Fifth Day of War: Israel Pounds Iran Nuclear Sites, Trump Issues Dire Warning

Israel and Iran continue exchanging military strikes on the fifth day of an intensifying conflict, with civilians in key flashpoint zones caught in the crossfire.

At least 224 people have been killed in Iran since hostilities erupted, while 24 have died in Israel.

U.S. President Donald Trump made a dramatic early exit from the G7 summit, returning to Washington after instructing his team to pursue an urgent meeting with Iranian officials. Despite speculation, Trump denied the move was aimed at brokering a ceasefire, hinting instead at “something much bigger.”

In a stark warning, he urged Tehran’s 10 million residents to evacuate, emphasizing the capital’s growing peril.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the Israeli military campaign has delivered a serious blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“I estimate we are sending them back a very, very long time,” he stated. Israel has targeted three major Iranian nuclear sites and key personnel, though the full extent of the damage remains unclear.

Israel’s strikes were launched amid warnings that Iran was nearing a critical threshold in its nuclear program — a point of no return, Israeli officials suggested, in its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons. However, U.S. intelligence assessments paint a different picture.

According to four individuals familiar with the intelligence, Iran was not actively working to build a nuclear weapon and was still up to three years away from developing and deploying one. Despite the heavy bombardment, American officials now believe that Israel may have only delayed Iran’s nuclear progress by a few months.

Although the Israeli assault reportedly inflicted damage on the Natanz facility, the more fortified Fordow enrichment site remains unscathed. Experts note that without advanced U.S. weaponry and aerial support, Israel lacks the capability to significantly damage that facility.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently reported that Iran had stockpiled enough uranium enriched just below weapons-grade to potentially build nine nuclear bombs. However, while constructing a crude nuclear device could take months, developing a reliable delivery system would likely require years.

Now, with Iran’s nuclear infrastructure under fire, some U.S. officials worry that the Israeli offensive could backfire — potentially pushing Tehran to pursue the very nuclear weapons program it has so far refrained from fully weaponizing.