong this situation. We want to end their nuclear program and then engage with the Iranians on a long-term settlement,” Vance told NBC on Sunday.